Mark Horton

Last Board
Everything depends on it

An Honors eBook from Master Point Press

 Text © 2018 Mark Horton

Cover Image © Ron Tacchi

"Last Board" originally appeared in the December 1971 issue of The Bridge
World magazine. © 1971 The Bridge World Magazine, Inc. Reprinted by
permission. For more information, visit: www.bridgeworld.com.

All rights reserved.

Honors eBooks is an imprint of Master Point Press. All contents, editing and
design (excluding cover design) are the sole responsibility of the authors.

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23456 21 20 19 18
 Foreword

Towards the end of the swinging sixties, I read a compilation of chess sto-
ries entitled The Treasury of Chess Lore by Fred Reinfeld. It contained a
story about an aging chess player written by Ron Klinger entitled The Old
Master. It describes how, near the end of his battle for the World Champi-
onship, he wins a brilliant final game.
Some years later, I came across a bridge story entitled Last Board, also written
by Ron Klinger, which recounts how the Old Master wins a Bermuda Bowl.
Ever since then I have been itching to write a book about some of the count-
less dramatic final deals that have ended bridge events.

Mark Horton
Sutton Benger
September 2017

Foreword Page i
Page ii Last Board
 Acknowledgements

Many people assisted me in my efforts to track down missing information.

Those stone turners were Richard Fleet, Richard Granville, Phil Bailey, Mau-
reen Hiron, Eitan Levy, Paul Linxwiler, Tracy Yarboro, Barry Capal and the
incomparable Wolff Klewe. The legendary Eric Kokish made many helpful
suggestions.

Acknowledgements Page iii

Page iv Last Board
 Contents
Introduction 1
Preface 11
1957 Golden Opportunity 13
1962 Over the Border 15
1966 The UnDutchables 19
1967 The Best of Gray 23
1971 The Headmaster 27
1973 La Forza del Destino 29
1974 Overtime 33
1977 To Be or Not to Be 37
1978 The Mysterious Affair at Harrogate 41
1982 Valentine’s Day Massacre 45
1982 Some Enchanted Evening 49
1982 Double Double, Toil and Trouble 53
1983 Stockholm Syndrome 57
1984 The Board That Never Was 61
1984 The Eye of the Needle 63
1985 The Smart Money 67
1985 Under the Radar 71
1987 The Impossible Dream 75
1987 Cometh the Hour 79
1987 Battle of Memphis 83
1988 Death in Venice 89
1992 La Dolce Vita 93
1994 Showboat 97
1996 The Colossus of Rhodes 101
1998 Lost in France 107
1999 The Malta Experience 111

Contents Page v
2000 Cincinnati Reds 115
2000 Neck and Neck at the Mecc 119
2004 Rondo Alla Turca 125
2005 Houston, We Have A Problem 129
2006 Shanghai Knights 135
2006 Polished Performance 139
2007 Paradise on Earth 143
2008 A Twist in The Tale 147
2008 Mind Games 151
2008 Beijing Battle 155
2009 The Play’s the Thing 159
2009 The Comeback Kids 163
2010 Crockfords 165
2010 The Celtic Fringe 167
2010 Philadelphia Story 171
2010 The Day VuGraph Caught Fire 173
2012 Horses for Courses 177
2012 Consolation Prize 181
2013 They Think It’s all Over 185
2015 Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen 189
2015 The Windy City 193
2015 Plaza de Toros 201
2015 The Arctic Bridge Experience 205
2015 Midnight Sun 211
2015 MVP 215
2015 The Best Exotic Chennai Hotel 219
2015 Miles Too High 223
2016 Stalemate 227
2016 A Close Shave 233
2016 All’s Well That Ends Well 237

Page vi Last Board

 Introduction

Here is the masterpiece that was the inspiration behind this work:

