Brighton Youth

Most of the English youth team here in Paris have been warming up for these Championships by playing in the EBU Summer Congress in Brighton, where Brian Senior was editing the Daily Bulletin. The following are the deals from that bulletin that featured youth players in the Swiss Pairs Championship.

Match 2. Board 10. All Vul. Dealer East.
	ª K Q 10 5 3 © Q 2 ¨ 10 9 8 5 § K 7
ª 8 6 4 © 9 4 ¨ 7 4 3 § J 8 6 5 3		ª A J 9 2 © A 7 6 5 ¨ A Q § Q 10 4
	ª 7 © K J 10 8 3 ¨ K J 6 2 § A 9 2

West	North	East	South
Hydes		Cooke
-	-	1NT	All Pass

One No Trump might seem to be a bit of an uphill struggle on this deal from Match 2, particularly after South gets off to a heart lead. However, the heart chosen was the jack and North followed with the two. South decided to treat the ©2 as a signal, when it would be discouraging, rather than as perhaps the only card his partner could afford so switched.

The choice of the seven of spades was a little bizarre, I feel. Anyway, that went to the queen and ace and John Cooke played the queen of clubs to North’s king. Not surprisingly, North did not appreciate that his partner had switched to a singleton. He might still have tried the ©Q, but actually chose a low spade. Cooke ran that to dummy’s eight and played a spade back. North won the king and finally the defence got back to hearts. Declarer won the ©Q with his ace and played the §10, which South had to duck to cut declarer off from the club winners.
But the duck was not good enough. Cooke cashed the ªJ then exited with a heart and South had to lead into the ¨AQ at the end to give the seventh trick for an excellent +90.

Match 2. Board 14. None Vul. Dealer East.
	ª K 6 © A 7 6 4 2 ¨ K 7 2 § J 10 2
ª A Q J 9 7 4 3 2 © - ¨ 9 § K 9 6 5		ª 10 8 5 © 5 ¨ Q J 8 6 4 § Q 8 4 3
	ª - © K Q J 10 9 8 3 ¨ A 10 5 3 § A 7

West	North	East	South
Hydes		Cooke
-	-	Pass	2§
6ª	Dble	All Pass

When South opened with a game-forcing artificial 2§, Alex Hydes did not mess about, blasting an immediate 6ª. What could North do? He doubled, ending the auction, and led a heart.

Hydes, who will be representing England in the World Youth Teams Championship in Paris starting in ten days time, ruffed and led his diamond. North went in with the king and switched to the jack of clubs. That ran to the king and Hydes played ace and another spade. He got the clubs right now, of course, and was just two down for –300.

Ben Green played in the English Schools team in Torquay last year and some of you will also have met him at the Junior Camp and World Junior Pairs in Hungary recently. In Brighton he was partnering another youth player, one who could be said to have an imaginative approach to the auction.

West	North	East	South
Kenworthy		Green
-	-	Pass	2§
2©	Dble	Pass	Pass
2ª	3©	Pass	3NT
4ª	Dble	All Pass

I am sure that there were many tables at which there was a lot of action on this deal. Adrian Kenworthy’s approach to the West hand worked out very well when his right-hand opponent opened with a Benjamin-style 2§, strong and artificial but not game-forcing.

Psyching a void suit is not necessarily a good idea as that suit might belong to the opposition but be breaking badly for them so that you do not actually want to talk them out of playing in it. Plus, partner may have sufficient support for your non-suit that he takes you to an uncomfortably high level. Not this time, as 2© worked like a charm.

North made a negative double to show some values and South, of course, passed. Kenworthy admitted to his real suit now and North bid 3©.

It is pretty clear that this should be a natural bid after South has converted the negative double of 2© to penalty by passing, but South took it as asking for a heart stopper and duly bid 3NT! Kenworthy went on to 4ª now and was doubled by North, ending the auction.

Sure enough, Kenworthy picked up the clubs for one loser, playing South for the ace for his opening bid, and that meant ten tricks and +590. Not a bad return for a psyche that the opposition really might have read at some point in the auction.

Match 2. Board 15. N/S Vul Dealer South.
	ª 7 2 © 9 3 ¨ K 10 7 6 3 § J 8 7 3
ª K 8 6 5 3 © 10 6 ¨ A J 4 2 § 5 2		ª A 9 4 © A K 8 ¨ 9 5 § K Q 10 9 6
	ª Q J 10 © Q J 7 5 4 2 ¨ Q 8 § A 4

West	North	East	South
Kenworthy		Green
-	-	-	1©
1ª	Pass	2©	3©
Pass	Pass	Dble	Pass
3ª	Pass	3NT	All Pass

When one side has had a complete disaster on a board they often still have it in the back of their minds as they play the next one. That may explain South’s rather dubious 3© call at adverse vulnerability on this deal.
Ben Green thought that, having already suggested a spade fit with his unassuming cuebid, a 3ª bid from him over 3© would have been the way to invite game and so double of 3© should be for penalty. He is probably correct but Kenworthy did not see it the same way and removed to 3ª. Green converted to the no trump game and played there.

