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How Nick Nickell won the 2007 Spingold
Autor ovog teksta je John Schuler i objavljen je na rec.games.bridge u ponedjeljak 30. srpnja 2007. Prenosim ga ovdje u potpunosti sa dijagramima.
Yes, Nick Nickell did have help. But momentum counts, and like the day in 1812 when the Mississippi river ran backwards this hand seemed to turn it all around. In the early going of the 2007 Spingold final, IMPs were very hard to come by - most boards were pushes. However, all the swings (though tiny) were going to Gromov. They seemed to have an air of invincibility - this was the New Order, and Nickell was the old. It was time for the Kings of Knockout to step down. Then board 24 was played:
Dealer South; None Vul, IMPs, Board 24
 7 A K 6 2 A Q 10 6 3 A J 4 | ||
| 8 Q 10 9 8 8 7 5 2 10 8 7 3 | K Q 9 6 3 J 7 5 4 K J 4 2 | |
| A J 10 5 4 2 3 9 K Q 9 6 5 |
| Rodwell | Balicki | Meckstroth | Zmudzinski |
| - | - | - | 1 |
| Pass | 2 | Pass | 2 |
| Pass | 2 NT | Pass | 3 |
| Pass | 3 NT | Pass | 4 |
| Pass | Pass | Pass | |
In the Open room Zmudzinski and Balicki had an inefficient auction to 4S. The 5th Club was left unbid, eliminating any shot at slam. After a Heart lead and a Spade to the Ace (Meckstroth playing the 3 of trumps), Zmudzinski was probably amazed to go down - 2, no less.
| Gromov | Lall | Dubinin | Nickell |
| - | - | - | 1 |
| Pass | 2 | Pass | 2 |
| Pass | 2 NT | Pass | 3 |
| Pass | 3 | Pass | 4 |
| Pass | 6 | Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
In the Closed room Lall found a much better bid (3H) than Balicki's 3N. This encouraged Nickell to bid out his shape with 4 Clubs and Lall just blasted the Club slam. 6C could have been defeated with the lead of any of the 3 low Clubs. The 3H-4C sequence was probably interpreted by Gromov as Heart weakness in the combined hands which explains his actual Heart lead. But if 3H was "I've got a moose and I'm too good to bid 3N just yet" then a trump lead seems right.
Nick won the Ace of Hearts and played a Spade to his Ace. When he tried to ruff a Spade Gromov ruffed in front of dummy with the 7, forcing Nick to overruff with the Jack. Nick now had a decision to make - the slam was in jeopardy only if Gromov held 4 (or five) trumps including the Ten and 8. But any other line was no better than a finesse or squeeze and could be significantly worse (Gromov should have ruffed with the 8, nudging declarer further along the losing line). So Nick decided to continue cross-ruffing, ruffing Diamonds as well as Hearts for added safely.
Nick played Ace and ruff a Diamond, then another Spade. Again Gromov ruffed in front of dummy and Nick overruffed, this time with the Ace. Another Diamond was ruffed felling the King, and Nick led the a 3rd Spade towards dummy in this position:
| - K 6 2 Q 10 4 | ||
| - Q 9 8 8 10 3 | K Q J 7 5 - 2 | |
| J 10 5 - - K Q 9 |
Gromov studied the Spade 5 at length, trying to decide whether to ruff with the Ten or discard. It's hard to see why Gromov didn't have a very complete picture of the hand, If Nickell started with a 5116 hand there were always 12 tricks. Gromov finally discarded a Heart and the slam came home.
The Gromov team showed they were very human at both tables on this deal. The New Order wasn't quite ready, and the Kings were ruling the land once again. Can the hand be made after escaping a low trump lead? Yes, the "natural" play of ruffing Diamonds must be resisted, ruffing Hearts to hand instead. Then the situation will be:
| - - A Q 10 6 3 4 | ||
| - - 8 7 5 2 10 3 | K Q - K J 4 2 | |
| J 10 - 9 K Q 9 |
When Nickell leads a Spade towards dummy in THIS position Gromov has two losing choices! If he ruffs with the Ten and returns the 3, Nickell draws trumps and squeezes Dubinin in the pointed suits. If Gromov breaks up the squeeze by returning a Diamond Nickell gets to ruff a Spade with the lowly 4 of Clubs!
This is how Nick Nickell won the 2007 Spingold. (BY John Schuler)
Post je objavljen 31.07.2007. u 16:24 sati.