An "end play" for a top board.
Bridge Column for June 24, 2005, Harvey Bernstein
Special To The Plain Dealer
North-South vulnerable.  East deals.
                              North
                              S: J 7              
                              H: A J 2       
                              D: 7 6 3       
                              C: Q 10 9 7 2
            West                             East
            S: K 8 5 4 3                     S: A Q 10 9 6 2 
            H: K 8 5                         H: 7 4 3      
            D: K J 9                         D: 10 4 2            
            C: K 6                           C: 4           
                              South                         
                              S: Void 
                              H: Q 10 9 6   
                              D: A Q 8 5   
                              C: A J 8 5 3 
          The Bidding:  
                   East   South     West   North                  
                    2S     Dbl       4S     Pass
                   Pass    5C        Dbl    Pass
                   Pass    Pass
     Thanks to Jack Knudson of Solon for this deal from a local
duplicate game.  Knudson held the South cards and Eugene Gordon
of Pepper Pike sat North.  The bidding is normal.  At his second
turn, Knudson had to make a choice from among three obvious bids:
double, four no-trump, or five clubs.  While a case can be made
for each of these, I think he made the correct bid.
     The opening lead was the four of spades.  Knudson trumped
and played the ace of clubs.  Both defenders followed but the
king did not fall.  The queen of hearts was next.  Again, both
defenders followed low.  A heart to the jack was followed by the
ace of hearts.  The jack of spades was trumped in the closed hand
leaving this position:
                              North
                              S: Void             
                              H: Void        
                              D: 7 6 3       
                              C: Q 10 9 7  
            West                             East
            S: K 8 5                         S: 10 9 6 2 
            H: Void                          H: Void       
            D: K J 9                         D: 10 4 2            
            C: K                             C: Void        
                              South                         
                              S: Void 
                              H: 6   
                              D: A Q 8 5   
                              C: J 8 
     Knudson got off lead with a club.  West won the king and
quickly determined that he had been well and truly end-played. 
Making five clubs, vulnerable and doubled, with an overtrick,
scored +950 and was a clear top on the board.  How about that?   

     The All-American Regional Bridge Tournament was held in
Independence from May 24 to 30. Congratulations to the following
players who were successful in their respective events on May 27. 
Other results appeared previously and more will be listed in
future columns.
     Two session stratified pairs (54 pairs).  Stratum A. 1.
Hjalmar Beijl, Cleveland, and Jan Miyake, Oberlin. 2. Richard
Early, Cuyahoga Falls, and Larry Long, Benton, TN.  Stratum B. 1.
Robert Phifer, Willowick, and D. Albertone, Wickliffe.  2. Ron
Woofter, Bowling Green, and Thomas Adams, Mansfield.  Stratum C.
1. Gary Collins, University Heights, and J. Rose, Painesville. 2.
Mary Van Cleve, Toledo, and Peter Erdman, Temperance, MI.
     Bracketed knock out teams.  Bracket 1 (9 teams). 1. Bruce
Keidan, S. Ruskin, and Herb Sachs, Pittsburgh, and Dale Beers,
Boining Springs, PA. 2. Stan Dub and Niel Waletzky, Shaker
Heights, Pillip Becker, Beachwood, Kumar Bhatia, Pepper Pike, Kit
Woolsey, Kensington, CA, and Dan Gertsman, Buffalo, NY.  Bracket
2. (9 teams). 1. Robert Park, Gibsonia, PA, William Holt,
Sewickley, PA, Robert Quinlan, Pittsburgh, and Jean Prior, Bethel
Park, PA. 2. Alan Steggles, Ravenna, Monica Early, Cuyahoga
Falls, Ann Carpenter, Fairlawn, and Virginia Bissig, Bear Lake,
MI.  Bracket 3 (16 teams). 1. Donald Barrick, Cleveland, Edith
Dus-Garden, Fairview Park, Lowell Lutz, Brunswick, and Lia Staaf,
Rocky River. 2. Duane Seelinger, Mentor-On-The-Lake, James Novak,
Solon, Morton Klein, Beachwood, and Alex McCrea, Shaker Heights. 
Bracket 4 (15 teams). 1. John Viola, North Ridgeville, Constance
Bogan, Strongsville, William and Carol Jaras, Brecksville.  2.
Arlene Higgs, Medina, Marilyn Johnston, Alliance, Ronald and Rita
Kaminsky, Fort Meyer, FL.  
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon. 
To reach Harvey Bernstein:
hjb19@adelphia.net