South led a low heart and Green put up the ten. When that held he tried a club to the ten, which also held. Declarer crossed to the king of spades to lead a second club to his nine and South’s ace.

With 4ª unlikely to make more than ten tricks for +420, East/West were already doing well but things got even better when South, in desperation, tried the effect of a switch to the eight of diamonds.

Green played low from dummy on the diamond and North went up with the king and that was the eleventh trick for +460 and virtually the same number of matchpoints as would have been achieved by passing out the double of 3© and collecting at least +500.

Match 9. Board 16. E/W Vul. Dealer West.
	ª 10 9 2 © K 7 5 ¨ J 10 5 § A 7 4 2
ª K © A 10 9 6 4 ¨ A 8 7 4 3 § Q 8		ª J 5 4 3 © Q ¨ K 9 6 2 § K 9 6 5
	ª A Q 8 7 6 © J 8 3 2 ¨ Q § J 10 3

West	North	East	South
	Green		Kenworthy
1©	Pass	1NT	2ª
3§	3ª	Dble	All Pass

Christmas came early for Adrian Kenworthy on this deal. Why East did not respond 1ª I cannot say, but he was very happy with the way that the auction went as he doubled the final contract. He might have been a shade less happy at the end of the hand, however.

West led the ace of hearts and, rather than give his partner an immediate ruff, cashed the ¨A before leading a second heart. East ruffed and returned a low diamond and Kenworthy ran this to dummy’s ten, pitching a club. Now he led the ª10 and, when there was no flicker on the right, rose with the ace to drop the bare king.
It was an easy matter now to cross to the ace of clubs and pick up the spades without loss for a huge score of +530.

Going into the final round of the Swiss Pairs Championship, Jon Cooke and Alex Hydes led by a single Victory Point from Frances Hinden and Jeffrey Allerton. Having already met the pairs lying second, third and fourth, Cooke/Hydes would play joint-fifth placed Stuart Nelson and Nick Hills in the last round, while Hinden/Allerton would face Andrew Robson and David Bakhshi, who were lying third and only 4 VPs off the lead.

Board 25. E/W Vul. Dealer North.
	ª Q 5 3 © A K J 10 ¨ 10 9 7 3 § K 7
ª K 8 7 6 4 © Q 4 3 ¨ J 5 § 8 5 2		ª A J 9 © 9 7 6 ¨ A K 8 6 § Q 10 3
	ª 10 2 © 8 5 2 ¨ Q 4 2 § A J 9 6 4

West	North	East	South
Nelson	Hydes	Hills	Cooke
-	1©	Pass	2©
Pass	Pass	Dble	Pass
2ª	All Pass

Cooke/Hydes play strong no trump with four-card majors and it was normal for Hydes to start with his strong four-card heart suit. Holding three trumps and a weak doubleton, it was equally normal for Cooke to raise to 2©. Hills made a balancing double and Nelson was pleased to be looking at a five-card spade suit. Two Spades ended the auction and Hydes cashed a top heart then switched to a low diamond. Nelson rose with the ace of diamonds and played a spade to the king then a spade to dummy’s jack. He tried a heart to the queen next but Hydes could win and play a second diamond. Again Nelson won in dummy and played a heart. Hydes won and switched to king and another club and that was one down for +100 to N/S and 59 MPs out of 126.

Board 26. All Vul. Dealer East.
	ª K 10 7 2 © 4 3 2 ¨ Q § 9 8 6 5 4
ª J 9 © 9 7 6 5 ¨ A 9 8 7 4 § K Q		ª Q 5 3 © A K Q 8 ¨ K J 2 § A 7 2
	ª A 8 6 4 © J 10 ¨ 10 6 5 3 § J 10 3

West	North	East	South
Nelson	Hydes	Hills	Cooke
-	-	1©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	Pass
4¨	Pass	5§	Pass
5©	All Pass

Two No Trump was at least invitational to game with heart support and 3NT showed a strong balanced hand. A couple of cuebids followed but then Nelson had to sign off as he had neither anything to spare nor, more importantly, a spade control.

