Thanks to Phil Becker of Beachwood for this fine example of expert bidding and play. The hand was dealt during a Swiss Team event. North, having opened with twelve high card points and three quick tricks, could not accept Becker's invitation to game and the final contract was two no trump.
West led the three of hearts. Becker called for the ten from the dummy and East was forced to win the ace. The seven of hearts was returned. Becker won the king. Before you read any farther, decide how you would go about making your contract.
Did you figure out how to overcome all of the entry difficulties and come to eight tricks? Remember, the defense is not going to make any mistakes to make it easier for you. If you play the ace of diamonds and another diamond, you will only come to seven tricks. The defense is not going to let you back in your hand to score the queen of hearts.
If you cash the queen of hearts first, the defense will score three spades, two hearts and a diamond before you can get your fourth diamond trick.
Try it the way that Becker played it. Lead the three of diamonds at trick three and play low from the dummy. East must win, but the hand was over. The club return was won in the dummy. A diamond to the ace allowed Becker to cash his queen of hearts. He returned to dummy with the ace of clubs and cashed three more diamonds for eight tricks.
At the companion table, two no trump was defeated when declarer cashed his second heart trick and then played top diamonds. This was the only way he was going to make nine tricks, but he only needed eight.
The Spring North American Bridge Championships were held in Reno, Nevada from March 18 to March 28. Congratulations to Kathleen Sulgrove of Twinsburg who brought home a National Championship as a member of the winning team in the Machlin Women's Swiss Teams on March 28th. Sulgrove won the National Mixed Pairs at the Spring North American Bridge Championships in 1984 (San Antonio, TX) with the late Larry Rock of University Heights. Congratulations also to the following local area players who were successful in their respective events.
3/19. Hao Ge of Cleveland was a member of the team that finished in a tie for fifth place (out of 75 teams) in the Evening Swiss Teams.
3/20. Jan Assini of Aurora and Linda McGarry of Stuart, Fla, were fifth (our of 86 pairs) in Stratum A of the Evening Side Game. Sharon Fairchild of Rocky River and Virginia Moody of Bay Village were members of a team that finished in a tie for third (out of 16 teams) in Bracket 3 of the Rockin' Reno Knockout Teams.
3/21. Don and Kathleen Sulgrove of Twinsburg finished in 18th place (out of 416 pairs) in the National Silidor Open Pairs. Elayne Rupert of Parma and Judith Rolnicki of Brunswick were 5th in Stratum C of the Evening 299er Pairs. Hao Ge of Cleveland was a member of the team that finished first (out of 16 teams) in Bracket 3 of the Educational Foundation Knockout Teams.
3/22. Hao Ge of Cleveland was a member of the team that finished first (out of 16 teams) in Bracket 3 of the Straight Flush Knockout Teams. Frank Aquila of Fairlawn was a member of the team that finished in a tie for eighth place (out of 118 teams) in Stratum A of the Evening Swiss Teams. Lynn Nosse of Grafton and Judy Watjen of bay Village were sixth (out of 100 pairs) in the Evening Side Game.
3/23. Shirley Burke of Olmsted Falls and Susan Craney of North Royalton finished fourth (out of 176 pairs) in the Beaverton Elks Senior Pairs. Elayne Rupert of Parma and Judith Rolnicki of Brunswick came in sixth in Stratum C of the Evening 299er Pairs.
3/24. Laurie Kranyak of Bay Village and Ken Cohen of Philadelphia finished in 21st place (out of 520 pairs) in the National Mixed Pairs. Marshall Lewis of Cleveland Heights was a member of the team that finished in third place (out of eight teams) in Bracket 5 of the Compact Knockout Consolation Teams. Alan Steggles of Ravenna was a member of the team that finished second (out of eight teams) in Bracket 7 of the same event. Lynn Nosse of Grafton and Claire Bosee of New York finished second in Stratum C of the Olsen Memorial Senior Pairs.
3/25. Frank Aquila of Fairlawn was a member of the team that finished in a tie for third place (out of 16 teams) in Bracket 2 of the Morning Knockout Teams.
3/26. Kathleen Sulgrove of Twinsburg and Jo Ann Sprung of Philadelphia finished 14th (out of 160 pairs) in the National Women's Pairs.
3/28. Kathleen Sulgrove of Twinsburg was a member of the
team that finished first (out of 64 teams) in the National
Machlin Women's Swiss Teams. Laurie Kranyak of Bay Village was a
member of the team that finished fifth and Jan Assini of Aurora
was a member of the team that finished ninth in the same event.
Ken Kranyak of Bay Village, Phil Becker and Marty Baff of
Beachwood were members of the team that finished in sixth place
(out of 120 teams) in the National Jacoby Open Swiss Teams. Bob
and Joshua Bailey of Burton were eleventh (out of 112 pairs) in
the North American Pairs (Flight C). Donald and Katy Moyer of
Silver Lake were third (out of 40 pairs) in the Afternoon Side
Game.
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Bernstein is
a free-lance writer in Solon.