Frequent Australian Open Bridge team representative. Now living in the USA. I enjoy teaching bridge and occasionally writing.
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Articles related to the uncovering of the cheating scandals that rocked the bridge world in 2015.
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the maze of Fisher-Schwartz. I want to show you some things that will blow your mind!
These hands are all from the 2011 Transnationals Final vs. Australia. They sat N/S as usual. In 48 boards, how bad could it be?
First, opening lead problems:
Set 1 of 3
Board 4
What's your lead?
Schwartz led the ♥4 from 642. Partner's hearts were AK753!
Is this just lucky or is there more involved?
Set 1 of 3
Board 12
What would you lead?
Lotan not only found a club lead, but the ♣Q lead, on a hand where partner is likely to be shorter in clubs. Is it still a surprise that partner had AJ72 of clubs and JT763 of spades?
Set 2 of 3
Board 4
What would you lead?
Lotan led a spade.
Your partner has shown a vulnerable weak 2♥ and you have 109x hearts but that's not good enough to lead a heart against 3NT?? On the previous hand at favorable Lotan did not open a Multi with ♠97 ♥J107642 ♦Q54 ♣A4 so one can only imagine his suit was not good enough?
Set 2 of 3
Board 11
What would you lead?
What if you knew partner had good diamonds?
Yep, Schwartz led the ♦6. Still lucky?
Set 3 of 3
Board 18
What would you lead?
What if I told you partner held ♣K10874?
You guessed it! Lotan lead the ♣5 from A65!
Set 3 of 3
Board 24
What would you lead?
They led ♥J:
Naturally, partner held AK72 of hearts and singleton ♦7.
Strange bidding decisions occurred from the same match which suggest knowledge of range:
Set 1 of 3
Board 1
What's your call?
At the table, Ron Schwartz doubled!
Very strange double on 2 jacks at the 5 level as a passed hand.
They show on their system card that they play forcing pass if they bid a vul game, but here, this is a passed hand opposite a nil vul Michaels bid and an unlimited 5♦ bid on your right. Double was not alerted as showing a weak hand.
Set 2 of 3
Board 1
What's your call?
At the table, Lotan passed.
Very conservative bidding by Lotan with 20 points and 5 spades. I don't know about you, but when I bid 3♥ here, my most likely hand is a very good hand with 3 spades. He never really showed his spade length and managed to stop in 3♠. Was it just luck that partner only had 3 spades and 3 points?
Set 2 of 3
Board 7
Both vul, would you open?
Say you pass, I wouldn't but some would. 1♦ on your left, 2♦ Michaels from partner, and 3♦ on your right.
What would you bid now?
Where would 3♠ rank on your list of possible bids?
What if you intended on selling out to 4♦???
How can South bid like this after passing?! Not bidding a vul game after partner shows Michaels is astonishing. Of course partner happens to only be 5-5 and 7 points.
Well judged Lotan. At least we were spared the Ron heart lead against 3NT-X on this bidding!
Set 2 of 3
Board 9
What's your call?
Lotan selects 2♦. It takes a special "talent" to bid 2♦ when holding A932 in the other major. Here it was not important as partner had a minimum opening.
Well judged!
In contrast on board 14 his partner makes a negative double as we would here:
Here Ron holds a powerful 5432 in the other major but admittedly 9 points and makes a negative double. It was essential here as partner had 19 points with AQJx of spades and they collect 800! Well judged again.
Set 2 of 3
Board 15
What call do you make?
Schwartz passed.
Schwartz bids just once with his 21 points and his partner has a crappy 4 count.
It's been an enlightening trip, I hope, but here I must take leave of you. I'm hoping now that you will be able to find your own way through the labyrinth of Fisher-Schwartz.
