In their match against Czech Republic in Round 16 of the Seniors, Turkey's Korkut found himself in four hearts after a bidding sequence better left unmentioned, where East/West had bid and supported spades.

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

With all four hands in sight it is impossible to make the contract even after a favourable small diamond lead, but declarer was not about to give up. He cashed the top clubs, discarding a spade from his hand (The best chance is to take the club finesse, but that would have failed here).
Then he ran the ten of hearts and when it held he ruffed a small club, the queen appearing from East.
South now led the king of hearts, discarding a spade from dummy, won by East.

These card

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

East cashed the king of spades, and should have continued the suit. When he switched to his remaining diamond declarer won in dummy and played a club, ruffed and overruffed. He drew the last trump and gave up a diamond, making the last two tricks with the seven of hearts and the seven of diamonds, (the beer card!)

The 450th cap of Peter Schaltz

By Svend Novrup

The Danish Open team player Peter Schaltz passed a remarkable milestone Friday in round 36 when he got his 450th cap. If you are not British may be I should explain that this means that he has played 450 matches for the Danish national team since his debut at the Europeans in Brighton 1975 with a creditable 5th place.

Already then he was a most experienced player with many titles. In 1970 he won the European Championships for junior teams in Dublin, the following year the Nordic junior teams in Finland, and he had achieved many of his now about 30 Danish championships.

With the national open team he got a silver medal in Lausanne 1979 and another in Menton 1993 followed by a place in the quarter finals of the Bermuda Bowl in Santiago, narrowly beaten by USA.

He is married to Dorthe Schaltz, and the Schaltz-dynasty is probably the strongest in the world, counted for three generations. His mother Lizzi won two European Womens championships, his father had a silver medal in the Nordic championships and both won several Danish titles, many of them together. When their children were old enough to be alone at home for a couple of weeks, Dorthe and Peter started to play together, and they won the silver in Menton together and was one trick from reaching the semi final of the 1992 olympiad in Salsomaggiore, losing to the gold winners from France. In 2000 they won the European Mixed teams together with Sabine and Jens Auken.

Third generation is thundering forward with Martin Schaltz who has already bronze in the world championships for junior teams in Rio earlier this year and several Danish championships to his credit while their daughter Anne-Mette has won two Danish school bridge championships.

Peter Schaltz took over the record as the most capped Danish sports man some days ago at match 440 when he passed another bridge player, Stig Werdelin, who held the record for around 15 years. The most capped Danish sports man outside bridge is a table tennis player, Claus Pedersen, with 354.

In case you wonder that the caps are counted for a bridge player, just think of this. If a soccer player enters the field in the last minute of a match, he is credited with one cap. A bridge player has to play for several hours to get his, and it is not possible to many more matches in one year than for example an ice hockey or handball player. But of course bridge players last longer if they work seriously with their game and fight off challenges from the younger generations which can be hard enough!

Despite good preparations Denmark never got in the run for a top ranking in this championship and asked for a good hand Thursday evening Peter Schaltz denied having one. When Denmark defeated Romania 25-0 (104-16) in round 35 he had at least four!! This one was very satisfactory:

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

West	North	East	South
			pass
1NT	pass	2§	pass
2¨	pass	3NT	pass
pass	pass

Dorthe and Peter Schaltz E-W. North led ©J to ©Q, and a spade to ªJ was won by North with ªQ. West took ©K as South showed an even number to play a diamond to ¨8 and ¨Q. South was already endplayed!
He tried a diamond which ran to ¨10, and Schaltz took a diamond finesse with the ¨7 to cash ¨A. North had to find discards and threw two hearts confirming West's diagnoses that he had spade length. Now followed a club to §K and §A and a club back to §Q, North following with §J. Schaltz was now in control. With the actual lie of the cards he could have finessed ª9 but that was an unnecessary risk. He checked the spades with ªAK, and when North as expected had four spades he led towards §9 in the penultimate trick. South had his §10 but §9 took the decisive trick 13. +600 to Denmark and a game swing.

Woolly Jumpers

Though winners of neither the laurel leaves nor the wooden spoon in the table of bridge players per 1000 inhabitants, Wales and the Faeroe Islands would almost certainly take first and second place in any European league table of sheep per head of population.

The match between the two countries took place on Friday afternoon in the friendliest of spirits, and featured one of the most spectacular auctions of the tournament:

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

West	North	East	South
		2S*	Pass
6S	6NT	Pass	Pass
dbl	Pass	Pass	7D
dbl	Pass	Pass	Pass

1100 away for a flat board.

The Welsh team would like to thank the Faeroese for being such delightful opponents and are almost (but not quite) sorry to have won the match. Diolch yn fawr.

Director!

By Victor Silverstone

At Game All as West you pick up:

ª Q 10 9 8 7 5 © A K 3 ¨ - § A 10 9 4

You open One Spade in third position and North bids 2NT for the minors. Partner bids Three Diamonds to show a good spade raise and South bids Four Clubs. Knowing that partner has a club shortage you carefully bid only Five Spades asking partner about the quality of his trump support. You are duly raised to Six Spades, North leads the ace of diamonds and before you take in the full deal, look at the dummy:

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

West now summoned the Director to complain about his partner's failure to produce a club shortage or for misinformation. The problem was John Collings who was holding the South cards.

In the Twinkle of an Eye

This deal from Round 17 of the Seniors gave Denmark's Peter Lund the chance to demonstrate a classic elimination.

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

West	North	East	South
Møller		Lund
		1ª	2©
2ª	Dble*	4ª	5¨
Pass	Pass	5ª	All Pass

When South led a club, declarer spotted his only chance in the twinkle of an eye. He won in hand, drew trumps, cashed the remaining clubs for a diamond discard, ruffed a diamond, crossed to dummy with a trump and ruffed the last diamond.

When he exited with a heart, the opposition were kind enough to resign. It was worth 11 IMPs to Denmark.