BRIDGE NOTES: Data Steel won Younus Suriya contest in style

Younus Suriya Memorial Bridge Tournament is one of the major events of the Karachi Club during the calendar year. The bridge event of Karachi Club was also the last valedictory engagement for the year 2005.
Fifteen leading teams in all participated in the tournament. Prominent among them were Giants represented by Masood Saleem, Shahin Iqbal, Major Zaidi and Masud Mazhar. Besides reigning champions Candyland, EFU, Data Steel enjoying the services of experiences international bridge players.
This is really a sad commentary that such a noted bridge event in the city could attract only fifteen teams, which offered lucrative.
One is obliged to believe that the announcement of the much to be desired as no team from Lahore and Islamabad and other cities came to participate.
Those days are now almost becoming a dream when thirty to forty teams and more used to compete in the local and national bridge tournaments. There must be a dynamic programme of attracting new blood in the game so that it can attain the past glory and popularity.
The Pakistan Bridge Federation and Regional Bridge Association should be activated to provide colour to the game of bridge in the country as a whole. Pakistani bridge team can regain the glorious ranking of World Bridge to end runners up losing only to seasoned US team in 1981. It has to be seen what future course will take in effecting improvement in bridge in the country.
However, the Younus Suriya Memorial Bridge Tournament concluded after two days sessions, with Data Steel winning the tournament, Giants came second, Chandna third and EFU finished fourth.
It may be noted that Data Steel kept firm grip over the game with consistent performance over the each round from beginning to the last board that they play against any of the teams. A hand is reproduced below which reflects their imaginative approach to the bidding and play.
(1) Splinter bid
(2) First round control
WEST LED HEART SIX:
When the South opened the bidding with one spade the North could not help the excitement of visualising a slam with fifteen high card points with support in spade so he proceeded the bidding showing his added values and the shape of hand.
When the dummy was spread the declarer won the ace of hearts in dummy and Pervez Mirza played a small trump from the dummy and finessed the nine of spades, which was won by East with the ace of spades. The West again played a small heart which dummy played a small heart East played the nine of hearts on which South ruffed a small and played two rounds of trumps followed by ace king queen of diamonds which broke evenly and claimed the contract.
Whereas the pair of the Aces playing the same deal in the closed room could not reach beyond four spades and thus conceding bagful of points in favour of Data Steel.
DEALERS SOUTH
NORTH-SOUTH VULNERABLE:

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North             West          East          South

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S Q 1046          S A 32        S 85       S KJ 932

H AQ5             H J 76        H K 109432      H 8

D KQ 2            D 986         D J 43     D A 1075

C 1076            C J 982       C 45         C AK 3

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THE BIDDING:

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North             East          South          West

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Pervez                                        Tariq

Mirza                                       Rasheed

1 S               Pass          2 D            Pass

3 H (1)           Pass          3 S            Pass

4 D               Pass          4 H            Pass

5 C (2)           Pass          6 S            Pass

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