Ian Hamilton has written as short article about the Virtual Summer Meeting Championship Pairs Qualifier. You can read it below:
It was great to be in Eastbourne, if only virtually. It even has the advantage that the cold, rainy Belfast weather can be ignored, and one can play with an Exeter-based brother without leaving the house. Well done EBU. Shell-shocked from being on 34% after 10 boards, and having doubled an unbeatable 5♥ on board 15 of the qualifier, along comes board 16.
* Opening bid of 2♥ thin for 3♥ at adverse vulnerability When west elects to lead a club and two spades disappear on the Ace/queen it looks great for south, who seems to be in with a shout of an overtrick. However, the bad diamond lie leads to dejection when only one diamond scores – until the traveller is scrutinised. Losing 200 turns out to be a 79% board, with E/W cold for 4♠ - a rare adverse vulnerability sacrifice. But what if diamonds had been tackled from dummy? It takes a brave east to play the 5 and watch the knave score - the payoff being three later tricks in the suit, and a set. The symmetry of 5♥x and made on consecutive boards the opposite way round would be a serious rarity. More high-level decisions come along, expensive at Pairs, less so at Teams. At love all you hold:- ♠7 ♥10 ♦K1087 ♣KJ109875. Partner opens 1♥. You double RHO’s 1♠ and have to decide what to do when LHO’s 4♠ is doubled by partner and passed to you. Pass nets 300 (31%) when there is 920, or more credibly 420, your way in clubs. Partner has:- ♠94 ♥AK765 ♦AQJ ♣A64. 5♣+1 would have been worth 62.5%. Away from the high level drama there are the same Matchpoints available on every hand, even a humble part-score. My favourite was:-
*The final pass from West may have been hoping for 100+? West led a heart to the Queen and Ace and the club finesse lost, east returning a heart. A diamond to the King succumbed to the Ace, and Queen and another diamond followed, ruffed by declarer with the 2. A club to the Ace was followed by a heart, won by south, as east discarded a club. The club continuation was ruffed in dummy and over-ruffed with the 10. East continued with a diamond, ruffed with the 8 and over-ruffed with the Ace. A heart was now ruffed low by east and over-ruffed by south. Declarer had to make the trump King for a heroic +80 and 70%, somehow managing to score four side-suit winners and three trumps. Of course, the defence may have erred here and there, but that is bridge, defending a 1 level contract, in some ways as much fun as any slam. Hopefully, we will be back in the Eastbourne sunshine in 2021, but the virtual Congress is a very decent replacement in the circumstances. Roll on the Teams next weekend.
August 3, 2020