Last Board
The Bridgerama commentator's voice boomed across the audience. Bermuda
Bowl as good as over . . . three boards left . . . Challengers 33 IMPs down .
. . even the Old Master's magic can't help now.
The Old Master looked down at his cards, though their pasteboard patterns
were indelibly etched in his mind. Three boards. He glanced across at his
partner. Zettner's brow was furrowed too. Despite some good pick-ups in this
last session, they must still be at least 30 or more IMPs down. The champi-
ons, Frawley-Kinston, were silent – they knew the title was once again theirs.
Five years they had held the world crown, and the sixth was merely min-
utes away. Fifty-six IMPs up – 16 boards to play. No team in the Bowl could
recover that ground. Even counting some sure losses, they had to be well
ahead.
As the Old Master waited for the next hand, the old question rose once more.
Could this be the one, the perfect hand, the work of art? What was the per-
fect hand? Was Culbertson right? Was it nothing more than success stemming
from opponents' errors? What was beauty in bridge anyway? Was it nine top
tricks in 3NT? Though he couldn't pin it down, he felt that there had to be
something more, some intangible combination of power in the cards.
Suddenly, he felt very tired, recalling the dilemma in which he constantly
found himself in his 40 years' playing. Percentages or elegance? Play to win
or play for perfection? Before him rose the shades of games and tournaments

Introduction Page 1
lost because he could never quite resolve which he wanted. He remembered
the hand that had cost him the Olympiad because he played for the squeeze
rather than the finesse.
Frawley's pass woke him from his reverie. The dream of the perfect hand
faded. His partner opened 1♦ and Kinston interposed 2♥, a weak bid
based on long hearts. The Old Master looked at his hand: ♠J764 ♥ – ♦9
♣AKQJ9764
A straightforward 3♣? 4♣ to emphasize their solidity? The scientists would
know – they would get to the cold grand slam or avoid the unmakeable small
slam, but their tortuous approach repelled him – too often it pointed the
way to astute defenders. Neither side was vulnerable.
“6♣.”
He smiled wryly, imagining what the commentators would be saying. A leap
into the unknown. It could be disastrous, but it was no time to be dainty:
The likely heart lead might give him time to work on the diamonds.
Frawley looked up quickly, paused slightly, and passed. Zettner passed and
Kinston doubled. Lightner. A diamond lead. A bad sign. All passed, and
the two of diamonds was led.
♠ AK3
♥ KJ85
♦ Q 10 8 7 5
♣ 8
♠ Q92 N ♠ 10 8 5
♥ A6 2 ♥ Q 10 9 7 4 3
♦ J432 W E ♦ AK 6
♣ 10 5 3 S ♣ 2
♠ J764
♥ —
♦ 9
♣ AKQJ9764
The Old Master called for a low diamond and the king of diamonds won.
In the Closed Room, North-South reached 3NT and made 10 tricks, the
commentator told the audience. If 6♣ is made, the challengers will gain

Page 2 Last Board

12 IMPs, but unless East makes the fatal ace of diamonds continuation,
South will have to lose a spade ultimately. I predict East will exit with the
two of clubs.
East thought for some time, then the trump appeared. The Old Master won
and drew two more rounds of trumps, discarding two hearts from dummy.
East discarded the seven-four of hearts. The Old Master stopped to think.
East began with the ace-king of diamonds. Not the ace of hearts – that would
be too strong for a weak jump-interpose. Six hearts headed by the queen.
Kinston was strict about suit quality. With seven, he would have bid 3♥,
without the queen the suit would have been too poor. Probably he was 3-6-
3-1 with 9 points. That must be all, for the queen of spades would also make
the hand too strong for a “weak” 2♥. So West held the queen of spades, ace
of hearts and the jack of diamonds. That might be just too much to manage.
Suddenly, the Old Master was no longer tired. As he pieced the play together,
conviction refreshed him. He played three more rounds of clubs, pitching
a spade, a diamond, and the jack of hearts. West threw a diamond and two
hearts; East discarded hearts. This was the position:
♠ AK
♥ K
♦ Q 10 8
♣ —
♠ Q92 N ♠ 10 8 5
♥A ♥ Q
♦ J4 W E ♦ A6
♣ — S ♣ —
♠ J764
♥ —
♦ —
♣ 64
The Old Master played another club and watched West writhe. If West
discarded a spade the ace-king would drop the queen, while a diamond dis-
card would allow the jack to be pinned. West studied for a long time and
finally ditched the ace of hearts. But the hand was an open book. A spade
to dummy, and the king of hearts put West in the vice again. He threw the
four of diamonds; the Old Master reached across and touched the queen

