Source: 4th EUROPEAN OPEN BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS June 2009, Sanremo, Italy
What keeps us so deeply interested and committed to the game of bridge? This is a question I am often asked by those who don’t play or understand the game. One of the magnets is the game’s its continual ability to surprise even those who have been playing the game since before man landed on the moon – that’s forty years for those of you too young to remember. Just such a hand arose on board one of the last round of the 2009 Cavendish Pairs.
Sitting E/W were Jacek Pszczola (Pepsi) and Sam Lev facing Charles Wigoder and Zia Mahmood. Levin/Weinstein were leading the event by the proverbial length of the straight while Lev/Pszczola, who were running second before this final session, were fighting for minor but not insignificant prize money. To set the scene for North’s ‘gambling’ opening bid I relay the following conversation between Zia and the Tournament Director before the first session:
Zia: “My partner wants to play 2NT opening showing 12- 14 balanced — surely we aren’t allowed to play this”
TD: “I’ll just check” …… A few minutes pass
TD: “No, Zia, I am advised that this opening is with in the rules”
Zia: “No you don’t understand SURELY we can’t play this — PLEASE!!”
Dealer North, None Vul
I was BBO operating when this gem arose and thought to myself that E/W would likely get to 7
and go one down after North plays the Q or J on the first round and declarer followed best practice with restricted choice and finesses the missing honour on the second round.
But interestingly Lev/Pepsi got to what I realised was a vastly superior contract of 7NT mainly as a result of North’s ill-advised 3
pre-empt, making it very difficult for E/W to assess their heart fit.
“Vastly superior 7NT?” you might ask — with only eleven tricks is that really so? Clearly if you can navigate the heart suit for no loser you will easily make both contracts so that would seem to make them similar. However look what happens when you cash three spades, three clubs, three diamonds and one heart with this ending:
You will have gleaned that North started
x 1 – known
x 1 or 2 (or irrelevantly 3)
x 6 – known
x 3 or 4
As a result, North cannot have a singleton heart and must, in terms of relevant hands anyway, be 1-2-6-4. Pepsi did just this and promptly cashed the K to bring home this excellent contract. I wonder how many of us have imagined that 7NT can be much superior to a 5/4 fit — something that I certainly found intriguing.
It is interesting to note that with 24 tables in play in what most would regard as one of the toughest events in the world:
7NT bid and made three times
7 bid and made once
7 failed four times
Small slam bid and made fifteen times
Other N/S -1400 presumably 3 going six down
Such hands whether by luck or by science, are defining moments for deciding who wins events like the Cavendish. Lev and Pepsi finished fourth after a slightly below average session but clearly this board was part of the damage control.