The 41st PABF Championships

By Brian Senior

While our usual EBL Bulletin Editor, Mark Horton was on duty in Salsomaggiore at the European Teams Championships, I had the pleasure to be invited to edit the Daily Bulletins at the Pacific Asia Zonal in Bangkok, Thailand. I am a big fan of Thailand, its people and its food, so it was not a difficult decision to accept the offer.
There were Teams Championships in four categories, Open, Ladies, Youth and Senior, with a total entry of 34 teams. According to the size of the field, a double, triple or quadruple round robin was played over eight days, with no knock-out stage. Though this was a Zonal Championship, it differed from the European Championships in that it was not a qualifier for next year's Bermuda Bowl etc - that qualification will be decided at next year's PABF Championships in Manila. After the Teams Championships had been completed, there was the PABF Open Pairs Championship, played over two days, with two qualifying sessions and a two -session Final and Consolation event. While the Teams events were played under the conditions which we are used to in Europe, the pairs was played without screens and, so far as I could see, with a very small number of convention cards on display. This did not seem to cause any difficulties - there was just one appeal in the teams and none in the Pairs - and certainly the lack of screens made conditions much more pleasant and play much quicker.
Here is a selection of the best of the action:

Thailand v China H K Open

Board 16. Dealer West. East/West Vul.
	ª Q 10 © Q 9 5 4 ¨ J 9 8 2 § 6 5 2
ª 6 © K 10 8 7 3 2 ¨ 7 § A Q J 9 4		ª K J 5 3 © J 6 ¨ A K Q 6 4 § 10 8
	ª A 9 8 7 4 2 © A ¨ 10 5 3 § K 7 3

West	North	East	South
Chow	Kirawat	Lui	Kridsadayut
1©	Pass	2§	2ª
Pass	Pass	2NT	Pass
3§	Pass	3NT	Pass
4§	Pass	4©	All Pass

Lui's 2§ response was a game-forcing relay. Over the intervention, Chow passed to show his minimum but then bid out his shape and 4© was reached. In fact, 3NT is easier to make, but it was tough for Chow to leave that contract in.

Kirawat led the ªQ to the king and ace. Kridsadayut took a good while before playing back a spade, and Chow pitched a club from hand while winning the jack. He continued with the §10 and, when that held, played a second club to the jack. Now he crossed to the ace of diamonds, threw the §Q on the ¨K and played the ©6 to South's bare ace. Declarer had done his best but when Kridsadayut played a spade through it required a double dummy
line to succeed. Chow correctly ruffed with the ten and Kirawat discarded a club, also correctly. The contract can be made by playing for the actual position: §A and ruff a club, ruff a diamond and exit with the ©7, forcing North to lead into the ©K8 at trick twelve. Not surprisingly, Chow preferred to cash the ©K and was one down.

In the other room, South had again overcalled in spades and East shown a strong holding in the suit. The China Hong Kong North led a club and declarer could get rid of his spade loser on the diamonds; +620 and 12 IMPs to Thailand.

New Zealand v China Ladies

Board 16. Dealer West. East/West Vul.
	ª 9 3 © A 10 3 ¨ 9 3 2 § Q J 10 7 2
ª K Q J 7 4 © K 6 ¨ 8 5 4 § 8 4 3		ª A © J 9 7 5 2 ¨ A K J 7 6 § K 5
	ª 10 8 6 5 2 © Q 8 4 ¨ Q 10 § A 9 6

West	North	East	South
Wilkinson	Sun	Newton	Wang
Pass	Pass	1§	Pass
1©	Pass	1ª	Pass
3¨	Pass	3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Zheng	Cumpstone	Yan	Barrack
Pass	Pass	1©	Pass
1ª	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	Pass	3¨	All Pass

Newton's 1§ opening was strong and the 1© response a positive with at least four spades. Newton relayed and the response showed Wilkinson's exact shape. It was inevitable that game be reached in their relay style but, of course, any game is pretty dreadful with the bulk of West's high-card strength facing her partner's bare ace where it was almost useless.

The benefit of the relay approach is that often, as here, the defenders have no idea what declarer's hand looks like, having to rely only on negative inferences made from his or her choice of final contract. Here, Wang decided to attack with a low heart lead. Newton got trick one half right, in that she made the good play of the king from dummy. This might score, might leave the suit blocked, or might cause North to misdefend. Sun won the ©A and thought long and hard about her return at trick two. Finally, she got it right by switching to the queen of clubs, and the defence took seven quick tricks for down three; -300. But there was a real temptation to return the ©10, and now the fortunate diamond position would have seen the contract home.

