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The Senior Teams — Day 1
by Patrick Jourdain
The Senior Teams may be low in quantity (20 teams in two qualifying pools) but it is certainly high in quality. No doubt the Seniors believe the average standard is higher than the Open.
Your reporter is now doubling up as a player. (“You must be very important to have TWO badges”, said an opponent.) So these reports will have to concentrate on what happened in our match.
Our first round draw was against Nissan Rand, a former World Senior champion. Here are two of the most interesting deals:
| Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ 9 4 3
♥ A J 8 7 6 2
♦ Q 2
♣ A K |
♠ 6
♥ Q 10 5 3
♦ K 7 6 4
♣ J 8 6 3 |
 |
♠ A K J 8
♥ K 9
♦ J 10 5 3
♣ Q 5 2 |
| | ♠ Q 10 7 5 2
♥ 4
♦ A 9 8
♣ 10 9 7 4 |
Open Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Dixon | Mattsson | Czerniewski | Rand
|
| | 1♥ | Dble | 1♠
|
| Pass | 2♥ | All Pass
| |
Closed Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Stanley | Jourdain | Pencharz | Tedd
|
| | 1♥ | 1♠ | Pass
|
| Pass | Dble | Pass | Pass
|
| 1NT | Dble | All Pass
| |
The dull auction in the Open Room led to the normal Two Hearts. The defence duly made two spades, a diamond and three trump tricks to defeat it by one.
The decision of Bill Pencharz to overcall on his four-card spade suit increased the excitement in the Closed Room. As my six-card suit was the senior of the remaining suits the re-opening double was safe – if partner, Mike Tedd, removed to a minor I could correct to Two Heart and only overtake my values by a king or so. When he chose to pass for penalties rather than bid 1NT I felt able to double Keith Stanley’s run.
Against One Notrump doubled I led a spade. Stanley rose with the ace and started very well by leading a diamond to the king and a second diamond. Any other play (for example, running the jack) gives the defence a chance to set up the spades whilst South still has an entry. I won the second diamond and continued with the nine of spades covered by jack and queen. South returned a club to my king and a third spade was taken by dummy’s king.
Declarer had had to make two discards and he chose a heart and a diamond. The queen of clubs lost to the ace, and ace and another heart left him with only six tricks. There is some interesting analysis as to whether West can succeed, but even playing a low club from both hands on the second round does not help because ace and another heart means West cannot untangle the clubs.
This was another 100 to our team for a 5 IMP gain.
The other deal of interest began with a lead problem. At game all right hand opponent opens Three Notrumps showing a solid minor with little outside and this ends the auction. What do you lead from:
| | ♠ K 10 5 3
♥ Q 10 9 7
♦ 6 4
♣ Q 6 3 |
It is really a straight guess so the best tactic is to shuffle your 11 cards outside diamonds face downwards and get partner to pick a card. That way you are 7-4 on to locate the winning lead. Our man chose a spade, and this was the full layout with the more exciting auction from the other table:
| Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 7
♥ J 6 3
♦ A K Q J 9 7 5 3
♣ – |
♠ J 8 6
♥ A K 8 5 4
♦ 2
♣ A K 9 7 |
|
♠ K 10 5 3
♥ Q 10 9 7
♦ 6 4
♣ Q 6 3 |
| | ♠ A 9 4 2
♥ 2
♦ 10 8
♣ J 10 8 5 4 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Stanley | Jourdain | Pencharz | Tedd
|
| | 1♦ | Pass | 1♠
|
| Dble | Redble | 2♥ | Pass
|
| 3♥ | 4♦ | 4♥ | Pass
|
| Pass | 5♦ | Pass | Pass
|
| Dble | All Pass
|
The spade lead against Three Notrumps, as you can see, led to declarer claiming nine tricks instead of going four off, a swing of 18 IMPs to Rand as it transpired.
In the Closed Room had I let the opponents play Four Hearts partner’s possession of the ♦10 would have allowed us to beat it. When the ten holds the first trick, North playing the TWO, South should switch to a club. North can obtain two ruffs to set the game one.
