Puneet Gangal and Vasanti Shah put on a clinic in the Smt. Laxmi Mujumdar Memorial Mixed pairs, winning the event with 155.34 IMPs nearly doubling the score of the runners-up. They sped to an early lead and left the other pairs in their dust all the way to the end. A stellar performance by the juggernauts!
Rajendra Sirohia and Alka Jain were runners-up with a score of 86.91 IMPs. Right on their heels with 85.63 IMPs, Jeroo Mango and Ivan Alphonso finished in third place. Detailed results and deals here.
Prize winners are requested to share their bank details with us to enable us to reach their winnings to them.
The following deals helped the winners and runners-up in climbing to the podium.
There is a chance, you say?
Although North-South can make 5S, Vasanti Shah was allowed to play in 5DX. Receiving the Heart King lead, she won the Ace and immediately ruffed a heart. Crossing to the Diamond Ace, she ruffed another heart, and crossed back to the Diamond King removing enemy trumps. The Heart K-Q-J falling set up her Heart Ten for a spade discard, and dummy still had a trump left to ruff a spade. Well played to capitalize on the unlikely, yet favourable, lie of the heart suit. No other declarer made eleven tricks on the same lead.
Alka Jain also played in 5DX, but she received the Diamond Eight lead. She pursued the same line setting up her Heart Ten, but could not enter her hand for a spade discard without exhausting dummy's trumps. She tried exiting dummy with a club and made her contract when the defence slipped up and tried to cash a second club instead of their spade tricks.
Fortune favours the brave
Both Vasanti Shah and Alka Jain overcalled South's 1S with an intrepid, vulnerable 2H. While certainly not without danger, the overcall enabled them to reach the cold 4H. While Vasanti Shah was allowed to declare 4H, South at Alka Jain's table contested with 4S. Not willing to forgo a vulnerable game, she pushed on to 5H, a contract which made owing to a defensive error and the ultra-friendly diamond position. Only one other pair reached 4H; Sarika Mittal and S. Krishnamoorthi did well to bid it after South opened a precision 1C.
Our weekly Monday Musings Match Point pairs event will be held today, 8th February. Please register your entries at the earliest.
The next event will be the Wednesday Wonders IMP pairs on Wednesday, 10th February.
Sunit Chokshi is proud to host a Swiss Pairs Championship from 19-21 February.
This will start with a couple of rounds on Friday followed by 7 rounds on Saturday. At the end of 9 rounds, the field will be split into gold and silver which will play 7 more rounds on Sunday.
Trios are permitted.
Click here to register.
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