Israel v Austria – Open Round 2

Austrian players are not noted for their dull, down the middle approach to the game. This first deal from the second round Open match against Israel was a good example. In the Open room the deal was a quiet 4[+1 for +450 to Austria.

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

West	North	East	South
Wernle	Ginossar	Schifko	Pachtman
		Pass	1¨
1©	1ª	4©	Pass
Pass	4ª	Pass	Pass
Dble	Rdbl	5©	Dble
All Pass

Sascha Wernle could not bear to pass over the 1{ opening when holding 14 HCP, so tried a four-card overcall. That caught Martin Schifko with a very shapely hand with support and a pre-emptive raise seemed appropriate, despite the vulnerability. Eldad Ginossar thought for some time before bidding 4[ when 4] came around to him, wondering if perhaps there could either be a slam his way or a penalty. When 4[ came back to Wernle he doubled, imagining that his partner might have more high cards at this vulnerability. He was swiftly informed that he had made an error when Ginossar redoubled. That was about to make an overtrick but Schifko ran to 5], which was doubled. There was little to the play and that was a quick four down for -1100 and 12 IMPs to Israel.

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

West	North	East	South
Wernle	Ginossar	Schifko	Pachtman
		Pass	Pass
1NT	Dble	2NT	Pass
3§	3©	Dble	All Pass

With 4[ cold – we’ll come to that in a moment, Martin Schifko did very well to jockey his opponents into a hopeless heart contract then double it. He did slightly less well in the defence, but that proved to be a relatively cheap error. Schifko led a club to the queen and king and Wernle switched to a trump. Ginossar won that and played two more rounds of the suit. Schifko won and cashed the ace of diamonds before switching back to clubs. Wernle won and played a third round, ruffed. Ginossar exited with a trump to the queen and Schifko was endplayed, forced to either lead his spade or put dummy in with a diamond, to the same effect. That was still one down for –200, but it could have been two down had Schifko cashed the ]Q when he had the chance, forcing declarer to lose a spade trick.

In the other room, Austria made 4[ to gain 13 IMPs, which may look quite normal at first glance. However, what happens if the defence cashes its three winners then gives a ruff and discard?
Say that declarer ruffs in dummy and throws a heart from hand. He can play ]A and ruff a heart, but must then draw trumps to avoid an overruff, so has no trump left in dummy to take a second heart ruff – down one. OK, so let’s ruff in hand and throw a diamond from dummy. Now the hearts can be established but there is no entry to cash them. So does the contract have to fail? No – declarer must pitch dummy’s singleton heart on the third club. Now he ruffs a heart, plays [J then a second spade to hand, ruffs another heart and comes to hand with a diamond ruff to draw the last trump and cash the hearts – no problem.

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

West	North	East	South
Wernle	Ginossar	Schifko	Pachtman
			Pass
Pass	1§	3¨	Dble
Pass	4©	All Pass

With 3NT fated to go down on a diamond lead, it seems that the Israelis had done well to reach the four-three heart fit – until the bad trump split comes to light. Double dummy, 4] is easy enough to make by playing on clubs and not drawing trumps. Eventually, declarer can ruff the long winning clubs in dummy and West’s small trumps become irrelevant. In real life, however, 4] went down. The lead was a diamond and declarer won the king, crossed to dummy with a trump and played a club. On the diamond return he threw his low spade on the ace and played another club. A third round of diamonds forced North to ruff and now there was no way to avoid two more losers. Indeed, attempting to draw trumps led to down two for –100.

Five Clubs is the spot, as it happens, and Austria did reach clubs at the other table. Alas, that was at the six level, and the two trump losers meant one down; –50 but 2 IMPs to Austria.

Board 12. Dealer West. North/South Vul.
	ª A Q 10 7 3 © 3 ¨ K 5 § A Q 5 4 2
ª 2 © J 10 7 2 ¨ Q J 10 7 4 § J 9 6		ª 9 6 5 4 © 9 8 5 4 ¨ 9 8 3 § K 3
	ª K J 8 © A K Q 6 ¨ A 6 2 § 10 8 7

West	North	East	South
Wernle	Ginossar	Schifko	Pachtman
Pass	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	3©	Pass	3ª
Pass	4§	Pass	4¨
Dble	Pass	Pass	Rdbl
Pass	4NT	Pass	5¨
Pass	5ª	Pass	6ª
All Pass

Six Spades was the contract at both tables and it was a matter of whether or not declarer could pick the club position. Both cashed the ace then led to the queen for a push at one down. Elsewhere, some declarers guessed well, and some guessed less well. But read a separate article to see how declarer can do better than rely on the guess if he thinks he can read the distribution.

Board 15. Dealer South. North/South Vul.
	ª K 9 8 5 © Q 8 4 2 ¨ A 4 § K 7 5
ª J 7 6 2 © 9 ¨ 9 2 § A 9 8 6 3 2		ª A 10 4 3 © 10 7 3 ¨ K Q J 10 7 3 § -
	ª Q © A K J 6 5 ¨ 8 6 5 § Q J 10 4

West	North	East	South
Wernle	Ginossar	Schifko	Pachtman
			1©
Pass	2NT	3¨	4©
Pass	Pass	4ª	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

In the other room, Austria made 4] without breaking sweat for +620. Schifko took the unilateral view to go on to 4[ over 4] and was rewarded when Wernle turned up with four-card spade support. Ron Pachtman cashed a top heart and switched to a club. Schifko ruffed in hand and played the king of diamonds, ducked, and a second diamond. Ginossar won that and played a second club, again ruffed in hand. Schifko threw a club on a winning diamond and Ginossar ruffed and returned another club. Schifko again ruffed in hand, cashed the ace of spades and played a diamond. Ginossar had two trump tricks but that was all; two down for –300 but 8 IMPs to Austria.

The final score was 52-33 IMPs to Israel, converting to a useful 19-11 VP win against a dangerous opponent.