A Quiet Life
By WBF In 15th World Bridge Series, Articles On 22nd September 2018
At the start of a major event everyone hopes for a few easy deals that will allow a player to settle in. The opening round of the Rosenblum was not so obliging:
Declarer took 12 tricks for +480, but it was a missed opportunity.
Declarer won the trump lead with the 
9 and played the 
10 to dummy’s queen. A spade to the ace was followed by a diamond to the ace and a diamond ruff, declarer then cashing the heart queen, drawing the outstanding trump and claiming when West discarded on the 
10, an 11 IMP pick up for Black.
Would you like to play 7?
If North is the declarer which happened in the match between Gupta and Juster, you avoid a potentially awkward diamond lead through the AQ (and were West to find a diamond lead declarer might well go down). The declarer Nystrom, did get a diamond lead – but that was from East and he had an easy ride to gain 11 IMPs.
Lavazza picked up 14 IMPs when Madala made 7 as South on a trump lead, their opponents stopping in 4 in the other room.
The old wives theory that slams always come in pairs was immediately proved on the next deal:
That scored +620.
Declarer won the heart lead, cashed the 
A and ran the ten, recovering all but one of the IMPs that had been lost on the previous deal.
