Sweden
v Russia & France v Netherlands
In Round 20 Sweden met Russia, while England faced the Netherlands.
Two important matches, which turned out to be low scoring encounters.
For England the Hackett twins found several deals that fitted in
well to their buccaneering tactics, but the outcome was not always
favourable.
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Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
|
| |
ª Q J 5
© J 7 3
¨ K J 10 5 4
§ A 6 |
ª A 4 3
© A Q 6 5 2
¨ Q 3
§ J 3 2 |
 |
ª K 9 2
© K 10 8
¨ A 6
§ K 10 9 8 7 |
| |
ª 10 8 7 6
© 9 4
¨ 9 8 7 2
§ Q 5 4 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| De Wijs |
Justin |
Muller |
Jason |
| |
1¨ |
Pass |
2NT* |
| Pass |
3¨ |
All Pass |
|
2NT Seriously weak raise
The Netherlands lost this board in the bidding – maybe West
should have protected with Three Hearts?
Declarer made the obvious seven tricks, -100.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Price |
Verhees |
Simpson |
Jansma |
| |
1¨ |
Dble |
3¨ |
| 4© |
All Pass |
|
|
East’s double made life very easy. There is no defence to
Four Hearts, and when North led the ten of diamonds declarer quickly
recorded eleven tricks, +450 and 8 IMPs.
|
Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª 8 6 3 2
© J 8 3
¨ Q 10 8 2
§ A 9 |
ª 9 7
© K 5 4
¨ J 3
§ K Q 7 6 3 2 |
|
ª A K Q J 10
© Q 9 2
¨ A 9 7 4
§ 8 |
| |
ª 5 4
© A 10 7 6
¨ K 6 5
§ J 10 5 4 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| De Wijs |
Justin |
Muller |
Jason |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
2¨* |
2ª |
3¨ |
| Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
 |
| |
Bauke Muller, Netherlands |
2¨ weak 5+ ¨, 3-10 1&2, 3-13 3rd, 9-14 4th
You can choose your own adjective to describe North’s opening
salvo.
Best defence, two rounds of spades followed by a club switch,
will hold declarer to five tricks. East switched to a trump at trick
two and declarer won in hand and played back a spade. East won,
cashed the ace of diamonds and forced dummy with a spade. Declarer
ruffed, played a club to the queen and ace and a club. East ruffed,
cashed a spade and played a heart. West won and played a club, promoting
East’s nine of diamonds. Down three, -500.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Price |
Verhees |
Simpson |
Jansma |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
1¨ |
1ª |
Dble |
| 2§ |
Pass |
2ª |
All Pass |
Declarer made nine tricks in spades, +140 but a loss of 8 IMPs.
|
Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª Q
© 10 7 5 4 3
¨ 8 7 4 3
§ Q 8 4 |
ª 4 2
© K J 9 2
¨ A 10 5
§ K J 6 3 |
|
ª J 10 7 6 5
© Q 8
¨ K J 9 2
§ A 5 |
| |
ª A K 9 8 3
© A 6
¨ Q 6
§ 10 9 7 2 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| De Wijs |
Justin |
Muller |
Jason |
| |
2©* |
Pass |
2ª* |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
2© weak 5+ ¨, 3-10 1&2, 3-13 3rd, 9-14 4th
2ª Nat, constructive, NF
Another outrageous steal by the Hackett’s. Declarer made
five tricks, -150.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Price |
Verhees |
Simpson |
Jansma |
| |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
| 2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
| 3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
 | |
Colin Simpson, England |
|
West followed the excellent practical rule that if you have an
opening bid and partner opens the bidding you should play in game.
North led the three of hearts and South won and played a heart back
to dummy’s queen. Declarer ducked a spade to North’s
queen, won the heart return, discarding a club and played a spade
to the ten and king, North discarding a diamond. South exited with
a club and the fate of the contract now depended on how declarer
tackled the diamonds. It was clear North held length in the suit,
so declarer crossed to the ace of diamonds, cashed the two winning
kings and ran the ten of diamonds. When it lost he was three down,
-300 and 10 IMPs to Netherlands that might so easily have gone the
other way.
Only five IMPs change hands over the remaining eleven boards and
Netherlands won 27-9, 19-11 VP.
By the time Russia and Sweden had reached Board 13 the score had
advanced to 7-2 in favour of the former.
|
Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
|
| |
ª 10
© 7 5 3
¨ A 8
§ K Q 10 9 5 4 2 |
ª Q J 5 4 2
© Q J 9 8 6 2
¨ -
§ A 3 |
|
ª A K 8 6 3
© A
¨ K 10 9 7 3
§ 7 6 |
| |
ª 9 7
© K 10 4
¨ Q J 6 5 4 2
§ J 8 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Petrunin |
Lindkvist |
Gromov |
Fredin |
| |
3§ |
3ª |
Pass |
| 4§* |
Pass |
4¨* |
Dble |
| 5¨* |
Dble |
5©* |
Pass |
| 6ª |
All Pass |
|
|
Declarer did not go flat out, collecting +1430. Would the Swedish
pair get to the grand slam?