Introduction Page 3
of diamonds, murmuring softly, “The pin is mightier than the sword.” As
East covered and West dropped the jack, the hand was over.
A triple squeeze . . . brilliancy . . . Old Master still has spark of genius ... 10
years since he played internationally . . . included in Challengers team as
sentimental gesture . . . long career . . . now proved back at best . . . assured
of second in world . . . 12 IMPs to Challengers . . . not enough to stave off
defeat...
In the Open Room, Frawley growled bitterly at Kinston.
“A spade return at trick two beats it. Takes out his entry prematurely.”
“Sure. And I also knew South didn't have jack-nine-fourth in spades, didn't I?”
The Old Master looked at them sorrowfully. Why was there always so much
rancour at the top? He looked as Frawley sat, tight-lipped, stubborn – Fraw-
ley, contemptuous of opponents and partners alike – acknowledged as the
world's best, yet unable to brook losing a game or a match.
These thoughts were brushed aside as the Old Master picked up the cards.
Second-last hand. At least they had made a fight of it. They were vulnera-
ble against not. His partner, dealer, passed. So did Kinston. He looked at
♠A ♥AK62 ♦KJ1092 ♣K43
and opened 1♦.
Frawley cleared his throat. “3♠.”
Pass from Zettner, pass from Kinston, what now? “4♥.”
“4♠.”
The Old Master looked at Frawley curiously. A bead of perspiration rested
on Frawley's brow. Was he shaken, that fine bridge mind, the leading the-
orist in the world? Frawley, who had expounded, “pre-empt what you are
worth,” breaking his own tenets? 3♠, then 4♠. Why not 4♠ at once? The
Old Master noticed a slight tremble in Frawley's left hand.
Zettner, patting his hair nervously, tugging at a loose strand, pondered, then
bid 5♥. Kinston's double was loud and crisp, and everyone passed. Frawley
pulled out the king of spades, and dummy came down:

Page 4 Last Board

 ♠ 63
♥ J854
♦ AQ7
♣ J 10 9 2
♠ KQJ108752 N ♠ 94
♥ 7 ♥ Q 10 9 3
♦ 86 W E ♦ 543
♣ 85 S ♣ AQ 7 6
♠ A
♥ AK62
♦ K J 10 9 2
♣ K43
Closed Room . . . four spades doubled . .. two down . . . plus 300 to
Champions . . . headed for big swing . . . South must lose two hearts and
a club at least . . . five diamonds a chance . . . five hearts hopeless . . . bad
split. . .
The Old Master surveyed the two hands. East would obviously have
four trumps at least, maybe five. Prospects were not good. Winning the ace
of spades, he played the jack of diamonds. Frawley played the eight of dia-
monds as a matter of doubleton reflex, then pulled his hand away as if burnt.
The Old Master suddenly saw a glimmer of hope as dummy's seven of dia-
monds became a third entry. Could West have a key singleton in trumps?
Dummy's ace of diamonds won, and the jack of hearts was played. The
Old Master felt his heart pounding . . . was there a chance after all? If East
held Q1097 of hearts, all was lost. The queen topped the jack, the Old Mas-
ter played his ace and looked at Frawley's card. The seven of hearts.
The first hurdle was over. Would the other cards behave also? The Old
Master moved into the strange world of bridge intuition. Lines of play ran
through his mind, the cards swirled into patterns, disappeared, regrouped,
blended into a position six tricks away. The Old Master, satisfied with his
plan, played the ten of diamonds to the queen and called for dummy's jack
of clubs. Kinston played low. So did the others. Another club from dummy.
This time Kinston took his ace and forced South with a spade return. The
Old Master ruffed with the two of hearts and reviewed the situation:

