Taiwan shines in Far East championships

Press, 11 July 1989, Page 16

Taiwan shines in Far East championships

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

This year’s Far East Bridge Federation Open championship was won in convincing style by Taiwan. Their leading pair, Patrick Huang and Michael Tai, were in top form, showing all the expertise acquired over more than twenty years of top competition. Tai played this hand very well to earn a good score for his team. South was the dealer with both sides vulnerable:

South opened two notrumps, and was raised to three. ' West led a heart won by East’s’queen. The suit was continued and the de-' clarer took the third round with the ace. Now he led a low spade to the eight in dummy, reasoning that if West had the ace of spades he would take it immediately to cash the established hearts. East won with the 10 of spades to return a club. When the queen, fell under the declarer’s ace, Taf knew exactly how to proceed. After cashing the

ace and king of diamonds he played the king of spades, putting East on to the horns of a dilemma. If East takes the trick the queen of spades provides an entry to the queen of diamonds. If instead he allows the king of spades to win, a third spade puts him on lead to give dummy an entry with either the 10 of clubs or the queen of diamonds. Either way South makes three tricks in spades, three in diamonds, a heart, and two clubs for his well played contract. It was Huang’s turn to shine on this hand from a match against China. South was the dealer, with East-West vulnerable: N.

The Chinese East-West had a very good auction: S. W. N. E.

Had South led a heart against six spades the contract would have been made in comfort. North wins the first trick to switch to the king of clubs. This is taken by dummy’s ace, the declarer leads a spade to his hand ruffs a heart in dummy, draws trumps and runs off the diamonds. Four tricks in spades the club ace, six diamonds, and one ruff add to the required 12. Patrick: Huang, however, gave great thought to his choice of opening lead. He visualised dummy with a singleton heart and good diamonds so, with his opponents surely playing in a fourfour fit, a heart ruff would be the vital twelfth trick. When he elected to lead his singleton diamond there was no way for East to make his slam. If he gave up a trick in hearts to prepare for a ruff in dummy, North could win and return a diamond for his partner to trump. This was a good swing to Taiwan, for to their plus 100 at this table they added another 600 when, at the second table, they bid and made five diamonds on the East-West cards.