online bridge events organized by bid72, bridge24 & netbridge.online

PRE-BULLETINMonday, May 11, 2020

editor: Christina Lund Madsenclm@christina-bridge.com

logistics: Rosalind Hengeveld

big data: Joyce Tito

THE ALT INVITATIONAL

MAY 11-15, 2020

online bridge events organized by bid72, bridge24 & netbridge.online

THE ALT INVITATIONALMAY 11-15, 2020

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Double PepsiAfter a close and thrilling final Pepsi defeated Red Sea on the last board to win the Alt MIxed teams for the second time. Thank you to the finalists and to all partcipants for yet another week of entertainment. We hope to see many of you back.

Monday we are back with the Alt Invitational Teams; eight top teams with new and familiar faces; Zia-Gold, Grue-Moss just to name drop a few. You can see both the results from the mixed and next week's top teams on this link online bridge events organized by bid72, bridge24 & netbridge.online

PRE-BULLETINMonday, May 11, 2020

editor: Christina Lund Madsenclm@christina-bridge.com

logistics: Rosalind Hengeveld

big data: Joyce Tito

THE ALT INVITATIONAL

MAY 11-15, 2020

online bridge events organized by bid72, bridge24 & netbridge.online

THE ALT INVITATIONALMAY 11-15, 2020

sign up for the newsletter

Alt Invitational VI on MondayThe 6th edition of the Alt Invitational Teams begins on Monday. This was the last Alt Mixed teams for now, we will hopefully be back in August.

Final 1 2 3 Tot

Pepsi 30 46 18 94 Red Sea 21 40 23 84

Link to results

Alt Invitational VI

Link to previous Alts & bulletins

Bulletins

ALT Mixed IIBULLETIN 5

Saturday, June 6, 2020

editor: Christina Lund Madsenclm@christina-bridge.com

logistics: Rosalind Hengeveldbig data: Joyce Tito

THE ALT MIXED TEAMS

JUNE 1 - 5, 2020

- 2 -

Watching Brief

What's the difference between England's Premier League (I'm talking football here) and the ALT? The ALT has spectators! Indeed, bridge players can watch all sorts of events thanks to Bridge Base Online. Today the Yeats Country Sligo Online Congress is staging a graded two-session pairs on at 14.15 and 19.15 and a two-ses-sion Teams on Sunday. The proceeds will aid a number of Hospice Foundation Charities. There might still be time to sign up - just go to: www.fob.ie

ALT watchers need not despair the Alt Mixed is over as the Alt Invitational teams is back Monday.

Board 2. Dealer East. NS Vul.

♠ J 10 9 ♥ A K 10 9 ♦ J 10 8 4 2 ♣ Q♠ 8 5 4 ♠ K 6 3 2♥ Q 8 7 3 2 ♥ J 6♦ 6 ♦ K Q♣ 8 5 3 2 ♣ A J 10 9 6 ♠ A Q 7 ♥ 5 4 ♦ A 9 7 5 3 ♣ K 7 4

Open Room

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Baldysz Gromov Janiszewski Gulevich

— — 2♣* Pass

4♣ Dble All Pass

2♣ Precision

If 2♣ could be based on a five-card suit then West's 4♣ broke the law. If she bids 3♣ and North doubles NS would be doing well to find 5♦.South led the ♥5 and North won and swit-ched to the ♠J. There was nothing to the play, the defenders collecting seven tricks for -800.

Closed Room

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Filipowicz D Birman Kazmucha D Birman

— — 1NT* Pass

2♦* Dble Pass* 2♥*Pass 2NT Pass 3NTAll Pass

1NT 14-162♦ TransferPass No fit2♥ Diamond fit

East led the ♣J and declarer won with the queen and played two rounds of dia-monds, West discarding the ♥2 (what is often referred to as 'the idle fifth).

When East tried the ♣10 declarer put up dummy's king and cashed three diamonds ending in dummy, East and West both pitching two spades and a heart. Declarer cashed the ♥A collecting East's jack, then played the ♠J, covered by the king and ace. Two more spades ending in hand were followed by a heart to the ten for 12 tricks, +690, holding the loss to 3 IMPs.

