Norway
v. France
Open
Round 4
Another clash between two of the pre-championship
favourites was shown on Rama on Monday early afternoon. Norway
looked like operating in full gear, having just taken the maximum
against Finland, whereas France got far less than that: 16-14
against Slovenia.
On the first board, there were nine easy
tricks available at notrumps, but how to get there?
Board 1, Dealer North, None Vul.
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|
ª 10
© Q J 10 7 5
¨ 7
§ A 10 9 8 3 2 |
ª A J 7 6 5 4
© A K
¨ Q 9 4 2
§ K |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª K Q 3 2
© 9 4
¨ J 8 5
§ Q 7 6 4 |
|
ª 9 8
© 8 6 3 2
¨ AK 10 6 3
§ J 5 |
Neither pair managed, so no swing and one
missed chance each.
On the next board, there was a swing when
Norway clearly outbid the French:
Board 2, Dealer East, N/S Vul.
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|
ª 8 6 2
© Q 9
¨ K 9 7 3
§ 10 5 4 2 |
ª K
© J 7 6 5 4 2
¨ 10 8 4
§ A 7 3 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª A Q 10 9 7 4
© -
¨ A 6 2
§ K Q 8 6 |
|
ª J 5 3
© A K 10 8 3
¨ Q J 5
§ J 9 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Soulet |
Helness |
Abecassis |
Helgemo |
|
|
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2ª |
All Pass |
A classic auction in French Standard bidding,
with east just holding a little in reserve
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Palau |
Sælensminde |
Allegrini |
|
|
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
Here, 2NT showed a fair hand with a club
suit. 3¨ was a
transfer and 3ª
obviously denied any heart interest. As they made 11 tricks at
both tables, Norway scored 6 IMP´s.
A more substantial swing we saw when the
French let through another game but this time vulnerable:
Board 5, Dealer North, N/S Vul.
|
|
ª K Q 9 5 4
© Q
¨ K 9 3
§ A Q J 2 |
ª 7 6 2
© J 10 7 4
¨ Q 10 7 5
§ 10 4 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª A
© A K 8 6
¨ A 8 4 2
§ 8 6 5 3 |
|
ª J 10 8 3
© 9 5 3 2
¨ J 6
§ K 9 7 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Soulet |
Helness |
Abecassis |
Helgemo |
|
1ª |
Dble |
3ª |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
![](../Photos/fra-abecassis2.jpg)
Michel Abeccassis, France
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3ª
was weak, but Helness quite rightly evaluated his hand as
being worth a shot at game. The play presented no problems
when the defence forced declarer into a dummy-reversal.
Two rounds of hearts, ªQ
to the ace and another heart ruffed high. Cross in trumps,
ruff the last heart with your last trump and the §K
is the entry to dummy to draw the last trump. Four clubs,
three heart ruffs and three trumps in dummy bring the tally
to ten.
Please note that the defence will prevail
not only on an initial club lead, but even if East returns
a club after winning his ªA,
instead of a third heart, as the entry position will be
fatally destroyed. Declarer needs three entries to dummy
to ruff two more hearts and pick up the last trump, but
there are only two available: a trump and the §K.
Only when the defence plays a third round of hearts this
third entry is no longer needed.
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However true this may be, the defenders have
to be careful till the end, as Louk Verhees proved in the Netherlands
match v. Hungary. In with the ªA
after two rounds of hearts, East correctly switched to a club
for the nine, ten and queen. Verhees proceeded to draw trumps
and cash all his clubs. On the trumps, for reasons only known
to himself, East held on to all his diamonds, thus discarding
all his hearts. Now look at the end position with West still to
discard on the last club:
|
ª
K
© -
¨ K 9 3
§ - |
ª
-
© J 10
¨ Q 10 7
§ - |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
-
© -
¨ A 8 4 2
§ - |
|
ª
J
© 9 5
¨ J
§ - |
If West discards a diamond, declarer will
exit with the ¨K,
forcing East to establish a diamond for him. If West discards
a heart (as he did at the table) declarer will play a low diamond
to East´s queen. On the forced diamond return (a heart would
establish dummy´s last heart) declarer can insert the nine
to land his contract, and that´s exactly what Louk Verhees
did. Nicely played!
