Knud-Aage Boesgaard

Today’s salute to a player who first came to prominence as a junior takes us back to Denmark.

In the forthcoming Olympiad in Maastricht, the Danish Open squad will include the pair, Knud-Aage Boesgaard - Hans Christian Nielsen. They have had good results over several seasons and could not be denied a berth in the team. Boesgaard is well known for his great results with his cousin, Peter Schaltz, ranging from gold at the European Junior Championships in 1970 through silver at the Europeans in Lausanne in 1979 to bronze at the Olympiad in Seattle in 1984.

Look what the pair did to Bocchi - Duboin at the recent Politiken Cup:

Dealer South. E/W Vul
	ª Q 9 6 © A Q J 10 9 5 3 ¨ A 7 § 8
ª 10 4 © 4 ¨ K 3 § AKQJ10754		ª A K 8 5 3 2 © K 7 6 ¨ J 9 2 § 3
	ª J 7 © 8 2 ¨ Q 10 8 6 5 4 § 9 6 2

After a heart to his ace, North switched to a club. A second club from dummy was ruffed with the nine of spades and overruffed by declarer’s king. After a diamond to the king and ace, the roof fell in: A second diamond went to the ten, then the queen of diamonds was ruffed and overruffed followed by North's last trump which left East with losers in trumps and hearts for down three. 300 to the Danes for a gain of 9 IMPs.

This deal had a funny side to it, but don’t show it to the coach of the English Junior team!

Dealer West. None Vul
	ª J 9 6 © 9 5 4 ¨ J 10 2 § K 10 9 5
ª K 8 7 3 © A J 8 3 ¨ 6 § J 8 4 2		ª Q 10 2 © K Q 10 6 2 ¨ Q 5 4 3 § 3
	ª A 5 4 © 7 ¨ A K 9 8 7 § A Q 7 6

Against McIntosh, East in Four Hearts doubled, Boesgaard cashed the ace of diamonds and switched to a trump. On a club from dummy Nielsen as North alertly went in with the king to play another trump won by declarer in hand. A diamond was ruffed, followed by a spade to the queen and ace. South got out with a club ruffed in hand, and now McIntosh let the ten of spades run. North won and played his last trump. East finished four down after trying a spade to the eight. Some achievement to play that suit without one single winner! 800 to the Danes was worth 12 IMPs.

This deal featured

Dealer East. None Vul
	ª A J 5 © K 4 ¨ K J 8 7 5 § A 10 6
ª K 8 7 3 © 8 5 3 2 ¨ A 10 9 2 § 8		ª Q 6 4 2 © 10 7 ¨ 4 3 § Q 9 7 5 2
	ª 10 9 © A Q J 9 6 ¨ Q 6 § K J 4 3

Three Spades showed slam interest with a spade control agreeing hearts. Four Clubs was an asking bid and the answer showed at least second round club control and three aces of five. As East had not doubled 3ª for a lead Boesgaard figured that he stood a good chance of avoiding a spade lead and that his queen of diamonds could prove valuable. He jumped straight to slam.

In the brilliant bulletin Jos Jacobs said that the well-known Boesgaard-wheel-of-fortune was spinning again when he made the contract but it was not that incidental. West led a trump and South took four rounds (East shed a club and a spade) followed by the queen of diamonds ducked by West who did well to duck the next diamond to the king, too. To learn more about the distribution he played a small diamond discarding a club. West won and switched to a spade. After the ace of spades South ruffed a diamond in hand while East had discarding problems as he did not know the spade situation. South got more and more certain that East would hold the long clubs. He, therefore, played a club to the ace, threw his spade on the fifth diamond and finessed the jack of clubs. 12 tricks and 12 IMPs.

By finishing second in this major event Boesgaard - Nielsen boosted their confidence ahead of Maastricht.

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