By Mark Horton

- 3 -

The au pair wanted to know why East had opened 1NT with a 4-2-2-5 as she thought that starting with 1♦ might keep NS out of the auction. Indeed it might if EW were playing Precision and West responds 1♥, but I suspect EW were playing Polish Club and after 1♣ South has an easy 1♦ over-call, after which NS might reach 5♦ as opposed to 3NT.

Undaunted she then wanted to know why East had failed to lead the ♣A. At which point I decided a cup of tea was in order.

Alt CalendarJune 8-12 ALT VI

June 22-26 Major ALT -

End of season

The interest for the ALT Major has been even bigger than expected. 32 teams with all the biggest world stars have signed up.

We will reveal the teams during the next week, so follow us on Facebook.

Dominik Filipowicz and Przemyslaw Janiszewski - finalists on each their team.

Final’s thrilling finale By Martin Cantor

We have come to expect e♣itement from these Alt Tournament matches, and the final of the Alt Mixed II did not disappoint. We’ll start with some interesting boards from the first segment, but we’ll end with two boards from what proved to be a thril-ling finale. First a bidding oddity:

Board 4. W / All

♠♥♦♣

A K J TA 9 8 7 6 56 2Q

♠♥♦♣

4 Q T 4 J 8 A K J T 9 7 5

NW E

S

♠♥♦♣

7 6 5 3 2—A K T 36 4 3 2

♠♥♦♣

Q 9 8K J 3 2Q 9 7 5 48

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Baldysz Gromov Janiszewski Gulevich

Filipowicz David Birman Kazmucha Daniella Birman

2♣* 2♥ Dbl 3♥4♣ 4♥ 5♣ PassPass Dbl All Pass

So neither EW pair found the cold small slam in clubs - to be fair it’s not easy to bid slam on a combined 18 count - but both NS pairs, rather than save in 5♥ for 500, chose to double, and so conceded 950 instead of

600, since nobody redoubled, which would have given NS a chance to find the save.

The club slam looked easier to bid on the very next board, this time for NS:

Board 5. N / NS

♠♥♦♣

A Q6 4Q T 9 6 2T 7 4 2

♠♥♦♣

T 9 7 3 J 8 3 A J 4 3 J 6

NW E

S

♠♥♦♣

J 8 6 5 4T 9 7 28 75 3

♠♥♦♣

K 2A K Q 5K 5A K Q 9 8

After Gulevich opened a strong club in South, she relayed several times to find 2=2=5=4, 8-11 HCP, 1 ace, no kings and either ♥Q or ♠Q & ♦Q. So the stage seemed set for her to end a fine auction with a bid of 6♣. But no, she surprised the spectators with 6NT, which, as we can all see, is far less secure. Still, it has chances; stiff ♦A in East, ♦J in West or a heart-diamond squeeze.

Gulevich ended up taking the winning diamond finesse after which she sheepishly confessed to the table:

- 4 -

- 5 -

Naren Gupta is the happy winner of the Naren Gupta is the happy winner of the Alt Invitational for the second time.Alt Invitational for the second time.

“Sorry, I miscounted my tricks”, but then added “I needed either ♥J or ♦J for 12”.

At the other table Daniella opened the South hand with a game forcing 2♣, heard about minors and the spade ace opposite, and decided that that was enough for the club slam, at worst on the ace of diamonds onside. Better contract, but 2 IMPs away.

