CONTRACT BRIDGE One Card Decided World Title

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31225, 24 November 1966, Page 15

CONTRACT BRIDGE One Card Decided World Title

(Contributed by

J.R.W.)

The second World Olympic Pairs Championship, an event inaugurated in 1962, was held this year in Amsterdam, and won by the Dutch pair J. Kreyns and C. Slavenburg, only the second time a world title has gone outside the big four of bridge, America, Britain, France and Italy. The runners-up, who scored 3942 points and so lost by the insignificant margin of 8 points, were the Americans, J. Fisher and J. Jacoby. The latter is the son of one of the best bridge players America has produced. The 106 expert pairs entered were reduced to 36 for the final stages, and the survivors played four boards against each other. The two winning pairs met in an early round, and the Dutch had so much the better of things that the result was virtually decided then and there though none of the players, of course, was aware of this at the time. It is interesting to look at two of the boards on which they met. The first is a small problem. You hold

Your partner opens one heart, the next player overcalls one spade, and you double. Partner, however, rebids two hearts. When the overcaller passes, what would you do? The full deal was:

If you had the courage to pass two hearts, the contract would probably be made or at worst one down. And you should pass, for the hand is obviously a misfit. While three clubs may be a better spot, the bidding will not stop there and the doubling may start at any moment. With Jacoby and Fisher NorthSouth and Kreyns and Slavenburg East-West, the full auction was:

They found the best defence. The opening lead of the ace of diamonds was followed by a switch to a trump. North won with the ace to lead a second round. Dummy’s king won and the ace of hearts was cashed but the declarer could not avoid

losing three spade tricks, so was two down.

In a match point competition, the scores of all the pairs playing the hand the same way are compared and points are awarded on s '-ding scale to those doing best. For scoring 200 on this deal, Fisher and Jacoby won only 14 points out of 34, for most other North-South’s scored more by doubling virtually any contract.

Perhaps it was hard for either American to double Kreyns’ four clubs, but on the next board the mistake was clear:

Kreyns (East) opened one

heart, and Slavenburg raised him to four. It is an optimistic contract, but if the ace of clubs is with South, it would not be impossible. As the cards lie, of course, it has no chance. At most tables South led his singleton club, covered by the king and ace. North returned a club for his partner to trump, regained the lead with the ace of spades and gave South another club ruff. The defence also made the ace of diamonds so the contract was usually two down. No doubt Fisher had his reasons for leading the three of spades against Kreyns, and no doubt he has regretted them ever since. North won, and switched to a heart to declarers’ jack. A small diamond was led to the queen and another returned to the king. South took this with his ace and now led the queen of clubs. He was able to ruff only one club, and although this did defeat the contract his side scored badly on the deal, only 16 points out of 34. Had Fisher’s opening lead been the club, he would have won the championship. It is a measure of the closeness of the competition and of the strain the players are under that one card can be so decisive.

w. N. E. S. 1H IS Dble No 2H No 3C No 3H No 3S No 4C All Pass