THIS week’s hand comes from the 6th World Youth Pairs Championship and was covered in the International Bridge Press Bulletin. North-South were the Polish pair of Igla and Machno and here is the report from the Bulletin.Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vulnerable.North

[spade]2

[heart]A Q 6 5 2

[diamond]Q J 8 7 3

[club]9 5

West East

[spade]K 10 6 4 [spade]A Q J 7

[heart]J 10 [heart]K 8 4 3

[diamond]A 5 4 [diamond]K 10 9

[club]K 8 6 3 [club]Q 2

South

[spade]9 8 5 3

[heart]9 7

[diamond]6 2

[club]A J 10 7 4

West North East South

Igla Machno<$>

1[club] 1[heart] Double Pass

2[spade] Pass 4[spade] Pass

Pass PassDouble showed at least four spades, and two spades suggested 12-14 and four spades. The nine of clubs was led to the queen and ace, and the club jack was returned to Igla’s king. Declarer played the jack of hearts, North winning the ace then returning a low heart.

Because people with the ace-queen in these sorts of positions tend to rise with the ace and people with the ace but no queen tend to duck jacks, Igla guessed correctly to run this to his jack.

A club ruff, the ace and queen of spades, the heart king ruffed and over-ruffed, followed by another club ruff then a diamond to the ace left declarer in his hand to draw the last trump at Trick 11. As he drew the trump, North was squeezed in the red suits in the following ending:North

[spade]—

[heart]Q

[diamond]Q J

[club]—

West East

[spade]K [spade]—

[heart]— |0xa4|8

[diamond]5 4 [diamond]K 10

[club]— [club]—

South

[spade]9

[heart]—

[diamond]6

[club]10This excellent example of precise timing by declarer for plus 450 was worth 58 out of 66 match points.

The reason I’ve covered this hand is to show what it takes to score well at top-class pairs bridge. When North returned a heart at trick four, declarer could simply have won the ring and cashed the high diamonds before cross-ruffing the hand for ten tricks and plus 420. That would get an average but +450 scored 90%!