Now let’s see how even the best players sometimes make apparently simple errors. Here is the first one:

Board 6. E / EW

♠♥♦♣

5J T 3 2K Q 8 36 5 4 2

♠♥♦♣

9 2 9 7 5 4 J 6 4 2 A K 3

NW E

S

♠♥♦♣

J 7 3K 6A T 9 7 5Q T 9

♠♥♦♣

A K Q T 8 6 4A Q 8—J 8 7

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Baldysz Gromov Janiszewski Gulevich

— — Pass 1♣*Pass 1♦ Pass 2♠*Pass 3NT* Pass 4♠All Pass

1♣ strong 1♦ 0-7 2♠ nat F1 3NT 5-7 no spade support

Baldysz led the ♣A, partner playing the ten. Then she played the king, to partner’s nine. I don’t know what signalling system they had agreed, but you might think that by the time of the final they would have it sorted. Apparently not; at trick 3 she played a heart to the jack, king and ace.

Gulevich now ran the spades, and on the fifth round West threw a heart, despite the long hearts visible in dummy. Eleven tricks instead of nine, and thank you very much.

In the other room the auction was a simple 1♠ - 1NT - 4♠. The defence cashed the first three clubs, East exited a spade, and in due course came to her ♥K for a normal one down.

Next case, this one the errors by no means so egregious:

Andrey Gromov

- 6 -

Board 11. S / None

♠♥♦♣

7A K 7 5 4 2A J 8 7 35

♠♥♦♣

Q T 9 4 9 T 9 6 4 2 J 7 3

NW E

S

♠♥♦♣

J 6 5 2Q J T 8 6—A Q T 9

♠♥♦♣

A K 8 33K Q 5K 8 6 4 2

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Baldysz Gromov Janiszewski Gulevich

— — — 2♣*Pass 2♦* Pass 2♠*Pass 3♦* Pass 3NT*Pass 4♥ All Pass

2♣ Precision 2♦ relay 3♦ hearts3NT short hearts

Janiszewski led the trump queen, won by declarer who played his second top. With the black suit lengths on view on her right Baldysz quite reasonably discarded a dia-mond, but that was all declarer needed. The club went away on a spade and there were just three trumps to lose.

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Filipowicz David Kazmucha Daniella

— — — 1♣Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠Pass 2♦* Pass 3NTAll Pass

3NT looks bombproof played by South. Until you notice that West has all the missing diamonds, so you only have four tricks there. Luckily the ♣A is onside. Even more luckily, you don’t need that when the ♦4 is led, giving you that suit. Daniella cashed out and Dana kept win-ning hearts and the club ace, contract made. 1 IMP lost, which could have been a whole lot more won. And now, last board of the first segment, drum roll please:

Board 12. W / NS

♠♥♦♣

7A K 9 5J 7 6 3 2A T 7

♠♥♦♣

A K 4 2 4 A K Q T 5 4 Q 8

NW E

S

♠♥♦♣

Q 9 8 6 5J 8 6 3 2—K J 3

♠♥♦♣

J T 3Q T 79 89 6 5 4 2

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Baldysz Gromov Janiszewski Gulevich

1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass4♥* Pass 5♣ Pass5♦ Pass 5♠ Pass6♠ All Pass

What can I say? Slam off two cashing aces. You could stay out of it easily if only someone would invent a simple ace-asking convention. And cashed they were, Anna led the ♣6 and Andrey knew just how to defend. Elsewhere:

- 11 -

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Filipowicz David Kazmucha Daniella

1♦* Pass 2♥* Pass4♠ All Pass

1♦ Polish [4+ suit, usually 5, up to 17(18) hcp]2♥ 5♠ & 4♥ 6-9

Polish Club usually opens all 18+ hands with 1♣, but if your suit is diamonds 18 is allowed, because a 2♦ rebid is usually arti-ficial and game-forcing. Even so I would have chosen 1♣ with that West hand, but the final contract would have been the same. In a natural auction a 4♦ rebid by opener is usually played as exactly this, 6+ good diamonds and 4-card spade support with a game forcing or better hand.

Planning to spend the rest of the evening with my wife and dogs I didn’t expect to see any more bridge, but luckily I managed to tune back in shortly before the end.

When I arrived Pepsi was leading by 15.1 IMPs, with four boards to go.

