Settling the
issue
Going into the second of three sets, the Mixed Teams final match
between USA’s Welland and Sweden’s Bertheau was close,
with the Americans ahead 33-24. Welland blew the match open with
a 56-4 second set, settling the issue for all practical purposes.
It got even worse for Sweden in the third segment, and the Americans
were champions with a 139-42 triumph.
The winners are Roy Welland, Christal Henner-Welland, Michael Rosenberg,
Debbie Rosenberg, Robert Levin and Jill Levin.
The silver medallists are Katherine Bertheau, Fredrik Nystrom,
Magnus Magnusson and Katarina Midskog.
Bertheau gained an overtrick IMP on the first deal of the second
set, and the teams pushed the second board. Things went bad for
the Swedes on Board 3.
Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
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|
ª A J 10 5 3
© -
¨ K J 6
§ J 7 5 4 2 |
ª K 8 4 2
© K J 7 5 3
¨ 10
§ Q 10 3 |
![Bridge deal](/Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª Q 7
© Q 10 9 6 4 2
¨ 7 4 2
§ A 9 |
|
ª 9 6
© A 8
¨ A Q 9 8 5 3
§ K 8 6 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
R. Levin |
Nystrom |
Henner-W. |
Bertheau |
|
|
|
1¨ |
1© |
1ª |
4© |
Pass |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
Henner-Welland led a heart to the ace, as Nystrom pitched a club
from hand. He ran the ª9
to East’s queen, and she defended well by playing the §A
and another club. Nystrom won the §K
and finessed again in spades. The ªJ
held, but the 4-2 break was too much to overcome, and Nystrom had
to lose another spade and another club for minus 50.
At the other table, Michael Rosenberg handled the competition
much more nimbly.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Magnusson |
Michael R. |
Midskog |
Debbie R. |
|
|
|
1¨ |
1© |
1ª |
4© |
Pass |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5¨ |
All Pass |
|
|
|
With support for everything but hearts, Michael gave his partner
a choice, and Debbie naturally picked her six-card suit. A heart
went to the queen and ace and Debbie played a spade to dummy’s
jack. In with the ªQ,
Midskog played the §A
and another club, but Debbie won the king and ran the ª9,
she then played a diamond to the jack, claiming. She would ruff
a low spade and pick up trumps ending in dummy, where the two good
spades would take care of her losing heart and club. That was plus
400 and 10 IMPs to Welland.
Bertheau earned a 3-IMP swing on the next deal, but Debbie Rosenberg
played expertly to land a notrump game that went down at the other
table.
Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
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|
ª J 9 4 2
© 8 4 3
¨ Q 3
§ A K Q 7 |
ª 10 6
© K J 9 5
¨ 10 7 5 2
§ J 6 3 |
![Bridge deal](/Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª Q 7 5 3
© A Q 10
¨ J 4
§ 10 9 8 2 |
|
ª A K 8
© 7 6 2
¨ A K 9 8 6
§ 5 4 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
R. Levin |
Nystrom |
Henner-W. |
Bertheau |
|
1¨ |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
North-South play a strong club system, so North had to open 1¨
on his doubleton.
Henner-Welland started with the §10,
which went to Nystrom’s ace. He immediately went after diamonds,
but when that suit didn’t break, he tried for some luck in
spades, cashing dummy’s top spades. When the ªQ
failed to drop, Nystrom cashed his clubs and conceded one down.
At the other table, Debbie Rosenberg was declarer as South.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Magnusson |
Michael R. |
Midskog |
Debbie R. |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
Magnusson had a natural heart lead, and the defenders took the
first four tricks in that suit, declarer pitching a spade from dummy
and a diamond from her hand on the fourth round of hearts. East
pitched the ª7.
Magnusson got out with a low club to dummy’s ace, and Rosenberg
executed a Vienna coup by cashing the ªA
K before playing on diamonds. With the third round of diamonds to
be played, East was down to ªQ
and §10 9 8, dummy
had the ªJ and the
§K Q 7, Rosenberg
the ª8, the §4
and the ¨K 9. When
Debbie played the ¨K
and discarded dummy’s ªJ,
East had no answer. She played the ªQ
and Debbie claimed with the good ª8
and dummy’s two clubs. Plus 600 was good for another 12 IMPs.
The Americans’ lead had grown to 56-28.
On the next six deals, only 1 IMP changed hands (to Welland),
but near the end, Bertheau lost 31 IMPs on three boards, starting
with number 28.
Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
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ª A K Q 10 8 4
© A K 9
¨ 2
§ 7 4 3 |
ª J 6 3
© J 7 6 3 2
¨ 7 5
§ A J 8 |
![Bridge deal](/Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª 7 2
© 10 8 4
¨ A Q J 9 6
§ K 9 6 |
|
ª 9 5
© Q 5
¨ K 10 8 4 3
§ Q 10 5 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Magnusson |
Michael R. |
Midskog |
Debbie R. |
Pass |
1ª |
2¨ |
Pass |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Midskog started with a low spade, and Michael Rosenberg pulled
trumps in three rounds before playing his singleton diamond toward
dummy. Midskog rose with the ace, getting out with a heart, and
Rosenberg was home. He discarded one of his losing clubs on the
¨K and finished with 10 tricks for plus 620.
West |
North |
East |
South |
R. Levin |
Nystrom |
Henner-W. |
Bertheau |
Pass |
1ª |
2¨ |
Pass |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Henner-Welland started with the ©4,
to the 5, jack and ace. Nystrom immediately played his singleton
diamond and Henner-Welland was in with the ace. She made no mistake
on her return, putting the §6
on the table. The defenders quickly had three club tricks for plus
100 and another 12 IMPs for Welland.
