Roll & Co. stop the roll

By Stefan Back

Stefan Back, the vice chairman of the EBL Youth Committee has many duties at these championships, but still found the time to report on a key encounter in the Junior Championship. As Editor of the DBV Bridge Magazine, it must have been quite painful to write!

The German team had come into a excellent roll to win its last seven matches convincingly and climb from nowhere up to third place. The Tuesday morning session saw their encounter with the leaders from Israel. A crucial match for both teams if they wanted to stay at the top of the scoreboard.

In the Open Room Yussi Roll and Ran Schneider playing North-South for Israel against Raoul Balschun and Matthias Schüller from Germany, threw down the gauntlet on boards No. 2 and 3.

Board 2. Dealer East. N-S Vul.
	ª A 6 4 © K 10 6 5 4 3 ¨ 6 § K 8 6
ª 9 7 © J 9 2 ¨ K Q 10 8 2 § A Q 2		ª K Q J 10 5 3 © Q 7 ¨ 5 § J 9 4 3
	ª 8 2 © A 8 ¨ A J 9 7 4 3 § 10 7 5

South passed 3© and was rewarded when his partner took exactly nine tricks. Roll ducked the ªK, won the second round with the ace and played a third round of spades, which was ruffed in dummy and overruffed by Schüller. Back came a heart to the ace and when Roll led a club to his king and laid down the ©K to collect the remaining trumps he was home only losing two clubs in the end. Israel: + 140. This result was worth 12 IMPs when the German North-South pair in the closed room tried 3 NT and went five light. Israel: +500 and an early 13:0 lead.

A German balancing manoeuvre gave Israel another chance to score heavily:

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

North’s 1NT was alerted as forcing, and Balschun did not come in with his hearts on the first round of bidding. When it stopped at a rather low level he decided to go for a diamond or heart response to his reopening double and found out all too late that he had entered a lions’ cage. He might have escaped by simply passing Three Clubs. If South doubles that, East can redouble to show the red suits, with better hearts. N/S were observing their opponents’ misfit bids and doubled the final prey confidently.

The defence started with the ¨Q and declared inserted his king. When it held, §9 went to 2, 10 and jack, and North switched to a heart. Declarer ducked in dummy, so South won with the queen and put the ªK on the table. Declarer ducked again and South played back ©9 to jack and ace. Now declarer cashed his second top heart, discarding a diamond from hand, played a spade to the ace, cashed the §A and exited in diamonds. At this stage he is four down, as N/S are able to collect all the remaining tricks. However, when the defence slipped slightly in the end, Schüller must have been happy to have escaped for two down only, which nevertheless meant +500 to Israel.

In the other room Krupp - Möller for Germany were left to play in 2ª on the N/S-cards, where they went three off; Israel another +150 and in the lead by 25-0.

Germany tried to close the gap and finally scored a double digit, when Balschun - Schüller stopped in game without showing any slam ambitions:

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
	ª Q 9 8 7 2 © Q 10 4 ¨ 9 § J 9 7 6
ª A 6 4 © 9 6 2 ¨ A Q 7 6 § Q 10 8		ª K © A J 7 5 3 ¨ K J 10 5 3 § K 5
	ª J 10 5 3 © K 8 ¨ 8 4 2 § A 4 3 2

Balschun lost the obvious three tricks in hearts and clubs to win his contract. Germany +620. In the closed room Vax and Amit went overboard in 6© -2 to give the Germans +200 and an urgently needed 13 IMPs with Israel still in the lead 25:14.

Murphy’s law struck Matthias Schüller when he thought he had picked up this collection on the very next board:

In nine cases out of ten a hand like this doesn’t play a role at all - and it even doesn’t matter if the player who holds it finally discovers that he has one club less and a third spade instead! Well, it mattered this time:

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

After North’s 1NT-opening East came in with a vulnerable 2§-bid showing both majors. Politely speaking this is a very doubtful action, with the NT-range (12-14) and the vulnerability given as it is. Schüller now should have bid 2¨ to show equal length in both majors, which unfortunately he did not have that very moment. When Schneider doubled 2© West finally discovered his third spade and hoped to escape the penalty double by trying the other major. Roll was happy to double 2ª and this time the defence took full advantage of the situation. A heart was led to the king and ace, followed by three rounds of spades and a club to the ace and a club back. West won the §K played a heart to the queen and another one to South’s jack. A club to the queen drew declarer’s last trump who had to lose all the remaining tricks as a consequence. Five down and +1100 to Israel.

In the closed room Germany played the normal contract of 3 NT making five; Germany +460 but another 12 IMPs to Israel; who were in the lead now by 37-14.

The Israeli fans had not stopped cheering yet, when their team increased its lead even further:

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª K Q 8 7 2 © J 7 ¨ A K § 10 6 3 2
ª 5 © A 10 9 5 ¨ 9 8 7 4 2 § Q 9 5		ª J 10 9 4 3 © 8 6 4 ¨ Q 5 3 § J 7
	ª A 6 © K Q 3 2 ¨ J 10 6 § A K 8 4

Roll - Schneider stopped in 3 NT +1; Israel +430, whereas Krupp - Möller in the other room got to 6§ which had no play losing the ©A and a trump trick; Israel +100. After the first half of the match Israel now led by 50-14.