Alas for Nelson/Hills, the cuebidding sequence had pinpointed the spade weakness and Cooke started with ace and another spades to take the first two tricks for the defence. At those tables where West began with a clearly defined limit raise, East had just settled for game and now a spade lead was much less attractive. Plus 650 scored very badly for E/W, Cooke/Hydes picking up 114.6 MPs.

Board 27. None Vul. Dealer South.
	ª A Q 8 © 6 2 ¨ K Q 10 9 8 4 § 10 3
ª K 7 6 2 © A 4 3 ¨ J 7 5 § K 9 4		ª J 5 4 3 © K Q 10 9 8 7 5 ¨ - § 8 6
	ª 10 9 © J ¨ A 6 3 2 § A Q J 7 5 2

West	North	East	South
Nelson	Hydes	Hills	Cooke
-	-	-	1§
Pass	1¨	3©	4¨
Pass	5¨	All Pass

Slam is basically on the club finesse but Hills’ pre-empt left no sensible way for Hydes to explore after Cooke raised to 4¨. Looking at two losing hearts, Hydes settled for a reraise to game, which proved to be the winning decision.

Hills led the ©K and Nelson overtook to switch to a spade. Hydes finessed the queen, drew trumps and took the club finesse; +400 and 96.6 MPs.

Board 32. E/W Vul. Dealer West.
	ª 8 4 3 © J 8 3 ¨ 5 2 § A K 9 7 5
ª A K 2 © 9 6 5 ¨ A 10 8 6 § Q 8 6		ª J 9 6 5 © K Q 4 ¨ 9 4 3 § J 10 4
	ª Q 10 7 © A 10 7 2 ¨ K Q J 7 § 3 2

West	North	East	South
Nelson	Hydes	Hills	Cooke
1NT	Pass	Pass	2§
Pass	2©	All Pass

One of the joys of receiving boards from Robson/Bakhshi’s table is that you will sometimes get well ahead of them. Here, they had not completed their second board as our table looked for their fourth, hence a board had to be taken out of sequence.

Cooke does not believe that you tend to get rich defending 1NT at Pairs and he decided to compete with 2§, showing hearts and another suit. Hydes, of course, responded 2© and played there.

Hills led the jack of clubs and Hydes won the ace to lead a diamond to dummy. Nelson won the first diamond and returned the §Q to the king. Hydes cashed the two diamond winners, throwing a spade, then played the losing diamond, intending to ruff if West showed out but, when he followed, pitching another spade loser.

Nelson won the diamond and cashed the ªA then played a club, ruffed in dummy. Hydes ruffed a spade then played his low heart to the ace and ruffed the last spade; eight tricks for +110 and 58 MPs. A number of pairs who were left to play in 1NT went two down for –200, understandably enough.

Board 28.N/S Vul. Dealer West.
	ª J 10 8 © A 10 7 3 2 ¨ J 5 § Q J 3
ª Q 9 © 8 6 5 ¨ 7 4 § A K 10 8 6 2		ª A 6 5 © K Q J 9 ¨ A 10 9 8 § 7 4
	ª K 7 4 3 2 © 4 ¨ K Q 6 3 2 § 9 5

West	North	East	South
Nelson	Hydes	Hills	Cooke
3§	All Pass

Not everyone would agree with Nelson’s pre-empt but it looks a practical approach to me and here it bought the contract when Cooke rightly felt that he was far too weak to compete despite his five-five distribution.

Hydes led the jack of spades and Nelson chose not to run this to his queen, thinking it unlikely that it was from the king. Right he was as ducking would have cost a trick had Cooke won the king and switched to a diamond. As it was, Nelson won the ªA and crossed to hand with a top club to lead a heart up. Hydes took his ace and led a spade to Cooke’s king and back came the ¨K. It was too late for the defence. Nelson won the ¨A and cashed the king of clubs then cashed out the hearts for a diamond discard; ten tricks for +130. Cooke/Hydes scored 64 MPs on this deal and with three boards to go looked to be well-placed to win the trophy, having chalked up two very good boards and three around average. That was all to change, however.

Board 31. N/S Vul. Dealer South.
	ª A K Q J 4 © Q J 7 5 ¨ 5 2 § 6 3
ª 10 9 8 7 2 © 4 ¨ J 10 6 § A 8 7 2		ª 6 3 © K 10 9 3 ¨ A K 8 3 § Q J 10
	ª 5 © A 8 6 2 ¨ Q 9 7 4 § K 9 5 4

West	North	East	South
Nelson	Hydes	Hills	Cooke
-	-	-	Pass
Pass	1ª	Dble	Rdbl
2§	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	2ª	All Pass

I understand what Hydes did on this deal but I am not sure that I agree with him. He passed over 2§ because an immediate bid would have shown a poor hand, but then pulled the essentially penalty double to 2ª rather than either passing or showing the hearts. Passing would probably have led to a plus score but Hydes saw that at this vulnerability he would need to get 2§ doubled two down if he could make 110 his way. Thus far I have sympathy with his decision, but despite the double on his left, suggesting hearts, I would prefer to offer partner a choice by bidding 2© and not 2ª.