Newton went wrong when she followed to trick one with the ©2, marking herself with at least four hearts as the Chinese pair were playing fourth-best leads. Had she falsecarded with the ©5, North might well have gone wrong, playing her partner for five hearts.

The natural Chinese auction in the other room stopped in 3¨ when Zheng was able to appreciate that her spades might be of little value. Not that 3¨ is guaranteed to make, of course, but it was hardly unreasonable for Barrack to try the ace of clubs lead and now Yan could get home easily enough for +110 and 9 IMPs to China.

Despite losing 21-9 to Chinese Taipei, Patrick Lui of China Hong Kong outdid his counterpart in the Closed Room on the following board.

Board 9. Dealer North. East/West Vul.
	ª J 10 9 © A Q ¨ 10 7 5 § A J 10 3 2
ª 8 6 © K 10 9 8 3 ¨ K J 8 6 § 6 5		ª K Q 5 2 © 6 5 ¨ 9 2 § K Q 9 8 7
	ª A 7 4 2 © J 7 4 2 ¨ A Q 4 3 § 4

Patrick started with 1NT (12-14) and, after partner's Stayman enquiry and 2NT invitation, he took the plunge and bid the game. East led §8 and Patrick could count seven available tricks - two spades, two hearts, one diamond and two clubs from the lead. However, since all the suits were well protected, declarer held the upper hand in timing for extra winners. He won §10 in hand and advanced the ªJ, covered and taken by the ace to continue the suit. Declarer got his first break when the ª8 dropped obligingly thus promoting dummy's seven into a winner. East won his ªK and switched to §K. Reading that the lead was from a five-card suit, Patrick took his §A. After cashing two spades he played a heart, rising with the ace and exited with the queen to ensure an endplay on whoever would win this trick. It didn't matter if the © Q was ducked as declarer was prepared to play the ¨10 and run it if not covered.

The Taipei North decided to stop in 2NT and China Hong Kong gained a useful swing to reduce the gap in IMP difference.

Board 3. Dealer South. East/West Vul.
	ª 6 3 © A J 8 5 2 ¨ J 2 § A K 9 8
ª 8 5 2 © Q 10 ¨ A 10 9 8 7 6 § 7 5		ª A 10 9 7 © 9 7 4 ¨ 5 § Q 10 6 4 2
	ª K Q J 4 © K 6 3 ¨ K Q 4 3 § J 3

If you think it matters not whether you play in 3NT or 4© by North/South on Board 3 in Round 4, think again. 3NT is ironclad with at least nine tricks for the taking but what about 4©? Looking at the complete deal one may well wonder how is it possible for any declarer to fail in that contract, despite the defensive diamond ruff.

Well, it happened in the match between Australia and China Hong Kong in the Youth series. The Australian pair in the Closed Room reached 4© by South after a Moscito relay sequence. L. H. Chin in the West seat led §7 which declarer took in dummy to play a trump to his king. On this trick Chin smoothly followed with his queen! This falsecard threw declarer completely off track. It does look as though he might play to establish the spades now, intending to use the diamonds as an entry to hand. However, convinced that hearts had to be four-one, and fearful of a bad spade break, declarer decided to attempt to ruff two clubs in hand. The opening lead had suggested that West would be the shorter in clubs, increasing the likelihood not only that the club ruffs would stand up, but also that there might be bad breaks elsewhere as West would then be short in two suits.

When West over-ruffed the third club, declarer nearly fell off his chair. Chin unerringly switched to ace and another diamond to give his partner a ruff, and the ace of spades was the setting trick.

Knowing that they were probably behind in the match, Chinese Taipei East/West in the Open Room on vugraph was playing against Australia in the Open Series. Australia opened a super light 1© in third seat. Although West tried to persuade partner not to venture beyond 3NT, partner was obviously on a different wavelength and climbed eventually to 6¨ onBoard 11. The slam has some prospects providing the trumps behave and the queen drops.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª A J 9 8 © J 10 9 4 2 ¨ Q 3 § Q 9
ª K Q 10 4 3 © K 8 7 5 ¨ 8 6 § 4 3		ª 7 © A Q 3 ¨ A K J 9 7 4 § A K 8
	ª 6 5 2 © 6 ¨ 10 5 2 § J 10 7 6 5 2

In obedience to partner's opening bid, South led his singleton heart won by declarer's ace. Naturally, had declarer now played off his top trumps he would have been amply rewarded for his bravado and there would be no further story to tell. But declarer thought that ruffing clubs was the preferred play since no one had mentioned the suit and, after all, who could blame him.

