Bridge, Zia… and You! (Part 2) Round of 32: Panahpour vs Auken by Ace Ventura Some of you must have read the book, ‘Bridge, Zia… and Me!’. We could not afford a follow-up by the author Michael Rosenberg, so here is the Tenerife-version – Bridge, Zia… and You! You will be given some of Zia’s hands to see if you can do any better than him. All hands are from the match in the Round of 32 between Panahpour, including the bridge-star Zia Mahmood, and Jens Auken’s Danish squad. See part one in a previous bulletin. As we start from here, at half time of the match, Jens Auken’s team was leading by 50-17. Session two. 14 more boards to go. Zia is now seated South in the Closed Room.   ♠ A J 9 8 ♥ 8 5 4 2 ♦ 4 2 ♣ 6 5 2 West North East South 1♦ 1♠ Pass 2♥ 3♣ 3♠ Pass 3NT Pass Pass ? Seating South, Pass or double? The first board was flat since both EW-pairs reached and made 6♠. That happened only in one other match. Well-done! Auken gained another 5 IMPs on board 16. Then came: Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ - ♥ K J 10 ♦ K Q 9 7 6 3 ♣ A J 9 7 ♠ 10 7 3 ♥ A Q 7 ♦ A J 5 ♣ Q 10 8 3 ♠ K Q 6 5 4 2 ♥ 9 6 3 ♦ 10 8 ♣ K 4   ♠ A J 9 8 ♥ 8 5 4 2 ♦ 4 2 ♣ 6 5 2 Open Room West North East South Mcintosh Kampmann King Auken   1♦ Pass 1♠ 2♦ Dble 2♠ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass Closed Room: West North East South Schaltz Robson Christiansen Zia   1♦ 1♠ Pass 2♥ 3♣ 3♠ Pass 3NT Dble All Pass   As you have noticed, you were not presented exactly the same auction as in the Closed Room. As Zia at the table had promised he would double, even if Robson had not, we know that for sure. Double was therefore the answer. Kampmann and Auken in coward fashion passed. Robson led the king of diamonds and Schaltz won the ace. Now declarer wanted to establish spades, but he soon discovered to his cost how the suit was divided. Zia won the trick and returned a diamond, Robson let dummy’s ten win the trick. Declarer tried the club king but Robson now won with the ace to cash four diamond tricks. The defence had one more trick to win for –500 and 10 IMPs to Panahpour, when the defence in the Open Room slipped slightly and only won five tricks. All vulnerable, do you take action with Zia’s hand?   ♠ K Q 1 0 6 ♥ 7 5 ♦ K J 3 2 ♣ A 1 0 7 West North East South 4♥ Pass Pass ? Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ 9 8 5 4 ♥ K 9 ♦ 10 9 7 6 ♣ 9 8 6 ♠ 7 ♥ A Q J 10 8 6 2 ♦ 4 ♣ Q J 5 4 ♠ A J 3 2 ♥ 4 3 ♦ A Q 8 5 ♣ K 3 2   ♠ K Q 10 6 ♥ 7 5 ♦ K J 3 2 ♣ A 10 7 Open Room West North East South Mcintosh Kampmann King Auken 4♥ Pass Pass Dble All Pass       Closed Room West North East South Schaltz Robson Christiansen Zia 4♥ Pass Pass Dble All Pass       Did someone say that pass is the best bid in bridge? Well, here it was, even though no one can blame you if you shyly picked an X from your bidding-box. No defence could prevent declarer from making an overtrick in 4♥, and that was what happened at both tables for +990 and a remarkable push. Okey, have another go at it.   ♠ A ♥ A K Q J 9 ♦ 7 4 3 ♣ K 5 4 3       ♠ J 1 0 7 3 ♥ 8 7 6 5 ♦ A J 8 ♣ 8 6 Neither defender interfered and you are playing in 4♥. You win the trump-lead in dummy to play a diamond to the jack and queen. West switches to the queen of clubs. What is your plan? You can count to seven easy tricks. By ruffing two clubs in hand, two more tricks are likely to be produced, but where to find the tenth trick? The hands were rotated for your convenience. This was the actual layout: Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul.   ♠ J 10 7 3 ♥ 8 7 6 5 ♦ A J 8 ♣ 8 6 ♠ K 9 6 5 ♥ 3 2 ♦ K 9 6 2 ♣ A 9 7 ♠ Q 8 4 2 ♥ 10 4 ♦ Q 10 5 ♣ Q J 10 2   ♠ A ♥ A K Q J 9 ♦ 7 4 3 ♣ K 5 4 3 Open Room West North East South Mcintosh Kampmann King Auken       1♥ Pass 3♣ Pass 4♥ All Pass       Closed Room West North East South Schaltz Robson Christiansen Zia       1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass         Panahpour closed the gap here thanks to Zia, who found the winning line. He let the club queen hold the trick, then again played low on the club continuation. West exited with a trump, which was won in dummy. Zia ruffed a club and the ace dropped. Now the king of clubs was a winner, so a diamond loser could be pitched.   At the other table 3♣ showed four cards trump-support, 6-9 HCPs, and the same contract was reached. Jens Auken had to handle the clubs by himself and played a club to the king and went one down; Panahpour gained 12 IMPs. Panahpour came closer, but not close enough. This board was the last big swing in the match and that gave us the final score of 69-47. Panahpour was knocked out here. Team Auken didn’t survive the Round of 16.

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