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Apteker versus Texan aces
The Apteker teams featured the Swedish duo of Wrang/Nilsson in the Closed Room and the South Africans, Apteker/Gower in the Open Room. The Swedes would take on Venkatesh/Kanningat, with Das/Mukherjee of Texan Aces in the Closed Room.
In the other match it would be the Dutch Orange Team I versus Bessis (a Franco/Israeli combination).
| Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul. |
| | ♠ 4
♥ A K Q 8 5 2
♦ Q J 9 8 3
♣ A | ♠ J 8 6 5
♥ –
♦ 10 7 5 2
♣ K 10 8 4 3 |
 | ♠ A 9 7 3
♥ 10 7 3
♦ K
♣ Q 9 7 6 2 |
| | ♠ K Q 10 2
♥ J 9 6 4
♦ A 6 4
♣ J 5 |
The match started unluckily for Team Orange; they were the only open team to miss a poor slam, which was little better than QJ98x facing Axx for no losers – the cards cooperated unbelievably well with a singleton king onside.
The next board saw the two Souths with a real problem. What should one do over the unopposed sequence: One Heart – One Spade – Two Diamonds?
| Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul. |
| | ♠ 4
♥ A K 10 5 3
♦ K Q J 7 3
♣ 10 8 | ♠ A 9 8 7
♥ J 9 8
♦ 8 6 5
♣ Q J 9 |
| ♠ Q 10 2
♥ Q 7 6 2
♦ A 9 4
♣ K 7 4 |
| | ♠ K J 6 5 3
♥ 4
♦ 10 2
♣ A 6 5 3 2 |
For India South passed, and found himself in a sensible spot, yielding 110. Apteker tried Two Spades, probably the worst of the four possible suits, and ducked the lead of the club queen. When West pressed on with a second club (a low spade looks far better) declarer ruffed a club in dummy and scrambled eight tricks for a flat board.
| Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ J
♥ 9 5 4
♦ 9 2
♣ A Q J 10 8 5 3 | ♠ Q 5
♥ Q J 10 6
♦ Q 8 7 6 4
♣ 9 4 |
| ♠ A K 9 8 2
♥ K 7 2
♦ K J
♣ K 7 2 |
| | ♠ 10 7 6 4 3
♥ A 8 3
♦ A 10 5 3
♣ 6 |
Wrang/Nilsson’s strong club methods proved unable to cope with high-level club intervention. They ended in Four Spades, enterprisingly doubled by South – down 500. That went well with the 300 collected in the Open Room when Gower pre-empted to Four Clubs at his first turn and was doubled for two down.
Pachtman/Ginossar for Bessis tried the other major; and Four Hearts at least was the suit with better stuffing. But that too was doubled, and it was they who were stuffed when they ran into the cross-ruff for 500. The Dutch had closed to 19-12 to Bessis; but a slam dependent on the trump queen, bid and made only by the Israelis, who opened the gap to 29-12.
It was 15-0 for Texan Aces, and when the Swedes missed a laydown game they trailed 27-1.
| Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 10 6 3
♥ K 10 8
♦ A 2
♣ K J 6 5 | ♠ J 5 2
♥ A 5 3 2
♦ 10 5 4
♣ Q 8 4 |
| ♠ 8
♥ Q J 7 4
♦ K Q 7 6
♣ A 9 7 3 |
| | ♠ A K 9 7 4
♥ 9 6
♦ J 9 8 3
♣ 10 2 |
So far Apteker had managed only a single IMP. When they stopped in Two Spades and made 110, it appeared that they might have a chance to get something more substantial, defending Four Spades in the Closed Room (reached after Two Spade – Four Spades). Nilsson led the heart ace and shifted to a low club. Declarer ran it to his hand, and now had two clubs, a diamond, a heart and six spades. Another seven IMPs to Texan Aces – and six IMPs to Bessis when they brought home 10 tricks on a diamond lead. After that it appears passive defence (and covering the club 10) should prevail. It was 44-13 now to Bessis.
| Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul. |
| | ♠ 9 5 2
♥ K Q 3
♦ A Q J 4 2
♣ 10 4 | ♠ K 8 4
♥ 7 5 4
♦ 8 7
♣ K 9 7 5 3 |
| ♠ Q 7 3
♥ A J 9 2
♦ 10
♣ Q J 8 6 2 |
| | ♠ A J 10 6
♥ 10 8 6
♦ K 9 6 5 3
♣ A |
A moment of light relief: all round the room in the Seniors and Women’s events Three No-trumps was going down on a club lead. The Texans reached Five Diamonds when Wrang doubled One Diamond and East-West warned their opponents about the club suit. And it was a flat board at 600 in Bessis-Orange 2.
However, Aptker played Four Spades after Gower had raised spades on an unopposed sequence. On a heart lead Apteker took an intelligent but unsuccessful line when he ducked in dummy. East cashed his two top hearts, and played….the club queen. Declarer won and crossed to dummy to play a spade, but elected to go to dummy with …a diamond. West won the first spade and played…a second club. Declarer ruffed, used his heart entry to dummy and finessed in spades. +620 for 1 IMP to Apteker and four heads came under the screen simultaneously.
At half-time the score was 42-4 to the Texan Aces, and the match was effectively over. Bessis led 44-22 and added another 40 IMPs to be worthy winners as well.
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