45th GENERALI European Bridge Championships, Arona, Tenerife, Canary Islands Monday, 25 June 2001

Norway vs Belgium

Open Series - Round 19

At about the halfway stage of the Open event, Norway were among the leading five, whereas Belgium were lying 10th, already 20 V.P. behind 5th placed Italy. So the Belgians had to do well if they were to continue their chances of earning a trip to Bali later this year, whereas for Norway, consolidating their position would be all that was required. Belgium, a team that proved to be one of the revelations in Maastricht at the recent Olympiad, had lost some of its momentum during the past days, but so had Norway. Still, an interesting match could be expected, and so it turned out.

On board 1, a well-timed lead-directing double steered Norway away from a slam they were well on their way to:

Session 19. Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
  ª 6 3
© A K 10 9 3
¨ A K Q 10 2
§ 2
ª Q J 10 8 4
© Q 8 2
¨ 9
§ K 8 7 5
Bridge deal ª A 7 5
© J 7 6 4
¨ 8 7 6
§ 10 9 4
  ª K 9 2
© 5
¨ J 5 4 3
§ A Q J 6 3

Open Room
West North East South
Engel Helness Van Middelem Helgemo
  1© Pass 2§
Pass 3¨ Pass 4¨
Pass 4© Pass 4ª
Dble Pass Pass 5¨
All Pass      

Would you bid slam when the opponents are kind enough to inform you that the ªA is likely to be wrong? Played from the North seat, it certainly does not look an attractive proposition any more. Norway +420.

Closed Room
West North East South
Brogeland Carcassonne Sælensminde Labaere
  1© Pass 2§
Pass 2¨ Pass 2ª
Dble 4¨ Pass 5¨
All Pass      

Brogeland doubled spades at an earlier stage, and their opponents quietened down too. No swing, but interesting to reconsider.

The lead-directing double made its reappearance shortly afterwards:

Session 19. Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
  ª J 8 5
© Q 6 3
¨ J 6 4
§ K J 8 2
ª 7 4
© J 10 9 8
¨ Q 5 2
§ 9 5 4 3
Bridge deal ª 10 9 6 3 2
© 5 4
¨ 7 3
§ A Q 10 7
  ª A K Q
© A K 7 2
¨ A K 10 9 8
§ 6

Open Room
West North East South
Engel Helness Van Middelem Helgemo
Pass Pass Pass 2§
Pass 2¨ Pass 3¨
Pass 4¨ Pass 4NT
Pass 5§ Pass 6¨
All Pass      

With nothing to guide them, Helness-Helgemo were committed to a slam once Helness supported his partner´s principal suit holding Jxx. As you can see, the slam is not odds-on. Would the Belgians be able to avoid it?

Closed Room
West North East South
Brogeland Carcassonne Sælensminde Labaere
Pass Pass Pass 2¨
Pass 2© Pass 3¨
Pass 4¨ Pass 4©
Pass 5§ Dble Pass
Pass 5¨ All Pass  


Alain Labaere, Belgium
  In the Belgian auction, South started a cuebid sequence instead of asking for aces. This worked out well when East could double the only possible cuebid North could make. When 5§ doubled came back to North, she knew that an ace was missing and she herself had nothing more to say. Labaere respected her decision in full confidence, not having very much to add to this himself either.

Session 19. Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
  ª Q 7 2
© Q 9 7
¨ A K 5 2
§ K 10 3
ª K 8 5
© A J 2
¨ J 9 7
§ A 7 5 2
Bridge deal ª J 10 9 3
© 8 5 4
¨ 10 8 6 3
§ Q 6
  ª A 6 4
© K 10 6 3
¨ Q 4
§ J 9 8 4

Open Room
West North East South
Engel Helness Van Middelem Helgemo
      Pass
1§ Dble Pass 2©
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT
All Pass      


Boye Brogeland, Norway
  Upon hearing the invitational 2©, Helness made one more positive more where his Belgian counterpart at the other table passed. The play hinged upon a good guess in hearts. The ªJ was led by Guy Van Middelem, Zvi ngel winning the king and returning the suit to dummy´s ace. The §8 from dummy then went to East´s queen, and a low diamond came back to the jack and king. Helness then led the §K from hand, which Engel took with the ace to return another club on which East shed a low heart., declarer´s §10 winning. A heart then went to the king and ace, and a spade came back. All declarer had to do now was to cross to the ¨Q, cash the last club and play a heart to the nine. When this held, Norway had chalked up +600.

