Sweden vs Norway
Open Round 20
When this match was due on Sunday morning, Norway were enjoying
a rather comfortable top spot in the rankings, whereas Sweden badly
needed any V.P.'s they could get in order to bridge the 20-point
gap that separated them from the top five. By tradition, the Nordic
derbies are tightly fought matches, and this one proved no exception.
In fact, not a single double-figure swing was recorded in this match,
most of the swings coming from partscore decisions. Here are a few
examples.
Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
|
|
ª
K 8 6 2
© A 3 2
¨ A Q 7
§ 8 6 2 |
ª
J 5 3
© 7 4
¨ J 8 6 5
§ A J 9 5 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
Q 10
© K Q 10 6 5
¨ 9 3
§ K Q 10 3 |
|
ª
A 9 7 4
© J 9 8
¨ K 10 4 2
§ 7 4 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Lindkvist |
Sælensminde |
Fredin |
|
|
1© |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2§ |
All Pass |
This looks pretty straightforward. The contract was made with an
overtrick when North ducked his ©A
twice. Norway +110.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Gustawsson |
Grotheim |
Morath |
Aa |
|
|
1© |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
Pass |
1ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
BROGELAND Boye, Norway
|
|
From the bidding in the Closed Room you
can see that even on the most straightforward-looking boards
swings can be created. This time, West passed his partner's
opening bid. Taking into account that EW play limited openings
from 11-16 hcp. This may be technically correct, but the other
side of the coin was that it was easy for NS now to enter the
auction and discover their spade fit. It did not matter any
more if EW competed in clubs as 2ª
can always be made. Norway thus scored another +110 and collected
6 precious IMPs. |
Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
|
|
ª
A J 10
© K 8 4
¨ J 10 9 8 7
4
§ J |
ª
7 6 5 2
© A 7 2
¨ A 2
§ K Q 10 6 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
Q 9 8 4
© J 10 6
¨ K 6
§ 9 7 5 4 |
|
ª
K 3
© Q 9 5 3
¨ Q 5 3
§ A 8 3 2 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Lindkvist |
Sælensminde |
Fredin |
|
|
|
1§ |
Dble |
Redble |
1ª |
Pass |
Pass |
2¨ |
All Pass |
|
This time, the Swedish system of light opening bids worked well.
North could show both his strength and his diamonds without having
to stretch, so the Swedes reached a very good contract which was
made with an overtrick. Sweden +110.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Gustawsson |
Grotheim |
Morath |
Aa |
|
|
|
Pass |
1§ |
3¨ |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
When South did not open, Grotheim had to guess at which level he
should intervene. Afetr the light jump to 3¨
Aa understandably went on to game, but this was not a success. Down
two, +100 to Sweden and 5 precious IMPs.
Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
|
|
ª
Q 8 6 5
© A 8 3
¨ Q 8
§ A 8 5 4 |
ª
J 10 2
© K 9 5
¨ A 10 5
§ J 10 9 3 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
A K
© J 10 7 4 2
¨ J 9 6 4 2
§ 6 |
|
ª
9 7 4 3
© Q 6
¨ K 7 3
§ K Q 7 2 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Lindkvist |
Sælensminde |
Fredin |
Pass |
1§ |
1© |
Dble |
2§ |
2ª |
3© |
All Pass |
When the red suits broke friendly, declarer could make 9 tricks
for +140 to Norway.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Gustawsson |
Grotheim |
Morath |
Aa |
Pass |
1¨ |
1© |
1ª |
2© |
2ª |
3© |
3ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
FREDIN Peter, Sweden
|
|
Here South competed once more at his second
turn, as his counterpart in the Open Room might have done too.
For NS, the layout of the trumps was very friendly, though the
contract might still go down if EW find the club ruff. On a
trump lead to the king and a heart continuation it was made
when West played his ¨A
on his partner's return of a diamond after winning the ªA.
Norway another +140 and 7 IMPs. |
Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
|
|
ª
K 5 4
© Q 9 7 6 5
2
¨ Q 3
§ J 9 |
ª
Q J 9 3
© 4 3
¨ J 8 5
§ Q 10 4 2 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
A 10 7 6
© K 10
¨ 10 6 4 2
§ A K 5 |
|
ª
8 2
© A J 8
¨ A K 9 7
§ 8 7 6 3 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Lindkvist |
Sælensminde |
Fredin |
|
Pass |
1¨ |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2ª |
All Pass |
Though NS can make 3©
neither of them was in a good position to take any action. Norway
+110.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Gustawsson |
Grotheim |
Morath |
Aa |
|
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
Redble |
3ª |
All Pass |
|
|
East's opening bid of 1NT gave NS the chance to enter the auction.
East did well to reopen and West understandably jumped to 3ª.
Going one down was the par result on the hand as 3©
makes, but as the Norwegians had already beaten par at the other
table, they chalked up another 5 IMPs to lead 27-12 at this point.
Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
|
|
ª
10 9
© J 9 4
¨ Q J 9 8
§ Q J 4 2 |
ª
A 8 6 2
© Q 10
¨ 10 6 5 2
§ 10 8 7 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
K J 7 5 3
© K 7 5 3 2
¨ A 3
§ 9 |
|
ª
Q 4
© A 8 6
¨ K 7 4
§ A K 6 5 3 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Lindkvist |
Sælensminde |
Fredin |
|
|
|
1§ |
Pass |
1¨ |
2§ |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
When East showed his major twosuiter, West just took a shot at
game, holding two very useful honours. Well done, Norway +420.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Gustawsson |
Grotheim |
Morath |
Aa |
|
|
|
1NT |
Pass |
Pass |
2§ |
Dble |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
Pass |
3ª |
All Pass |
As the range of 2§
was wider in view of the auction here, West decided to adopt slower
tactics. As a result, the reasonable game was not bid and Norway
had scored another 6 IMPs.
The biggest swing of the match occurred on the very last hand.
Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
|
|
ª
10 9 8 6 4
© K J 4
¨ Q 10 9
§ A Q |
ª
-
© 10 9 7 3 2
¨ A 6 4 3
§ K 8 7 6 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
A Q 5
© A Q 6
¨ K 8 7
§ 9 5 4 2 |
|
ª
K J 7 3 2
© 8 5
¨ J 5 2
§ J 10 3 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brogeland |
Lindkvist |
Sælensminde |
Fredin |
Pass |
1ª |
1NT |
3ª |
Dble |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
This was just asking too much: on a spade lead, the contract would
make only if North held the ©KJ
bare. When North happened to hold a small heart as well, three down
was the outcome when declarer led a club to the king and ace near
the end, and Sweden had collected +300.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Gustawsson |
Grotheim |
Morath |
Aa |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
3ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Morath apparently did not judge his hand worth
a vulnerable 1NT-overcall, so the Norwegians were allowed to go
one down undoubled in 3ª
for the loss of a further 100 and 9 IMPs. The final score: 41-21
or 19-11 V.P. to Norway. This would not do the Swedish chances to
qualify any good, but at the same time meant another step towards
qualification for Norway.
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