Handbook - International Bridge Press Association

THE 1990 ROMEX AWARD FOR
THE BEST BID HAND OF THE YEAR
Andy Robson & John Pottage (GBR)
Journalist: Patrick Jourdain (GBR)
At World Juniors in Nottingham
IBPA Bulletin 302, page 6
MOYSIAN ADVANTAGE
By Patrick Jourdain
Dlr: West ♠ 4
Vul: EW K J 6 3
K 9 2
♣ A 8 7 6 3
♠ Q J 7 5 ♠ 10 9 8 3
9 2 Q 8 7 5
7 6 4 3 10 5
♣ K J 10 ♣ 9 4 2
♠ A K 6 2
A 10 4
A Q J 8
♣ Q 5
Looking at the diagram one can see that 6NT suffers
from two defects: it is against the odds, requiring ♣Kx-x
with East, and worse: it fails; but that was the final
resting place for both the French and the Argentines.
Britain solved the bidding problem:
North South
Robson Pottage
1♣ 1) 1 2)
1NT 3) 2♠ 4)
3 5) 3♠ 6)
4 7) 6
1. 11-13 balanced or natural
2. Relay, diamonds or balanced
3. 4 hearts and 5 clubs
4. Fourth suit forcing
5. Fragment
6. Fifth suit forcing
7. Diamonds best
The Moysian diamond fit provides a much superior
spot to no-trumps. With South as declarer a club lead
would allow the suit to be established for a heart
discard, and without a club lead it looks as if declarer
can afford to mis guess the hearts.
In 6 Pottage received a trump lead, which ran to
his eight. He took the ♠A and ruffed a spade, but then
had the problem of how to leave the dummy. If you try
a heart to the ten and that loses, the defence will play
86 IBPA Handbook 2010
another trump, leaving you a trick short. If you play a
heart to the ace in order to take another spade ruff,
how can you safely leave the dummy? Pottage concluded
that his best chance was to try the clubs first,
allowing the defence to play another trump, and if the
clubs did not work, he would still have the chance of
making four tricks in hearts. At the fourth trick, therefore,
he led a low club to the queen, which lost to the
king. West played a second trump and Pottage overtook
to draw trumps. As West had four trumps there
was no chance to ruff out the clubs. The only convenient
way to play the hearts was through West and so
the slam went down. As France had failed in 6NT
there was no swing in the match.
THE 1991 ROMEX AWARD FOR
THE BEST BID HAND OF THE YEAR
Edgar Kaplan & Brian Glubok (USA)
Journalist: Allan Falk (USA)
IBPA Bulletin 316
64 th Fall North American Bridge Championships in
San Francisco Nov. 23 – Dec. 2, 1990.
Perfect Bidding
By Allan Falk
Brian Glubok and Edgar Kaplan passed up their 10card
fit in spades to play their eight-card fit in diamonds
– and they were right. On this deal from the
Reisinger, there's no way to beat 7 and no way to
make more than 6♠.
Dlr: South ♠ A Q 8 6 5 2
Vul: Both 5
A K 7 6
♣ 10 4
♠ – ♠ J 4 3
9 8 7 6 4 3 K Q 10
J 5 10 9 2
♣ K 9 5 3 2 ♣ Q J 8 7
♠ K 10 9 7
A J 2
Q 8 4 3
♣ A 6