France vs Finland - Juniors Round 19

Going into Friday morning’s vugraph match, Finland were just below half-way in the standings while France, in sixth place, were still very much in contention for the medals and qualifying places and were looking for a good win to boost their chances.

This was a wild match with swings on almost every board and a mixture of some very good bridge and some pretty awful stuff. France started very well when the Finnish declarer misguessed the play in 4ª on Board 1 and was two down while France brought the same contract home in the other room to gain 11 IMPs. They picked up another 6 IMPs on Board 2 by bringing home partscores at both tables and added to their lead again on Board 3.

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

The Finnish pair in the open room must have been well pleased with their result and rather unimpressed when it came time to score up with team-mates. Janne Heikkinen’s lead-directing double of the thin 3NT contract allowed the defence to take the first five tricks after a low spade lead from Jussi Pekka Tamminen. There was still another trick to come before declarer could claim the remainder so that was two down for -500.

In the other room, Pia Nurmi doubled 2ª - would your partnership be confident that South’s double was penalty in this auction? After all, the opposition have bid and raised a suit at a low level. Anyway, the double would have been just fine had the defence not slipped - and fairly seriously at that. Hulda Ahonen cashed two top clubs then continued with a low club, ruffed with the seven and overruffed. Nurmi switched to a low diamond to her partner’s ace and back came a top club. Thibaut Charletoux ruffed high in dummy and drew all the missing trumps via a finesse of his eight. Ahonen had not discarded well on the run of the trumps. When Charletoux now played a heart up, she won the ace and exited with a diamond, allowing declarer to ruff out South’s king (North needed to have a club to lead at this point) and Charletoux had his eighth trick for +670 and 5 IMPs to France.

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

Nurmi’s decision to come in over the strong no trump with a bid which showed both majors was a brave one at the prevailing vulnerability (the difference between brave and foolish is entirely a matter of the result achieved, of course) and it worked spectacularly well. Perhaps it is still possible for East/West to reach the heart game, but I would not be confident of doing so in my favourite partnership. Would you? In the circumstances, rather than being critical of the French pair for missing their laydown game, perhaps they should be applauded for avoiding the doomed no trump game. Four Hearts was reached easily enough at the other table and there was no problem in the play thanks to the club suit behaving as declarer wanted. Finland scored +420 against France’s +130 to pick up 7 IMPs.

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

Charletoux made a very aggressive decision to move after his 1© opening caught a simple raise. Four Hearts is no thing of beauty but, unless the defence finds its heart ruff, it is makable with a good spade view. Ahonen led a club and Charletoux won the king and played the queen of diamonds from hand. He pitched a diamond from hand on the club return then led a heart up. When the king held the trick, he played king of diamonds and ruffed a diamond then led dummy’s last heart. Nurmi won the ace and exited with a club. Charletoux ruffed, drew the last trump and advanced the queen of spades. Had Ahonen won that, surely it was declarer’s intention to finesse on the next round. Ahonen, however, ducked and then went up with the ace on the next spade lead; +620.

Heikkinen guessed the spades correctly at the other table for +170 but 10 IMPs to France.

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