2012 Vilnius Cup: High…too High

Altitude sickness—also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), altitude illness, hypobaropathy, or soroche—is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude. It commonly occurs above 2,400 metres (8,000 feet). It is hard to determine who will be affected by altitude sickness, as there are no specific factors that correlate with a susceptibility to altitude sickness. However, most people can ascend to 2,400 metres (8,000 ft) without difficulty. Sorochepills are the Andean mountain sickness medication.

In the fourth round of the 2012 Vilnius Bridge Festival Cup in the Swiss Open Teams the Vytas team faced the Jassica team.

The  three first boards of the 8 boards match were a push, same contract… same scores. However the 4th board woke everyone who was watching the match on BBO, when the same vertigo felt in Vilnius also reached all the BBO Kibitzers.

BOARD#28
W Dealer NS Vul	A Q 8 7 2 8 5 4 2 5 3 8 5
K 10 4 3 A Q J 6 3 7 6 10 2		J 6 K 10 9 7 K 9 8 4 2 J 9
	9 5 A Q J 10 A K Q 7 6 4 3
Makeable tricks:   NT     NT N 8 9 6 8 12   E 1 4 7 5 1 S 8 9 6 8 12   W 1 4 7 5 1 Minimax: 6x W, +1100

In one of the tables the bidding was:

West	North	East	South
Sroczyński	Russyan	Tuszyński	Kowalski
1	Pass	2NT	Double
3	3	Paso	5
The End

West opened his hand: 1, and after North’s pass, East showed a 4 card support hand. South doubled and Sroczyński very quickly told his partner about his sub-minimum opening hand. North took the opportunity to show his 5 cards spade suit, East passed and South declared the club game: 5…final contract.

Lead: A. Declarer ruffed the lead,  he continued with the spade finesse…and returned to his hand with a club to play 4 trump rounds more. He continued with the A and diamond finesse, after that he conceded the K and claimed 12 tricks.

Very different was the other table bidding:

West	North	East	South
Olanski	Kalita	Vainikonis	Piafsky
Pass	Pass	Pass	21
2	Pass	22	3
Pass	3	Pass	4
Pass	4	Pass	53
Pass	6	6	7
Pass	Pass	7	Pass
7	Double	The End

1 Forcing  Game

2 4 cards Heart support

3 Control

Olanski didn’t opened his hand, and as South was the first to talk she decided a forcing game opening bid, West showed his nice hearts and North passed showing weakness. Vainikonis supported his partner’s hearts, showing 4 cards support.

Now Jessica Piafsky named his clubs and his partner his spades. Both South and North showed extra length in their suits, but South forced a slam contract when she showed his heart control at the 5th level. North chose the club slam: 6.

Vainikonis in Este with favorable vulnerability, decided a 6 sacrifice.  Jessica had reached the height that she had  proposed to herself, but started to feel the altitude sickness, and the soroche took her to declare the Club Grand Slam.

Now the height vertigo also began to affect East, that almost without oxygen decided to show his hidden treasure: his diamond card suit.  Piafsky breathless passed, and West watching his two little diamonds chose a 7 bid, North doubled he was too dizzy to continue listening…At this point the BBO VG operator was handing Soroche Pills to all the players at the table. The play is not the issue because without the pill’s effect the declarer went down 6 and scored -1400, his adventure on the heights cost him 13 IMPs.

These were all the contracts played in this board in the other tables.

Table		contr.	by	lead	tr.	score	butler
						NS EW
1		5	S	A	+1	620	+3
		7×	E	2	-6	1400	+13
2		3	S	6	+4	190	-8
		4	N	9	-2	-200	-12
3		5	S	A	+1	620	+3
		APM					+3
4		5	S	2	=	600	+3
		6	S	A	=	1370	+13
5		5	N	A	+1	620	+3
		5×	S	6	+1	950	+10
6		5	S	A	+1	620	+3
		5	S	3	+1	620	+3
7		3	S	3	+2	150	-8
		5	S	A	+1	620	+3
8		3	S	3	+3	170	-8
		4	S	7	+2	170	-8
9		4	S	3	-4	-400	-14
		5	S	A	+1	620	+3
datum						+510