Berkowitz makes 7C (2001) (printed from WBF Bulletin/Paris Nov 2001 -- IPBA)
The Digital Fountain Hand of the Year
Player: David Berkowitz (USA)
Journalist: Jody Latham (USA)
Bulletin 431 p.3;ACBL Nationals at Birmingham,Alabama Nov 2000
Larry Cohen and David Berkowitz appeared to be on their way to victory in the Blue Ribbon Pairs when they had a monumental 69% game in the first final session.They finished fourth. Early in the fourth session they scored a triumph on this exceptionally tough hand:
Board 26.
| Vul: Both Dlr: East |  Q J 10 6 5 4 3 2 J Q J 10 7 -- | |||||||
| --K 7 4A K 8 6 2K Q J 5 3 | A K 9 8A 6 39 3A 10 8 6 | |||||||
| 7Q 10 9 8 5 25 49 7 4 2 |
| West | North | East | South | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cohen | Berkowitz | ||||||||
| 1NT(1) | Pass | ||||||||
| 2(2) | 4 | 5 | Pass | ||||||
| 5 | Pass | 5 | Pass | ||||||
| 7 | All Pass |
(1) 14-16 HCP
(2) Transfer to clubs.
South led a spade, and Berkowitz won the ace while pitching a heart from dummy. He found out about the 4-0 trump split when he led a club to the king. (It looks safe to cash the A instead of crossing to the king, but you go down if you cash the A.)
Berkowitz took his top diamonds and then ruffed a third diamond with the 10 (South throwing a heart). He then led K.If South ruffs declarer can easily set up the diamonds and pick up trumps, so South threw a second heart and West a diamond.Berkowitz now ruffed a spade (South throwing another heart)and cashed the K. Next came dummy's last diamond, which he ruffed with the ace (South throwing a fourth heart). Now came the eight of trumps, covered by South. Berkowitz crossed back to his own hand with the A and finished with a trump coup.At that point, dummy was down to the Q-5 and South had the 7-4.