Round 1 - Denmark vs Poland

In the Open Room, the Kotorowicz brothers from Poland, who along with one of their team-mates and their N.P.C. won the Schools event two years ago, faced Denmark's Andreas Marquardsen and Martin Schaltz, who won bronze at the World Youth Championships in Brazil last year, and who were among the elite who competed at
Salt Lake City in February. The coverage of this Round also includes the England - France match, thanks to information provided by Vu-Graph commentator Barry Rigal.

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

West	North	East	South
Krzysztof	Marquardsen	Jakub	Schaltz
	1§	1©	Pass
1ª	2§	2¨	Pass
3§	Pass	3¨	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Denmark's defence was accurate. Andreas Marquardsen led his singleton heart, Martin Schaltz won the ace, declarer playing the three. Despite knowing that partner could ruff a heart, Schaltz switched unerringly to §9, and the club over-ruff was followed by a heart ruff for plus 100 to Denmark. Schaltz's Pass over 1H was an excellent call made after a slight pause for thought; on Vu-Graph the French South called 1ª over 1©, help Richard Probst and Ben Handley-Pritchard for England to reach a happy 3NT contract worth 460.

In the Closed Room, North opened 2§, passed to West who doubled. East naturally responded 4H, converted to 4ª; same defence, a flat board. 2© over 2§, or 2NT in the balancing seat, would have worked out better. So was England's 460 a gain?

No. The French East/West bid as in the diagram above up to 3¨, with the French West Guillaume Grenthe choosing 3NT, which Krzysztof Kotorowicz for Poland had considered for quite a long time too. England's South doubled 3NT, and ©10 to the king followed by some spade and diamond finesses plus 850 was 9 IMPs to France.

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

West	North	East	South
Krzysztof	Marquardsen	Jakub	Schaltz
		Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1©	Pass
2¨	Pass	2ª	Pass
4©	All Pass

2¨ was an artifical enquiry. ¨2 was led to the ten and jack. The Danish leads were 2nd, 4th and 6th, with Trelde and Schneider also mentioned on their Convention Card, whatever they may be. Jakub Kotorowicz tried a diamond to the queen. Careful examination of North's pips, the seven then the eight playing Reverse Count, suggested that a 6-2 diamond break was possible, so he cashed the ace and king of hearts to play safe. Newt came a spade to the king, on which North did not unblock the jack. ©J went to the queen and ªJ was played. It's harder to concentrate when your earlier plays have been greeted with bad breaks, and pressure is always highest on the first few boards of a big Championship, so Jakub covered ªQ, missing his last chance. Schaltz switched to §2 to the ace and ¨A was ruffed, down one.

In the Closed Room, Jonas Houmoller sitting East opened 2© (both majors), leading to 4ª by his partner Bjorg Houmoller, on a diamond lead to the ten and queen. When Pawel Wittenbeck won ªA, he switched to ©5, 10 IMPs to Denmark.

The English South was not deterred by the vulnerability from a 2¨ opening which persuaded East/West to play 5© down one. When Ben Handley-Pritchard opened the East hand 2§, his partner Richard Probst declared 4ª for 450, and 11 IMPs to England. The results on Board 2 suggest that active two openings gain IMPs.

Denmark won the next 10 boards by 4 IMPs to 2. The Vu-Graph match was equally quiet, except for one British accident not worth reporting. Poland's Krzysztof Kotorowicz had a nasty moment on Board 9. You hold ª1094 ©J 3 ¨AJ75 §AK98. LHO deals and opens 4ª at favourable vulnerability, all pass. Partner leads ¨K, then ¨2 to your ace. Dummy holds ªK8 ©AK95 ¨963 §10653. You win DA. Declarer has played ¨10 then ¨8. What do you lead to Trick Three?

Krzysztof played ¨5, in case partner had a doubleton. Other than it being unlikely that declarer would have retained ¨ Q 4, it is hard to construct a hand where it costs to cash §K first, to obtain the relevant attitude or count signal (depending on your partnership's agreement). All was well, as partner held HQ, declarer having ªAQJ7652 ©106 ¨108 §Q7, which is a normal 4ª (not 3ª) opening at the prevailing vulnerability nowadays.

On Board 13, England lost an unlucky 8 IMPs when France missed a very good 26 point game, which duly failed due to a series of bad breaks.

