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

Austria vs Norway

Open Series - Round 27

At the time this match was scheduled, both teams were outside the top five. Norway just a little, and Austria a little more. So for both of them it was important to lose as little ground as possible. It turned out to be a match in which Austria looked set for a big win until the last board arrived.

The Austrians dealt a big blow on the first board:

Session 27. Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
  ª A K 10 9 3
© 8
¨ J 8 7 6 3
§ 9 2
ª J 7
© A Q 5 2
¨ Q 10 9 4
§ Q 7 3
Bridge deal ª -
© K J 10 7 4 3
¨ A K 2
§ J 6 5 4
  ª Q 8 6 5 4 2
© 9 6
¨ 5
§ A K 10 8

West North East South
Helgemo Simon Helness Terraneo
  Pass 1© 1ª
2ª 3ª 4© 4ª
Dble All Pass    

This time, East did not hold the defensive tricks West was hoping for, so the contract made with an overtrick. Austria +690 to start with.

Closed Room
West North East South
Schifko Aa Gloyer Groetheim
  2¨ 2© Pass
4© Pass Pass 4ª
Pass Pass 5© Dble
All Pass      

One down on the club ruff. Norway +100 and 11 IMP´s to Austria. A flying start.

After two more swings to Austria and two pushes, on board 6 the very weak notrump struck, this time in Norway´s favour:

Session 27. Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
  ª Q 9 4 3
© 10 6 3
¨ 9 8 3
§ A K Q
ª K 10
© J
¨ A K 10
§ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Bridge deal ª J 8 7
© K Q 9 8 5
¨ Q 7 5 2
§ 10
  ª A 6 5 2
© A 7 4 2
¨ J 6 4
§ J 9

Open Room
West North East South
Helgemo Simon Helness Terraneo
    Pass Pass
1§ Pass 1© Pass
2§ All Pass    

When Terraneo could not open the bidding, Helgemo-Helness were given a free run to their best contract in the rebiddable club suit. Nine tricks, Norway +110.

Closed Room
West North East South
Schifko Aa Gloyer Groetheim
    Pass 1NT
All Pass      

Here, Groetheim could open 1NT and there it rested, as in these days a club overcall after 1NT is almost impossible. Seven tricks, Norway +90 and 5 IMP´s to open their account.

A few boards later, we saw yet another big swing to Austria:

Session 27. Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
  ª 9 8
© A Q 9 8 7
¨ Q 7
§ K J 6 3
ª K 10 7
© 10 6 2
¨ 9 3 2
§ Q 9 8 5
Bridge deal ª Q 6 5
© J 5 4
¨ J 8 6 5 4
§ 10 2
  ª A J 4 3 2
© K 3
¨ A K 10
§ A 7 4

Open Room
West North East South
Helgemo Simon Helness Terraneo
    Pass 1ª
Pass 2© Pass 2NT
Pass 3NT Pass 6NT
All Pass      

Helgemo led the §9 which ran round to South´s ace. Declarer went on to cash five heart tricks, West discarding a diamond and a spade and East two diamonds. Next came a low club from dummy, on which declarer allowed East´s §10 to hold. A spade was returned, Terraneo winning his ace and cashing the diamonds next. Now, West discarded the ªK on the last diamond. This induced declarer to finesse the §J at trick 12 for his contract. Nicely done, Austria +1440.

Closed Room
West North East South
Schifko Aa Gloyer Groetheim
    Pass 1§
Pass 1© Pass 1ª
Pass 2§ Pass 2¨
Pass 3§ Pass 3¨
Pass 3© Pass 3NT
All Pass      

No comment. Norway +660, but Austria had won 13 IMP´s more.

