Almost all matches are finished in the Budapest Teams Championship, there is only one week left for the teams to decide the final rankings. In the I/A division team VISOFT is on the first place and their last match will be against the currently second team, GALIM. With 15 VP difference between them GALIM needs a big victory to become the champions this year. If fortune is on team GAMAX’s side, they can also get to the first place, but besides a huge win, they also need a favorable result on the other match.
In the I/B division the leader, team ECOSOFT will play against the 3rd placed CSILLAGVIRÁG and they can ensure their position with a small victory. The first two from this group will qualify to the I/A division for the next year and the 3rd team from the major group will play a decider match against the 10th team from I/A for the top division position.
In the minor group the first four team will stay in their division and the fifth team will have a chance to fight for their place against the fourth team from the II. Division while the last three drops out.
After South didn’t find the optimal diamond lead and opened with a small club Mária Bekő had a chance to make her contract, but she had to play carefully. North took the first trick with the ace and returned the king of hearts and declarer took it with the ace. With the finesse working in spades, she has two spade tricks, a diamond and a club, so she needs to take four more tricks with her remaining trumps.
Bekő finessed in spades, discarded a diamond on the ace, played a club to her king and ruffed a club on dummy. She ruffed a small spade then returned to dummy with the ace of diamonds and discarded a loser from her hand on the last spade that South had to take with the king. He was now endplayed and had to play hearts, so declarer could take the last two tricks she needed.
Of course she could have ruffed the last spade as well, but it’s always more fun to endplay your opponent.