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

West	North	East	South
Krzysztof	Marquardsen	Jakub	Schaltz
		Pass	1©
3©	3NT	Pass	4§
5§	5¨	6§	Pass
Pass	6©	All Pass

§A was led, declarer drew trumps and ¨J was covered, for a gratifying plus 980 to Denmark. 3NT was alerted, showing 4+ hearts and 5+ diamonds I believe. I think 4§ confirmed a diamond fit, and North/South sailed into the difficult-to-bid slam, which figures to make, as the stopper-requesting 3© call makes ¨K likely to be onside. The post mortem was vigorous, but as the languages were Polish and Danish, my reporting skills failed - I think that East asked West something about a 7§ sacrifice.

At the other table, Jonas Houmoller opened 2ª on the East cards, silencing North/South throughout. His brother Bjorg enquired with 2NT then bid 3NT over the 3ª response. Jonas persisted with 4ª, which presumably was not a slam try, down one for a 14 IMP gain. Had North been given the opportunity to lead his longest suit against 3NT, South would have had even more cause to regret not overcalling 3©.

England gained 9 IMPs by playing 5© and 5§ doubled. Gareth Birdsall doubled the 3© overcall, his partner Ollie Burgess bid 4©, West bid 5§ and Birdsall 5©. The French North simply bid 4© over the 3© overcall, then doubled West's 5§ save.

On Board 16, Marquardsen held ªKJ73 ©Q873 ¨1065 §103. LHO opened 1©, 2¨ by RHO, 2NT (15-18) on his left, a 4© signoff on the right, and a slow pass by LHO. What do you lead?

It's hard to argue with Marquardsen's choice of a low spade, as the player with trump length often leads from length to try to gain trump control. Declarer held ªAQ and now made 4© easily. 4© failed on minor suit leads on other auctions at the other three tables.

A wheel fell of for France on Board 18, landing in 6¨ down three. Unluckily for England, bad breaks caused game to fail at the other three tables, so their gain was small.

Board 19. Dealer South. East/West Vul.
	ª K 10 5 © Q 10 4 ¨ K 10 8 7 3 § K 5
ª A J 9 7 6 © 8 7 3 ¨ - § Q J 7 6 3		ª Q 2 © A 5 ¨ A Q J 9 2 § A 10 9 2
	ª 8 4 3 © K J 9 6 2 ¨ 6 5 4 § 8 4

West	North	East	South
Krzysztof	Marquardsen	Jakub	Schaltz
			2¨
Pass	3©	3NT	All Pass

Another triumph for frequent aggressive Danish pre-empts. West might have bid 2ª over 2¨ which had shown 5+ hearts, or might have bid over 3NT, but couldn't partner have had solid diamonds and ©Kx?

However, the play's the thing, and H6 was led to the queen on which the ace was played with a slight flicker, reasoning that 2nd/4th/6th best leads meant that South has five rather than six hearts. Declarer quickly played ªQ, which Marquardsen smoothly ducked, playing declarer for ©AK doubleton. Jakub, reasoned that South would have covered ªQ qith the king, so he rose with ªA on the second spade and took the club finesse for nine tricks.

In the Closed Room, North opened 1¨, and declarer made 3NT on a diamond lead for a curious flat board. England defeated 3NT and Probst - Hanley-Pritchard bid well to 5§ to gain 12 IMPs.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª A J 9 7 © A Q J 9 ¨ 5 § Q 6 5 3
ª 8 6 2 © 5 ¨ A Q 4 3 § A J 8 7 2		ª K 10 3 © 10 8 7 3 ¨ 8 7 2 § K 10 9
	ª Q 5 4 © K 6 4 2 ¨ K J 10 9 6 § 4

West	North	East	South
Krzysztof	Marquardsen	Jakub	Schaltz
1¨	Dbl	Pass	2©
4©	Pass	Pass	Dbl
All Pass

The last hand tests the defence's patience. Krzysztof decided to lead ª6 against 4ª doubled, when a heart is probably a better choice, given that partner's heart holding has been exposed by the double. Jakub won the king to play ¨7 to the queen. A passive heart or spade exit is best, but after considerable thought Krysztof tried §A, then erred by continuing with §2 instead of §J, his partner rose with §K, setting up the queen in dummy, which was declarer's tenth trick without needing a ruffing diamond finesse. Perhaps the contract would have made anyway, as it did undoubled at the other table for 5 IMPs to Denmark, who won the match 44 - 18 IMPs, 20 -10. In the other match, England allowed 4© home, and France did not, which gave France an 18-12 win.