However Five Diamonds doubled was also a close affair. East led ♥10 to the king and West accurately switched to a trump won in dummy. One possible line is to lead a low spade, playing West to hold the king of spades and no more trumps, but if either of those hopes go astray the contract will unnecessarily go two off. Fortunately I chose to ruff a club (West rising with the king), ruffed a heart, ruffed another club and ran the trumps. This was the ending when the last was led:
| | ♠ Q 7
♥ J
♦ 5
♣ – |
♠ J 8
♥ A
♦ –
♣ A |
|
♠ K 10
♥ Q
♦ –
♣ Q |
| | ♠ A 9 4
♥ –
♦ –
♣ J |
This ending has many fascinating aspects. As the cards lay declarer had no chance against the accurate defence: East threw his club queen, dummy the small spade, and West the eight of spades. As I knew West had both missing aces the only hope was that he had bared the spade king. When this hope failed the contract was one light for 13 IMPs to Rand.
But just suppose West had held the ten of spades instead of the eight. Then he is caught in a three-suit vice squeeze. He has to keep the club ace as dummy still has the jack. If he throws the heart ace East is subject to an endplay when declarer exits with a heart. And finally if he throws a spade honour declarer leads the queen to pin the other honour and establish the nine.
How annoying for your reporter to see West’s discard was the EIGHT of spades dooming hopes of the unusual vice squeeze.
The final score was Jourdain beat Rand 29-23 or 16-14 in VPs.
Round 2
The second match saw us up against the reigning World Senior champions from Verona, Netherlands 1.
This was the first key decision. Vulnerable against not you hear from the dealer on your left Two Spades (showing spades and a minor) raised to Three Spades. What do you do holding:
| | ♠ K 7
♥ 8 4
♦ A K 10 9 6 2
♣ A 9 7 |
If you choose Three Notrumps and are doubled would you run?
The winning actions were Three Notrumps and stick a double because you have the ♦9. This was the full deal:
| Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ K 7
♥ 8 4
♦ A K 10 9 6 2
♣ A 9 7 |
♠ A 9 8 5
♥ K 7 6
♦ Q 8 7 3
♣ 6 2 |
|
♠ Q J 6 3 2
♥ 10 9 2
♦ –
♣ K Q J 4 3 |
| | ♠ 10 4
♥ A Q J 5 3
♦ J 5 4
♣ 10 8 5 |
As you can see Three Notrumps on a top club lead is a nerve-wracking affair. If you duck two rounds of clubs a heart switch cuts you off from dummy before you have tested the diamonds. So you win the second club and lay down a top diamond. When East shows out the good news is that your diamonds are just good enough to pick up the suit, the bad news is you still have only eight tricks. You are forced to take the heart finesse. When this loses and a spade comes back you are held to three tricks if the ace is wrong.
On the actual deal as North I made the cowardly Pass over Three Spades (perhaps, if partner was close to bidding over Two Spades he might still re-open). Roald Ramer took the winning action of bidding Three Notrumps. He was undoubled and made nine tricks on a spade lead for 13 IMPs to the Dutch.
A few boards later Trouwborst faced this key guess in a vulnerable slam:
| Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul. | ♠ J 9 2
♥ A 5 4
♦ K 5 3
♣ A Q J 5 |
|
♠ K 10
♥ J 9 7
♦ A Q 10 9 6 2
♣ K 4 |
| West | | East
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| Doremans | | Trouwborst
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| 1NT | | 2NT
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| 3♣ | | 4♣
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| 4♥ | | 4♠
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| 4NT | | 5♦
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| 6♦ | | Pass
|
1NT = 15-17, 2NT = ♦ transfer
3♣ = ♦ fit; then three cue-bids;
4NT = RKCB; 5♦ = one key.
