Romania vs Turkey (Juniors 3rd Round)

The Thursday morning match featured some lively boards, and inevitably this led to plenty of swings in the vugraph match between Romania and Turkey.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ 6 ♥ J 10 7 ♦ A 9 8 7 6 ♣ 10 9 7 4
♠ K J 10 9 ♥ Q 9 5 3 ♦ J ♣ K Q J 8		♠ Q 8 3 ♥ A K 6 2 ♦ K 4 ♣ A 6 5 3
	♠ A 7 5 4 2 ♥ 8 4 ♦ Q 10 5 3 2 ♣ 2

Gundogdu showed the two-suiter via a 2♣ cuebid and this meant that Agica could show heart support at the two level. Imamoglu decided to go quietly for now and see where the opposition ended up. When the Romanian East/West got to 4♥, he decided that it was time to save in 5♦ and, having a lot of high cards but no exceptional distribution, Agica/Dobrescu judged to take the money. That was correct in theory but meant 8 IMPs to Turkey in practice as 5♦ doubled was only two down for –300.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ Q J 6 2 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ A K J 9 2 ♣ 10
♠ A K 3 ♥ 10 7 5 4 ♦ Q 5 ♣ A K J 4		♠ 10 ♥ 9 3 2 ♦ 10 8 7 6 4 3 ♣ Q 6 3
	♠ 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ K Q J ♦ – ♣ 9 8 7 5 2

In the other room, Agica preferred to start with a double, and again North raised to 3♠. Here, however, Gundoglu went on to game with the South cards and now Agica doubled again. Of course, the double is essentially for take-out, but Agica was probably hoping that partner could pass it. Not today – Dobrescu could not have been happy about bidding a three-card suit at the five level, but that is what she did and 5♣ doubled cost 800. Dobrescu had no winning action over 4♠ doubled, as that contract would have made for 790, it was going to be 12 IMPs to Turkey whatever she did.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ 7 6 3 ♥ 8 4 ♦ 10 9 6 ♣ J 10 9 8 7
♠ A J 9 4 ♥ K 10 3 2 ♦ A Q 4 ♣ 4 3		♠ K Q 10 8 2 ♥ J 6 5 ♦ K 7 3 ♣ K 5
	♠ 5 ♥ A Q 9 7 ♦ J 8 5 2 ♣ A Q 6 2

It looks a little odd to begin with a redouble when holding primary spade support but no harm was done as the same contract was reached in both rooms.

Stafie led her trump and threw a club and a heart as Sakirler drew two more rounds. A heart to the ten was followed by three rounds of diamonds and a second heart, to the queen and king. A third heart endplayed South who had to give a ruff and discard or lead clubs; +650.

Gundoglu also led the spade singleton but he pitched a diamond and a club on the next two spades. Dobrescu cashed three rounds of diamonds then led the jack of hearts. Gundoglu rose with the ace and returned the suit and Dobrescu went up with the king then returned the suit. Gundoglu could win and exit with the fourth heart and now there was no way to avoid losing two club tricks; down one for –100 and 13 IMPs to Turkey.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	♠ A 5 ♥ 4 3 2 ♦ K J 9 7 6 ♣ A 7 6
♠ 9 4 ♥ 10 5 ♦ A 10 5 4 3 2 ♣ 10 5 4		♠ Q 6 2 ♥ A J 9 8 ♦ Q ♣ K J 9 8 3
	♠ K J 10 8 7 3 ♥ K Q 7 6 ♦ 8 ♣ Q 2

Agica also led a club, ducked to the king, but Dobrescu switched to the queen of diamonds. Agica won the ace but could see that there was no advantage to returning the suit. Instead, she switched to the ten of hearts, which did declarer no harm at all. Dobrescu won the ♥A and returned the suit, but Gundoglu could win, draw trumps with the aid of the finesse, and overtake the ♣Q to get to a winning diamond for a pitch of the fourth heart; +420 and 10 IMPs to Turkey. It looks as though, after the diamond switch, West has to win and switch back to clubs to take the late entry away.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ K 8 6 5 ♥ K 10 8 ♦ A K 3 ♣ 8 3 2
♠ A 9 7 4 ♥ 5 ♦ Q 8 6 5 ♣ A 9 7 5		♠ 10 2 ♥ A 9 6 3 2 ♦ 10 9 ♣ J 10 6 4
	♠ Q J 3 ♥ Q J 7 4 ♦ J 7 4 2 ♣ K Q

