We finish our brief visit to the Mavericks Summer National Championships in Goa, India with the best of the action from the final of the Gold Teams. The format is a 56-board match divided into four 14-board segments. The two surviving teams from the original 30-team field are FORMIDABLES and DHAMPUR SUGAR MILLS.

As usual, we start with some problems and, for a change, we open with a lead problem. With neither side vulnerable, you are West holding:

What do you lead?

Next, with only your side vulnerable, you are sitting in the West seat with:

What action, if any, do you take?

Next, with both sides vulnerable, you hold as West:

What action, if any, do you take?

While you mull those over, we begin our coverage with the very first deal of the match.

The DHAMPUR N/S pair conducted what looks like a routine auction to game in their 5-3 major-suit fit. The unfavourable spade position meant that there were two trump tricks to lose in addition to the two missing aces. N/S -50.

Kaustubh Bendre (left) started with a natural and game-forcing 2NT response. That did not keep Sunit Choksi out of the auction and, when 3♥ was passed back to Bendre, he had to decide which game to bid. Although perhaps bidding 3NT with only one heart stopper was not an overly attractive proposition, nor was putting ♥K-x-x down in dummy in a spade contract.

Bendre opted for the nine-trick game, which left Choksi with the opening lead problem posed above. There was only one winning choice – did you select the ♥A? Nor did Choksi. He tried his luck with the ♦4. Declarer put up the ♦K from dummy and, when that held, he had eight tricks and could easily establish a heart winner for his ninth. N/S +400 and 10 IMPs to FORMIDABLES to open the scoring.

The match was tied at 29-29 at the end of the opening stanza. There was only one big swing in an otherwise quiet second set. Both West players had to decide what to do on the second of this week’s problems.

For FORMIDABLES, Sumit Mukherjee did not come in over South’s 1♠ opening. After a pass from North, East had a routine balancing 1NT. That left Mukherjee with another decision – show his suits, or just raise to game? He elected to take a shot at 3NT.

That turned the spotlight onto Ajay Khare (right) in the South seat. Khare unerringly opened the ♥Q. Declarer had eight tricks, but that was all. E/W -100.

After the same 1♠ opening from South, Sunit Choksi (left) chose to overcall with an Unusual 2NT, showing both minors. Swarnendu Banerji advanced with a 3♠ cue-bid and then gave preference to diamonds at his second turn. You might check with your regular partner whether he thinks 4♦ is invitational or forcing in this auction. It looks as if Choksi thought it was forcing, as he certainly doesn’t have much to spare for a his original 2NT overcall at red.

There was just a club and a heart to be lost: E/W +600 and 12 IMPs to DHAMPUR SUGAR MILLS.

The second set also finished in a tie so, at the midway point of this final, the teams were locked together at 56-56. FORMIDABLES had gained a small advantage of 11 IMPs by the time Board 10 of the third set arrived at the tables. This proved to be a difficult deal for both sides.

Choksi passed South’s 1NT opening but then doubled for takeout after North had transferred to hearts. Banerji’s jump to 3♠ then left Choksi with the third of this week’s problems. Despite partner’s encouraging jump in spades, he is still a passed hand, so it is easy to see why Choksi did not think he had enough for a raise to game. However, the hands fit remarkably well.

The defence began with a heart to North’s ace, and Tewari’s switch to the ♦10 did declarer’s chances no harm. Banerji played a spade to the ace and claimed ten tricks when both defenders followed to the second round of trumps. E/W +170.

At the other table, there seemed to be a contest to see which player could make the most suicidal bid…

The auction here began in similar fashion, but Sayantan Kushari came into a live auction with a vulnerable 2♠ overcall having originally passed as Dealer. Irrespective of the vulnerability, my view is that you either have to open a weak two on this sort of hand or you have to pass throughout unless encouraged to bid by partner. Coming in at the two-level on balanced garbage, having already told your opponents that your hand was not good enough to open, is just asking to be doubled when that is the winning action for the opponents.

