Handbook - International Bridge Press Association

West North East South
Kaplan Helgemo
2 Pass 4 6 !
All Pass
He ruffed the opening heart lead, happy to have escaped
a club lead. The A removed the missing
trumps, and it was now necessary to score three
spade tricks. The only obvious chance was a threethree
split, but Helgemo saw another possibility. He
led a spade to the seven, a rare finesse against an
eight on the first round.
East made a tricky play by winning with the jack
and returning the five. Helgemo guessed what was
happening: He played low from his hand, won with
dummy's nine, and threw dummy's club loser on the
fourth round of spades to make a slam that failed in
the replay.
There were two psychological clues to this remarkable
winning play. East's spade return was slightly
suspicious, since he could obviously have led a heart.
And if West had been able to win the third trick he
might have done so, or at least hitched fractionally.
None of the experts who were shown South's problem
found the solution, and all were in awe of Helgemo's
effort. If East had returned an obvious heart at
the fourth trick, South could still have succeeded by
ruffing, crossing to dummy, and leading the ♠9.
Shortlist for Best Played Hand:
Player IBPA Location Journalist
Goncalves 388.2 Pedro Matos
B. Cronier 387.5 Brian Senior
Helgemo 387.15 Edgar Kaplan
Tomescu 383.14 Vlad Racoviceanu
Holland 381.16 Mark Horton
THE 1998 “LE BRIDGEUR” AWARD
FOR THE HAND OF THE YEAR
Jeff Meckstroth (USA)
Journalist: Jean-Paul Meyer (FRA)
From IBPA Hammamet Special Page to
Jeff Meckstroth is under survey after stealing a contract.
Norwegians Geir Helgemo & Tor Helness were
the victims, a role they are not used to:
50 IBPA Handbook 2010
Dealer East ♠ K 7 5 3
Game All K 8
K J 9 7 4
♣ 3 2
♠ 10 4 ♠ A 9 8
Q 3 J 10 6 5 2
5 A 10 2
♣ A J 10 9 7 6 5 4 ♣ K 8
♠ Q J 6 2
A 9 7 4
Q 8 6 3
♣ Q
The contract was 5♣ by West (yes, 3NT is much
easier!) Helness led a low diamond and Jeff played
the to from dummy! Of course Helgemo’s queen held
the trick.
Now South, a young, promising and confident
player, played back a diamond. And suddenly there
was no longer any efficient defence!
Meckstroth discarded a heart on the A and led a
heart to his queen. Helness won this and fired back a
spade — too late. Meckstroth rose with the ace and
played the J. South had to put up the ace, which
Meckstroth ruffed in hand. He cashed the ♣A and
crossed to ♣K, and the 10 took care of his spade
loser.
Other deals which made the shortlist were: David
Price (Bulletin 393, page 20); Jean-Christophe
Quantin from the Paris Mixed Pairs reported by Jean-
Paul Meyer (Bull 397 P7); Warren Lazer at the Australian
Nationals reported by Ron Klinger (Bull 398, P4);
and Marc Smith from a League match reported by
David Bird (Bull 400 P13).
THE 1999 IBPA AWARD
FOR THE HAND OF THE YEAR
Jeff Meckstroth (USA)
Journalist: Omar Sharif (EGY)
See Bulletin 413, June ’99
Omar Sharif’s column in the London Observer on 6th
June reports this deal, Board 9 in the second session
of the Pairs Qualifying: It is not often that declarer
makes a play that leaves me feeling that I still have a
lot to learn about this game. However Jeff Meckstroth
of the US is one of those masters of the game who
occasionally produce a coup to take your breath away.
With that huge hint, put yourself in his shoes as declarer
on the following deal: