Netherlands vs Switzerland

The Rama match in Round 8 was the encounter between The Netherlands and Switzerland. The Swiss had a good start, and it´s nice to have them back among the leading competitors after so many years of a certain anonymity. They struck a good blow on the very first board when Levy found the killing lead against a doubled game, but declarer also missed his chances here.

Session 8. Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª 5 3 © 10 4 3 ¨ J 8 7 § K Q J 3 2
ª K 9 7 6 © A Q J 7 2 ¨ K Q 10 § 9		ª J 10 2 © K 9 8 6 5 ¨ 6 2 § 8 5 4
	ª A Q 8 4 © - ¨ A 9 5 4 3 § A 10 7 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Teyluoni	Maas	Levy	Ramondt
	Pass	Pass	1¨
Dble	Pass	1©	Dble
2¨	3§	3©	4§
4©	5§	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

After this highly competitive auction (in fact, at a number of tables E/W were allowed to play 4©, which was often doubled and always made) East had the good sense not to lead his side´s bid suit, but to try a spade first, taking partner´s initial take-out double into account. So out came the ªJ, covered by queen and king. At this moment, declarer has no chance, as he has to lose two diamonds at some moment. West returned the ª6 to the ten and ace. A low diamond from dummy now went to West´s queen. At this point, any return by West will do, except a spade. Not being fully aware of the position, however, at this early stage of play, west returned the ª7, offering declarer a sporting chance. Anton Maas only has to discard a diamond to make his contract, of course, but after a long, long huddle he finally decided to ruff in hand. One down. His next move was to call the director to complain about possible misinformation, given by his opponents, as to their agreements on leading from a sequence and returning in the suit partner has led.

Regis Levy, Switzerland

Elsewhere in this or tomorrow´s issue you can read the verdict of the Appeals Committee when the Dutch team decided to appeal the ruling, given against them by the director at the table. The Rama audience was roaring with laughter at the sight of what happened at the table (they could of course not hear the actual conversation between the players and the director involved). Switzerland +100 provisionally. It was decided by the AC that the score should be 4 IMP´s to The Netherlands instead of the original 6-IMP loss.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Kirchhoff	Stoekli	Paulissen	Dousse
	Pass	Pass	1¨
1©	Dble	2©	Dble
Pass	3§	Pass	4§
All Pass

The quiet approach worked well here for the Swiss. When Kirchhoff decided in favour of overcalling, it was difficult for his side to assess the full trick-taking possibilities of the E/W cards, so they sold out to 4§. Well, the Swiss were ready to save in 5§, but +130 made it even better for them: 6 IMP´s won.

On the next board, the Swiss were overboard in the Open Room:

Session 8. Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª K J 3 © 9 2 ¨ 7 6 4 § J 6 5 3 2
ª 7 4 © K 5 ¨ A Q 9 5 3 2 § K 10 7		ª A Q 8 6 2 © A J 8 7 6 4 ¨ K § Q
	ª 10 9 5 © Q 10 3 ¨ J 10 8 § A 9 8 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Teyluoni	Maas	Levy	Ramondt
		1©	Pass
2¨	Pass	2ª	Pass
2NT	Pass	3ª	Pass
4§	Pass	4©	Pass
4NT	Pass	5©	Pass
6©	All Pass

It looks as if West did too much here: he knew that an ace and the trump queen were missing. One down when Ramondt quite rightly led the §A. If he does not, the contract will be made…

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Kirchhoff	Stoekli	Paulissen	Dousse
		1©	Pass
2¨	Pass	2ª	Pass
2NT	Pass	3ª	Pass
4©	All Pass

No nonsense, the correct way to the correct final contract. 11 tricks, The Netherlands +450 and 11 IMP´s more.

Session 8. Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª A Q 6 5 4 © 4 2 ¨ 4 3 2 § Q 5 3
ª K 3 © K Q 10 9 8 7 6 5 ¨ A 7 § 8		ª 10 9 8 7 © A 3 ¨ K Q 5 § 10 6 4 2
	ª J 2 © J ¨ J 10 9 8 6 § A K J 9 7

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Teyluoni	Maas	Levy	Ramondt
			1¨
4©	All Pass

No guts, no glory for the Dutch North. Switzerland +650 on a club lead and a heart return...

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Kirchhoff	Stoekli	Paulissen	Dousse
		Pass	1¨
4©	4ª	All Pass

No guts, no glory for the Dutch East. Switzerland -150 when declarer had to lose a heart, three diamonds and two trumps. Net gain: 11 IMP´s to Helvetia.

Session 8. Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª Q 7 6 5 © 10 9 4 ¨ 8 7 5 4 § 6 3
ª A J 9 © A 7 6 2 ¨ 10 6 § 10 7 4 2		ª 10 8 © Q J 5 ¨ K Q 3 § A Q J 8 5
	ª K 4 3 2 © K 8 3 ¨ A J 9 2 § K 9

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Teyluoni	Maas	Levy	Ramondt
			1NT
All Pass

Ramondt opened a slightly shaded 1NT which silenced everyone. He won the club lead when East inserted the jack and went after the spades. In with the ªJ, West continued clubs and the defence cashed out for ten tricks, holding declarer to only three tricks and a loss of 200. With 3 NT not on for E/W (South leads a spade and North wins the queen to switch to diamonds) this might be not as good a result as it looked. But:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Kirchhoff	Stoekli	Paulissen	Dousse
			1¨
Pass	Pass	Dble	Pass
1©	Pass	1NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Francois Stoeckli, Switzerland

Well, South not only opened 1¨, but also made the essential lead of the low spade. Dummy inserted the jack, North won the queen and… returned the suit. We lost clubs as a suit some 40 or 50 years ago, but diamonds are lost forever, too, as this hands proves. The Netherlands +400 less 200 thus gained 5 IMP´s here, leading 22-21 at this point.

Session 8. Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª J 7 3 © 4 ¨ Q 9 8 2 § K Q 10 8 6
ª Q 9 5 © J 8 7 3 ¨ A J 7 § 9 5 2		ª A K 10 6 2 © A K Q 2 ¨ K 4 § A 3
	ª 8 4 © 10 9 6 5 ¨ 10 6 5 3 § J 7 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Teyluoni	Maas	Levy	Ramondt
Pass	Pass	2¨	Pass
3§	Pass	3ª	Pass
4ª	Pass	4NT	Pass
5§	Dble	6ª	All Pass

This auction will not qualify for full marks in a bidding contest, but it was worth 980 to Switzerland. Elsewhere we will no doubt come back to this hand and show a few auctions which led to 7©, the top spot. If the spades do not break 3-2, you can rely on the diamond finesse; if the hearts are 4-1 (as is the case here), the spades have to break.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Kirchhoff	Stoekli	Paulissen	Dousse
Pass	Pass	2§	Pass
2¨	Pass	2ª	Pass
3ª	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Well, Paulissen clearly intended 3NT as descriptive but forward-going, not expecting it to become the final contract after spades were bid and supported. Kirchhoff had other ideas however, so an easy slam was missed. The Netherlands +490 and 10 IMP´s lost.

Session 8. Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª 8 3 © A J 6 5 ¨ 3 § K Q 10 8 6 3
ª K Q 10 6 5 2 © 4 ¨ K 10 9 7 4 2 § -		ª 9 7 © 9 7 3 2 ¨ A Q 5 § J 9 5 2
	ª A J 4 © K Q 10 8 ¨ J 8 6 § A 7 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Teyluoni	Maas	Levy	Ramondt
	Pass	Pass	1NT
2ª	Dble	Pass	2NT
Pass	3ª	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Of course, the double of 2ª showed cards, so West´s pass of 2NT looks a little passive. Though the defence did not lead diamonds, declarer still only had eight tricks on a spade lead when the clubs failed to break. In an attempt to make the contract, Ramondt went down two, 200 to Switzerland but still a good-looking score for the Dutch.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Kirchhoff	Stoekli	Paulissen	Dousse
	1§	Pass	1©
4ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

This time, their team-mates did not let them down. After the natural opening bid and response, Kirchhoff did not hesitate for a second and put the bull by the horns. Question: should North pull the double and go to Five Hearts? The bold intervention made it impossible for North to find the proper answer, so the Dutch could register a very well-deserved 790 and recoup 11 IMP´s on this one to lead 33-31.

At 37-34 to Switzerland, this was the last board to be shown on Rama:

Session 8. Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª K 9 7 6 © 9 6 3 2 ¨ 5 § A Q J 2
ª A 4 © 8 7 ¨ A 6 3 2 § K 9 6 4 3		ª Q J 8 3 2 © J 5 4 ¨ 9 4 § 10 7 5
	ª 10 5 © A K Q 10 ¨ K Q J 10 8 7 § 8

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Teyluoni	Maas	Levy	Ramondt
		Pass	1¨
Pass	1©	Pass	3ª
Pass	4©	All Pass

Conventional auction, normal contract, nothing to report, The Netherlands +650. 3ª was a splinter in an unspecified suit, but also implying a minimum hand.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Kirchhoff	Stoekli	Paulissen	Dousse
		Pass	1¨
Pass	1©	1ª	4©
Pass	4NT	Pass	5ª
Pass	6©	All Pass

Here it looks that both South and North were stretching a little. They would still have landed safely on their feet had South not been obliged to respond 5ª to 4 NT…As it was, the contract lost its last legitimate chance when West inserted the nine on his partner´s lead of the §5. So 13 IMP´s back to the Netherlands.

The final result (including the appeal) thus was 47-37 or 17-13 V.P. to The Netherlands.

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