On this layout, Kushari escaped unscathed as it was his partner who held the spade length and South had a fit for his partner. Ashok Goel supported hearts at the three-level and Kaustabh Nandi (right) understandably thought he had enough to jump to game. Now it was the turn of Vinay Desai to commit hara-kiri. Was he bidding 5♥ to make? Surely not. So, he is taking a vulnerable sacrifice at the five-level holding an ace, when his partner has opened a strong no-trump and could easily have enough to beat 4♠ ? Whatever the reason, it does not seem to make much sense to this humble scribe.

The 5♥ bid duly got what it deserved in my view, although the defence did give declarer a chance to escape for less than the value of his opponents’ vulnerable game. West led a spade to the ace and, if East switches to his singleton club, the defence can score two ruffs to go with their three aces. When Kushari instead continued spades at trick two, declarer was in with a chance if he could pick up the trumps without loss. When Goel started trumps by cashing the king from his hand, the defenders were back to five tricks (two clubs, a trump and the two pointed-suit aces). E/W +800 and 12 IMPs to FORMIDABLE, who won the third stanza 45-21 and thus lead by 24 IMPs going into the last set.

It did not take DHAMPUR long to make inroads into the deficit. This was the third board of the final set…

This is a typical competitive auction, with everyone bidding their cards to the maximum even though neither side can make anything above the two-level. Of course, it’s not easy to stop that low. Ajay Khare made a mixed raise of his partner’s 1♠ overcall, but Raju Tolani (left) had nothing to spare, so he retreated to 3♠ .

When 3♠ was passed back to Bendre, he though he had enough to compete further, so he re-opened with a double. Going to the four-level on this poorly-fitting East hand is hardly attractive. (Indeed, 4♦ costs 300 if anyone can find a double.) Besides, Kushari had defensive values too, so he opted to take his chances against 3♠ -X.

Looking at all four hands, it seems that the defenders have five tricks via two trumps and a trick in each side suit. But, they need to establish their diamond trick early. East might have led the ♦K at trick one, but instead he opted for his partner’s suit, the ♥10. Bendre won with the ♥A and he, too, could have beaten the contract comfortably, by switching to a diamond at trick two. That is perhaps not so obvious, and he instead played his trump. Now the defence is difficult.

Tolani rose with the ♠A and played a club to dummy’s bare king. West took the ace and now belatedly switched to a diamond to the queen and ace. Declarer played the ♥Q from dummy, covered by the king and ruffed. The ♣Q was cashed and a club ruffed in dummy. Now declarer threw his diamond loser on the established ♥9. East could ruff with one of his trump winners, but could do nothing to stop declarer ruffing one more club in dummy to set up his long card in that suit. N/S +530.

To beat the contract after the way the defence started, West had not to cover when the ♥Q was led from dummy. Declarer could discard his diamond loser but he will have lost a vital fast entry to his hand. He does not now have enough entries to take two club ruffs and get back to his hand to cash the long club at the end, and he will drift one down.

The auction in the replay was shorter and more explosive…

Rajeshwar Tewari opened 2♠ on the North hand, showing spades and a minor. Sumit Mukherjee raised to game and Sunit Choksi came in with a double. Whether his partner had genuine takeout shape or some sort of strong balanced hand, Swarnendu Banerji didn’t care. His hand was all defensive values so he was happy to bet on the defence making at least four tricks.

When Banerji opened the ♦K, the defence was easy. N/S -300 and 13 IMPs to DHAMPUR SUGAR MILLS, halving the deficit. That, though, was as close as they were to get. The last set finished almost level and FORMIDABLES claimed the title with victory by 128-103.

This brief visit to Goa provided the perfect stopover on our journey from Strasbourg, as we are now headed for Perth in Western Australia to bring you the best of the action from the 2023 Australian National Championships. In a busy July, we will then be heading for Chicago and the U.S. Summer Nationals.