Declarer was destined for three down when North over-ruffed the third club. All North has to do to achieve this is to win, return a heart for partner and get a spade back for a third heart ruff. But North went into the tank. Could partner have led from a doubleton? If he had done so the spade ace would still be the setting trick, true?

Without a concern in the world, the Australian North returned a trump and suddenly declarer was given a lifeline. With nothing else to do, East had to hope for a miracle in the spade suit so he ran his trumps reducing himself to ª7 and ©Q3 in his hand. Meanwhile poor North was squeezed. Hoping for partner to have at least the ª7, he kept the hearts. North was crestfallen when declarer showed him that card and claimed the contract. To have a lowly seven take a trick must mean either you have all the luck in the world or simply that there is no justice.

Japan v Malaysia, Open

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª J 2 © 10 8 ¨ 8 7 6 4 3 2 § K 10 3
ª Q 3 © A K J 3 2 ¨ K 10 § 9 6 5 2		ª A 10 7 6 © Q 9 6 5 ¨ J 5 § A 7 4
	ª K 9 8 5 4 © 7 4 ¨ A Q 9 § Q J 8

Both Wests declared 4© after an uncontested auction and both received a diamond lead. Four Hearts goes down if South wins and switches to the §Q, subject only to South not being the one to win the third round of clubs after declarer has eliminated the red suits. However, 4© got home in the Closed Room - alas, I could not discover what happened.

For Malaysia, Derek Maggs led the ¨3 and Sia perhaps assumed that this would be from the king. Anyway, he put in the queen and Imakura won the king. He now played ace of hearts and a heart to the queen and would make the contract by leading towards the ªJ as on the actual lie of the spades either he loses no spade trick or has three winners and so two club pitches. Basically, this succeeds when the king is onside and the jack falls in three rounds.

But Imakura saw another possibility and he exited with the ¨K. Switch the spade honours around and the suit is frozen so that it achieves nothing for declarer to open up the suit, while if clubs are three-three whichever defender wins the third round will be endplayed. Alas, this was not the day for that pretty little play, and Imakura was soon one down for -100 and 12 IMPs to Malaysia.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª 3 2 © J 9 ¨ J 9 6 3 § A K 7 6 4
ª K Q J 10 © K 10 6 5 4 ¨ 10 7 5 § 9		ª A 9 5 © A Q 8 ¨ K 4 § Q J 5 3 2
	ª 8 7 6 4 © 7 3 2 ¨ A Q 8 2 § 10 8

West	North	East	South
Wignall		Scott
-	Pass	1§	Pass
1©	Pass	1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2©	Pass
4©	All Pass

John Wignall of the New Zealand Seniors team found himself in 4© in their Round 2.4 match against Indonesia. North cashed a top club and switched to a trump, which ran to the ten. Wignall tried a diamond to the king, with prospects of an overtrick if the ace was onside. However, the king was headed by the ace and back came a second trump.

There was no point in playing a second diamond now as the defence could arrange for the player with the last trump to win the trick. A trump return would leave a third diamond loser. But Wignall saw that he would one chance. He won the heart return and played four rounds of spades, pitching dummy's remaining diamond. When the last trump proved to be with four spades, he was able to ruff a diamond in dummy and had ten tricks. Nicely done.

Board 19. Dealer South. East/West Vul.
	ª Q 6 © K 9 3 ¨ Q 6 5 4 2 § K Q 3
ª A J 10 7 5 © 4 ¨ A K 7 § A J 9 6		ª K 9 8 3 2 © A 10 8 7 2 ¨ J § 4 2
	ª 4 © Q J 6 5 ¨ 10 9 8 3 § 10 8 7 5

I heard of only two pairs who bid to the grand slam on this deal and they were both from Indonesia!

OPEN
West	North	East	South
Asbi		Poli
1§	Pass	1ª	Pass
2ª	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4ª	Pass
4NT	Pass	5©	Pass
7ª	All Pass

One Club was Precision, 16+, and 1ª a natural positive. When Bert Polii next showed five-five in the majors, Taufik Asbi was able to check on key cards and bid the spade grand. With both majors dividing evenly, there was no problem in the play.

