August 2012 - 19

US Women's Trials

Holding:
- A K Q 9 6 4 2 J 9 6 5 3 2,
you would expect to get into the
auction, right? After all, bridge is a
bidder's game.
Dlr: North  K Q 3 2
Vul: Both  K 9 5 4
 A 10 8
 10 4
J6
-
N
J862
A
W E
J753
KQ9642
S
AQ7
J96532
 A 10 9 8 7 5 4
 Q 10 7 3
-
K8
West
North
Glasson R'berg
1
Pass
2
Pass
4
All Pass
West
North
Meyers Norman
1NT
7
Dbl

East
Sprung
Pass
Pass
Pass

South
Sea-Mol
1
3
6

East
South
Levin
Gates
4NT
6
All Pass

In the Joel match, Rosenberg and
Seamon-Molson had an unimpeded
auction to get to 6. The contract
failed by three tricks when declarer
lost two clubs and two hearts.
In the closed room, Norman, North,
opened a 12-14 NT. Levin's 4NT,
showing the minors, incited a shotgun
6 from Gates, which elicited 7
from Meyers. North, eager to stop
things before they got even more out
of hand, doubled. The defenders took
their trump ace for down one. 11
IMPS to Sprung.
West
Quinn
Pass
All Pass

North
Zur C.
1
2

East
Breed
Pass
Pass

South
Stansby
1
4

In the Moss match, both Easts saw
their right-hand opponent open 1,
which put a damper on things in the
open room. Breed and Quinn sat it out
as North-South bid to 4.

West
Deas
3
Pass
Pass
Pass

North
Disa
1
3
4
Pass
Dbl

East
Radin
2
Pass
Dbl
5
All Pass

South
Wolpert
2
4
4
Pass

In the closed room, Radin - not
to be shut out with the 6-6 offensive
juggernaut - overcalled 2. When
partner raised to 3, she bid to 5
over 4 rather than letting the opponents buy the vulnerable game. North,
little suspecting how little defense she
really had, doubled.
With the K onside, Radin can
actually make six. But keen to the
very real possibility of a diamond ruff
should the queen lose to the king, she
eschewed the finesse for a safe plus
750. Added to the 420 their teammates
brought back to the table, that was 16
IMPs to Moss.
Final
The Moss and Sprung match played
like an exhausting leapfrog tournament. There were 27 lead changes
over 96 boards. No more than 13 IMPs
separated the two teams after each
of the six segments: 33 to 25 Sprung
after one; 81 to 68 Moss after two; 108
to 105 Sprung after three; 167 to 157
Sprung after four; 192 to 189 Sprung
after five.
The first double-digit swing of the
match went Moss's way when a weak
2 opener kept North-South from
reaching their vulnerable game in the
open room.
Dlr: West  4 3
Vul: Both  K Q
KQ653
KQ94
986
 A Q 10 5 2
N
 A 10 7 6 5 2
3
W E
 A 10
9872
S
63
 J 10 5
KJ7
J984
J4
A872

West
North
Deas Bernstein
2(1) Pass
Pass
2NT
All Pass

East
Moss
2
Pass

South
Wheeler
Pass
3

(1) Weak two in hearts.
Over 2, Bernstein balanced back
in with 2NT suggesting the minors.
Wheeler responded 3, where they
played, making an overtrick.
West
North East
South
Gates Zur C. Norman Stansby
2
2NT
Pass
3NT
All Pass
Modern bridge is a bidder's game.
Over the weak 2 opener, Zur Campanile - aceless and possessing but
one heart stopper - boldly scraped
up a 2NT overcall. Stansby raised to
game: Her back-up heart support,
minor-suit help and well-placed spade
honors saw the contract home. Plus
11 IMPS to Moss.
Six boards later, Sprung collected
13 IMPs when Bernstein and Wheeler
crafted a nice defense to set 3NT:
Dlr: East  6 3
Vul: Both  A 9 7 6 5
A952
42
 A K J 10 4
Q5
N KQ4
J3
W E
Q64
S J
J97
 A K Q 10 8 6 5
9872
 10 8 2
 K 10 8 7 3
3
West
Gates

North
Zur C.

1

Pass

West
Deas

North
Bernstein

1
3

Pass
Pass

East
Norman
1
3NT

South
Stansby
Pass
All Pass

East
Moss
1
3
3NT

South
Wheeler
Pass
Pass
All Pass

After a pedestrian low diamond
August 2012 Bridge Bulletin

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19
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2012
