Edition: U.S. / Global

BRIDGE; Making 'Impossible' Game Consoles a Dream Teamer

By Alan Truscott
Published: May 13, 2000

Many of the world's best players are gathered in Las Vegas this weekend for two long-established events. The Cavendish Pairs began yesterday afternoon, and the top-ranked pairs, based on the Calcutta pool, were: first, Steve Weinstein and Bob Levin, the defending champions; second, Zia Mahmood and Bob Hamman; third, David Berkowitz and Larry Cohen; fourth, Gabriel Chagas and Geir Helgemo. The total in the Calcutta pool was $1,140,500.

The Cavendish Teams ended Thursday in a victory for Perry Johnson, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell, Geoff Hampson and Eric Greco. Levin, Weinstein, Berkowitz and Cohen were second.

Four of the world's greatest individual stars, Zia, Hamman, Gabriel Chagas of Brazil and Geir Helgemo of Norway, formed a dream team. Handicapped perhaps by lack of partnership experience, they were shut out of the top places, but Hamman had the pleasure of making an ''impossible'' game on the diagramed deal.

In three no-trump, he won the opening diamond lead with the king, and saw that nine tricks would be possible if clubs split evenly. When he led to the club king, he was surprised to see the ace appear. A hold-up would be routine for any expert, so he concluded correctly that East's ace was singleton, sharply reducing the prospects of making the game.

Winning East's diamond return with the queen, he gave up on clubs and led a low heart. West could now have put up the heart king and beaten the contract in various ways. He chose to play low, however, a reasonable play that proved to be an error.

Dummy's queen won and Hamman led a spade to his queen, creating an illusion. To West, this looked like a finesse from an ace-queen combination, so after winning the king he played a third diamond.

South won in dummy and played two club winners, putting East under pressure. He had to make two discards and gave up one spade without pain. He was not inclined to part with a diamond winner or the spade ace, so his second discard was a heart.

Hamman worked out the position exactly. He led to the heart ace, took two more heart tricks and made his ''impossible'' contract. This gained 13 imps, for the same contract failed by two tricks in the replay.