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Sylvan |
Khven |
Sundelin |
Dubinin |
| |
3§ |
3ª |
Pass |
| 4§* |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
| 4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
Not quite. +720, and the first significant swing of the match was
in favour of Russia, who collected 12 IMPs. They immediately struck
again.
|
Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
|
| |
ª A J 8 7
© K Q 8 3
¨ K 6
§ 10 9 7 |
ª 5 3 2
© A J
¨ A 9 5 4 3 2
§ 4 2 |
|
ª K 9 6 4
© 10 9 7
¨ 10 8 7
§ K J 5 |
| |
ª Q 10
© 6 5 4 2
¨ Q J
§ A Q 8 6 3 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Petrunin |
Lindkvist |
Gromov |
Fredin |
| |
|
Pass |
1§ |
| 1¨ |
Dble* |
1ª |
2© |
| Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
West led the three of spades and declarer took the ace and played
back the suit. East switched to the five of clubs and declarer put
up the ace. He had to lose a trick in every suit, one down, -50.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Sylvan |
Khven |
Sundelin |
Dubinin |
| |
|
Pass |
Pass |
| Pass |
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
| Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2NT |
| Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
West led the two of spades and declarer played low from dummy.
East won with the king and switched to the king of clubs. Declarer
won and played a heart and West went in with the ace, cashed the
ace of diamonds and played a club. +420 and another 10 IMPs to make
the score 29-2.
|
Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª K 9
© 10 9 6
¨ A 9 6 5
§ A 7 5 2 |
ª Q 5 2
© Q 7 5 3 2
¨ Q 4 2
§ 9 6 |
|
ª A 8 7 6 3
© J 8 4
¨ J 7
§ Q J 8 |
| |
ª J 10 4
© A K
¨ K 10 8 3
§ K 10 4 3 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Petrunin |
Lindkvist |
Gromov |
Fredin |
| Pass |
1§* |
Pass |
1¨* |
| Pass |
1NT* |
Pass |
3NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
East led a spade and when West produced the queen declarer won
and had a second stopper in the suit. He played three rounds of
clubs and was soon claiming nine tricks, +400.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Sylvan |
Khven |
Sundelin |
Dubinin |
| Pass |
1¨ |
Pass |
2¨ |
| Pass |
2ª* |
Pass |
3NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
With South as declarer West found the killing heart lead. Declarer
won and played three rounds of clubs. East won and played back a
heart. There was nothing to be done, down one, -50 and 10 IMPs for
Sweden.
That was quickly followed by a another big swing.
|
Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
|
| |
ª A K J 8 7 2
© 5
¨ Q 10 4
§ A Q 7 |
ª 9 6
© A 10 9 4 2
¨ 6 2
§ J 9 8 2 |
|
ª Q 4
© K 3
¨ K J 9 7 5
§ K 10 6 5 |
| |
ª 10 5 3
© Q J 8 7 6
¨ A 8 3
§ 4 3 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Petrunin |
Lindkvist |
Gromov |
Fredin |
| |
|
1¨ |
1© |
| Pass |
2§* |
Dble |
2© |
| 3§ |
3NT |
Pass |
Pass |
| Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
2§ Artificial F1
East led a low diamond and declarer won with the ten and cashed
the top spades. Nine tricks were certain, but declarer went in search
of more. He cashed his spade winners and exited with a heart to
the queen and ace. West played a club, and East, who was down to
©K ¨KJ §k10 won with the ten and exited with the king of clubs.
Declarer won and the queen of clubs squeezed East for eleven tricks
and +1150.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Sylvan |
Khven |
Sundelin |
Dubinin |
| |
|
1§* |
Pass |
| 1¨* |
1ª |
Pass |
2ª |
| Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
With an awkward lead, East tried the six of clubs. Declarer won,
cashed a top spade, cashed a club, ruffed a club and played for
the drop in spades, +620, but a loss of 11 IMPs.
|
Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª A 10
© A 9 8 2
¨ A J
§ Q J 8 7 2 |
ª Q 9 6 4
© K 10 7 5
¨ Q 9 3
§ 10 4 |
|
ª J 7
© 6 4 3
¨ 10 6 4 2
§ A 9 6 5 |
| |
ª K 8 5 3 2
© Q J
¨ K 8 7 5
§ K 3 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Petrunin |
Lindkvist |
Gromov |
Fredin |
| |
|
|
1ª |
| Pass |
2§* |
Pass |
2©* |
| Pass |
2ª* |
Pass |
3§* |
| Pass |
3¨* |
Pass |
3©* |
| Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
| |
 |
| |
Alexander Petrunin,
Russia |
The Swedish relays kept the nature of the North hand undisclosed
and East led the five of clubs. North won and returned the suit.
When the king was allowed to win he played the jack of hearts for
the king and ace. A club saw East win with the nine and he played
a heart to the queen. A spade to the ace was followed by a club.
East won and played a heart and declarer claimed ten tricks, +430.
At the other table, North/South came to rest in Five Clubs –
alas we have been unable to ascertain the bidding or play. The contract
can be made, but went one down, - 50 and another 10 IMPs to Sweden,
who had turned the match round to win 40-19 IMPs, 19-11 VP.
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