Quarterfinal Herbst v. Armstrong by Jos Jacobs The most interesting of the quarterfinal pairings no doubt was the match between the Herbst and Armstrong teams. The reason for this was a very peculiar one: it really is a rarity to see two mainly Dutch teams meeting on the occasion of an international championship. As the losing semifinalists would not have a playoff for the bronze, it also meant that the Netherlands contingent could already be sure of their first medal before this match started. So much for the patriotism; time to go over to the action. For the first half, it would be Jan van Cleeff and Elisabeth van Ettinger against John Armstrong and Nicola Smith in the Open Room and Jan Jansma with Carla Arnolds against Ilan Herbst and Roni Bar in the Closed Room. The scorers were troubled right at the start of the match: Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ J 9 8 ♥ A Q 10 ♦ 9 7 6 5 3 ♣ A 4 ♠ K 6 ♥ 9 8 7 5 4 ♦ K Q J 2 ♣ 7 2 ♠ 5 4 2 ♥ J 6 2 ♦ A 10 8 ♣ Q 9 6 5   ♠ A Q 10 7 3 ♥ K 3 ♦ 4 ♣ K J 10 8 3 In the Closed Room, they easily got to 4♠ via a Drury 2♣ response by North over South’s 1♠ opening. Carla Arnolds then simply bid 4♠ and had little trouble in producing the ten tricks required. On the actual layout and forcing defence in diamonds, she might well have made an overtrick on what basically comes down to a dummy reversal. After ruffing three diamonds the 13 th diamond becomes the 11 th trick. Not that it mattered very much here, except for the connoisseurs at and around the table, but in the Open Room, it might have mattered. NS had a bidding misunderstanding and ended up in 5♣ which had to go one down. However, there would have been a very reasonable play to land even 5♠ and that’s what makes a misunderstanding like this one a lot more painful. Armstrong +10 IMPs. Two boards later, a slam came along, but it was not easy at all. Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.   ♠ K Q 3 ♥ A 10 9 7 6 ♦ A K 9 6 ♣ 8 ♠ A 5 4 ♥ J 4 2 ♦ 8 5 2 ♣ 9 6 5 3 ♠ 10 7 2 ♥ K Q 8 3 ♦ 10 3 ♣ Q 10 7 4   ♠ J 9 8 6 ♥ 5 ♦ Q J 7 4 ♣ A K J 2 Closed Room West North East South Herbst Jansma Bar Arnolds       1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥ Pass 4NT Pass 5♣ Pass 6♦ All Pass   West leads a trump. With every suit behaving, landing the slam was not so difficult but behind the screens we are still wondering what the best line would have been. The plan to ruff two spades followed by Arnolds worked well anyway, though it needed spades 3-3 (or the last trump with the 4 th spade) in the end as there was no quick entry back to hand after the first club ruff. ♦A, ♣A, ♣ ruff, ♠ to jack and ace, trump taken by the queen, ♣ ruff. Now, declarer has to cash dummy’s spades first before ruffing herself back to hand with ♥A and a ♥ ruff. Hair-raising play, it looked from dummy’s point of view, whose main concern in fact had been the trump suit. Please note the nice cuebid of 4♥ with the singleton, possible now after the 3NT signoff. The Herbst team got its revenge when the Israeli pair bid to an easy grand on board 10: Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.   ♠ 5 4 3 ♥ 10 8 7 6 3 ♦ 8 ♣ 10 9 7 5 ♠ A K J 10 8 7 ♥ 9 ♦ Q 3 ♣ Q 8 4 2 ♠ Q ♥ A K J 2 ♦ A J 9 5 ♣ A K J 3   ♠ 9 6 2 ♥ Q 5 4 ♦ K 10 7 6 4 2 ♣ 6 Open Room West North East South Armstrong Van Cleeff Smith Van Ettinger     2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 4♣ Pass 4♥ Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ Pass 6♣ Pass 6NT All Pass     Whenever partner produces a positive response in the singleton of a strong 4-4-4-1 opposite, there will be trouble. We have seen that often enough and it occurred again this time. Though the club suit seemed to have come into the picture the uncertainty was already there and thus the grand was missed. Closed Room: West North East South Herbst Jansma Bar Arnolds     1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT Pass 4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ Pass 7♣ All Pass     Once Roni Bar decided to go quiet by opening 1 ♣ it was virtually impossible to miss the grand. Had they been able to show the singleton QUEEN of spades in the process, they would no doubt have reached the top spot of 7NT. Their grand slam in clubs was good enough to bring them a much needed swing of 12 IMPs anyway. Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.   ♠ J 2 ♥ K 9 4 3 ♦ 10 7 6 5 ♣ 10 9 3 ♠ 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 ♥ Q 8 5 ♦ J 4 ♣ 8 ♠ K Q ♥ 7 ♦ K Q 8 3 2 ♣ A K Q J 7   ♠ A 10 ♥ A J 10 6 2 ♦ A 9 ♣ 6 5 4 2 Open Room: West North East South Armstrong Van Cleeff Smith Van Ettinger   Pass 1♦ 1♥ 1♠ 2♥ Dble Pass 2♠ Pass 3♥ Dble 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass Declarer’s spade pips were decisive here. The defence played and continued hearts, so dummy had to ruff with an honour. The diamonds went away on the top clubs but it did not matter any more. There still was another losing heart to be ruffed and declarer could not manoeuvre the hand any more. After ruffing himself back to hand he had to lead a spade to South’s 10 and the return of the 4 th club meant that the ♠J had to score a third defensive trick with the ace of trumps still to come. Well done. Closed Room: West North East South Herbst Jansma Bar Arnolds   Pass 1♦ 1♥ 2♠ All Pass     At the table I thought that the only adequate description of Roni Bar’s pass of 2♠ can be: “superhuman.” Making five against different defence (planned to beat 2♠ of course) gained the Herbst team another 7 IMPs so they went into the halftime interval with a deficit of just 1 IMP. An interesting second segment looked likely, and so it turned out too! For the second half, Roni Bar would be replaced by Marion Michielsen, another Dutch player to increase the percentage of Dutchness of the teams playing even more. She would partner Ilan Herbst in the Closed Room against the British, whereas the four other Dutch would fight it out between them in the Open Room, the main difference being that we are all on Tenerife instead of, for example, in Utrecht at the Dutch Federation (NBB) headquarters. Muiderberg backfired against its inventor on the first board: Board 15. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ K 9 5 ♥ A J 9 4 3 ♦ K J 10 6 ♣ 2 ♠ A 10 3 ♥ K 8 7 5 2 ♦ 8 7 5 4 ♣ 4 ♠ Q 8 2 ♥ Q ♦ A 3 2 ♣ A J 9 7 6 3   ♠ J 7 6 4 ♥ 10 6 ♦ Q 9 ♣ K Q 10 8 5 Open Room West North East South Jansma Van Cleeff Arnolds Van Ettinger       Pass Pass 1♥ 2♣ Dble Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ All Pass       Once Jansma decided not to open the West hand with its bad suits, it was left to NS to find a decent spot. In fact, 2♥ was a sensible enough place, but when trumps broke 5-1 Van Cleeff had to concede one down. Armstrong +50. Closed Room: West North East South Herbst Armstrong Michielsen Smith       Pass 2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦ All Pass     When Herbst opened the West hand, his side was in trouble. He was lucky that nobody could double the final contract, reached after Michielsen’s 3♣, “pass or correct” for the minors. Another down four, 200 more and 6 IMPs for Armstrong. Two boards later the IMPs lost came back for Herbst: Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ 5 3 ♥ K 6 4 2 ♦ K 7 6 5 ♣ K Q 9 ♠ A K J 10 6 ♥ Q J 9 8 5 ♦ 4 ♣ 5 4 ♠ Q 8 ♥ A 3 ♦ Q 3 ♣ J 10 8 7 6 3 2   ♠ 9 7 4 2 ♥ 10 7 ♦ A J 10 9 8 2 ♣ A Open Room West North East South Jansma Van Cleeff Arnolds Van Ettinger   Pass Pass 1♦ 2♦ 2♥ Dble 3♦ All Pass       With EW never entering the auction, NS were left to play a quiet 3♦ which they made easily, even with an overtrick. Herbst +130. Closed Room West North East South Herbst Armstrong Michielsen Smith   Pass 3♣ All Pass In the Closed Room, Michielsen’s 3♣, a quite normal-looking preempt these days, had the unexpected effect of shutting out everyone. Though it can be defeated on the lead of the ♣A and a diamond underlead next, it is no surprise that it was duly made for another +110 to Herbst and 6 IMPs back. A few boards later, Armstrong struck again when Jansma found a little Canapé: Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ Q 10 3 ♥ A K 9 8 7 6 ♦ 8 4 