Introduction Page 5
 ♠ —
♥ 854
♦ 7
♣ 92
♠ Q J 10 8 7 5 N ♠ —
♥ — ♥ 10 9 3
♦ — W E ♦ 5
♣ — S ♣ Q7
♠ —
♥ K6
♦ K92
♣ K
No, there was no flaw. It had to be right. He played the king of clubs and
crossed to dummy's seven of diamonds with his well-preserved deuce. The
Old Master carefully picked over the end position he had seen before. There
was no escape.
A small trump was played from dummy. East sat there thinking. He would
have to split the ten-nine, thought the Old Master; if not, I win with the
six of hearts, cash the king of hearts, and play a diamond, discarding my
losing club from dummy.
Kinston thought interminably; finally, the nine of hearts. Declarer played the
king of hearts, and then, luxuriously, treasuring the touch, the Old Master
played a diamond and put the eight of hearts on from dummy.
Brilliant timing and end-play, the 'Rama commentator shrieked shrilly. If
East overruffs and plays a club, South ruffs in hand and ruffs the last dia-
mond in dummy. If East overruffs and plays a trump, South wins and his
hand is high. And if East discards his club, dummy's club promotes South's
six of trumps en passant...
In the Open Room, the Old Master wondered what was happening. Had the
commentators seen the position as he had? Was there any chance of snatch-
ing victory from the jaws of defeat? The last two hands had to be gains, but
how close was the fight? He could not hear the commentator.
. . . Plus 850 to Challengers ... 11 IMPs . . . exciting finish . . . Champions
still 10 IMPs up . . . additional drama . .. youth versus age ... fantastic finale ...

Page 6 Last Board

The audience hushed as the lights on the Bridgerama board flickered, then
lit up the last hand.
♠ AQ7
♥ A K 10 6
♦ 86
♣ AKJ4
♠ 10 8 5 4 N ♠ K9
♥ J753 ♥ 982
♦ 7 W E ♦ K942
♣ 10 9 7 2 S ♣ Q653
♠ J632
♥ Q4
♦ A Q J 10 5 3
♣ 8
The commentator broke into an excited jabber. Closed Room . , . Champi-
ons overboard . . . reached Seven No-trump . . . trying to duplicate probable
gamble in Open Room . . . two down . . . Challengers have chance . . . must
stay out of slam . . . game gives them 11 IMPs and victory . . . slam doomed
. . . bad diamond break . .. spade finesse loses ...
In the Open Room, the silence was almost unbearable. The Old Master knew
what the others were thinking. Last board. How small was the margin? Was
there a chance or was the match already over? The audience already knew,
but the players had to gauge the results for themselves. He looked at his
hand. Six diamonds and four spades. The opposition was vulnerable, they
were not. He was second to speak. The age-old question arose, to pre-empt
or not to pre-empt? The “authorities” all said not to pre-empt with a side
four-card major, also that a second-hand pre-empt was less desirable since
one opponent had already passed. He made up his mind. The thought of
the perfect hand casually flitted across his mind. He dismissed it as Kin-
ston passed quickly.
“3♦.”
Pass from Frawley, nervously. Zettner sat for an eternity. The Old Master
knew he must be thinking about slam chances, and was pleased his diamond
suit was respectable. Pre-empts at favourable vulnerability can often be filthy.