Another 9 IMPs went to Welland when Nystrom went one off in 2ª
while Magnusson was three down for minus 300 in 2©.
The next deal provided more evidence that it just wasn’t the
Bertheau team’s day.
Board 30. Dealer East. None Vul.
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|
ª 7 6 5 2
© J
¨ Q J 10 9 6
§ K 9 8 |
ª A J 10 8 4
© 9 5 4
¨ 7 3 2
§ A 4 |
![Bridge deal](/Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª -
© Q 7 6 3 2
¨ A K 4
§ Q 7 5 3 2 |
|
ª K Q 9 3
© A K 10 8
¨ 8 5
§ J 10 6 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Magnusson |
Michael R. |
Midskog |
Debbie R. |
|
|
1© |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
The 2© bid was described as 8-11. Midskog no doubt was hoping for
some of those high cards to be in the heart suit instead of wasted
in the spade suit. The only positive aspect of this deal for Midskog
was that she wasn’t doubled. As it was, she was three down
for minus 150.
It wasn’t pretty at the other table either.
West |
North |
East |
South |
R. Levin |
Nystrom |
Henner-W. |
Bertheau |
|
|
1© |
1ª |
2© |
3ª |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
Robert Levin’s dreams came true on this one as Nystrom made
a weak jump raise after his partner’s four-card overcall.
Levin applied the hammer and led the ©9. Henner-Welland covered
the ©J with the queen, and Bertheau had four heart winners. She
was able to cash two more of them, discarding clubs from dummy.
On the ©8, Levin ruffed in with the ª8, getting out with a low diamond.
Henner-Welland took her two winners in that suit and played the
13th heart. Bertheau pitched a club, Levin a diamond and dummy ruffed.
Levin ducked when declarer played a spade to the king, and South
ruffed a club, but there was no way to prevent Levin from making
three more trump tricks. That was plus 300 and another 10 IMPs to
Welland.
One of the more interesting deals of the set turned out to be a
push.
Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
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|
ª A Q 7 6
© Q 7 3
¨ K 4
§ A K 3 2 |
ª 5 4
© A 10 9 8
¨ A 10 6 3
§ Q 10 6 |
![Bridge deal](/Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª J 10 9 8 3
© 6 5
¨ Q 9 7
§ J 9 4 |
|
ª K 2
© K J 4 2
¨ J 8 5 2
§ 8 7 5 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
R. Levin |
Nystrom |
Henner-W. |
Bertheau |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
East started with the ªJ,
which ran to declarer’s queen. Nystrom played a heart to the
dummy’s jack, ducked by Levin. From this point, Nystrom could
always make the contract by simply playing a heart to his queen
and three rounds of clubs. No matter which opponent won, declarer
would be able to enter dummy and lead up to the ¨K
for trick number nine.
As it was, Nystrom played a heart from dummy at trick three, winning
the queen, and played a third round. Levin won the ©10
and ©A as Henner-Welland
discarded two clubs. At this point, Levin could have defeated the
contract by switching to a diamond, the ace or a low one would have
done. Instead, he played a spade to the king, and declarer ducked
a club to East’s now-singleton jack. Henner-Welland exited
with a spade to declarer’s ace and, when Nystrom cashed three
rounds of clubs, Henner-Welland discarded down to the singleton
¨Q. Nystrom then
played the ¨K, making
the jack for his ninth trick.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Magnusson |
Michael R. |
Midskog |
Debbie R. |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
The opening lead was the same, and Michael Rosenberg won with the
ace in hand. He played a heart to dummy’s jack at trick two.
Magnusson won the ©A
and continued with a low diamond, keeping the defense on track to
defeat the contract. Rosenberg played low and Midskog won the queen,
but there was only one card in her hand at that point that would
assure the defeat of 3NT – the ©6.
Rosenberg could win in hand, but if he played the ¨K
to establish a trick in that suit. West could win and establish
a second heart trick to go with two diamond tricks, with a club
trick to come. If he ducked a club, West could win and get the second
heart trick going while still holding the ¨A.
Playing on the suit that declarer has attacked right away is a
tough one, and Midskog made the seemingly normal return of the ¨9,
ducked by Magnusson to Rosenberg’s king. Reading the layout
accurately, Rosenberg then played a spade to dummy’s king,
a club to his ace and the ªQ.
This was the end position:
|
|
ª Q 7
© Q 7
¨ ---
§ K 3 2 |
ª --
© 10 9 8
¨ A 10
§ Q 10 |
![Bridge deal](/Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª 10 9 8
© 6
¨ 7
§ J 9 |
|
ª ---
© K 4 2
¨ J 8
§ 8 7 |
On the play of the ªQ,
Rosenberg discarded a low club from dummy – and West was in
trouble. If Magnusson discarded a club, Rosenberg could cash the
§K then follow with
the ©Q and a heart
to the king, getting off dummy with a heart to West, who would have
to surrender the ninth trick to dummy’s ¨J.
A heart discard, of course, was out of the question because it would
give Rosenberg three tricks in that suit.
After some thought, Magnusson pitched his ¨10.
Rosenberg played a heart to dummy’s king and a low club, planning
to duck if Magnusson put up the queen. When Magnusson followed low,
Rosenberg played the §K
and a third round. Magnusson was in and could cash the ¨A,
but Rosenberg had the rest.
It was a well-played deal in a well-played set by a team clearly
in championship form.
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