Bulgaria vs Iceland

Open Round 29

Bulgaria consolidating, Iceland chasing a top position, that was the setting for Wednesday afternoon's VuGraph match. The very first board was a slam swing already:

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª A K Q 6 5 3 2 © K ¨ K J 6 2 § 4
ª 9 8 7 © J 9 6 3 2 ¨ Q 5 3 § 9 8		ª J 4 © Q 5 4 ¨ A 9 7 4 § Q J 6 3
	ª 10 © A 10 8 7 ¨ 10 8 § A K 10 7 5 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Mihov	Ingimarsson	Nanev
	1§	Pass	2§
Pass	2ª	Pass	3©
Pass	3ª	Pass	4§
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Stamatov	Sigurhjartarsson	Karaivanov	Karlsson
	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	3ª	Pass	4§
Pass	4NT	Pass	5©
Pass	6ª	All Pass

In the Open Room Mihov and Nanev settled for 4ª, making 5. In the Closed Room Sigurhjartarsson and Karlsson reached 6ª after a straightforward sequence. The slam is thin. You need a spade break and a view in diamonds. And after the §Q lead the contract is in real danger: you win the ace and play the ¨10, covered by queen, king and ace. East returns a spade. Now it looks as if declarer has only eleven tricks available. On the run of the spades however, East eventually will be squeezed in diamonds and clubs. This is the endplay:

	ª 2 © K ¨ J 6 2 § -
ª - © J 9 ¨ 5 3 § 9		ª - © - ¨ 9 7 4 § J 6
	ª - © A 10 ¨ 8 § K 10

East discards a diamond on the ª2 (dummy pitching the ©10), but after the ©K he has to surrender.

East might have ducked the ¨K at trick two. That would be a better defence since it suggests that the ¨A would be in West. Moreover East would not have to be afraid that his partner possessed the ¨QJ since with such a holding it is textbook play to insert the jack and not the queen. Still the slam can still be made on a stepping stone squeeze. In that case the endplay would be:

	ª 2 © K ¨ J 6 2 § -
ª - © J 9 ¨ 5 3 § 9		ª - © - ¨ A 9 7 § J 6
	ª - © A 10 ¨ 8 § K 10

Again the ª2 is played. East pitches a low diamond and dummy the ©10. Now comes the ©K, East bares his ¨A and at the next trick he is endplayed with a diamond.

In real life East led a spade and now declarer had already eleven tricks available since he could unblock the hearts on time. He just needed to guess the diamonds and that's what he did. First blood to Iceland, winning 11 IMP's.

Another slam swing on 4:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Mihov	Ingimarsson	Nanev
2¨	Pass	2NT	Pass
3§	Pass	3¨	Pass
3NT	Pass	6NT	All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Stamatov	Sigurhjartarsson	Karaivanov	Karlsson
Pass	Pass	1§	Pass
2ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
3§	Pass	3NT	All Pass

This time it were the Icemen in the Open Room who -after West had started the bidding with a weak major twosuiter- reached the good slam. Against 6NT South led a spade and declarer immediately finessed in hearts. He gave his opponents one club trick, but claimed the balance. In spite of playing Precision Stamatov-Karaivanov in the Closed Room decided not to go any further than 3NT. So another 13 IMP's to Iceland.

On board 9 we saw different approaches in the bidding:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Stamatov	Sigurhjartarsson	Karaivanov	Karlsson
	3NT	All Pass

In the Closed Room North opened a gambling 3NT. It rested there and the contract went three down. Of course declarer was unlucky to find the actual layout, but even if the diamonds break 3-2, the contract is a bad one, because -after the obvious spade lead- it is played from the wrong side.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Mihov	Ingimarsson	Nanev
	1¨	Pass	1©
Pass	2¨	Pass	3§
Pass	3¨	Pass	3©
Pass	4©	All Pass

Open the Bulgarians did a good job to reach 4©, but still there was some work to do for declarer, even after the lead of the ªQ. Who could blame West to lead the unbid suit anyway? East won the ace and returned a diamond and when the ten was allowed to hold the trick, declarer cashed the §A, ruffed a club in dummy, played a spade to the jack and ruffed a club with the ©Q. At this point declarer played the ¨A and when East ruffed, he overruffed. Now the trumps were 2-2 divided and after ©A and another trump declarer made his game, Bulgaria winning 11 IMP's on the board to take the lead, 26-25.

The play was the thing on the next board:

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

At both tables, the contract was 4ª. In the Open Room North led the ©A and switched to the ªJ. Declarer took the ace, cashed the §A and ruffed a club, then drew two more rounds of trumps before playing the ©J from hand, throwing a diamond on it. It did not help him much, as South could win his ©K and return the ¨J to the queen, king and ace: 4ª -2, 200 to Bulgaria.

In the Closed Room after the lead of the ©A, North switched to a club for the ace. Here too, the ªA was continued by declarer, who drew another trump and in the end finished with two undertricks as well by way of the same loser on loser play in hearts as in the Open Room.

As Guido Ferraro pointed out before the audience in the VuGraph theatre, declarer should refrain from drawing trumps. If he can manage to ruff four clubs in hand -not unreasonable-, he will end up with five spades in hand, three in dummy and two minor suit aces and make his contract. An interesting push anyhow.

Slam time again on the very next board:

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª A 8 6 © A 5 3 ¨ Q 2 § K Q 8 7 3
ª J 10 9 4 3 © J 10 4 ¨ A 10 5 4 § J		ª K Q 7 © 7 ¨ K J 9 8 7 6 § 10 6 4
	ª 5 2 © K Q 9 8 6 2 ¨ 3 § A 9 5 2

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Stamatov	Sigurhjartarsson	Karaivanov	Karlsson
			2¨
Pass	2NT	Pass	3ª
Pass	4©	All Pass

In the Closed Room South opened a Multi 2¨, so his partner never really thought of bidding slam. In fact he didn't.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Mihov	Ingimarsson	Nanev
			1©
1ª	3§	4ª	5§
Pass	6§	All Pass

In the Open Room NS had a better chance to reach the reasonable slam when South decided to open his nine count at the one level. The other side of the coin was that EW could enter the bidding at ease. When they reached 4ª, South took the consequence of his opening and gave it another shot with 5§, which easily was raised by his partner to six. Well done Ivan Nanev!

More action on Board 13:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Mihov	Ingimarsson	Nanev
	Pass	Pass	2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	3§
Pass	Pass	3¨ (!)	Pass
Pass	3©	Pass	4©
All Pass

On VuGraph Throstur Ingimarsson stole the hearts of the audience with a spectacular and brave balance on a four count vulnerable at the three level. This enabled the Bulgarians to reach the heart game in the rebound. Actually the final contract is a good one but with the bad break in trumps and the ever existing danger of declarer misguessing in clubs (restricted choice !), it was not sure at all if Mihov would land the contract. After the lead of the ªJ declarer soon got a view on the spade and diamond distribution. In fact he took the reverse count signals in both suits seriously and figured out that East started with six diamonds, a heart and four spades. That left room for exactly two clubs. So declarer cashed his top clubs and made ten tricks. Bravo Vladimir Mihov!

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Stamatov	Sigurhjartarsson	Karaivanov	Karlsson
	Pass	Pass	1§
Dble	1©	2¨	2©
3¨	Dble	All Pass

In the Closed Room Stamatov-Karaivanov were doubled in 3¨ and went two off. So Bulgaria gained 3 IMPs for losing -500 in this room, against the +620 they scored in the Open Room.

On the rest of the boards a handful of IMP's were exchanged, but in the end the match ended in a tie at 43-43.