3 2 ♣ - ♠ A K 4 ♥ J 3 2 ♦ 6 ♣ K J 10 6 5 4 ♠ J 7 6 5 2 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A K Q J 9 5 ♣ -   ♠ 9 8 ♥ 10 5 ♦ 10 7 ♣ A Q 9 8 7 3 2 Open Room West North East South Jansma Van Cleeff Arnolds Van Ettinger 1♣ 1♥ 1♠ Pass 2♠ Dble 4♠ All Pass When Carla Arnolds refrained from ruffing the third round of hearts with the jack, she found herself one down in a contract she could have made. But the board still was a gain for her team: Closed Room West North East South Herbst Armstrong Michielsen Smith 1♣ 1♥ 2♦ Pass 3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♣ All Pass     Herbst could not believe his partner had introduced another five-card suit at the three-level, so he rebid his clubs again, much to the liking of South who quietly passed and collected 400. Armstrong 7 IMPs to lead by 11 at this stage. But then the tide turned: Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.   ♠ Q 4 ♥ K 7 2 ♦ K J 9 5 4 2 ♣ Q 7 ♠ K 8 3 ♥ Q J 6 4 ♦ Q 10 7 ♣ K 10 6 ♠ A 10 9 7 2 ♥ A 10 ♦ A 6 3 ♣ J 9 4   ♠ J 6 5 ♥ 9 8 5 3 ♦ 8 ♣ A 8 5 3 2 Open Room West North East South Jansma Van Cleeff Arnolds Van Ettinger     1♠ Pass 2NT 3♦ 4♠ All Pass 2NT showed a spade raise, but the straight jump to 4♠ maybe came too quickly. Had East given her partner the chance to express an opinion, it might well have resulted in a double for a profitable 500 or 800. And there was another possible development, as was shown at the other table: Closed Room West North East South Herbst Armstrong Michielsen Smith     1♠ Pass 1NT 2♦ Pass Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass When Herbst expressed his type of hand by rebidding 2NT, Michielsen had no trouble in raising that to game. North led a heart, but with the clubs never playing a role of any importance, declarer had the time to eventually endplay North for an overtrick. Herbst 12 IMPs to go into the lead by 1 now. There was more to come for them: Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.   ♠ J 10 9 6 ♥ 10 8 ♦ 9 8 6 4 ♣ 6 4 2 ♠ 2 ♥ K 7 5 3 ♦ J 10 3 2 ♣ K 10 8 7 ♠ A K Q 8 7 4 3 ♥ 6 ♦ K 5 ♣ A 9 5   ♠ 5 ♥ A Q J 9 4 2 ♦ A Q 7 ♣ Q J 3 Open Room West North East South Jansma Van Cleeff Arnolds Van Ettinger Pass Pass 1♠ 2♥ Pass Pass 3♠ All Pass A stylish auction led to a careful contract. Ten tricks made. Closed Room West North East South Herbst Armstrong Michielsen Smith Pass Pass 4♠ Dble All Pass       Once again, Michielsen’s opening bid showed youthful enterprise, and once again it was well-timed. South made a double she soon was to regret. She led her two aces, making declarer’s task very easy, but even on best defence (a trump lead) the squeeze will do its job once declarer leads up to the ♥K at an early stage. +590 and 9 more IMPs to Herbst. And the next board: Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.   ♠ K 10 8 ♥ A 9 7 4 3 ♦ 10 8 4 ♣ 6 2 ♠ J 9 7 2 ♥ 10 6 2 ♦ 6 5 ♣ A 10 8 7 ♠ A Q 5 4 3 ♥ Q 5 ♦ J 9 3 ♣ K J 5   ♠ 6 ♥ K J 8 ♦ A K Q 7 2 ♣ Q 9 4 3 Open Room West North East South Jansma Van Cleeff Arnolds Van Ettinger   Pass 1♠ 2♦ 3♠ Pass Pass Dble Pass 4♥ All Pass   Van Ettinger chose to overcall 2♦ rather than double for take-out at her first turn. This resulted in 3♠ coming back to her. As her hand was easily worth one more action, her double at the second attempt gave her partner the opportunity to introduce his five-card heart suit. Nicely bid for a well-deserved +450. Closed Room West North East South Herbst Armstrong Michielsen Smith   Pass 1♠ Dble 2♠ 3♥ Pass Pass 3♠ All Pass     The disadvantage of an immediate take-out double was shown in the replay. Though the South hand looks strong enough, the knowledge that partner need not hold five hearts means that a raise to four is far from obvious. Three Spades went one down so Herbst had scored another 8 IMPs to lead by 18 with three boards to go. An overtrick on 26 meant they could even afford to let 4♠ slip through on 27 to lose 10. The final score thus became 59-50 to Herbst, who would go on to meet the Swedish Goldberg team in the Semifinals.

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