Closed Room
West North East South
Brogeland Carcassonne Sælensminde Labaere
      Pass
1§ Dble Pass 2©
All Pass      

No further action, Belgium +110 but 10 IMP´s to Norway.

Session 19. Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
  ª Q 10
© A Q J 4 3 2
¨ J 2
§ J 9 4
ª A 8 6 4
© K 9
¨ A K Q 8
§ K 10 2
Bridge deal ª K J 9 7 5
© 8 6
¨ 10 7 6 5 4
§ A
  ª 3 2
© 10 7 5
¨ 9 3
§ Q 8 7 6 5 3

Open Room
West North East South
Engel Helness Van Middelem Helgemo
2NT Pass 3© Pass
4ª Pass 5§ Pass
6ª All Pass    

When Zvi Engel heard his partner´s cuebid after showing his four-card support by jumping to 4ª, he had no good cuebid available. He knew that partner would have to sign-off in 5ª without a heart control, so he might as well jump so slam immediately. When the spades behaved, all was well. Belgium +980.

Closed Room
West North East South
Brogeland Carcassonne Sælensminde Labaere
2NT Pass 3© Pass
4ª Pass 4NT Pass
5© Pass 5ª All Pass

The disadvantage of 4NT was that from the reply, Sælensminde knew that an ace as well as the trump queen were missing. So he had to settle for the lower level, a statistically correct-looking decision that cost his side 11 IMP´s, however.

Belgium were leading by 10 IMP´s now, when two successive boards sealed their victory at an early stage of the match:

Session 19. Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
  ª A 7 4 2
© 5 3
¨ 9 4 3
§ A Q 7 3
ª K 9 8
© 6
¨ Q 10 8 7 6
§ 10 9 4 2
Bridge deal ª J 10
© Q J 8 7
¨ K 5
§ K J 8 6 5
  ª Q 6 5 3
© A K 10 9 4 2
¨ A J 2
§ -

Open Room
West North East South
Engel Helness Van Middelem Helgemo
    Pass 1©
Pass 1ª Pass 4§
Pass 4ª All Pass  

With both majors not breaking favourably for the declaring side, eight tricks was the maximum Helness could scramble here. Belgium +200.

Closed Room
West North East South
Brogeland Carcassonne Sælensminde Labaere
    1§ 1©
3§ Pass Pass Dble
Pass 3NT Pass Pass
Dble All Pass    


Erik Saelensminde, Norway
 

At the other table, Sælensminde found an opening bid where Van Middelem had passed, so the momentum of the auction turned from N/S to E/W. Brogeland, thinking the hand belonged to E/W, quite rightly doubled 3NT, but much depended on the lead and subsequent defence now. A spade lead by East works, the lead of the ¨K stands out, but who can find that? On a club lead, Carcassonne won her queen and led a heart to the ten in dummy. When this held, she had five hearts, two clubs and two aces for another +750 to Belgium or 14 IMP´s.

And the next board:

Session 19. Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
  ª K 9 8 7
© A Q 8
¨ 10 9 5
§ A 6 4
ª J 5 4 3
© 10 7
¨ J 8 3
§ K J 10 5
Bridge deal ª A 6 2
© 5 3
¨ A 7 4 2
§ Q 8 7 2
  ª Q 10
© K J 9 6 4 2
¨ K Q 6
§ 9 3

Open Room
West North East South
Engel Helness Van Middelem Helgemo
      1©
Pass 1ª Pass 2©
Pass 3§ Pass 3NT
All Pass      

Helness, by not supporting partner´s hearts, took a bit of a gamble by passing 3NT, and he would have got away with it had not Van Middelem led a club, the second suit bid on his right. Suddenly, declarer could not come to nine tricks in time any longer, because the defence had three clubs and two aces ready for the taking. Belgium +50.

Closed Room
West North East South
Brogeland Carcassonne Sælensminde Labaere
      1©
Pass 2NT Pass 3©
Pass 4© All Pass

2NT showed heart support and the contract was very, very straightforward. With only a club, a spade and a diamond to lose as the cards lay, the outcome of it all was very, very satisfactory. In fact, an overtrick was made when the defence did not cash their established club trick first, but instead underled the ¨A hoping to give declarer a nasty guess. Belgium another +450 and 11 IMP´s.

The final score was 57-16 or 23-7 V.P. to Belgium. They had managed to stay on course.


Page 3


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