Israel vs Norway - Juniors Round 24

With two rounds to play, Norway led the Junior competition with Israel in second place, just 7 VPs behind. A big win for either side could virtually secure the gold medal. Israel picked up 3 IMPs over the first three deals, then came this deal, nicely played at both tables.

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

In the Closed Room, Yossi Roll led a low spade and Thomas Charlsen won in dummy to play a heart to the queen. When the 4-0 break came to light, he continued with the ace of spades then ducked a club. Back came a second club and Charlsen won the ace and cashed the spade winner to throw a diamond. Now he played the nine of hearts for the ten and jack and exited with his last club. West could win but was then endplayed to allow another heart finesse. Charlsen just had to concede a diamond at the end; +620.

Nils Kare Kvangraven also led a spade in the Open Room. Yaniv Vax also won on table and took a heart finesse. He unblocked the spade and crossed to the ace of clubs. Next he pitched a club on the queen of spades and took a heart finesse. Then he exited with a club. West overtook to play back a third club but declarer could ruff then found the nice play of exiting with his low diamond to endplay East. The defence could only come to one trick from here so Vax also scored +620 for a well-played push.

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

Ran Schneider was allowed to make 11 tricks in the Closed Room, for +200. The stakes were rather higher in the Open Room, where Gunnar Harr showed a strong hand by doubling the weak two opening then bidding his spades over Kvangraven’s Lebensohl response.

It was tough for East to judge that 4ª would be better than 3NT and his actual choice gave the Israelis a chance to beat him. Asaf Amit led a heart to the ten and queen and Kvangraven led a spade to the king. Best is surely for North to duck a couple of rounds of spades.

Not only will he get a discard from his partner, but this will also make it clear to South that the spades are running. In practice Vax won the first spade.

To defeat the contract, he had to switch to a low club and Amit had to appreciate the position and win with the ace and return the queen. Vax switched to the §10 and now there was no defence; +630 and 10 IMPs to Norway.

Vax’s defence would have been correct had declarer held §Q9x - if he holds four clubs he is likely to get the position right whatever North does.

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

One can understand every action taken by the two East/West pairs but that does not necessarily mean that one has to agree with them.

like Amit’s 1NT response on the South hand more than Olav Ellestad’s pass, as it created a slightly more difficult situation for Harr, but should not West foresee the pressure he is putting his partner under by starting with a double and simply overcall 3NT?

Sure, that will work out badly sometimes, but we can see in the Closed Room what can go wrong after a double. Actually, I think that, rather than criticise Roll too much for correcting to his six-card major, we should be congratulating Kvangraven for bidding only 2© and then sitting for 3NT in the Open Room.

After a spade lead, 3NT made exactly for +600 to Norway. Meanwhile, 4© got doubled and was completely hopeless. After a spade lead, ducked, and a spade back, Roll did OK to get out for two down; 500 and 15 IMPs to Norway.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª Q J 8 3 2 © K 9 4 ¨ J 5 4 § Q 10
ª 9 7 © A Q 7 3 2 ¨ K 7 3 2 § K 7		ª A K 5 © 10 5 ¨ A Q 8 6 § A J 8 4
	ª 10 6 4 © J 8 6 ¨ 10 9 § 9 6 5 3 2

Norway seemed to have taken a firm grip on the match and the gold medal when Harr/Kvargraven bid to the borderline slam. +1370 to Norway and +660 to Israel; 12 IMPs to Norway, who led by 37-6.

The Norwegian lead had increased to 41-6 but then Israel came back strongly.

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

What would you rebid with the West hand? Two Hearts is more likely to get you to a good game, as here, but 2ª may well lead to a safer partscore and also avoid problems when East raises hearts with a weaker four-card holding.

This time, the heart rebid was the big winner as it enabled Roll/Schneider to get to what proved to be an easy game. Four Hearts made +650 and 2ª +170 - 10 IMPs to Israel.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª K Q 7 4 © J 8 2 ¨ A K 10 7 § 9 6
ª J 10 9 8 5 3 © K 6 4 ¨ 2 § A J 7		ª A © 10 5 3 ¨ 9 8 § K Q 10 8 5 4 2
	ª 6 2 © A Q 9 7 ¨ Q J 6 5 4 3 § 3

Four Diamonds made exactly for +130.

Who would you blame for the disaster in the Open Room? Perhaps East could have bid 4§ over 3ª, but his pass seems quite reasonable - after all, why get higher with no knowledge of a real fit anywhere?

Bidding that spade suit twice looks too much and it was severely punished - note that there is no way to defeat 5§ if declarer reads the spade position correctly.

The defence to 4ª doubled was just right. Vax led two rounds of diamonds and Harr ruffed then played a trump to the ace and a club back to hand for a second trump lead. Vax won and played a third diamond, again ruffed.

Declarer played the §J then his last club and Vax ruffed, cashed the king of spades and played his fourth diamond. Declarer could only make his last trump for four down and -800; 12 IMPs to Israel.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schneider	Charlsen	Roll	Ellestad
2©	All Pass

What would be your judgement of the East hand opposite a weak 2© opening? I have a lot of sympathy with Roll’s pass - game is unlikely unless the hands fit very well or you play a very disciplined weak-two style. Here, 2© made an overtrick for +140.

Kvangraven responded 2NT, a puppet to 3§, we believe, then followed up by bidding his spades. I am not convinced that it is correct to raise with a singleton, being of the school that thinks partner could bid 4ª himself if a small singleton is sufficient trump support.

However, one can understand Harr’s concern about the club position. Three No Trump is not a good contract by any means - it just happens that it will make after South has made the normal lead of a diamond.

Four Spades is not automatically down, but the same diamond lead to the ace and a club switch to the queen meant that declarer needed second sight to bring home his contract. Kvangraven played three rounds of clubs, hoping to ruff in dummy.

Amit ruffed in with the eight of spades and gave Vax a diamond ruff (perfection would have been to cash the ©A first). A fourth club allowed declarer to get his heart loser away but Amit could ruff and give his partner another diamond ruff for two down; -200 and 8 IMPs to Israel.

After looking in danger of suffering a serious beating at one point, Israel had come back well to hold their loss to 37-41 IMPs, 14-16 VPs. They would go into the final round still in second place, 9 VPs behind Norway, and with the Netherlands close behind.

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