Session 27. Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
  ª K 10 8 7
© 2
¨ K J 10 7 6 4
§ K J
ª 3 2
© A 9 6
¨ A 8 5
§ A Q 10 7 2
Bridge deal ª Q 6 4
© Q 7 5 4 3
¨ 9 2
§ 5 4 3
  ª A J 9 5
© K J 10 8
¨ Q 3
§ 9 8 6

Open Room
West North East South
Helgemo Simon Helness Terraneo
      1§
1NT Dble 2© Dble
Pass 3NT Pass Pass
Dble All Pass    

East duly led a club in response to his partner´s double, and the contract went two down. Norway +500.

West North East South
Schifko Aa Gloyer Groetheim
      1¨
Pass 1ª Pass 2ª
Dble 4ª All Pass  

When West kept quiet after the 1¨ opening bid, there was little chance the spades would get lost, as happened at the other table. So the Norwegians found their fit easily and ended up in the proper contract for a further +650 and 15 IMP´s.

A slight misdefence but a neat declarer play saved the board below for Austria:

Session 27. Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
  ª J 8 7 6
© J 8
¨ 9 7 3
§ Q 9 6 3
ª A Q 4 3
© K 10 9 4 2
¨ K
§ K 8 7
Bridge deal ª K 5 2
© 7 6 3
¨ 8 5 4
§ A J 10 5
  ª 10 9
© A Q 5
¨ A Q J 10 6 2
§ 4 2

Open Room
West North East South
Helgemo Simon Helness Terraneo
    Pass 1¨
1© Pass 2© 3¨
All Pass      

This contract went one down, Norway +100.

Closed Room
West North East South
Schifko Aa Gloyer Groetheim
    Pass 1¨
Dble Pass 2§ 2¨
Dble Pass 3¨ Pass
3© Pass 3ª Pass
3NT Pass 4§ All Pass

Well, nothing would have been wrong with 3©, but suddenly East found himself in a tricky contract. When the defence did not force dummy with continuous diamond leads, he found a neat solution. The spade lead went to the king and a heart went to the king in dummy. South won the second heart and persisted with spades, instead of shifting to diamonds. Dummy won and another heart was led to South, who finally continued ¨A and another, deummy ruffing. Club to the ten and a low club saw the lead come back to dummy, and declarer now simply played hearts through North to make his contract on a trump coup. A pleasure to watch on Rama. Austria +130 and just 1 IMP more.

The Austrians had managed to carry their lead of about 30 IMP´s right through the match, but the last board was a real setback for them:

 

Andreas Gloyer, Austria

Session 27. Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
  ª 10 7 4
© K J 5 2
¨ K 9 7
§ K 8 3
ª K 9
© A 8 6 3
¨ J 10 6 3 2
§ 5 2
Bridge deal ª Q 3 2
© Q 7 4
¨ A Q
§ A Q 10 6 4
  ª A J 8 6 5
© 10 9
¨ 8 5 4
§ J 9 7

Open Room
West North East South
Helgemo Simon Helness Terraneo
Pass Pass 1NT Pass
2§ Pass 2¨ Pass
3NT All Pass    

This contract seems to have one legitimate chance: ¨K doubleton with North. Helness, however, did not really believe in this chance, even more so because South had led a spade and thus looked marked with spade length already, giving North more room to hold a string of diamonds. So he went for another possibility: §KJ under the §AQ10. Accordingly, he led a club to the 10, Terraneo winning with the jack. When South, not being able to work out what was really going on, decided to cash the ªA and then returned a heart, Helness had all the time in the world to even get to an overtrick. Norway +630.

Closed Room
West North East South
Schifko Aa Gloyer Groetheim
Pass Pass 1¨ Pass
1© Pass 1NT Pass
2§ Pass 2¨ Pass
2NT Pass 3NT Pass

Spade lead as well, but declarer then went for his legitimate chance: diamond to the queen and ¨A. When the king did not drop, he continued the §Q from his hand. When this proved wrong, the contract went three off for another 300 to Norway, a swing of 14 IMP´s to make it 50-36 to Austria, or 18-12 in V.P.


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