Swiss Roulette
A Swiss Pairs event is something of strange beast; akin perhaps to one of those composite animals of legend. Each board is scored as in a pairs event, across the field, yet you stay with the same opponents for many boards - not just two deals and move - more like teams. At the end of the round, your percentage will be graded on a victory point scale, again like teams, and you'll divide the twenty points available.
Because the scores are ranked against all other tables (like ordinary pairs events) the rounds have to be long enough for all the data entry and calculation and eight boards is usual. The first two rounds are randomly drawn, the first because everyone starts the same, the second because the first takes time to score. Got that?
At the popular Clare Swiss Pairs a fortnight ago, six rounds were played, only four of them being used to select opponents for subsequent matches using the Swiss principle, pairing those with equal cumulative score. So there is a lot of fortune available and you're always just a couple of wins from accelerating up the field. Moreover, because if you're doing well you play against opponents who are doing the same, your scores are being compared to a field in which, can we say, anything might happen farther down. It's not the purest test of skill but it is fun and it was good to see Clare Town Hall filled on a beautiful May afternoon. Ipswich and Kesgrave run a similar competition each autumn.
My partner and I were among those contributing to the random element but the Swiss Fairy was looking out for us and our scores flattered. It is always hard to guess what is going on at other tables but this result though dramatic, looked likely to be repeated:
| EW Vul. Dealer North | ♠ AK102 | ||
| ♥ A98 | |||
| ♦ AJ984 | |||
| ♣ 10 | |||
| ♠ J987 | ♠ Q4 | ||
| ♥ KQ542 | ♥ 10 | ||
| ♦ Q6 | ♦ K1072 | ||
| ♣ 87 | ♣ KQ6532 | ||
| ♠ 653 | |||
| ♥ J763 | |||
| ♦ 53 | |||
| ♣ AJ94 | |||
| West | North | East | South | |
| 1♦ | 2♣ | Pass | ||
| Pass | X | End |
I cannot condemn east for her two club overcall even at unfavourable colours: if you pass these hands the opponents will walk all over you - at any form of scoring. The reopening double didn't promise any extras and would be found everywhere, south's pass for penalties came with no firm guarantee but again, any form of scoring, it looks right to try for a big number even if sometimes the opponents make two clubs.
The first trick went diamond five, six, knave and king and try as she might, east could do no better than five tricks; one diamond, one top club and three 'length' trumps when south ruffed her diamond winner. +800 was worth all the matchpoints. Now +800 with game some way off never figured to be bad but why was there no company? The only thing I can see is try the effect of plying the diamond queen at trick one. That saves a doubled undertrick - north has to take the ace and preventing a ruff in dummy will cost north-south a trump trick. -500 won't be good but perhaps it will get you off the Schneider.
| Clare Swiss Pairs 2008 | ||||
| 1. | Jonathan Taylor / Stephen Goodwin | 85 VPs | ||
| 2. | Chris Chambers / Julian Lang | 84 | ||
| 3 | Norman Denny / Rosmarie Mascall | 81 | ||
Published Saturday 24.May.2008