West	North	East	South
Akay	Nistor	Sakirler	Stafie
Agica	Imamoglu	Dobrescu	Gundogdu
	1♣	Pass	1♥
Pass	1♠	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Identical auctions led, of course, to identical contracts, and the opening leads were also identical – the five of diamonds. Gundogdu ran the diamond to his jack then led a heart to the king and ace and it was not taxing for Dobrescu to find the club shift. With the clubs established and the ♠A still to be knocked out, that was one down for –50.

At the other table, Stafie won the diamond lead in dummy, Sakirler dropping the ten, and led a spade to the queen and ace. Akay continued with a second diamond, the club switch being not at all obvious from the West seat, and Stafie won the king and played on hearts for nine tricks; +400 and 10 badly-needed IMPs to Romania.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ J 10 4 ♥ A Q 7 ♦ K 10 8 3 2 ♣ 9 5
♠ Q 6 5 3 ♥ K 9 8 6 ♦ Q 9 4 ♣ 7 4		♠ A K 8 7 ♥ 4 ♦ J ♣ A K 10 8 6 3 2
	♠ 9 2 ♥ J 10 5 3 2 ♦ A 7 6 5 ♣ Q J

West	North	East	South
Akay	Nistor	Sakirler	Stafie
		1♣	Pass
1♥	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♠	Pass	4NT	Pass
5♦	Pass	5♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Agica	Imamoglu	Dobrescu	Gundogdu
		1♣	Pass
1♥	Pass	2♠	Pass
4♠	All Pass

Sakirler rebid only 1♠, with which I agree, but then used Keycard when Akay made a simple raise – with which I do not agree. He swiftly signed off on finding that partner held neither missing ace. Stafie cashed the ace of diamonds then switched to a low heart to the queen. Nistor attempted to cash the ace of hearts but Sakirler ruffed. He continued with ♠A, ♣A, and two more spades ending in dummy. Now came a club to the king! No more worries, eleven tricks and +450. Dobrescu rebid 2♠ but then trusted that the raise to 4♠ had to be very weak and passed. Gundogdu led the jack of hearts to the king and ace and Imamoglu tried the ♥Q, ruffed. Dobrescu cashed the ace and king of spades, the ace of clubs, then led a spade to the queen and a club up. After some soul-searching, she put in the ten and was down three; –150 and 12 IMPs to Turkey.

In 5♠, declarer had no option but to guess the clubs successfully. Restricted choice suggests the finesse, while South’s silence in the auction – he might sometimes have bid over 1♣ with ten red cards – suggests his actual shape. Sakirler did well to get it right. In 4♠, there are more options, as declarer can afford a wrong club guess – sometimes. After ruffing at trick two or three, one top club then ♠A and a spade to the queen before playing a club to the other top card will gain when the same hand has three cards in both black suits, but we think that maybe best is to play the top clubs without touching trumps at all. If the club is ruffed, declarer will be forced and must then ruff a club, usually with the queen, then hope the remaining spades are two-two. The extra chance this time is when the hand with one club has three spades, which is more likely than the two black-suit lengths being together.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ Q 5 4 3 ♥ Q J ♦ Q 2 ♣ Q 10 8 4 2
♠ A J 9 6 2 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ A 10 9 6 3 ♣ –		♠ – ♥ K 9 7 4 3 2 ♦ J ♣ A K 9 7 5 3
	♠ K 10 8 7 ♥ 10 5 ♦ K 8 7 5 4 ♣ J 6

Seven Hearts is a horrible contract and Akay/Sakirler did very badly to get to it. It also has the merit of being cold, on a non-diamond lead. Stafie led her low heart.

Sakirler won dummy’s ace and ruffed a spade, ruffed a club, ruffed a spade and ruffed another club. A third spade ruff established the fifth spade and put declarer in hand to draw the remaining trumps. He ran his winners then played to the ace of diamonds and cashed the ace and jack of spades; thirteen tricks for +2210 and 20 IMPs to Turkey.

Turkey had won by 91-32 IMPs, or 25-4 VPs, having generally outplayed their opponents.