Bjornlund makes his Debut

by Daniel Auby (Sweden)

In 1996 the European junior championships were played in Cardiff. Surprise winners of the Butler were the "2nd" Swedish pair Fredrik Bjornlund and Anders Eriksson. At the time they used the Ultimate Club which arguably is the most complicated system ever used by at least a substantial number of players, whatever "substantial" may mean. Ever since we have waited for Fredrik to take the step from the Junior elite into the open elite, a step many promising juniors fail to accomplish.

During these 10 years Fredrik has educated himself, as every young man should, but as well continued to develop his bridge skills.

When some time ago the partnership of Magnus Lindkvist and Peter Fredin, mainstays on the Swedish team since 1999, broke up their partnership Fredrik got his chance to form a great partnership. Magnus retired from bridge and Peter and Fredrik decided to try and make it for this year's national team. They succeeded and thus Fredrik now makes his debut in this championship and had to prove his worth.

Incidentally this caused some problems for the rest of us on the team as we now have one partnership consisting of Peter and Fredrik and then we have another one consisting of Fredrik (Nystrom) and Peter (Bertheau).

Peter Fredin was sent home a couple of days ago and since then we have played on as a five-man team. Fredrik Bjornlund played two of the last 10 or so matches together with Fredrik Nystrom. In round 28 they were up against Portugal and Fredrik Bjornlund had the task of taking 9 tricks in 3NT on board 13.

Dealer North. All Vul
	♠ 10 4 ♥ K J 7 2 ♦ K 8 ♣ Q 10 9 6 3
♠ A K J 7 5 ♥ A 10 3 ♦ 10 3		♠ 6 2 ♥ Q 8 4 ♦ A Q 7 4 2
	♠ Q 9 8 3 ♥ 9 6 5 ♦ J 9 6 5 ♣ 8 4

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Nystrom	Cruzeiro	Bjornlund	Matos
	Pass	1NT	Pass
2♥*	Pass	2♠	Pass
3NT	All Pass

* Lead ♦6 (3rd/5th)

Fredrik played the 10 from dummy and North played the king. Fredrik ducked it and North continued with the 8. Fredrik won with the ace as South followed with the five. How would you continue?

Fredrik was able to spot a 100% line of play providing South had four diamonds, which the carding very strongly suggested. Can you?

He cashed dummy's ace and king of spades and then entered his hand with the king of clubs. He cashed the diamond queen and put South on lead with a fourth round of diamonds, discarding clubs from dummy.

A heart return would now give him an extra heart trick, a club would be into his tenace and finally a spade would establish a spade trick in dummy however the spades were distributed.