Introduction Page 7
As the minutes toiled on, the audience became restless.
Three No-trump . . . why doesn't he bid Three No-trump? . . . how can he
think of a slam with nothing in diamonds? ... Five Diamonds is all right too ...
“6♦.”
The audience groaned.
Three passes followed quickly. Frawley sat for some time considering his lead,
then the ten of clubs hit the table. The Old Master surveyed the dummy
and his own hand.
The slam was reasonable. Had they reached it in the other room? If he didn't
lose a diamond trick, the slam was home. With a diamond loser, he still
had chances – the jack of hearts might fall in three rounds, the spade finesse
was there, and the queen of clubs might appear. He looked at the lead. The
ten of clubs. Had Frawley led away from the queen? Would the club finesse
work at trick one? Not a tempting lead against a small slam. The Old Mas-
ter played the king of clubs and took the diamond finesse. The queen of
diamonds held. He played the four of hearts to the king and played another
diamond to the jack. Frawley showed out.
If he makes the slam, Challengers win by 4 IMPs . . . if he goes down, Cham-
pions have lucky escape ...
The Old Master searched his mind. It was merely a matter of taking all the
chances in the right order. One of them would probably succeed. But the
quest for perfection tortured him. Painfully, he scanned dummy again. Once
more he searched the position, wondering why he was hesitating, why he
did not continue.
Suddenly he saw it, and everything else faded except the patterns of force
generated by the cards as they glided into their predestined place. Again the
testing of each play, racked by the error of his original analysis, soothed by
what he could see unfolding before him. Finally, he played the ace of dia-
monds, discarding dummy's low spade. Then the queen of hearts, dropping
dummy's six on it.

Page 8 Last Board

 ♠ AQ
♥ A 10
♦ —
♣ AJ4

♠ J632
♥ —
♦ 10 5 3
♣ —
The Old Master considered the final position cherishingly. The aces . . .
the master cards . . . one in each suit in dummy . . . each supported by a
different lower honour, side by side . . . each tenace agape waiting for East
to yield up the twelfth trick . . . each suit having a finesse available in it ...
but the only finesse taken successfully turning out not to gain a trick . . .
the suits blending together, in harmony and unison, to succeed no matter
where the enemy cards lay.
The victory was his. He had but to take it. With trembling fingers he took
the ten of diamonds, putting East on lead, softly asked for dummy's four
of clubs, and whispered gently to the opposition a single word.
“Checkmate.”

Introduction Page 9
Page 10 Last Board
 Preface

In bridge, as in all competitive endeavours, winning the most important

events represents the pinnacle of achievement; the final moments of these
majors so often create a unique psychological dynamic; spectators know
they are not just watching a contest, but something historic; the players
know that success or failure in these tournaments will contribute to defin-
ing their legacy.
Although these events do not always involve prize money, they matter for an
intangible reason: they are implicitly accepted as the ultimate tests, which
create the emotional stakes that to which even the coolest competitors are
exposed.
Did Scott Hoch ever get over missing from two feet to lose the 1989 Mas-
ters playoff against Sir Nick Faldo?
When, more than 20 years after the event Doug Sanders was asked if he
ever reflected on missing a 20-inch put on the last green to lose the British
Open in 1970 his laconic reply was ‘Only every five minutes.’
Losing a bridge event is bad enough, but to do it in a major on the last
board can be psychologically debilitating: although it is undeniably illogical
to ignore all the other deals on which points were surrendered, it is undeni-
able that too often those results somehow magically pale into insignificance
and the loser cannot shake the memory of those last fateful moments.
Most of the deals you will find in this book report took place at the end
of major championships and will be etched in the memories of the play-
ers and their supporters forever. How often do you think Lorenzo Lauria,
whose mental toughness is undeniable, thinks about the seven of spades on
the last board of the 2003 Bermuda Bowl? A reasonable estimate would be
‘every five minutes!’

