East-West vulnerable. South deals.

June 3, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

NORTH

xA J 7 5 4 2

vA Q J 3

w7 3

WEST EAST

xK Q 6 3 x10 8

uA Q 8 6 3 u10 7 5

v4 v10 8 7 5

wK 10 8 wJ 9 6 4

SOUTH

uK 9 4 2

vK 9 6 2

C-A Q 5 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1v 1u 1x Pass

1NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Six of u

For the first time in a national championship, a player used a home computer to bid and play the deals. In the Silidor Open Pairs at the recent Spring North American Championships in Houston, Drew Casen of Las Vegas, who was recovering at home from a recent illness, competed on his home computer while his partner played at the event in Houston!

The bidding was textbook. In light of South’s no-trump rebid, North gave full weight to his singleton jack in the enemy suit for his jump to game.

West’s normal fourth-best lead of his long suit was won by dummy’s jack. Since all the missing high-cards were marked with West by the bidding and he was going to need spade tricks for his contract, Casen decided to lead a low spade from dummy at trick two. That reaped a surprising reward when East followed with the eight (the ten would probably have defeated the contract) and South’s nine forced a high honor from West.

Since declarer could now set up spades by playing the ace and jack, West saw that passive defense was useless, so he reverted to a low heart, East’s ten forcing the king. Now South ran four rounds of diamonds, and West could not find three safe discards. He had no trouble letting go a spade and a club, but was forced to sluff a heart as well.

The position was crystal clear. Declarer cashed the ace of spades and continued with a low spade. West won and could cash two hearts, but then had to lead a club away from the king into declarer’s ace-queen for the eighth and ninth tricks.

Making three no trump was worth 23 of 25 matchpoints.

2009 Tribune Media Services