South leads a club. You win the ♣K, draw trumps, North discarding a small spade, run the clubs throwing two hearts from hand and lead the jack of spades from dummy. North plays low in tempo. As the other table stopped in Three Notrumps and the spade honours are split 25 IMPs hang on your choice. Trouwborst put on the king and found this was the full deal:
| Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul. |
| | ♠ A 8 7 6 3
♥ K 6 3 2
♦ J
♣ 10 8 7 |
♠ J 9 2
♥ A 5 4
♦ K 5 3
♣ K 10 8 5 4 |
|
♠ K 10
♥ J 9 7
♦ A Q 10 9 6 2
♣ 7 6 |
| | ♠ Q 5 4
♥ Q 10 8
♦ 8 7 4
♣ 9 6 3 2 |
Well done indeed. It is almost a straight guess but occasionally North, holding the queen but not knowing the position of the ten, might cover the jack. That was enough to persuade Trouwborst to put on the king for 12 IMPS to the Dutch.
An unusual point arose during the auction when West cuebid hearts. As North I could not double for a heart lead because the opponents had not yet bid the trump suit and could arrange for me to be on lead! Of course, even if South leads a heart, declarer plays the same way to reach the spade guess.
Our team struck back on this deal:
| Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul. |
| | ♠ K J 10 7 5 2
♥ –
♦ A J 9 6 4 3
♣ 3 |
♠ –
♥ K Q 8 6 5 3
♦ 7 2
♣ 2 |
|
♠ Q 8 6 4 3
♥ J 10 9 7
♦ 10 5
♣ A K J 5 |
| | ♠ A 9
♥ A 4 2
♦ K Q 8
♣ A Q J 9 2 |
| West | North | East | South
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| Doremans | Jourdain | Trouwborst | Tedd
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| | 1♠ | Pass | 2♣
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| 2♥ | 2♠ | 3♥ | 4NT
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| Pass | 5♥ | Pass | 6♠
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| All Pass |
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Five Hearts showed two keycards without the queen of spades.
| West | North | East | South
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| Dixon | Ramer | Czerniewski | Klaver
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| | 1♠ | Pass | 2♣
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| 2♥ | 3♦ | 4♥ | 5NT
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| Pass | 6♠ | Pass | 7NT
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| All Pass
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Two Clubs was an artificial relay; Five Notrumps was pick a slam. 6♠ looks surprising compared with 6♦; Seven Notrumps had snags.
Both Norths opened the shapely nine points. In Six Spades I won the heart lead in dummy to play ace and nine of trumps, ducked by East. The king of diamonds was overtaken, then spade king and jack to the queen, win the club switch, ruff a heart, draw the last trump and claim.
Seven Notrumps was played identically by Nico Klaver and, in another match, Barnet Shenkin. They won the heart lead, overtook the diamond king, finessed the nine of spades, unblocked the ace, and ran all the diamonds. In the three-card ending all they needed was king of clubs onside because East was known to be squeezed down to the winning spade and two clubs. When the club finesse lost the contract was two light as West had a heart to cash..
This was a further slam hand:
| Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ K 6 5 4 3
♥ 7 5
♦ J 7 6
♣ Q 7 6 |
♠ A 9 8 7
♥ Q J 10 9 8 4
♦ 9 2 | |
♠ J 2
♥ A K 6
♦ A 10 8 3 | | | ♠ Q 10
♥ 3 2
♦ K Q 5 4
♣ 10 9 8 4 3 |
| West | North | East | South
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| Doremans | Jourdain | Trouwborst | Tedd
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| | | | Pass
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| 2♣ | Pass | 2♦ | Pass
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| 2♥ | Pass | 4♥ | All Pass
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2♣ Either weak with both majors or game forcing
2♦ Either negative or strong depending on opener’s hand
| West | North | East | South
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| Dixon | Ramer | Czerniewski | Klaver
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| | | | Pass
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| 2♦ | Pass | 2NT | Pass
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| 3♣ | Pass | 6♥ | All Pass
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2♦ Multi
2NT Enquiry
3♣ Maximum weak two in hearts
Even on a trump lead the club suit provides the twelfth trick. On the king of diamonds lead Peter Czerniewski won, cashed the two clubs to ditch his losing diamond, and played ace and another spade. The two spade losers were then ruffed, for 11 IMPs to the good guys. The final score was a tie in victory points.
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