Bridge: March 31, 2024
In the Soloway Teams at the Fall NABC, the seeding method saw two favored teams –- Nick NICKELL and Marty FLEISHER –- opposed in a first-round match. In today’s deal, both Souths played at 6NT. When NICKELL’s pair sat North-South, North’s bid of one club just showed a good hand; South’s 2NT showed 14+ points. North’s next two bids invited slam. South accepted.
West led the ten of clubs. Declarer won with the queen and led a spade to dummy’s king and a club to his jack. West won and led a heart. South ran his winners — and East smoothly threw the eight of diamonds. At the end, East had been squeezed in spades and diamonds, but declarer didn’t know that; he took the diamond finesse and went down. The outcome at the other table was similar.
When West takes the ace of clubs, he beats the slam for sure by leading a diamond, ruining the communication for the squeeze. Maybe both declarers thought West had the king to explain his failure to shift to a diamond.
FLEISHER won that match but lost in the semifinals.
While I often report deals from the final of a major event, here I don’t have the heart. Both finalist teams had a “sponsor” and paid pros. The winning team had a player who admitted to a cheating episode in 2020 but is back playing -– and being hired. The losers were captained by a player who, in this same event last year, acquiesced to calling an inconsequential cell-phone penalty on an opponent, flipping the result of a match his team lost at the table.
This is what top-flight bridge has become: a relentless pursuit of the illusion of success at any cost. And with the best teams money can buy.
West dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S K
H K Q 4
D A Q J 7
C K 7 6 5 4
WEST
S 7 6 3 2
H 5 3
D 10 9 5 4
C A 10 9
EAST
S J 10 5 4
H 9 8 7 6 2
D K 8
C 3 2
SOUTH
S A Q 9 8
H A J 10
D 6 3 2
C Q J 8
West North East South
Pass 1 C Pass 2 NT
Pass 3 S Pass 3 NT
Pass 5 NT Pass 6 NT
All Pass
Opening lead –- C 10(!)
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