LADIES
West	North	East	South
Dewi		Wahyu
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
3§	Pass	4NT	Pass
5¨	Pass	5©	Pass
5NT	Pass	7ª	All Pass

The Ladies showed that it could be done without the benefit of a strong club opening. Kristina Wahyu started with a forcing 1NT response to the 1ª opening and when Suci Amita Dewi could force to game at her second turn, Wahyu took control with RKCB. As in the Open, getting to seven earned a big swing to Indonesia.

Board 6. Dealer East. East/West Vul.
	ª A Q 10 9 7 3 © J 8 ¨ A Q J 10 § 7
ª 8 6 2 © 10 9 7 5 4 2 ¨ 3 § 8 3 2		ª K J 5 4 © A K Q 6 ¨ 9 8 § A Q 6
	ª - © 3 ¨ K 7 6 5 4 2 § K J 10 9 5 4

West	North	East	South
Moriyama	Barrack	Takasaki	Cumpstone
-	-	1§	Pass
Pass	1ª	1NT	Pass
2¨	All Pass

It is not often that you have 19 HCP as dummy and your side fails to make a single trick. In the second round robin match between New Zealand and Japan in the Ladies Series, that is precisely the misfortune which befell the Japanese East/West pair.

West's second bid was intended as a transfer but not read as such by East who passed. South could see what had happened, of course, and was not about to do something silly and allow her vulnerable opponents a second chance.

Against 2¨, North led her ace of spades, on which South discarded the heart loser. A second spade was ruffed by South who returned a small diamond. North won the diamond and switched to her club and declarer, desperate to take a few tricks, finessed the queen. When that lost to the king, declarer could no longer make a trick as North got two club ruffs to establish South's suit. Two Diamonds minus eight for -800!

At the end of the hand the Japanese East asked 'How many tricks?' and, when told 'None', said 'No, How many tricks?' Again the answer was 'Zero', at which stage she said 'No jokes, how many tricks?'
East was still shaking her head several boards later.

In the other room, Japan made 5¨ doubled on the North/South cards but +550 meant a 6 IMP loss for them.
Mind you, there were worse fates available to East/West on this deal. The New Zealand Open team conceded 6¨ by leading a trump. Ouch!

Australia v Indonesia Seniors

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª 6 2 © K 7 ¨ K J 9 § K J 10 8 4 2
ª 10 8 4 3 © 10 9 6 ¨ 10 5 3 2 § 9 6		ª K Q 7 5 © A Q 8 3 2 ¨ A Q 7 § Q
	ª A J 9 © J 5 4 ¨ 8 6 4 § A 7 5 3

Both North players declared 3§ after East had opened 1© . We saw that McDonald had managed to make the contract in the Closed Room after the lead of the queen of clubs, and then watched Ferdy Waluyan on vugraph show how it could be done.

Tim Seres too led the §Q and Waluyan won in hand and immediately led the low heart away from the king. Seres went in with the queen and switched to a low spade. Waluyan thought for a moment then put in the jack and, with no spade to lose, had nine tricks when he established a heart for a diamond pitch; +110 and a flat board.
I have to confess that at first glance I thought that the low spade switch might have been an error and that the king would have beaten the contract. Wrong! Though that nets the defence their spade trick, it allows declarer to establish both major-suit jacks and, with West unable to gain the lead, two diamonds go from hand. In fact, the low spade switch and a misguess from declarer is the only hope for the defence.

Indonesia v Thailand Open

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª K 10 9 8 © - ¨ A Q 10 5 3 § A J 10 2
ª J © A K J 6 5 2 ¨ J 8 4 § 8 6 5		ª A Q 6 4 © Q 9 7 3 ¨ K § Q 9 4 3
	ª 7 5 3 2 © 10 8 4 ¨ 9 7 6 2 § K 7

The old Precision 2 opening, showing around an 11-15 three-suiter with short diamonds, made an appearance in the Closed Room and earned its users a 5 IMP swing. Most European Precision players have given up on this bit of the system and open 1¨ on any old diamond holding to allow themselves an extra destructive two-level opening. Here, however, it worked just perfectly as Asbi could jump straight to 4© on the West cards and Singsan was caught with a good hand with short hearts and felt obliged to double for take-out. Udomsak passed the double, of course, having nowhere to go on this auction and praying that his partner would have what was required to defeat the contract. Indeed, there are four top losers if the correct lead can be found, but Singsan led the ª9, first or third, and Asbi took his only real chance by running it to the jack. He made ten tricks for +790, having crossed to the ©Q, pitched a club on the ªA and ruffed two diamonds in dummy.

