Round 7 Juniors - Czech Rep. vs Belgium

The Wednesday morning vugraph match between Belgium and the Czech Republic featured a few interesting play hands. However, the first hand worthy of note was all about the bidding:

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

The Belgian North/South pair, P v Parijs and v d Velde, had the rather agricultural auction: 1§ - 1ª - 3NT - Pass. For Czech Republic, Vozabal and Pulkrab seemed to be doing rather better when they began: 1§ - 1ª - 2NT - 3§(relay) - 3¨ - 3ª. However, Vozabal continued with 4NT, Pulkrab's 5¨ response being doubled by West, and now he went on with 5NT! Surely that guarantees possession of all the key cards, and in that case Pulkrab was entirely within his rights to bid the grand slam, expecting that his club honours would be like gold dust. He duly did so and, of course, 7ª had to fail, giving Belgium 13 undeserved IMPs for playing 3NT. Had the Czechs stopped in 6ª, it would have been 13 the other way.

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

For the Czechs, Jelinek opened the West hand with 2NT, showing four spades and a longer minor, weak, and Martynek raised to 3NT, ending the auction. After a heart lead, declarer cashed out for one down.

The Belgian West, Peeters, opened 1¨ and Tom Cornelis responded 2NT. An odd bid, you may see, and I would have to agree with you because, by my reading of their convention card, 2NT is either weak with six or more clubs or game-forcing with at least five diamonds and four clubs. Anyway, Peeters raised to 3NT, which does not help us at all in our understanding of the partnership's dark and mysterious methods. Anyway, Pulkrab led the king of hearts to dummy's bare ace and Cornelis tried the effect of playing the king of diamonds at trick two. He must have been quite impressed when that held the trick, and wasted no time in claiming his nine tricks and letting the defence know that South had erred.

Tom Cornelis, Belgium

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª Q 7 6 2 © 8 2 ¨ 5 3 § K Q 9 6 5
ª 3 © 10 9 6 ¨ A 10 8 7 2 § A J 10 8		ª K 9 5 4 © K J 5 3 ¨ Q J 9 4 § 3
	ª A J 10 8 © A Q 7 4 ¨ K 6 § 7 4 2

Vozabal played 2ª from the North seat after his partner had opened 1§ and West had passed slowly over 2ª, perhaps suggesting spade shortage. A spade lead was won by dummy's ten and Vozabal led a club to West's ace. The club return saw the king ruffed and back came the ¨Q, ducked. A second diamond went to the king and ace and West continued with the §J. Declarer has to duck this, we think, and he duly did so. Cornelis correctly pitched a heart and now came the §10 to the queen and ruff with the ª9. That assured one down, while had East discarded a second heart declarer could have made his contract if he read the ending correctly.

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

The Belgian North seriously misplayed 3NT after a diamond lead to the ace and a diamond back. If he plays ace and another heart he has nine easy tricks, but he played the §K first and only then switched his attention to hearts. When East won the ©K he cleared the diamonds and the four-one club break meant one down.
In the other room, the opening lead against 3NT by South was the ª9, ducked. Pulkrab played ace and another heart and now came the diamond switch but he was safe.

Board 18. Dealer East. North/South Vul.
	ª K 10 8 © K 7 5 3 ¨ Q 10 6 § A 9 6
ª J 7 4 © 10 4 ¨ J 9 § K J 10 7 5 3		ª A 9 6 © A Q J 8 6 ¨ A K 7 4 § 4
	ª Q 5 3 2 © 9 2 ¨ 8 5 3 2 § Q 8 2

Cornelis opened 1© and jumped to 3¨ over Peeters' 1NT response. Peeters gave preference to 3© and Cornelis ended the auction by bidding 3NT. Vozabal took a long time to lead, eventually selecting the ªK, ducked. Now a spade was continued to the queen and a third spade cleared the suit. Peeters guessed to lead a club to the ten and, again, a slow ace. Vozabal exited with a low heart to the six, nine and ten. Declarer played the §K now and was soon down for a flat board, however, suppose that he instead plays on hearts, coming down to this ending:

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

When declarer now plays the heart to North's king, only a switch to the ¨Q will beat the hand, as it leaves the diamonds blocked. A low diamond can be run to the jack and declarer has tricks to burn.

The match result was a 50-43 IMP, 16-14 VP win for Belgium.