Portugal vs Denmark (Juniors Round 9)

The Danish Junior team certainly has the potential of qualifying for the World Championships, but so far the Danish dynamite has misfired. Would Portugal be an easy target to hit?

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ K 8 4 ♥ A Q 9 4 ♦ A 10 4 ♣ Q J 6
♠ J 6 5 ♥ J ♦ K Q 8 7 6 5 3 ♣ A 4		♠ Q 10 9 3 ♥ 10 8 6 5 3 2 ♦ 9 ♣ 5 3
	♠ A 7 2 ♥ K 7 ♦ J 2 ♣ K 10 9 8 7 2

In the Closed Room, Martin Schaltz and Kristian Broendum stopped in the normal contract of 3NT, recording N/S +490, while the Portuguese auction in the Open Room was a very different kind of animal:

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Moller-Pedersen	Ra. Braga	Moller-Sorensen	Ri. Braga
	1NT	Pass	3♣*
Pass	4♣	Pass	4♥*
Pass	4NT*	Pass	5♥*
Pass	6♣	All Pass

1NT was 15-17 and 3♣ showed a hand with clubs and slam interest. Despite the balanced hand, Rafael Braga, liked the honours, thus he took a shot at slam. 6♣ was doomed to go down and that was 11 IMPs to Denmark and a flying start for them. After five boards Denmark was in the lead by 26 to 7.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Moller-Pedersen	Ra. Braga	Moller-Sorensen	Ri. Braga
		1♥	Dble
Rdbl	1♠	3♥	Pass
4♥	All Pass

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Barbosa	Schaltz	Palma	Broendum
		1♥	Dble
2♥	2♠	3♥	All Pass

Antonio Palma was declarer in 3♥ and managed to take eleven tricks after the king of spades was led. At the other table Lars Moller-Sorensen jumped to 3♥ over 1♠, giving Lea Troels Moller-Pedersen the help needed to find game.

South led the king of spades, which North overtook with the ace and then shifted to a heart. It went to the king and ace and South countinued in hearts, which gave declarer the trick with the nine. A spade was ruffed with dummy’s last trump, and then declarer crossed to hand with the diamond ace. When all the trumps and the diamond king were cashed South could have held one top spade and three clubs and hoped for the best, but in practice he let both spades go. Therefore Declarer’s spade ten became a winner, thus he cashed it and played the clubs from the top to secure ten tricks; N/S –620 and that was another 9 IMPs to Denmark.

At half-time Portugal stood still with only 7 IMPs while the Danish dynamite had been efficient, scoring 50 IMPs.

On Board 11 it was the other Portuguese pair of Barbosa/Palma bidding a slam that went down, this time due to a failing finesse. That was worth 11 IMPs for Denmark, but then Portugal struck back.

On Board 12 South had a bidding problem. Red against green, would you bid or pass holding this hand?

♠ 4 ♥ A Q 10 8 5 ♦ 10 9 5 4 3 ♣ J 10

Open Room

The two Souths took different views, as Ricardo Braga let West play in 4♠ while Broendum bid 5♥. What was right and what was wrong? This was the whole deal:

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ K J 6 ♥ K J 7 6 ♦ A Q 7 ♣ Q 4 2
♠ A Q 10 8 7 5 3 2 ♥ 4 ♦ J 2 ♣ 6 3		♠ 9 ♥ 9 3 2 ♦ K 8 6 ♣ A K 9 8 7 5
	♠ 4 ♥ A Q 10 8 5 ♦ 10 9 5 4 3 ♣ J 10

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Moller-Pedersen	Ra. Braga	Moller-Sorensen	Ri. Braga
4♠	Dble	All Pass

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Barbosa	Schaltz	Palma	Broendum
4♠	Dble	Pass	5♥
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

For some reason the Danish declarer lost five tricks in 5♥ for –800. Not that it would have helped on the actual deal but, once South decides to bid, isn’t 4NT, two places to play, then convert 5♣ to 5♦, better than the unilateral 5♥ actually chosen? In the Open Room, Moller-Pedersen must have been disappointed to go down in 4♠, since the trump suit split badly. That was 14 IMPs to Portugal and the largest swing in the match.

The Danes were leading 61-32 when this came along:

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ K 9 6 5 2 ♥ A Q ♦ A J 9 6 4 ♣ 8
♠ Q 4 ♥ 6 ♦ K 10 7 3 ♣ J 6 5 4 3 2		♠ A 8 7 ♥ 10 3 ♦ Q 5 2 ♣ A K Q 9 7
	♠ J 10 3 ♥ K J 9 8 7 5 4 2 ♦ 8 ♣ 10

West	North	East	South
Moller-Pedersen	Ra. Braga	Moller-Sorensen	Ri. Braga
Barbosa	Schaltz	Palma	Broendum
Pass	1♠	1NT	4♥
All Pass

The queen of spades was led at both tables and in the Open Room declarer covered with the king and ace. Soon thereafter Ricardo Braga claimed twelve tricks for +480, since East switched to a heart after the spade ace.

Kristian Broendum, who was declarer in the Closed Room, was afraid that the spade queen might be a singleton. He visualised going down as East could win the ace, giving partner a spade ruff, followed by a club switch and another spade ruff. To avoid hearing the Ping Pong Song (by Enrique Iglesias) ringing in his ears, he played low from dummy and advanced the jack from hand when East played low. Well, NOW declarer was down as there at this point was the possibility for West to play another spade to the ace and get a ruff. Barbosa could not work the position out and therefore shifted to a heart... so the game was made. What a missed opportunity for the Portuguese to come closer, nonetheless that was 2 IMPs to them.

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

Open Room

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Barbosa	Schaltz	Palma	Broendum
	1♦	1♥	1NT
3♦	3♥*	4♥*	Double
All Pass

If declarer could guess the club position, N/S can make game in either minor. The Braga brothers found out that South was able to stop an attack on the heart suit, so they chose to play in 3NT even though they got doubled. West led the five of hearts and when the dummy came down the first impression must have been horrifiyng for East. Unless South had psyched there was no reason for East to continue in hearts, so a spade shift must be the only possibility to beat the doubled game, thus East returned the spade king and was highly rewarded as partner turned up with some number of spades. Minus 500 when you might make game was not the best result for Portugal.

In the other room Broendum doubled 4♥ and here the defence took the four obvious tricks for N/S +100. That was another 12 IMPs to Denmark and there was no hope left for a Portuguese recovery. The final score was 91-39 IMPs, or 25-5 VPs, and the Danish dynamite still showed itself to be powerful.