45th GENERALI European Bridge Championships, Arona, Tenerife, Canary Islands Saturday, 30 June 2001

Netherlands vs Austria

Ladies Series - Round 20

With two rounds to play, The Netherlands still had a remote chance of the gold medal in the Ladies series, while Austria's form appeared to have deserted them at a critical time and they were in serious danger of not making the trip to Bali. A crucial match, then, for both teams.

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

West North East South
Terraneo Pasman Erhart Simons
      1ª
Pass 1NT Pass 2ª
All Pass      

West North East South
Vd Pas Fischer Vriend Weigkricht
      1ª
Pass 2§ Pass 2ª
Pass 3§ Pass 4§
Pass 5§ All Pass  

Two Spades proved to be a fairly comfortable make. Anneke Simons won the heart lead in hand and played two more rounds of hearts, ruffing. She continued with a club to dummy and another heart ruff, and could not be prevented from coming to three more trump tricks for +110.
Fischer's slightly looser style of two-over-one response got the Austrians to game when Weigkricht invited and Fischer could not resist bidding one for the road. Bep Vriend led the seven of hearts to dummy's eight and Marijke Van der Pas chose not to put in her queen. With the ©8 holding the trick, Fischer was in with a chance. She cashed the ©K and played ace of spades, pitching a heart, then the queen of spades. When Van der Pas played low without effort, Fischer ruffed in hand and played the ace of hearts, throwing a diamond from dummy, then gave up a diamond. Van der Pas won that with the king and returned a spade, ruffed by declarer who continued with a diamond ruff, a spade ruff (West throwing her last diamond) and another diamond ruff. When Van der Pas could over-ruff the diamond and play the queen of hearts through, that was one down, the §K being promoted as the second defensive winner; -50 and 4 IMPs to The Netherlands.
 

Christian Terraneo, Austria

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

West North East South
Terraneo Pasman Erhart Simons
1¨ 1ª Pass 3ª
All Pass      

West North East South
Vd Pas Fischer Vriend Weigkricht
1§ 1ª Dble 3ª
Dble Pass 4© All Pass

When Erhart, who was facing a hand that had been unable to open with a strong club bid, chose not to make a negative double, the Austrians were shut out of the auction by Simons' pre-emptive spade raise. Uninspired defence led to Jet Pasman making an overtrick for +170.
Vriend did make a negative double at the other table and that got her side to game when Van der Pas had an easy responsive double over the same pre-emptive raise. When Vriend got the clubs right she had ten tricks for +620 and 13 IMPs to The Netherlands.

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

West North East South
Terraneo Pasman Erhart Simons
      1¨
Pass 1© Pass 2NT
Pass 3§ Pass 4©
All Pass      

West North East South
Vd Pas Fischer Vriend Weigkricht
      1§
3§ Dble Pass 3¨
Pass 3© Pass 4©
All Pass      

The bidding made it clear for Doris Fischer to play the spade suit successfully for +620. However, Pasman had not heard any opposition bidding - which I find quite remarkable but who can argue with success? Maria Erhart led the ten of hearts and Pasman won in dummy and considered her play. It seems to me that it can cost nothing to play on diamonds now - it does not do any harm that East is over-ruffing the third round. When the 5-2 diamond break shows up, declarer might reflect on the fact that West's first discard was a club, suggesting that her clubs were of at least equal length to the diamonds. Now she might have a chance of picking the spade position correctly. But Pasman could not imagine that anyone would have passed over 1¨ if holding such extreme distribution and cashed the ace of spades at trick two. That meant one down for -100 and 12 IMPs to Austria.  

Maria Erhardt, Austria

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
  ª K 6
© A Q J 2
¨ J 10 9 5 3 2
§ 5
ª 9 5
© 9 8 7 6 3
¨ A
§ Q J 9 6 3
Bridge deal ª A Q 10 8 7 432
© 5 4
¨ 7
§ 10 7
  ª J
© K 10
¨ K Q 8 6 4
§ A K 8 4 2

West North East South
Terraneo Pasman Erhart Simons
  1¨ 3ª 4ª
Pass 5¨ Pass 6¨
All Pass      

West North East South
Vd Pas Fischer Vriend Weigkricht
  1© 3ª Dble
Pass 4¨ Pass 4NT
Pass 5§ Pass 5¨
All Pass      

Terry Weigkricht was in the fortunate position of having room to check for aces and settled for game on finding that two were missing; +400. Would 4NT have been Blackwood in the Dutch auction? If so, it would perhaps have been a wiser choice, but maybe the Dutch play it as a take-out bid in these competitive sequences. We can see why Blackwood would have been a good idea as Simons heard her partner sign off over the 4ª bid but was then tempted to bid the slam anyway. Still, all was not yet lost. On a club or a heart lead, declarer makes her contract by playing three rounds of hearts. East ruffs and is over-ruffed and now declarer comes back to hand in clubs to play the fourth heart, pitching dummy's losing spade.
The vugraph audience held its collective breath but Erhart's fingers reached unerringly for the ace of spades; one down for -50 and 10 IMPs to Austria.

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

West North East South
Terraneo Pasman Erhart Simons
    1¨
Pass 1NT Pass 3NT
All Pass      

West North East South
Vd Pas Fischer Vriend Weigkricht
      1§
Pass 1© Pass 2¨
Pass 3¨ Pass 3NT
All Pass      

Playing from the South seat, Weigkricht received the lead of the queen of clubs. She was a tempo ahead now and needed only to play the diamonds in normal fashion to make her contract; +400.
Erhart led her five-card heart suit, of course. Pasman won and played a diamond and Sylvie Terraneo won and returned a heart; down one for -50 and 10 IMPs to Austria, who had moved into the lead in the match.
Of course, declarer could guess to play a spade at trick two and make her contract by then switching to diamonds, but why should she guess to do so? Apart from its being a blind guess which missing ace was with the long hearts (assuming that hearts were not 4-4), that play could sometimes lose with spades 5-3.

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

West North East South
Terraneo Pasman Erhart Simons
1¨ 4ª Pass Pass
4NT Pass 5§ All Pass

West North East South
Vd Pas Fischer Vriend Weigkricht
1¨ 4ª Pass Pass
4NT Pass 5¨ Pass
Pass Dble Pass 5ª
All Pass      

When Fischer doubled 5¨ to show a good 4ª bid, Weigkricht, whose values were mostly in spades, had a clear removal to 5ª. That contract had to lose one trick in each side suit for down one; -100.
Erhart no doubt chose clubs rather than diamonds over Terraneo's 4NT bid because that way she would be declarer. If so, she had to justify her decision by bringing home her contract. Simons led the ace of spades and switched to a low heart to the king. Pasman switched back to spades and Erhart ruffed in dummy, cashed the ace of diamonds and played a low club to the queen and king. This was the critical moment of the hand. Erhart took a couple of seconds then led low to the seven of diamonds, drew trumps and claimed the rest; +400 and 7 IMPs to Austria.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
  ª 9 4
© A 9 3 2
¨ 7
§ A K Q 9 8 2
ª A J 10 6 5
© K J
¨ A K 10 9 5 2
§ -
Bridge deal ª Q 7
© Q 10 8 7 6 5 4
¨ 8 4 3
§ J
  ª K 8 3 2
© -
¨ Q J 6
§ 10 7 6 5 4 3

West North East South
Terraneo Pasman Erhart Simons
      Pass
1§ 2§ Pass 3§
4§ Pass 6© All Pass

West North East South
Vd Pas Fischer Vriend Weigkricht
      Pass
1¨ 2§ 2© 4©
4ª 4NT 5¨ Dble
All Pass      

Five Diamonds doubled proved to be no more problem to Van der Pas. Fischer led ace and another heart for Weigkricht to ruff, but now the third diamond was an entry to the long hearts and declarer did not even require the spade finesse; +550.
I was surprised by Simons' simple 3§ raise in the other room, expecting a jump to game. However, 3§ proved to be quite sufficient to make life tough for the Austrians. Terraneo showed a big two-suiter with her cuebid but could not have been very happy when she saw her partner´s leap to 6©. That contract is not completely horrible, and had actually been made at a few tables after a low spade lead - Declarer takes the spade finesse, repeats it and plays the ace of spades. If North ruffs, declarer can over-ruff and afford to ruff her club in dummy as North's hearts have been shortened. If North does not ruff, the club goes away and declarer plays on trumps. She now switches her attention to trumps and North is powerless. Declarer can reach hand by ruffing the fourth spade, at the same time establishing an extra spade trick on which to get rid of her third diamond.
But Simons led a club, forcing dummy to ruff and there was nothing Erhart could do to neutralise North's nine of hearts. She was one off for -50 and 12 IMPs to The Netherlands.

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

West North East South
Terraneo Pasman Erhart Simons
      Pass
1§ Pass 2¨ Pass
2ª Pass 3© All Pass

West North East South
Vd Pas Fischer Vriend Weigkricht
      Pass
1ª Pass 2© Pass
3ª Pass 3NT Pass
4§ Pass 4¨ Pass
4NT Pass 5¨ Pass
5ª Pass 6NT All Pass

Six No Trump is not the best spot - with a bad spade break, it might even go down while 6ª is making, and the spade grand slam is the percentage contract. However, 6NT was quite enough on this particular occasion. Indeed, more than half the field was going down in seven so that +1440 was just fine for the Dutch pair. Weigkricht led a diamond, so declarer did not have to guess which finesse to take for her twelfth trick - only a spade lead avoids solving the problem, of course.
The Austrians had swapped their partnerships around and Erhart has been playing that a 2¨ response to a strong club opening is weak with six hearts in her other partnership. The standard Blue Club meaning of 2¨ is to show six controls and clearly one member of the partnership thought that these standard responses were in use while the other thought the new version applied. You can work out for yourself who was playing which method. Austria might have got very lucky had the Dutch bid the grand slam, but justice was served when their score of +200 cost them 16 IMPs.
The Netherlands won the match by exactly the swing on the above board, 56-40 IMPs, 18-12 VPs. They were almost certainly going to play the last match to decide the colour of their medal, while Austria would be fighting for a qualifying place.


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