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 4 A K 8 6 2 K Q J 5 3		A K 9 8 A 6 3 9 3 A 10 8 6
	7 Q 10 9 8 5 2 5 4 9 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.