BRIDGE NOTES: 'The Reds' ladies team from Lahore wins Bridge Trails

Karachi was selected to serve as venue for holding countrywide bridge trails for top male and female teams to represent the country in the 14th BFAME, bridge competition, after 22 years, in May this year.
These are preparatory bridge sessions for the most significant world event, the Bermuda Bowl. Pakistan Bridge Federation is conducting the big bridge under the auspices of World Bridge Federation in Karachi.
The best two male and female champion teams from the Zone 4 , will enter open competition of Bermuda Bowl World Bridge Championship. The ladies teams will enter world bridge competition known as-Venice Cup- of Bermuda Bowl which will be played in Shanghai, the major industrial city of Shanghai People's Republic of China, from 29th of September to 13th of October, this year.
Strange as it may sound that Pakistani lady bridge players made no secret of their lack of interest in global bridge competition. Only 6 ladies teams, participated in the bridge trials-one from Lahore and five teams from Karachi.
Even a small number of ladies teams, except three of them, were short of practice and partnership understanding. Whereas the female bridge players of countries of Zone 4 are reported to be making good preparations to book seats for the Venice Cup in Shanghai along with Bermuda Bowl.
Two out of three serious minded bridge teams could reach the final which concluded on 25th of February 2007 at Aslam Bridge hall in the National Stadium. One from Karachi, 'Steadfast' represented by Fizza Adamji, Shirin Bokhari, Dr Tahira and Dinaz Dubash and another from Lahore.
'The Reds' comprising Najam Abid, Byramji, Farida, Paro and Shamim Akhter (nicknamed Goga). 'The Reds' won the trail to compete in the zonal bridge championship in the month of May. In course of tough sessions 'The Reds' took time to set a steady pace before demonstrating winning performance. Besides, as the saying goes, some contracts are made because of mistakes of defensive play by the opponents. In one of the slam contracts.
'The Reds' were lucky to make a slam in no trump. The complete picture of bidding and play of an interesting deal is reproduced below: When the dummy came down, Shamim saw that two successful finesses in diamond and club suits are needed to make the contract. She proceeded to play with fingers crossed by playing a small spade from dummy. Tahira played 3 of spades. The West Shamim won the trick with the jact of spades.
Next she moved a small diamond to dummy's king and played small diamond and finessed the jack which was won by the North with the queen. Fizza then moved a small club covered by jack in dummy. Tahira covered with the queen, the South won the trick with the king.
At this point she ran diamond suit for another three rounds which badly squeezed South in spades, and clubs. Afterwards she cashed three round of hearts and came back to hand with the ace of spades and last diamond 8 and discarded queen of spades from dummy.
At this stage the South, who had already bared the king of spades threw away the king on which the West won the last trick with 5 of spades, and successfully made the contract that was difficult one without mistakes in defensive moves by the opponents. In the open room the pair of 'The Reds' defeated the pair of the 'Steadfast' went one down in No Trump slam contract by calculated good defensive play for double edged gain of IMPs.
DEALER-EAST: BOTH SIDE: VULNERABLE:

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North         West          East             South

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S 98          S AJ 5        S Q 64       S K 10732

H J 643       H 852         H AKQ           H 1097

D Q 73        D AJ 1085     D K 84            D 92

C 9453        C K 2         C AJ 86        C Q 107

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THE BIDDING:

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East          South         West           North

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Farida        Tahira        Shamim         Fizza

1 C           Pass          3 NT            Pass

4 NT          Pass          5 H             6 NT

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