Board 9. N / EW

♠♥♦♣

T 2K 9 4Q 9 5 49 6 4 3

♠♥♦♣

A K Q J 8 — A K J T 7 K Q J

NW E

S

♠♥♦♣

5 3A Q J T 7 6 3 26T 5

♠♥♦♣

9 7 6 48 58 3 2A 8 7 2

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

I. Grzejdziak Pepsi S.Grzejdziak Sakr

— Pass 3♥ Pass3♠ Pass 4♦* Pass6♠ All Pass

Daniela Birman and Anna Gulevich - partners at a Daniela Birman and Anna Gulevich - partners at a Red Sea tournament, opponents in the Alt final.Red Sea tournament, opponents in the Alt final.

- 8 -

Many might choose to open 4♥, even vulnerable and in second suit. Sabina’s decision to open a modest 3♥ worked well, and she made another good decision when she cuebid in support of partner’s forcing 3♠ rather than repeating her hearts.

That was all the encouragement that Igor needed to bid the slam. Pepsi led a club to the ace and May Sakr did her best by retur-ning a trump. ♦A then ♦J ducked and run, a small diamond ruffed; when that held he could cross back to hand with a club, draw trumps and score 1430.

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Gromov David Gulevich Daniella

— Pass 4♥ Pass4♠* Pass 4NT* Pass5♥ All Pass

Unsurprisingly Gulevich went for the aggressive 4-level opening. Gromov’s 4♠ was a keycard ask for hearts, so he wisely stopped short of slam, but lost 13 IMPs to bring the match close.

Red Sea scored 9 IMPs more on the penul-timate board and were now leading by 2 IMPsto go into the final hand. You couldn’t ask for a more e♣iting board than the one we were given to end the match:

Board 12. W / NS

♠♥♦♣

A J T 7 2A T 6—Q J 7 6 5

♠♥♦♣

Q 8 6 4 3 J 9 8 7 6 3 T 3

NW E

S

♠♥♦♣

K 3Q 5 4A K Q 5 4 29 4

♠♥♦♣

9 5K J 9 8 7 2TA K 8 2

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Gromov David Gulevich Daniella

Pass 1♠ 2♦ 2♥5♦ 6♥ Pass Pass7♦ Pass Pass DblAll Pass

This room was a couple of boards ahead of the other, so we all watched the action unfold here first, knowing we could switch to the other table for the final drama.

Sabina GrzejdziakSabina Grzejdziak

- 9 -

At this vulnerability 7♦ is a very good save against 6♥, losing just four tricks and 800. Potentially dangerous though, as it might have pushed them to the makeable 7♥. I wonder whether they would have bid the grand if David had chosen 6♦ instead of 6♥ - not to mention wondering whether Daniella would have found the ♥Q to make it if they had. And so to the other room:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

I. Grzejdziak Pepsi S.Grzejdziak Sakr

Pass 1♠ 2♦ 2♥5♦ 5♥ Pass 6♥All Pass

A calmer auction on both sides, a safe

Behind the Screens Do you ever wonder who

ensures the event runs smoothly, invites players to the table and makes sure results are up dire-ctly after the last table finishes? The answer is Anton Osipov and Denis Dobrin from Russia.Denis is also an EBL-director and our TD in the ALT. Thanks to their e♣el-lent software we are able to provide perfect scoring of all matches. Spasibo!

contract, played safely for 12 tricks and plus 1430. That was 12 IMPs to Pepsi, enough to win the match by 10 IMPs. Congratulations to Pepsi and his team, and to Red Sea for a great match.

Pepsi and SakrPepsi and Sakr

How to kibitz the Alt Mixed teams on BBOAs in the previous editions of the Alt Invitational, we expect thousands of spectators on BBO. Even though the Alt is not broadcasted via the BBO Vugraph, you can still watch any of your favourites. You simply search for your favorite player’s nickname and join his or her table.

If you wish to watch the players whenever they are online, you search for your chosen one (fx Bas Dri-jver ’BasDr’, click on the name and choose ’follow’ instead of neutral. Any time you see ham online, you can click on him and take a seat at his table (assuming the tournament allows it). See you on BBO!

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