Preface Page 11
Page 12 Last Board
 1957 Golden Opportunity

The Gold Cup is the most prestigious Open Teams event in the United King-
dom and is organised by Bridge Great Britain. It is knock-out throughout;
prior to the semi-finals all matches are played privately. At one point, it regu-
larly attracted more than 600 teams. The original trophy, still awarded today,
was presented by Bridge Magazine to the first winners in 1932. At the time
it cost 100 guineas (around £5350 today). When Joe Amsbury dropped it
in 1979 it cost more than £1000 to have the dent removed.
In 1957 the entry was much smaller: you only had to win three matches to
reach the quarter-finals and that was the prize on offer when Ewart Kempson’s
squad (Graham Mathieson, Geoffrey Fell, Eric Harvey, Joseph Hochwald
and Douglas Smerdon) took on Rixi Markus, Kath Richard, Joan Durran
and Marjorie Whitaker in a second round match. This team had already
sprung a surprise by defeating Messrs Flint, Priday, Swinnerton-Dyer, Beale,
North & Triefus in Round 1.
As the match drew to a close, Kempson trailed by 18 points (IMPs had not
yet been created). He attributed some of the deficit to his making a present
of a game to Rixi and the decision of two of his teammates to attempt 4♥
with a trump suit of ♥KQ opposite ♥753.
With four deals to go, a good grand slam recovered 7 points and when the
last board arrived the margin was down to 3.

1957 Golden Opportunity Page 13

 Dealer East. N/S Vul.
♠ J72
♥ 10 5 4
♦ Q 10 7 6 5 4
♣ 8
♠ K Q 10 6 5 3 N ♠ A9 4
♥ KQ ♥ A8 6
♦ 83 W E ♦ KJ92
♣ Q96 S ♣ A 10 3
♠ 8
♥ J9732
♦ A
♣ KJ7542
In the Open Room E/W quickly reached 4♠; North led the eight of clubs.
Declarer went up with dummy’s ace, played a spade to the king, unblocked
the hearts, drew trumps ending in dummy, pitched a diamond on the ace
of hearts and played a club towards the queen for eleven tricks.
Closed Room
West North East South
Kempson Durran Mathieson Whitaker
– – 1NT 2♣
Double 2♦ Double 2♥
Pass Pass Double Pass
3NT All Pass
Declarer took ten tricks, but there was no swing.
As Kempson pointed out, all he had to do was pass his partner’s double of
two hearts and lead the king of hearts; after cashing two tricks in the suit
West switches to a low spade and East wins and plays a third heart followed
by a spade, which ensures five down.
It was not all doom and gloom, for as Kempson noted in those days reach-
ing the quarter-finals required the payment of an additional entry fee and
at least he had avoided that.

Page 14 Last Board

 1962 Over the Border

In the final of the 1962-63 Scottish Cup, Albert Benjamin’s team (Louis
Mitchell, Sam Leckie & Victor Goldberg) faced George Jesner, John Maclaren,
Sol & Harry Barnett over 100 deals; by the time the last of them hit the
table Benjamin trailed by 4 IMPs.

1962 Over the Border Page 15

 Dealer West. Both Vul.
♠ J95
♥ AQ752
♦ K6
♣ J54
♠ AK 3 2 N ♠ 10 6
♥ 96 ♥ K43
♦ Q J 10 7 3 W E ♦ 852
♣ A8 S ♣ Q7632
♠ Q874
♥ J 10 8
♦ A94
♣ K 10 9
West North East South
Mitchell Jesner Benjamin Maclaren
1♦ Pass 1NT Pass
2♦ All Pass
When Jesner, according to Benjamin, ‘the most courageous bidder between
Camlachie and Auchenshuggle’ declined to overcall E/W had stolen the
part-score.
Reporting the deal in Bridge Magazine, Benjamin, who possessed an imp-
ish sense of humour, wrote ‘I held the East hand and adopted a confident
air and moved my lips as if I were counting a multitude of points. My strat-
egy worked.’ As you will have guessed, his tongue was firmly in his cheek.
North led the five of spades and declarer played three rounds of the suit,
ruffing, followed by a club to the ace and a fourth spade, which resulted in
nine tricks, +110.
To defeat 2♦ North has to find the difficult lead of the king of diamonds,
so the defenders can play three rounds of the suit, preventing a spade ruff.

Page 16 Last Board

 West North East South
Barnett Leckie Barnett Goldberg
1♦ 1♥ Pass 2♥
All Pass

There was no way to defeat 2♥, and when East started with a trump declarer
could play three rounds of the suit after which the favourable situations in
the black suits resulted in nine tricks, +140 and 6 IMPs to Benjamin.
It did not take the losers long to get over their defeat – the following season
it was they who lifted the trophy aloft.

