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Try this problem:

North dealer : East-West vulnerable

West	North	East	South
	Pass	1(1)	?

(1) Artificial, strong

What would you do as South with:

(Answer later)

Seniors: We lost to Sweden in the Round 0f 16 by 105-178. The session scores were 1-48, 51-34, 45-49 and 6-48.

You can find all the results and the Daily Bulletins via the www.abf.com.au website.

The Australian Women’s Team also lost to Sweden in the Round of 16 by 153-212. This was over six session and the scores were 14-50, 9-42, 46-11, 18-49, 47-19, 19-41.

This will be the last blog from Lille.

Answer to today’s problem:

This was Board 25 from the Round of 16:

We had a relay auction where East showed 6 spades, 4 hearts and West played 3NT. North led the 4, ace. A diamond to West was followed by the spade finesse, losing. There wa nothing much Bill Haughie could do and the result was two down – 200.

At the other table:

North dealer : East-West vulnerable

West	North	East	South
	Pass	1(1)	2?
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

(1) Artificial, strong

The result was two down, –300, with no game on for East-West. Yes, the vulnerability is favourable but to bid 2 is plain silly. It has little upside and plenty of downside. You do not want a diamond lead, you risk a significant penalty (South was lucky to escape for –300: try spade to the ace, A, spade ruff, club ruff, spade ruff, club ruff, spade ruff, heart for –500) and you give up on the possibility of beating a contract they reach.

The other results in the Seniors were 3NT failing five times, twice doubled, 4 failing three times. The positive scores for East-West were 2 +110 twice and +140 once.

In the open 3NT failed nine times, four times doubled for a spade lead. 4 failed twice, –300 and once doubled, –500. 3 was –200. The only plus scores were 2 and 2, each +140.

The story was similar in the Women’s: 3NT down six times, once doubled; 2NT –100; 4 down six times, once doubled; 2 +140 twice and one North was in 2 doubled for –300, the top E-W score together with the 300 for 2 doubled in our match.

No South player bid in the BBO matches.