Winning bridge in style

By Djanwar Madjolelo

JAKARTA (JP): David Berkowitz and Larry Cohen won their sixth North American Bridge Championships title together when they captured the 1996 Spring National Open Pairs II with a score of 1,719.32.

Berkowitz and Cohen have been playing together for five years and are among the world's top pairs.

The following was dealt in the first qualifying session:

Dealer : South

Vulnerable : East-West

NORTH

(S) K 7 6

(H) A J 4

(D) 7 6 4

(C) A K Q J

WEST EAST

(S) 10 8 2 (S) J 5

(H) K 10 7 6 (H) Q 8 5 3 2

(D) K Q 3 (D) 8 5 2

(C) 9 7 4 (C) 10 6 3

SOUTH

(S) A Q 9 4 3

(H) 9

(D) A J 10 9

(C) 8 5 2

WEST NORTH EAST WEST

Cohen Berkowitz

- - - 1S

Pass 2C* Pass 2D

Pass 2S Pass 3C**

Pass 3H Pass 3S

Pass 4C Pass 4D

Double 4NT Pass 5S***

Pass 7C All Pass

* Game forcing

** Bidding out his pattern

*** Two Key Cards and Spade Queen

"In Clubs I knew we'd have two extra tricks for Heart ruffs in dummy," said Cohen, "but not on a trump lead." A trump lead would have beaten it. "I really should have bid six Clubs, plus 920 would have been worth 80 percent of the match point since many pairs went down in six Spades."

Cohen figured correctly, but the opening leader lead a Diamond after the double. Cohen won the opening Diamond lead with dummy's Ace, cashed Heart Ace and ruffed a Heart. He returned to his hand with trump and ruffed his last Heart, then came back to his hand with Spade King and drew trumps, pitching Diamonds from dummy. When Spade broke 3-2, Cohen had all 13 tricks. Plus 1,440 was worth 51 out of 51 match points.