Nickell team wins Vanderbilt Trophy.
Bridge Column for April 11, 2003, Harvey Bernstein
East-West vulnerable.  South deals.
                              North
                              S: Q 6 4 2          
                              H: J 7 6 5 2   
                              D: Q 8      
                              C: J 2 
            West                             East
            S: J 10 9 3                      S: 8 7          
            H: 9 8                           H: A          
            D: J 6                           D: A K 10 7 3 2      
            C: K Q 7 5 4                     C: 10 9 8 3    
                              South                         
                              S: A K 5 
                              H: K Q 10 4 3 
                              D: 9 5 4     
                              C: A 6      
          The Bidding:  
                  South    West    North    East                  
                   1H      Pass      3D      4D 
                   4H      Pass     Pass    Pass
     The 2003 Vanderbilt Knock Out Teams was contested at the
Spring North American Bridge Championships in Philadelphia, PA
from March 7 - 16.  93 of the best teams in the world started the
event which was eventually won by the Nickell team comprised of
Nick Nickell of New York, NY, Richard Freeman of Atlanta, GA, Bob
Hammon of Dallas, TX, Paul Soloway of Mill Creek, WA, Jeff
Meckstroth of Tampa, FL, and Eric Rodwell of Clearwater, FL.
     This deal came up in the third round of the Vanderbilt. 
Meckstroth held the West cards and Rodwell sat East.  South was
Ivar Stakgold of Wilmington, DE.  His partner in the North seat
was Daniel Rotman of Aventura, FL.  Rotman's three diamond bid
was alerted and described as a heart raise that was better than a
preemptive raise but not good enough for a limit raise.
     Meckstroth led the jack of diamonds and Rodwell took the ace
and the king.  At trick three Rodwell led the ten of diamonds. 
Declarer played the nine, Meckstroth played the seven of clubs
and the tricked was trumped in the dummy.
     The jack of hearts was led and Rodwell won the ace.  The ten
of clubs was tabled.  Stakgold rose with the ace of clubs and ran
the hearts, putting incredible pressure on West.  Here is the
five card ending:
                              North
                              S: Q 6 4 2          
                              H: Void        
                              D: Void     
                              C: J   
            West                             East
            S: J 10 9 3                      S: 8 7          
            H: Void                          H: Void       
            D: Void                          D: 7                 
            C: K                             C: 9 8      
                              South                         
                              S: A K 5 
                              H: 4          
                              D: Void      
                              C: 6      
     When Stakgold led the four of hearts, Meckstroth had to
pitch the three of spades.  The jack of clubs, having done it's
damage, was discarded from the dummy and the last four tricks
were taken with spades.
     In order to defeat this contract, Rodwell had to lead a club
at trick three so that the defense could collect a club trick
after winning the ace of trump.  An alternative would be for
Meckstroth to lead the king of clubs at trick one.  Fortunately
for the Nickell team, there were not many hands like these going
against them as they won the six day event.
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.