This ending would not have been possible,
had East held on to one of his hearts. In that case, West can
safely discard a diamond, as East will exit with a heart after
winning the ¨A.
As declarer has to ruff this in hand, the entry to the possibly
established diamond goes out prematurely.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Palau |
Sælensminde |
Allegrini |
|
1ª |
Dble |
2ª |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Though the §K
figured to be a valuable card, South still did not feel he had
enough to go to game, so in three it rested. Nine tricks only
were made when declarer missed the dummy-reversal but played for
a diamond ruff in dummy instead. Not that it mattered at all:
10 IMP´s more to Norway anyway.
A few boards later, the aggression changed
directions:
Board 9, Dealer North, E/W Vul.
|
|
ª A K 9 8 6
© J 7 5
¨ J 5 4 3
§ 7 |
ª Q 7 5
© Q 8 6 3 2
¨ K 10 9 8 2
§ - |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª 10 3 2
© A 4
¨ A Q 7
§ A 8 5 4 3 |
|
ª J 4
© K 10 9
¨ 6
§ K Q J 10 9 6 2 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Soulet |
Helness |
Abecassis |
Helgemo |
|
Pass |
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
1ª |
Pass |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
3¨ |
All Pass |
Helgemo stayed quiet when
his suit was opened to his right, so the auction came to a
conclusion at a safe level. It looks as is declarer can hold
his losses to three spades and a heart, we must keep in mind
that he did not know anything at all about the wicked distribution.
North led the ªAK
and gave his partner a ruff. Next came the §K
on which declarer discarded a low heart. The ©A
and another followed, Helgemo winning the king and continuing
another club. When Soulet ruffed this with the two, Helness
could overruff unexpectedly with the three and return the
©J. Now, declarer
has to decide whether South started with 2-2-2-7 or 2-3-1-7.
With nothing to guide him, he guessed wrong again, ruffing
high in dummy and thus promoting another trump trick for the
defence. Down two. Norway +200. |
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![](../Photos/nor-helgemo2.jpg)
Geir Helgemo, Norway
|
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Palau |
Sælensminde |
Allegrini |
|
Pass |
1§ |
4§ |
4© |
All Pass |
|
|
Allegrini jumped to 4§,
a contract he might well have made. Brogeland apparently thought
he was being talked out of anything so he bravely bid 4©
ending the auction. This proved no success even though the hearts
were breaking very friendly. Down two as well, so no swing after
all.
The last of the big swings of the match again
went to Norway and once again it was an evaluation problem:
Board 13, Dealer North, Both Vul.
|
|
ª A Q 10 9 8
© K J 10 8 6
¨ 4
§ 9 7 |
ª 6 2
© 7
¨ A K Q
§ A Q J 8 6 5 4 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª J 4 3
© A 9 4
¨ J 10 9 7 5 3
§ K |
|
ª K 7 5
© Q 5 3 2
¨ 8 6 2
§ 10 3 2 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Soulet |
Helness |
Abecassis |
Helgemo |
|
1ª |
Pass |
2ª |
3§ |
3ª |
Pass |
Pass |
4§ |
All Pass |
|
|
Well, holding an ace and the missing king
of trumps Abecassis might have given his partner just one polite
raise. On a diamond lead, all 13 tricks were made for a remarkable
190 to France.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Palau |
Sælensminde |
Allegrini |
|
3¨ |
Pass |
4© |
5§ |
All Pass |
|
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3¨
showed both majors. When it was Brogeland´s turn, he could
show his suit at the five-level only, but this proved to be the
right level. Norway +600 on a spade lead and 9 more IMP´s.
So with all the major swings going to Norway,
it was no surprise that they won the match easily. The final margin
was 39-18 or 19-11 V.P.
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