| 48th European Bridge Team Championships | Page 2 | Bulletin 9 - Monday 21 August 2006 |
| |
||
Open Teams - Hungary v Turkey (Round 18) by Mark Horton Highflying Hungary against a Turkish team moving in the wrong direction – no one was taking any bets on the result of this match.
Open Room
West led the eight of hearts and when East withheld led his king declarer had reduced his number of undertricks to one, -100. Closed Room
Knowing his side had a double fit persuaded West to go on to game. On this layout there is no winning defence, but South simplified matters fro declarer by trying to cash both top spades, setting up dummy’s queen. +420 and 8 IMPs for Hungary.
Open Room
I think everyone knows my thoughts on this type of position. South should respond 1NT and hope to survive. I can’t predict what would have happened, but there must be chance that North/South would have got to play Two Clubs undoubled as happened in Wales v Latvia. East led the two of clubs and declarer won with the king, cashed the ace of spades, ruffed a spade, ruffed a diamond and played a spade. West had followed with the six and nine of spades, suggesting an odd number, so declarer ruffed and was overuffed, West’s trump exit holding declarer to six tricks, -500. If declarer, fearing that the spades might be 5-2, simply discards a heart on the third round of spades and continues to discard as West (after taking the ace of hearts) cashes his spades he will come to seven tricks. Closed Room
There is nothing to say about the play, declarer making five tricks, -800, giving Hungary 7 IMPs .
Open Room
I was tempted to include a list of adjectives and invite you to choose the one that best describes South’s overcall. However, space is at a premium and I’m sure you can find better ways to amuse yourselves. The contract was four down, -200. Closed Room
Declarer lost two clubs and two hearts, +110, 7 IMPs for Turkey, trailing 12-16 IMPs.
Open Room
I was hoping to get an opportunity to use the word Goulash, but the nearest we came to any kind of freak hand was on this deal. South’s aggressive bidding enabled his side to discover their diamond fit and he decided to take the save over the heart game that was destined to make. West cashed the king of hearts, South discarding a club, then the ace of diamonds (a club is an easier way to get +500) and switched to a club. (The only way to get the maximum now is to play the ace of hearts. That will still hold declarer to eight tricks whatever he does.) Declarer took dummy’s ace and played a spade, East winning and returning a trump, won by declarer, who ruffed a spade, ruffed a club and played the queen of spades – two down, -300. Closed Room
There is obviously more than one way to approach the South hand – one objection to opening at the one level is the lack of defence – but passing with the idea of bidding later is certainly a reasonable approach – but Two Spades was certainly optimistic. West led the king of hearts and declarer ruffed – better to discard a club, when you can make as many as seven tricks with careful play. He played the king of diamonds and West won and switched to the seven of clubs, declarer winning with the ace and playing a spade. East took the king and cashed the queen of clubs. At this point it looks as if declarer should be two down, but the play record stops and the result was four down, -800 – maybe there was a revoke? It was worth 11IMPs to Hungary.
Open Room
Marks out of ten for Three Hearts? Given that you might well find yourself on lead against 3NT, not too many. Declarer took his six trump tricks, -500. Closed Room
South was awkwardly placed on the second round and opted to show his spades. That led to a classic Moysian fit. West cashed two top hearts and switched to a club (only a heart is 100% certain to defeat the contract). Would declarer guess the spades? He ran the jack, West won and played a heart, so the contract was two down, -200 and 12 IMPs to Hungary.
Open Room
North’s opening bid caught South with a fair hand, but not one he could make any move with. East led a diamond and declarer won and played the king of hearts. East won and switched to a spade for the eight and jack and West played a diamond, declarer ruffing and cashing the queen of hearts, getting the news. He was two down, -100. Closed Room
To defeat 3NT West has to lead a diamond – and naturally he led a heart. East won and switched to a diamond, but declarer could win and knock out the ace of clubs, +430 and 11 IMPs for Turkey. However, Hungary added two more swings over the closing boards, this one sealing their victory:
Open Room
South led the four of clubs for the king and ace and North switched to his trump, South winning with the queen and continuing with the king. Declarer won and tried a spade to the ace and a spade. South ruffed and played back the nine of hearts, leaving declarer with no way to avoid two down, -500. Closed Room
North found the unfortunate lead of the ace of clubs, which made declarer a present of a trick and he was able to escape for one down, -100 and the 9 IMPs they gained on this deal meant Hungary had won with something to spare, 60-28 IMPs, 22-8 VP and maintained their challenge. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
| Page 2 |