1962 Over the Border Page 17

Page 18 Last Board
 1966 The UnDutchables

The UnDutchables is a term originally coined by Colin White and Laurie

Boucke, who wrote a book with the same title in which they subject the
Dutch to an irreverent and unmerciful scrutiny. It has been a best-seller in
the Netherlands since 1990 and is updated every 2-4 years. The book over-
looks one of many areas in which the Dutch excel – the hosting of major
bridge events.
In 1966, the World Bridge Federation staged the second World Olympiad
Pairs in Amsterdam.
On the last day, Italy’s Benito Garozzo and Federico Mayer scored well on
the first eight deals to lead the 36 pair final by the slender margin of 25
matchpoints, but with 34 points available for a top, eight boards later the
USA’s James Jacoby and Dr. John Fisher had taken the lead, just three points
ahead of the Italians. With only four deals to go, the lead was up to four
points, but the Italians and the Netherlands’ Hans Kreijns and Bob Slav-
enburg were in hot pursuit. A good result for the Americans extended their
lead to 17 points, but the Italians effectively fell out of range when they dou-
bled their opponents into game. A tremendous result on the penultimate
board meant that with a single deal to go the Dutchmen were five ahead.

1966 The UnDutchables Page 19

 Dealer West. N/S Vul.
♠ 963
♥ 765
♦ A7
♣ KJ652
♠ Q4 N ♠ AJ 2
♥ J 10 9 ♥ Q832
♦ Q J 10 8 5 3 2 W E ♦ K4
♣ 9 S ♣ A Q 10 7
♠ K 10 8 7 5
♥ AK4
♦ 96
♣ 843
West North East South
Garozzo Desrousseaux Mayer Theron
3♦ Pass 3NT Pass
4♦ Pass 4♠ All Pass
On this layout 3NT is bound to fail after a spade lead (and South can afford
to lead a top heart and then switch to a spade) so Garozzo did remarkably
well to bid 4♦ (although it is hard to imagine his motivation) which can be
made unless North finds a spade lead. However, Mayer fell from grace by
bidding 4♠ (which he intended as a slam try); when Garozzo, who assumed
he was being offered an alternative to 5♦, passed 4♠ the Italians were out
of the running.
West North East South
Parienté Jacoby Roudinesco Fisher
3♦ Pass 3NT Pass
4♦ All Pass
Here too West surprisingly took inspiration from the biblical proverb, ‘the
wicked flee when no man pursueth’ and ran from the no-trump game.
North led a spade and declarer had to lose four tricks, giving N/S 27 of the
34 matchpoints available.

Page 20 Last Board

 West North East South
Fjellström Slavenburg Rehlin Kreijns
Pass Pass 1NT Pass
2♣* Double 2♥ Pass
3♦ Pass 3♠ Pass
5♦ All Pass
One must not forget that bidding was not quite so sophisticated back in 1966.
The Swedish pair lost their way and when North found the spade lead the
Dutchmen were +100. The 30 matchpoints they recorded left them eight
ahead of the Americans.
Elsewhere B.J. Becker and Dorothy Hayden doubled Denmark’s Axel Voigt
and Johannes Hulgaard in 3NT and +300 proved to be a complete top for
the Americans, enough for them to deprive the Italians of the bronze medals.

1966 The UnDutchables Page 21

 INTERMEDIATE

Triumph & Tragedy

Agony & Ecstasy
Over 100 years of bridge history, it is not surprising that one can
find many matches and events that came down to the last board,
or even the last card, played. And of course, there is an added
poignancy in these situations that derives from the fact that bridge
is a unique sport in one aspect — the players do not know the
score. In this book, the author has collected dozens of fascinating
deals, each of which is that last board — the one that decided a
world title or represented an individual triumph or tragedy.

MARK HORTON (UK), an internationally-known bridge

player and journalist, is Editor of A New Bridge Magazine in
the UK. His most recent book was The Rabbi’s Rules with Eric
Kokish.

An Honors eBook from Master Point Press