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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:
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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 |
 |
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:
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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 |
|
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 |
|
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.
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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 |
|
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:
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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 |
|
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:
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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 |
|
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.
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