BRIDGE
Winning ways
Andrew Robson
THE enfant terrible of bridge may have turned 50 but Paul Chemla has lost little of his Gallic temperament. Yet he has a heart of gold and is instantly forgiven — his antics add spice to the world's top tourna- ments which can be a little lacking in colour.
Paul is a brilliant player and is currently World Individual Champion and a member of the World Championship winning team from France. Watch him declare this week's hand.
Dealer East Neither side vulnerable + Q 8 5 K 109 4 106 Q 5 3
• K Q J9652 +5
• A 8 7 +9 8 4 3
4KJ 2 r7 4 2
• 10 + A K J 106 4 N W E 4A 9 7 4 3
• A J 8 6 • — 4 Q 7 3 2 South 14 391 pass West
24° pass pass
North 24 44 East 1+ 3+ pass West led +5 and East won +K and led +A. West, aware that his partner may have held a void •, trumped his partner's •A and switched to •K. Paul won dummy's • A, discarding •7 from hand, and led 4C) (East was certain to hold 4K on the bid- ding so the normal play of leading towards 40 was doomed). East covered with 4K and Paul won 4A, noting the fall of West's 410. He cashed •Q discarding V9 from dummy — West being unable to trump and followed by crossing to •K, returning to VA and trumping a third •. He trumped a •, trumped his fourth r with dummy's last trump and, though East overtrumped with 4J, was able to make the remainder as his last three cards were the three highest trumps.
Would declarer have made 44 if West had not trumped his partner's +A? He would have to play a trump to dummy's 48, run 40 on the second round to pin West's 410, and subsequently guess West for 'Q. I wouldn't bet against Paul pulling it off.
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