Interesting match from Copenhagen

By Djanwar Madjolelo

JAKARTA (JP): The following deal is from the first Politiken Invitational World Pairs in Copenhagen.

This tournament, with a similar format to the Cap Volmac and Macallan Top 16, was won by Zia Mahmood and Peter Weischel, a Pakistani-American partnership.

This hand is interesting both from a declarer and a defender's point of view.

Dealer: West Vulnerable: All

NORTH

(S) void

(H) A J 4

(D) 9 6

(C) A Q J 10 7 6 3 2

WEST EAST

(S) K J 9 5 3 (S) 10 7 6 4

(H) Q 7 (H) K 10 9 3 2

(D) A K 8 7 3 (D) 10 4 2

(C) 9 (C) 8

SOUTH

(S) A Q 8 2

(H) 8 6 5

(D) Q J 5

(C) K 5 4

Both Peter Weischel (against the Italian European Champions Lanzarotti-Burati) and the Dane Dennis Koch-Palmund (against Berkowitz-Cohen from the USA) jumped straight to five Clubs with North after the one Spade opening bid by West. Again a very simple auction. Both East players led a Spade, but from there the paths diverged.

At trick one, Peter Weichsel played low from dummy and ruffed the Spade in his hand. He drew trumps with the Queen of Clubs. At trick three he played the 9 of Diamonds and when East did not cover he let this card run to the King.

West did the best he could by returning the Queen of Hearts. Weichsel won the Ace, crossed to dummy by leading the seven of Clubs to the King, pitched a Diamond on the Ace of Spades and ran the Diamond Queen, throwing a Heart when West did not cover; an elegant route to eleven tricks.

At another table Dennis Koch - Palmund decided to play the Ace when East, David Berkowitz, led a spade, discarding a diamond from his hand.

Next, the Dane put some pressure on the Americans by playing a low diamond away from dummy's QJ5. After some considerable thought Larry Cohen judged well by ducking, Berkowitz won with the Diamond 10 and persisted in Spades.

Declarer ruffed high, crossed to dummy with a small Club to the five of Clubs and ruffed the last Diamond high.

At this point declarer cashed the Ace of Hearts on which Larry Cohen unblocked with the Queen. When a small Heart followed, David Berkowitz did very well to win the trick with the nine. He kept the trick and was able to cash the Heart King as well; one down.

The defensive problem here is of course the location of the Heart Jack.

If West had that card then Berkowitz should have popped up with a "crocodile" Heart King. He reasoned correctly, however, that from the Heart Queen Jack doubleton Cohen certainly would have thrown the Jack.

The Jack would strongly indicate the possession of the Queen as well since otherwise declarer would probably made a finesse with Heart AQx.