A Sample of the Schools

Friday evening saw the Juniors take a well-earned break, giving us the opportunity to take a first look at the Schools competition.

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

Wales v Poland
West	North	East	South
Sharp	Zielinski	Ca. Evans	Karlowicz
Pass	2§	Dble	Rdbl
Pass	Pass	2©	Dble
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Nawrocki	Cl. Evans	Niziol	Reed
Pass	Pass	1NT	All Pass

For Wales, Claire Evans passed the North hand - while it is only an 11-count and North is vulnerable, the club suit is very strong and there is a convenient 1ª rebid so that 1§ looks to be the normal start. Filip Niziol opened 1NT as East and again Evans passed. North's silence in the auction need not have been fatal had her partner led a to heart then switched. Howvere, Lauralee reed started with her fourth best heart and that gave Niziol his seventh trick when he played for diamonds to be three-three; +90.

Piotr Zielinski did open the North hand, with a natural and limited 2§. Catherine Evans had a completely normal take-out double but when Wlodzimierz Karlowicz could redouble the Welsh pair were in trouble. Evans scrambled to 2©, doubled hungrily by Karlowicz. He led a club and Zielinski won and played two more rounds, ruffed and over-ruffed. Now a switch to the ªQ allowed Evans to ruff a spade and play four rounds of diamonds, eventually making a heart at the end for just one down; -200 and 7 IMPs to Poland. Had either North or South found a trump switch, declarer could have been held to six tricks.

Germany v France
West	North	East	South
Wurmseer	Raynaud	Katerbau	Moreau
Pass	1§	Dble	1©
Pass	1ª	Pass	2¨
Pass	2NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Tembouret	Smirnov	Grias	Kraemer
Pass	1§	Dble	Rdbl
Pass	Pass	1©	Dble
All Pass

Both Norths opened 1§ and both Easts doubled. For Germany, Dennis Kraemer redoubled then doubled the run-out to 1©. He found the best start for the defence, leading out the ace, king and jack of hearts to the queen. Declarer could have cashed six tricks now but tried instead four rounds of diamonds. Kraemer could ruff the fourth round and draw the last trump. Alexander Smirnov had kept one spade, so the defence had four clubs to take but had to concede the last trick to declarer; two down for -500.

At the other table, Josephine Moreau let her opponents off the hook when she simply responded 1© over the double rather than try for a penalty. Francois Raynaud declared 2NT on the North cards but Janko Katerbau led out his top diamonds and the defence took four tricks in that suit followed by two spades for down one; -100 and 12 IMPs to Germany.

Scotland v The Netherlands
West	North	East	South
Ellison	Verbeek	Hodge	Molenaar
Pass	1§	1NT	Dble
Rdbl	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Heeres	Maitland	Hop	Aitken
Pass	1§	Dble	1©
Pass	2§	Pass	2©
All Pass

Again, both Norths opened 1§. For Netherlands, Jacco Hop doubled and Scotland's Kirsten Aitken bid her hearts. Emma Maitland rebid the clubs rather than show her spades, and Aitken bid a constructive but non-forcing 2©. We have seen that an East/West heart contract is an uncomfortable affair, and so it proved when south attempted to play in the same suit. Tim Heeres led a diamond but Hop won and switched to three rounds of spades for a ruff. Two more diamonds were followed by a fourth spade and the contract made only five tricks; -300.

It really didn't matter about the outcome of the 2© contract, because in the other room Gregor Hodge decided that the best approach to the East hand was to overcall 1NT, showing his range and hand-type. When Danny Molenaar doubled, Myles Ellison redoubled. His hand suggests that Ellison thought that this was SOS but Hodge did not take it that way. He stood the redouble and was two down for -1000; 16 IMPs to The Netherlands.

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