When two boards later the Germans ran a little out of patience, Israel once again had the better end on its side:

Board 12. Dealer West. N-S Vul.
	ª K 3 2 © J 8 7 5 ¨ 8 6 2 § K 7 5
ª - © K Q 9 ¨ Q J 10 9 7 3 § Q J 4 2		ª Q J 9 8 7 5 4 © 10 6 4 3 2 ¨ 4 § -
	ª A 10 6 © A ¨ A K 5 § A 10 9 8 6 3

A very good Israeli bidding sequence accompanied by a not very well-timed penalty double by West resulted in an easy overtrick for Schneider. West led a top diamond to the ace and Schneider competently got the clubs right by laying down the §A. When East showed out, declarer ran the §10 which held the trick. Next came a club to the king, a spade to the ace and a club to West, who now switched to the ©K. Declarer took all his winners and ended up with ten tricks; Israel +950.

When Germany missed this game in the closed room to score +130 in 2§ making four, Israel collected 13 IMPs for its combined efforts to increase the lead by 63-14 and there was more to come:

Board 15. Dealer South. N-S vul.
	ª J 5 © A 4 ¨ 7 6 4 3 2 § Q 10 7 6
ª Q © J 6 5 3 2 ¨ A K J § A 8 5 2		ª A 9 8 7 6 3 2 © K9 7 ¨ Q 10 5 § -
	ª K 10 4 © Q 10 8 ¨ 9 8 § K J 9 4 3

Roll - as Möller in the closed room - found the excellent lead of the ©A. He continued with another heart to dummy’s king and Schüller continued with a diamond to the ace and a club ruff. A few seconds later he claimed, conceding a heart and two club tricks for down one without even trying to establish the spades, having forgotten that he already had lost a heart trick. So that was down one; Israel +50. When Amit - Vax scored an overtrick (Israel +450) in the other room Israel had built up an impressive 74-18 lead with only five more boards to go.

Two out of the last three big swings went to Israel as well, but it was Germany to score 9 IMPs first.

Board 16. Dealer West. E-W vul.
	ª 5 3 2 © K 8 3 2 ¨ J § Q 10 7 5 3
ª 9 6 4 © 9 7 5 4 ¨ A 9 7 5 § A 6		ª A K J 8 7 © J ¨ Q 10 6 3 § K 4 2
	ª Q 10 © A Q 10 6 ¨ K 8 4 2 § J 9 8

After Schüller’s 2© transfer bid showing spade support Balschun - who realized they were down in the match - felt he had nothing to lose and therefore jumped to game right away. South led the ©A and continued hearts. Balschun ruffed and laid down the ¨Q. When it held - North following with the jack - he knew he was on the right track. He cashed the ªA played §AK and ruffed a club in dummy. Then he took the spade finesse, South won and gave his partner a diamond ruff, but that was all the defence could get; Germany +620.

When Israel in the closed room stayed out of game and scored three overtricks in 2 ª, the Germans - still trailing by 57 IMPs - had won 9 IMPs and were hoping for a strong finish but it was not to be, as Israel saved its best efforts for last.

Board 18. Dealer East. N-S Vul.
	ª 8 6 2 © 9 6 5 3 ¨ K J 4 § K Q J
ª Q J 7 5 © 8 ¨ 10 8 § 10 9 8 5 4 3		ª K 10 4 © K 10 ¨ A Q 9 7 6 2 § A 2
	ª A 9 3 © A Q J 7 4 2 ¨ 5 3 § 7 6

Despite a 6-4 heart fit North-South managed to get to 3 NT - by the way: this result was achieved by the Israeli schools team in their match as well! And how right Roll was to protect his diamond features! Once a small diamond was led nothing could stop declarer from establishing hearts and club tricks and when the fog cleared up he had collected eleven tricks for a score of +660, when East cashed his ¨A after winning the §A to possibly fell a singleton ¨K in the North hand.

In the other room the German South played the heart partial on the three level, received a diamond lead and finally went three off to give his opponents another +300 which translated into 14 IMPs for Israel.

The very last board of the match proved to be a tough test in creativity. Here is the bidding:

Imagine you are East and you hold:

You lead the ©Q and dummy goes down:

Declarer takes the ace and plays the king of spades, what do you do?

Did you - like the German East player - take the ace and continue hearts? Then you have just handed the opponents a vulnerable game on a silver plate.

Declarer will take the ©K, finesse in diamonds twice and end up with five diamond tricks., three spade tricks and the ©AK. This was the full deal:

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª J 4 3 © 8 7 ¨ A Q J 8 4 § 8 7 2
ª 9 5 2 © 4 2 ¨ K 6 2 § A 10 5 4 3		ª A 10 6 © Q J 10 9 ¨ 10 7 3 § K 9 6
	ª K Q 8 7 © A K 6 5 3 ¨ 9 5 § Q J

Of course it was a clever move from Roll to go for the spade tricks first and leave East with a lot of guess work to do. Had North started with a couple of successful diamond finesses East surely would have worked out, that the only way to beat the contract was to bring in some club tricks. Anyway, that was another +630 to Israel, who scored 11 more IMPs when Germany in the closed room bid and made 1NT for a score of +90.

Israel blitzed its contender 99-29 - or 25-2 in VPs respectively - to defend their lead impressively at almost halftime of the championships.

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