England v Portugal – Round 16 Juniors Early leaders England had been slipping down the table in recent rounds and, now down to fifth, were in some danger of missing out on not only the medals but even of the qualifying spot that had been looking so likely for the first half of the tournament. In Round 16 they met Portugal, a team who, despite being in the bottom half of the standings, had already shown themselves capable of beating anyone on their day. Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.   ♠ K 10 7 4 3 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A 10 9 5 ♣ 4 3 ♠ 5 ♥ A K 5 2 ♦ 6 3 ♣ K Q 10 8 7 5 ♠ J ♥ J 10 9 7 3 ♦ K Q J 8 7 ♣ A 6   ♠ A Q 9 8 6 2 ♥ 8 6 ♦ 4 2 ♣ J 9 2 West North East South Pratas Burgess Damaso Woodcock   1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass 4♥ All Pass     West North East South Morris Barbosa Byrne Palma     1♥ 1♠ 3♣ 4♠ 5♥ All Pass For Portugal. Nuno Damaso and Pedro Pratas had an uncontested two-over-one auction to the heart game. I find it positively scary not to come in on that South hand and here Andrew Woodcock’s silence meant that there was no possibility to put E/W under pressure. A passive lead and successful trump play meant that Damaso soon had twelve tricks stacked in front of him; +480. Antonio Palma did come in at the other table, though only with a simple overcall. Joao Barbosa had such good support for spades that he could leap to game and it was tough for Michael Byrne not to go on to 5♥ facing clubs and a genuine heart fit. The defenders took their two aces and, mindful of the aggressive vulnerable bidding from his opponents, Byrne viewed to finesse in trumps so was down one for –100 and 11 IMPs to Portugal – not the start the English had been hoping for. Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.   ♠ 4 ♥ A K Q 9 6 ♦ Q 6 4 ♣ K 9 7 4 ♠ A 8 5 2 ♥ 10 5 4 3 ♦ 9 5 ♣ J 8 3 ♠ K 10 6 3 ♥ J 8 2 ♦ A J 8 3 ♣ A 2   ♠ Q J 9 7 ♥ 7 ♦ K 10 7 2 ♣ Q 10 6 5 West North East South Pratas Burgess Damaso Woodcock Pass 1♥ Dble 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT All Pass   West North East South Morris Barbosa Byrne Palma Pass 1♥ Dble Pass 1♠ Dble Pass 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT All Pass       Portugal picked up a second game swing on this deal, where the same contract was played at both tables but declared from different sides of the table. Where Woodcock had bid spades on the South cards and became dummy, it was natural for Damaso to look elsewhere for his opening lead. He chose then ♦8, a potentially expensive card playing third and fifth, though it did not cost on this occasion (I prefer to lead the three from this holding, irrespective of agreed carding methods). Burgess won the ♦Q and led back to the ten in dummy. Next he made the crucial play of the hand – a club to the king and ace. Damaso exited with ace and another diamond and, having a second club loser, in the fullness of time Burgess drifted one off for –50. At the other table Palma had not bid spades as South and it was natural for Alex Morris to lead the suit. Byrne won the spade king and returned the suit for the queen and ace. Now Morris switched to a low club and that was one big problem solved for declarer. Byrne played ace and another club and Palma won the king to play a diamond to the ten then a diamond back to the queen and ace. He had nine tricks now for +400 and 10 IMPs to Portugal, ahead by 29-4. Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.   ♠ A ♥ A 10 9 ♦ Q 8 7 5 ♣ Q 10 9 7 3 ♠ K 3 ♥ Q J 8 7 4 ♦ J 10 ♣ K 8 5 4 ♠ Q 10 6 5 4 ♥ 6 ♦ K 9 6 3 2 ♣ 6 2   ♠ J 9 8 7 2 ♥ K 5 3 2 ♦ A 4 ♣ A J West North East South Pratas Burgess Damaso Woodcock     Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT All Pass       West North East South Morris Barbosa Byrne Palma     Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass 2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass   England struck back here when they played a superior and, more to the point, more successful game than their opponents. Burgess’s 3♦ fourth-suit-forcing bid looks a touch aggressive but it got his side to 3NT, a fair enough contract. When Pratas chose to lead low from his long heart suit, Woodcock had a cheap trick with dummy’s nine. He played ace then jack of clubs and had nine tricks for +600. Barbosa had a start with a forcing 1NT response and made a rather crude leap to 4♥ at his second turn. I don’t like this with only three-card support and would prefer 2NT – if partner passes this we may be high enough, while he will usually show a fifth heart if he has it. Anyway, Morris was very happy to defend 4♥, which drifted three off for +300 and 14 IMPs to England. Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.   ♠ 10 7 ♥ Q 9 3 2 ♦ 9 3 ♣ A 10 8 6 2 ♠ A 6 4 2 ♥ K 6 ♦ A K 8 7 2 ♣ 5 4 ♠ 9 ♥ J 10 8 5 4 ♦ Q J 10 4 ♣ K Q 9   ♠ K Q J 8 5 3 ♥ A 7 ♦ 6 5 ♣ J 7 3 West North East South Pratas Burgess Damaso Woodcock       1♠ 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass     West North East South Morris Barbosa Byrne Palma       1♠ 2♦ Dble 3♠ Pass 5♦ All Pass     Barbosa made an aggressive negative double where Burgess passed. Over a pass from North, Damaso cuebid then showed his hearts. No doubt Pratas imagined better than ♥J10xxx for this and raised to game. Woodcock led the ♠K and Damaso won the ace and led the king of hearts to Woodcock’s ace. He ruffed the spade continuation and played the ♥10 to Burgess’s queen. Ace and another club gave the defence its third trick and there was a heart to come for down one; -50. Where North had shown an interest in hearts via the negative double, Byrne simply splintered in spades, and now Morris jumped to the cold diamond game, where he had good reason to get the heart right and soon had eleven tricks for +400 and 10 IMPs to England, who now led by 33-29. Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.   ♠ A 10 8 6 3 2 ♥ A 4 2 ♦ 4 3 ♣ 5 3 ♠ Q J 9 ♥ K 10 9 7 ♦ Q J 10 ♣ A K J ♠ K 7 ♥ Q 5 ♦ A K 9 8 7 5 ♣ Q 9 7   ♠ 5 4 ♥ J 8 6 3 ♦ 6 2 ♣ 10 8 6 4 2 West North East South Pratas Burgess Damaso Woodcock       Pass 1♣ 1♠ Dble Pass 3♥ Pass 3NT Pass 4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠ Pass 4NT All Pass     West North East South Morris Barbosa Byrne Palma       Pass 1♥ 2♠ 3♦ Pass 4♦ Pass 4♠ Pass 5♣ Pass 6♦ All Pass The Portuguese E/W pair explored slam possibilities then stopped safely in 4NT. It might appear that Pratas did a lot of bidding with the West hand, but Damaso’s use of a negative double rather than a limit bid in no trump, when not holding four hearts, marked him with a good hand and the auction was always well under control, even if the diamond suit was never properly disclosed. Damaso just lost two aces; +460. Maybe it is something to do with the people I partner, but the older I get the keener I am to get Blackwood into all my slam auctions. Byrne/Morris found the diamond fit, which put them ahead of their Portuguese counterparts, but then exchanged cuebids and failed to spot that there were two aces missing; 6♦ down one for –50 and 11 IMPs to Portugal, back ahead by 48-36. Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.   ♠ K 10 9 8 ♥ J 10 8 5 ♦ K 8 5 ♣ 10 5 ♠ A 5 4 ♥ K Q 7 ♦ A 10 2 ♣ A J 9 3 ♠ J 6 2 ♥ 6 3 ♦ Q 9 6 4 ♣ K 8 6 4   ♠ Q 7 3 ♥ A 9 4 2 ♦ J 7 3 ♣ Q 7 2 West North East South Pratas Burgess Damaso Woodcock 1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass West North East South Morris Barbosa Byrne Palma 1♣ Pass 2♣ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass This one was all about the opening lead. Barbosa heard a relatively limited auction but made the aggressive lead of the ten of spades, Burgess heard a less limited auction and made the more passive lead of the jack of hearts. I am not judging who was right or wrong, but in theory it seems that the stronger your opponents’ auction the more reason there is to make a risky attacking lead, while the more limited they are the more case there is for going passive. Anyway, we can all see that the spade lead was a huge success, leaving Morris with no way to avoid losing three spades, a heart and a diamond, while the heart lead and continuation gave Pratas time to establish a second diamond trick to make nine in all; +600 to Portugal, -100 for England, so 12 IMPs to Portugal. Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ A Q 6 3 2 ♥ K 6 ♦ A 9 6 5 ♣ 4 3 ♠ 10 7 ♥ A Q J 10 9 5 ♦ J 7 ♣ A Q 9 ♠ 9 8 5 ♥ 8 7 3 ♦ K 3 ♣ K J 10 7 6   ♠ K J 4 ♥ 4 2 ♦ Q 10 8 4 2 ♣ 8 5 2 West North East South ratas Burgess Damaso Woodcock Morris Barbosa Byrne Palma   1♠ Pass 2♠ 3♥ 3♠ 4♣ Pass 4♥ All Pass     Both Norths led the four of clubs against 4♥ and both declarers won in dummy with the ten to run the eight of hearts to North’s king. Both Norths next cashed the ace of spades. Barbosa continued by cashing the ace of diamonds then playing a second spade to Palma’s king – down one for –50. Burgess played a second spade without cashing the diamond and Woodcock won and tried to give him a club ruff – just made for +420 and 10 IMPs to Portugal. Put that one on Burgess’s account, I think. After three consecutive game swings, it was Portugal by 70-36. Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.   ♠ 10 9 8 5 ♥ J 9 ♦ 9 6 ♣ Q J 5 3 2 ♠ A 7 ♥ Q 7 6 4 3 ♦ 8 4 3 ♣ K 10 7 ♠ K Q 6 4 3 2 ♥ K ♦ K 10 7 ♣ A 9 8   ♠ J ♥ A 10 8 5 2 ♦ A Q J 5 2 ♣ 6 4 West North East South Pratas Burgess Damaso Woodcock   1♠ 2♥ Pass Pass 2♠ Pass 3♠ All Pass     West North East South Morris Barbosa Byrne Palma     1♠ 2♥ Pass Pass Dble 3♦ Pass 3♥ Pass Pass Dble All Pass     Both Souths chose a simple overcall rather than a two-suited bid. Damaso reopened with 2♠ and Pratas raised to 3♠, just in case. The bad spade break and poorly placed diamond honours meant that Damaso had to fail by a trick; -50 but no big deal. What happened at the other table was a big deal, however. Here, Byrne reopened with a double and Palma felt that he had sufficient to show his second suit. When Barbosa’s heart preference came around to Morris he knew exactly what to do. Morris led ace and another spade for Palma to ruff. He played a club to the queen and ace and Byrne switched to the king of hearts. Palma won the ace and led a second club up, Morris winning the king and playing queen and seven of hearts to the ten. It seems that declarer should be able to come to three more tricks from here if he plays ace then queen of diamonds, as West cannot get rid of both his third diamond and losing club so has to concede a trick in the ending, however, Palma is credited with only the ♥8 and ♦A, so was four down for –1100 and 15 big IMPs to England. Portugal gained a partscore swing on the last deal to run out winners by 76-51 IMPs, 20-10 VPs. Another top scalp for Portugal and more worries for England.

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