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Paul Denning & Patrick Shields, Dafydd Jones & Gary Jones, Peter Goodman & Adrian Thomas,  Mike Tedd & John Salisbury, NPC Alan Stephenson (Wales Team)  are the winners of 2011′s Camrose Trophy. Before the last round, it looked one of the most exciting Camrose, with three teams in 6 VP. The teams were so: England 151; Ireland 147; Wales 145; Scotland 137; Welsh Bridge Union 131; North Ireland 97 . In facts…

In the last round, Scotland drew the claws they forgot to have two months ago, in the first stage: they defeated Ireland 17-13. Wales won against North Ireland, as it was expected: 25-2. And the other Welsh team, Welsh Bridge Union, bravely endured against English lions, so helping the brothers to became champions: WBU-England 16-14.

 Now, in 2011, England won 51 times, Scotland 15, Ireland 5 times. And today, for the first time in Camrose story, Wales wins too.

That’s the final result: Wales 170; England 165; Ireland 160; Scotland 154; Welsh B. Union 147; North Ireland 99.

 Praising the overtrick.

Many think that in IMPs Team-of-four match the overtrick is worthless or little more. It is wrong. Between strong players of even strength, the huge result comes and goes, depending often by fortune, or how the system works: other cards will be more favourable to our system in the next deal. Say that we yield a 3NT+3 where the opponent bid and made six: our teammates will respect our judgement; he will suffer, but smiling. Suppose now we only made 3+2: “Only eleven tricks?”, they will ask sternly.

The hand we picked up to show comes from the match England-Wales, from BBO.

Dummy: ♠43 ♥K75 ♦AQ765 ♣1097

Declarer ♠A7 ♥A642 ♦K102 ♣AKQ2

West leads ♠Q.

Playing 6NT, every advanced player ducks, rectifying the count, i.e. remaining with all winning tricks but one. Taken the spade return, run diamond, the “free suit” in the squeeze language. (Diagram. We gave the same cards to East and West for showing as the position makes no difference; only it is important that one is busy in two suits, and that the hearts were originally 4-2 or 5-1).


 

Declarer plays the squeezing card, ♦7 from Dummy.

Dummy

♠

♥K75

♦

♣1097

 

West

♠

♥QJ10

♦

♣J865

 ♦7

 

 

 

 

East

♠

♥QJ10

♦

♣J865

 

Declarer

♠

♥A64

♦

♣AKQ2

 

 

On ♦7, the squeezing card, East (or West), is busy in both suits, meanwhile South can discard an idle card, here ♥4. So the fourth club of Declarer or the third heart of Dummy becomes the twelfth trick. This plan works without squeeze as well if the clubs are 3-3 or the ♣J is stiff or doubleton, then the overall percentage for this slam is over 70. But…

…But nor the Welsh, nor the English pair bid 6NT. Both South opened 2NT, both North responded 3NT, the final contract. Both West led ♠Q, both Declarers have seen that the slam was over 70% and – since now we have to guess – overwhelmed by the grief, both Declarers lost the concentration, and both drew the ♠A at once, forgetting to make a plan for that little, sometimes useless, but always welcome overtrick.

 ***

by Paolo Enrico Garrisi

 

 

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