Bulgaria vs Norway

Open Round 14

Thursday night Bulgaria v. Norway was the logical match to pick for VuGraph. For more then two decades Norway has been one of the reigning powers in world bridge whereas Bulgaria entered the top of the European bridge scene around the mid-nineties. No wonder that both countries are in serious contention for top places here in Salsomaggiore.

The match started with a dull push in 3NT but serious stuff already presented itself on the very next board when Terje Aa decided to open the East hand with an eight count.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Grotheim	Stamatov	Aa	Karaivanov
		1©	2§
2©	4©	Pass	5§
All Pass

Open Stamatov-Karaivanov soon found their big club fit, but after North's splinter South, looking at his diamonds, decided to sign off in 5§. Bulgaria +620.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Mihov	Helness	Nanev	Helgemo
		Pass	1§
Pass	1ª	2©	3§
3©	4©	Pass	5§
Pass	6§	All Pass

In the Closed Room Tor Helness had a slightly different view. He splintered like Jerry Stamatov did in the Open Room, but after the sign off, Helness still pressed to six. And right he was. First blood to Norway.

In several other matches even the grand was bid, which failed on the unfavourable trump position. But even with trumps 2-1, thirteen tricks are far from certain.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Mihov	Helness	Nanev	Helgemo
			Pass
1NT	Pass	2©	Dble
Pass	3©	4§	Pass
4©	Pass	4NT	Pass
5©	Pass	5ª	All Pass

In the Closed Room Mihov-Nanev avoided the dubious slam and signed off in 5ª.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Grotheim	Stamatov	Aa	Karaivanov
			2¨
2NT	Pass	3©	Dble
3ª	Pass	4§	Pass
4©	Pass	4NT	Pass
5©	Pass	6ª	All Pass

One would expect the same from Grotheim-Aa with their sophisticated Viking Precision Club. However, due to the 2¨ opening by South the system could not be used on this hand. Terje Aa, hearing two key cards only, must have known that slam would be thin. Already in the bidding he seemed to know exactly what he was doing. In view of the weak two-suiter as opened by South, North was the favourite to be in possession of the queen of trumps, so Aa did bid the slam. Another 13 IMPs to Norway.

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

The bidding was the same in both rooms:

West	North	East	South
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1¨	Pass
1NT	Pass	2§	Pass
2©	Pass	4©	All Pass

Double-dummy, 4© can be made but the successful line is far from obvious. Yet, the contract was made several times, but not in the Vugraph match. Mihov, in the Closed Room, came a long way but just failed in the finale. He got a diamond lead won with dummy's ¨K and led a club. Now Helgemo rose with the king (a fantastic play) and pushed the ª9 through. Mihov had to win in hand, cashed the ¨Q and simply continued ©A and another, felling the king and thus solving the trump problem. Helness' only safe exit was another diamond, giving Mihov an extra entry to dummy. Now came the §10, and Helgemo played low. Had Mihov risen to the occasion like Helgemo did before, he would have played low now to show he realised what had happened, but at the table he went up with the queen. When Helness won the ace and returned the suit, Mihov was left with a spade loser and thus went one down after all.

At the other table, declarer was quickly two down when he won the diamond lead in dummy and played a heart to the queen and king. Still 3 IMPs for Bulgaria.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª K 8 6 4 © 9 5 4 3 ¨ K 2 § 9 6 4
ª Q 9 5 3 2 © Q 8 6 ¨ 8 5 4 § 7 3		ª A 7 © A K J 10 2 ¨ Q 10 9 7 3 § J
	ª J 10 © 7 ¨ A J 6 § A K Q 10 8 5 2

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Mihov	Helness	Nanev	Helgemo
		1©	3©
Pass	4§	4¨	Pass
4©	All Pass

In the Closed Room, Geir Helgemo asked for a heart stopper by bidding 3©. Uncharacteristically the Norwegian stars took a rather conservative view and in the end were rewarded with a modest plus 100 only.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Grotheim	Stamatov	Aa	Karaivanov
		1©	3©
Dble	Pass	4¨	Pass
4©	5§	All Pass

In the Open Room Jerry Stamatov and Kalin Karaivanov bid all the way to 5§ in which contract declarer, due to the opening bid by East, had no trouble in handling the spades correctly.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª Q 10 9 6 © Q 9 3 2 ¨ 8 2 § A 7 3
ª A K 2 © K 6 ¨ K Q 6 5 4 § K 10 9		ª J 5 © A J 7 ¨ A J 9 3 § Q 6 4 2
	ª 8 7 4 3 © 10 8 5 4 ¨ 10 7 § J 8 5

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Mihov	Helness	Nanev	Helgemo
1§	Pass	2NT	Pass
3¨	Pass	3©	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Mihov-Nanev bid 3NT and made twelve tricks. Bulgaria +690.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Grotheim	Stamatov	Aa	Karaivanov
1§	Pass	1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4¨	Pass
6¨	All Pass

The bidding needs some explanation. After the Strong Club 1NT showed 9-14 balanced and 2¨ showed the maximum (12-14). 3© then showed 2-3-4-4 and 4¨ showed two aces of the same colour. Of course, 2§ and 2© were just relays and 3ª was asking for aces.

So Grotheim-Aa bid well to the reasonable slam, but twelve tricks were by no means sure. South found the best lead for the defence, a spade. Declarer won the ace, drew the trumps in two rounds, cashed his other spade, ruffed the third in his hand and played a club to the king. North won and returned the suit. Aa rose with the queen and finally relied on the heart finesse, which worked. 12 IMPs to Norway. With all cards open one might note that North could do better. If he ducks the §A, the losing option of the finesse of the §J instead of the heart finesse might become more attractive.

GROTHEIM Glenn, Norway

Strange things happened on the last board of the set:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Mihov	Helness	Nanev	Helgemo
Pass	Pass	Pass	1ª
Pass	1NT	Pass	3©
Pass	4§	Pass	4¨
Pass	4©	All Pass

All completely normal, Norway +650.

The abnormal things occurred in the Open Room:

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Grotheim	Stamatov	Aa	Karaivanov
Pass	2©	Pass	2NT
Pass	3§	Pass	3¨
Dble	3©	4¨	4NT
Pass	5¨	Pass	6©
All Pass

Apparently the Bulgarians erred with their version of RKC or at least North must have thought that clubs were to be the trump suit. So NS were heading for a quick down one. East lead a diamond to his partner's ace, who surprisingly continued the suit. Declarer ruffed in hand, pitching his stiff club from dummy, pulled the trumps, successfully finessed in spades and claimed twelve tricks for an unexpected swing to Bulgaria of 13 IMPs.

The final result of the match was 49-43 or 16-13 V.P. to Bulgaria when Norway were fined 1 V.P. for slow play, as the Vugraph audience had clearly been able to see.