The normal 1§ opening bid in the Open Room allowed Denny Sacul, North, to get his bid in early, doubling the 1© response, so there was never any danger of his doubling 4©. East, Kridsadayut, raised to 2© and Kirawat went to game.

Sacul too led the ª9 and Kirawat ran this to the jack. Now he made an error, cashing the ©A before crossing to the ©Q to take his pitch on the ªA. Next he played the ¨K off the table and Sacul won and led the §J to the queen, king and ace. Karwur was able to play the third trump, leaving Kirawat with only one diamond ruff, and it looked as though he might have gone down in a laydown game. But look closely at the position when declarer wins the heart return and exits with the §8 to North. That poor unfortunate is endplayed in three suits. If he plays a black suit dummy covers and finds that he has won the trick, while a high spade or club is ruffed and dummy's ªQ or §9 established as a winner. And the same thing happens on a diamond return, either a low lead is run to the jack or the queen is ruffed and the jack established. There is no escape; +620.

Ishmael Del'Monte gave me a fine hand played against him during the second qualifying session of the PABF Pairs. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell me who was declarer - we only
know that it was one of K. Uraiwan/A. Kobku.

Board 12. Dealer West. North/South Vul.
	ª Q 10 7 5 © A 9 2 ¨ 10 9 7 § 5 3 2
ª A J 6 2 © Q J 10 8 6 5 ¨ 5 § Q J		ª K 8 4 3 © K 7 ¨ 8 3 2 § A K 9 8
	ª 9 © 4 3 ¨ A K Q J 6 4 § 10 7 6 4

West played 4ª doubled after South had made an intermediate jump overcall of 2¨ and North raised to 3¨ then doubled the final contract.

Two rounds of diamonds were led and declarer ruffed and played a heart to the king, cashed the ªA and played a second heart to North's ace. She ruffed the next diamond and started to run hearts through North, pitching the §A from dummy. When North ruffed in with the ª10, declarer over-ruffed, crossed to a club and played more winning hearts. North made only the ªQ; +590.

Board 9. Dealer North. East/West Vul.
	ª K 8 5 © A Q 10 9 8 6 4 3 ¨ 4 § 3
ª J 9 7 3 © - ¨ J 9 8 3 § K 8 7 6 5		ª 6 © K 5 ¨ A K Q 10 7 5 2 § Q 10 4
	ª A Q 10 4 2 © J 7 2 ¨ 6 § A J 9 2

A Chinese Taipei Youth pair came out badly on this deal against a Chinese Youth pairing. Lin Yingyi opened 4© on the North hand, as who would not, and Zhang overcalled 5¨ , doubled by Wang.

Wang led a heart and Zhang must have been quite impressed with Cheng's dummy. He ruffed, crossed to a top trump and led a spade to South's queen. Back came a heart, ruffed in dummy, and a spade was ruffed. Now Zhang read the hand perfectly and played the queen of clubs. Wang had to win or a lead towards the §K would leave only one defensive club trick. But what could he return? If a club, his actual choice, declarer would run it round to his ten, as happened in practice. But a heart return would be no better as it gave a ruff and discard, while a spade would be ruffed and now the run of the trumps would squeeze South in front of dummy's black suits. There was no escape; +750 and 11 MPs.

Note that declarer must not take a second spade ruff before giving up the club or South can play a fourth spade when in with the §A to remove the threat card.

Australia's Ishmael Del'Monte and Paul Marston won the PABF Pairs from Tom Jacob and Malcolm Mayer of New Zealand with the China Hong Kong/Japan combination of Henry Wong and Nobuyuki Hayashi taking third place.
Japan won their first PABF Open Teams Championship since 1985, snatching the lead from Indonesia in the final round. Australia was third. The Chinese Ladies have now completed the process of changing their team from the one we were used to seeing up to a year or so ago, adding a fresh third pair to the two new pairs who played in Paris. They duly won the Ladies Championship, with only Chinese Taipei mounting a serious challenge. New Zealand took third spot. China Hong Kong totally dominated the Youth series, ahead of Thailand and China, while Indonesia took the Seniors from Australia and one of two Thai teams.

While this is not yet finalised, there is talk of taking the World Junior Championships to Bangkok, perhaps in 2005. I hope it happens and recommend that you make sure that you qualify - you should enjoy it.