Pakistan sitting pretty in final

SANGHINAGAR, JUNE 29. Pakistan overwhelmed Bangladesh and forged ahead by 62 IMPs after the completion of the third round of the five-round final in the second Sanghi Asia & Middle East junior bridge championship here on Friday.

Pakistan started with a handicap of 16 IMPs, being the carryover for Bangladesh from the qualifying round, while Bangladesh was imposed a penalty of 1 IMP for not filing the line-up in time.

By the sixth deal of the first session of 16 boards, Pakistan wiped out the deficit and went ahead by 3 IMPs which came from keeping out of 5D which was doubled by them for one down and making 3D, 6 IMPs. Two IMPs from overtricks and one shared board followed. Pakistan got away with 1NT contracts in both rooms for 5 IMPs on the fifth deal. That doubling partials is dangerous was shown to the Bangladeshis when Pakistan got a bonus through 3H and 2H making three - a pick up of 9 IMPs.

Bangladesh's first reasonable score came its way when Pakistan missed a game to concede 6 IMPs - 3NT to 2S making four. Deal 9 was a blank and on Deal 10 Pakistan added another 10 IMPs via 4S, which was allowed by Bangladesh who were restricted to three in the Open Room.

Pakistan promptly frittered away the advantage - passing out the next deal on which Bangladesh made 4S in the Open Room - 9 IMPs. Deal 12 was 1 IMP for Pakistan and the next drew a blank on Board 14. The last two boards went in Bangladesh's favour by a marginal 13 IMPs. The score at the end of the segment was 38-20 to Pakistan and an overall lead of 3 IMPs.

The trend was reversed in the second session. Bangladesh recovered lost ground to take the lead by 4 IMPs. The score was 44-37 IMPs in Bangladesh's favour after the second set of 16 boards. Only on boards 2, 3, 12 there were no exchanges and 1IMP each was given away by way of overtricks on 8,10,15, 16. The remaining 10 boards was a case of both teams either missing games or allowing them.

Bangladesh seems to have the habit of starting on the wrong foot every time. Like in the first session, when it lost 6 IMPs, this time around it was 9 down. The reason was first doubling and then being unable to defend the 5D contract properly. Its pair in the Open Room were in 2S for plus one. The IMP exchange was 12-4 for Pakistan till the next knocked the bottom out of them.

Another cue bid passed! Yes, the Pakistan player in the Open Room did. Bangladesh was very lucky that the cold slam they missed on Board 6 actually turned out to be a jackpot of 16 IMPs as the Pakistan pair went 8 down vulnerable in 5D. Bangladesh's pair outwitted their opponents on the next by intervening in the bidding and sacrificing in 3S for 200 while their partners cruised through 4H for 9 IMPs.

It could probably border on the ridiculous as a game was bid in one room and partial given away in the other. This happened on the 9th deal. Bangladesh was declarers in 2D making four and 4S which saw an addition of 13 IMPs to their score. Pakistan should thank its opponents in the Closed Room for squandering their advantage and handing them 20 IMPs on a platter on the remaining deals.

Bangladesh was battered in the third session. Only one score of 7 IMPs was for them against 73 IMPs. The blanking was as follows: Deal 1: 12; Deal 2: 6; Deal 3: 13; Deal 4: 5, Deal 5: blank, Deal 6: 2, Deal 7: blank, Deal 8: 5; Deal 9: 7; Deal 10: 7, Deal 11: 5; Deal 12: blank; Deal 13: 7 (for Bangladesh); Deal 14: blank; Deal 15: 1; Deal 16: 10.

There were only three double-digit exchanges which were due to an overbid by Bangladesh again on the very first deal, a misplayed 4H on Deal 3 and on the last it was bad handplay again.

Pakistan will no doubt do all they can hold on to this big lead over the last two sessions of 16 boards.

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