August 2006 - 15

Verona

Jill and Bobby Levin

like her contract, but there was not
much she could do about it except
try to make it and hope for some
luck.
She played a heart to dummy's
queen, which held, then followed
with the A and a third round
of the suit. West won the J and
thought for a long time before
underleading his A, providing
a much‑relieved McCallum with
her ninth trick. Plus 600 was a
62% score. Minus 100 would have
been 26%. On the next deal, their
opponents bid to a hopeless 4,
down one - an 81% score for the
winners.
This deal held some drama for
the Stansbys, who had climbed from
the depths of the standings to third
place. It was reported by Matthew
Granovetter in the Daily Bulletin
and offered a thought‑provoking
reflection on the barometer scoring.
Dlr: North  A 6 4
Vul: E-W  10 8 4
Q82
 A Q 10 6
 K Q 10 8 5
73
N
KQ6
J72
W E
J94
 10 6 5 3
S
84
J752
J92
A 9 5 3
A K 7
K93
West
North
East
South
Lew
JoAnna
1
Pass
3
Dbl
Redbl
Pass
3NT
All Pass
This was the last board the Stans‑
August 2006

bys played in the Mixed Pairs.
against Italian star Alfredo Versace
The North‑South pair were
and Chantal Haemmerli of Switzer‑
from Poland. The 3 response
land, who had led the Mixed Pairs
to 1 was a transfer to 3NT.
for a significant part of the event.
Lew doubled for the spade
Dlr: West  A 4
lead, but North redoubled and
Vul: E-W  10 8 7 5
now South became declarer.
 10 9 8 6 5
That was bad news for Lew,
K3
but he couldn't do anything
K97
 J 10 5 3 2
N
about it. If he had not doubled,
KQ
J93
W E
JoAnna would have led a dia‑
A K Q J 4
7
S
mond.
A 8 2
 J 10 6 4
Lew started with the Q
Q86
and switched to the K when
A 6 4 2
declarer ducked the spade lead.
32
The K also held, so Lew
Q975
tried the Q. Declarer won and
West
North
East
South
drove out JoAnna's J, and she
Versace
Brian
Haem'li
Linda
returned a spade through declarer's
2
Pass
2
Pass
jack.
2NT
Pass
3
Pass
Declarer had nine tricks, but could
3
Pass
4
All Pass
score 10 if she guessed to finesse
Versace's 2 was strong and
East for the J. Declarer cashed the
artificial,
2 negative, and 3
13th heart and two diamonds, then
transferred
to spades after Versace's
played to the A. She called for
natural
2NT
rebid.Versace thought
the 10, and JoAnna followed low.
long
and
hard
before finally passing
At that point, the director came
4,
so
perhaps
a different auction
over and gave everyone their score
would
have
denied
interest beyond
sheets, reflecting their places
game.
Anyhow,
North
led the 10,
through round 12. Lew saw that
and
when
dummy
came
down
he was in third place, but he was
Versace
smiled
broadly,
thanked
his
more concerned about South: "What
partner,
and
set
about
making
his
if South was in a high position
game.
and now decided she needed a top
After winning the K at trick
score, and floated the ten of clubs?"
one,Versace
ruffed the 4 to
Luckily for the Stansbys, declarer
dummy
in
order
to play a trump
rose with the K and took only
toward
his
hand,
hoping to find the
nine tricks, so they held on to their
doubleton
queen
onside, inserting
bronze‑medal position.
the
9
as
Linda
followed
low. Brian
Another American pair, Linda and
won
the
A
and
led
a
third
dia‑
Brian Trent, made it to the final of
mond.
Versace
pitched
a
club
from
the Mixed Pairs, but they did not
dummy
and
Linda
ruffed
-
with
the
score well, finishing slightly below
Q!
She
then
average.
shifted to a low
Linda, how‑
club. Versace
ever, earned
won the A
plaudits for
and paused to
what - at the
consider how to
time, at least
continue.
- was the
Assuming
play of the
the
Q to be
tournament. It
a
true
card
was reported
-
could
this
by Richard
unassuming
Colker in the
woman in the
Daily Bulle‑
dark glasses re‑
tin. The Trents
ally have ruffed 
were playing Lew and JoAnna Stansby
15
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2006