Hills led the §Q and, when that held the trick, continued with the §J to king and ace. Nelson switched to his heart for the queen, king and ace and Hydes led a spade to the king then played a second spade. Alas, he pulled the wrong card and played the ª4 instead of the ace as intended.

That proved to be an expensive error as declarer comes to a minimum of seven tricks on straightforward play. Now, however, Hills won the ª6, Nelson having played the seven on the first round. He actually dropped one trick by cashing the king of diamonds before giving his partner a heart ruff. A diamond back to the ace allowed a second heart ruff and that meant two down for –200 and only 30 MPs for Cooke/Hydes.

Had Hills led a heart without first cashing a top diamond, Nelson could have received three heart ruffs for down three.

Board 29. All Vul. Dealer North.
	ª K J 3 2 © Q 7 ¨ J 6 § Q J 9 5 4
ª A 8 6 5 © K J 10 ¨ A 7 4 § K 7 6		ª 9 7 © 9 8 6 5 ¨ K 10 5 § A 10 8 2
	ª Q 10 4 © A 4 3 2 ¨ Q 9 8 3 2 § 3

West	North	East	South
Nelson	Hydes	Hills	Cooke
-	Pass	Pass	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
Pass	2§	Pass	Pass
Dble	Pass	Pass	Rdbl
Pass	2¨	Dble	Pass
Pass	Rdbl	Pass	2©
Dble	All Pass

Matchpoints is a bidders’ game and competition is the name of the game. However, it can be overdone and Hydes might have been better advised to go quietly here, where his opponents had not found a fit and the vulnerability was the worst one at which to compete a partscore.

Well, it is easy to be critical after the fact but certainly 2§ proved to be a disaster. Nelson doubled and Cooke, who knew that his partner had been unable to overcall 2§ at his previous turn, tried to improve things via an SOS redouble. That did not thrill Hydes, who knew he was in big trouble.

It would have been too big a position to commit to 2ª on this auction but Hydes did the best that he could by choosing 2¨ and then redoubling to offer a choice between the majors. Cooke hated that, of course, but eventually settled for 2©, where he was doubled to end the auction.

While I dislike the 2§ overcall, credit Hydes with his later auction, as he would have found a four-four spade fit had one existed.

Nelson started with ace and another spade to Cooke’s ten. He led his club to the queen and ace and back came a club, ruffed. Cooke led the ¨9 to the jack next, losing to the king, and Hills switched to a trump, run to the king. Nelson gave his partner a spade ruff and Hills returned a heart to dummy’s queen. Now Cooke led a diamond to the eight and ace and Nelson played the §A. Cooke pitched a diamond on that and now Nelson needed to play a spade to get another defensive trick. In practice he erred, returning a diamond to the ten and queen, though it scarcely mattered. Cooke could cash the ©A and the last diamond for down two; –500 and only 2 MPs.

Board 30. None Vul. Dealer East.
	ª K Q 8 4 © J 7 2 ¨ 10 7 6 5 4 3 § -
ª 10 6 © Q 8 ¨ 9 8 2 § K Q 8 7 6 5		ª A 7 3 2 © A 10 5 4 3 ¨ Q § A 3 2
	ª J 9 5 © K 9 6 ¨ A K J § J 10 9 4

West	North	East	South
Nelson	Hydes	Hills	Cooke
-	-	1©	Dble
2§	3ª	All Pass

Three Spades looks to be a bit too much on the North cards but perhaps Hydes knew that he needed a big board after the last couple of results and was trying to get one. Cooke had no difficulty in passing it, of course.
Perhaps a more normal approach would be to bid a quiet 2ª, expecting to get an opportunity to bid 3¨ when E/W compete to 3§.

Hills led the singleton diamond to dummy and Hydes played ªJ to the ace. Hills switched to the ace of clubs and Hydes discarded a heart in an attempt to keep some sort of trump control. He ruffed the club continuation and led a diamond, Hills ruffing. Now Hills cashed the ©A before playing a third club which Hydes ruffed. He played another diamond, again ruffed by Hills, and won the heart return, drew the remaining trumps with the king and claimed the rest for down one; –50 and 65 MPs.

Nelson/Hills just won the match by 11-9 VPs. Hinden/Allerton’s win 13-7 win at table two was sufficient to give them the Championship, Cooke/Hydes finishing in second place.