Handbook - International Bridge Press Association

Dlr: West ♠ –
Vul: Both A K Q 9 8 7 4 3 2
9 2
♣ J 5
♠ A K Q J 5 4 3 ♠ 8 6 2
6 5 –
K J A 10 6 5 4 3
♣ 6 4 ♣ K 8 7 2
♠ 10 9 7
J 10
Q 8 7
♣ A Q 10 9 3
West North East South
Mouiel Rombaut Levy Bouscarel
1♠ 5 ! Pass Pass
5♠ Pass 6♠ All Pass
Luckily for Mouiel, North did not find a club lead against
the slam, but chose the more normal ♥A. As North's
pre-empt marked South with ♣A, Mouiel saw how to
exert pressure in the end game.
He ruffed the lead in dummy and at once led a
diamond to the JACK. He then ruffed his last heart
and ran off all the trumps. In the three card ending
dummy held A 10 and ♣K. South had to keep Q x
and bare his ace of clubs. Mouiel then cashed K,
and exited with a club to South's ace. South had to
concede the last trick to dummy's A.
Meyer notes that it was necessary for Mouiel to finesse
J and use the stepping-stone squeeze, as a
strip-squeeze endplay on South does not work. South
can be thrown in with ♣A to lead away from Q-x,
but West's JACK blocks the run of the suit.
THE 1995 "LE BRIDGEUR" AWARD
FOR THE HAND OF THE YEAR
Philippe Cronier (FRA)
Journalist: Patrick Jourdain (GBR)
The nominations were: Philippe Cronier for his first
round finesse of ♣10 at the European Pairs (B363
page 5); Katarzyna Klimek Poland for her finesse of
♣6 in the Junior Mixed Pairs (B360 page 5; Michael
Rosenberg for his endplay in 6 at the Cap Volmac
48 IBPA Handbook 2010
(B361 P7); Morten Andersen (DNK) for his first round
duck in 6 in the Danish Teams (B362 P7).
Early Finesse
By Patrick Jourdain (GBR)
Philippe Cronier had a chance to show his skill on
Board 14 of the first qualifying session of the European
Open Pairs:
Dealer East; Vul None.
♠ J 7
A 9 7 4
8 5 2
♣ Q 10 4 2
♠ A K Q 10 5 3 ♠ 9 8 6 4 2
8 2 Q J 10 3
7 A Q 3
♣ J 8 6 5 ♣ 9
♠ –
K 6 5
K J 10 9 6 4
♣ A K 7 3
West North East South
Crestey Salama Maarek Cronier
Pass 1
2♠ Pass 4♠ Dbl
Pass 4NT Pass 5♣
All Pass
When Cronier made a consultative double over 4♠
Maurice Salama judged well to bid the competitive
4NT, suggesting his partner choose between the
minors. With six cards in diamonds Cronier selected
the sounder spot, but he still had to read the cards
well.
West led a top spade. Cronier ruffed, crossed to
A and led 8. East put up the best defence by
going up with A and exiting with a heart. South won
and played a third heart. East won, and exited with a
fourth round of the suit. South ruffed and took stock.
West was marked with only three cards in the red
suits, and was likely to have six spades; the signal
from East at trick one, and the fact that West had not
bid 3♠ both argued the spades were 6-5. That meant
West must have four clubs. But Cronier needed to
cross to dummy for the second trump finesse. The
solution needed courage… on the first round of clubs
he led a small one to the TEN!
The rest was plain sailing. A finesse in trumps
picked up East's queen, and South could claim.