Croatia v Spain – Juniors Round 2

By Richard Probst

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Priu Tous	Kulovic	Gomez	Martinovic
-	Pass	Pass	Pass
2¨	Pass	2©	Dble
3©	Dble	Pass	3ª
Pass	Pass	4©	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

This featured a curious auction due to a failure to alert 2©, which was doubled for take-out on one side of the screen. The play was dull after the Aª lead and a diamond switch; +100 was worth 2 IMPs to Croatia. However, as a spectator I had a feeling a doubled partscore han been in the offing.

Verdran Zoric and Karlo Bruljan showed how to bid the grand slam on Board 3 despite opposition interfence.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zoric	S Torres	Brguljan	Goncalves
-	-	-	2©
Dble	4©	4ª	Pass
4NT	Pass	5¨	Pass
5©	Pass	5NT	Pass
7S	All Pass

Five Diamonds showed one ace, 5© asked for the queen of trumps, and 5NT showed both the ªQ and the king of diamonds. Well done.

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

The contract reached was 3NT by West, after 1¨ – 2§ – 2© – 3NT.

This deal featured declarer leaving the right path and the defence punishing him. This was a theme in the match, as many contracts which could have made went off. Sandra Kulovic led the ©3, which was taken with the ©K. Declarer now played §A and a second club, on which North pitched a heart. South (Slavica Martinovic) won the §K and switched to a diamond round to the Jack. Declarer now cashed two clubs pitching two diamonds, before playing a spade to the ace and a second spade to the jack and queen. A diamond through the ace-queen in dummy now left declarer with only eight tricks, and 12 IMPs to the Croats.

Board 9 featured four bids at the five level, all of which were correct judgements.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Priu Tous	Kulovic	Gomez	Martinovic
-	Pass	1§	1ª
2©	4ª	Pass	Pass
5§	5¨	5©	5ª
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

This was cold for 11 tricks on a club lead for another 11 IMPs to Croatia, who now led 64-0; this lead had been built on the back of solid results in both rooms.

Board 16 gave the Spaniards their second swing of the match.

Board 16. E/W Vul. Dealer West.
	ª J 9 7 © 10 9 7 4 ¨ K 10 7 6 § 10 5
ª A 10 8 5 4 © A Q 6 ¨ 8 § A K Q 2		ª 2 © K 3 2 ¨ Q 9 5 3 2 § J 9 7 6
	ª K Q 6 3 © J 8 5 ¨ A J 4 § 8 4 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Priu Tous	Kulovic	Gomez	Martinovic
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
3§	Pass	4§	Pass
5§	All Pass

The contract is unbeatable with declarer able to ruff three spades in dummy even on a trump lead. Declarer took this line and scored a well deserved 10 IMPs when Zoric and Bruljan, for Croatia, stayed in 3§ in the other room. This brought the score to 78-26 to the Croats who scored another 17 IMPs over the last four boards to win the match by 95-26 IMPs, or 25-2 VP.

Nicely Played

By Barry Rigal

Evgeni Rudakov of the Russian Junior team is the only declarer I have yet heard about to play this 3NT contract from Round 1 correctly.

Board 13. All Vul. Dealer North.
	ª 10 7 6 5 3 © K 3 2 ¨ 9 6 3 2 § 10
ª K 4 © 7 6 5 4 ¨ Q § A Q 9 7 6 2		ª A Q 9 8 2 © A 8 ¨ A 8 5 4 § 8 5
	ª J © Q J 10 9 ¨ K J 10 7 § K J 4 3

Rudakov played 3NT as West on the lead of the two of hearts. He correctly took the ace immediately for fear of a diamond switch and led a club to his queen. Many declarers, on seeing the fall of the jack, simply cashed the }A next and could not recover. But there is a way to ensure five club winners, and that is the number required to guarantee the contract.

Rudakov played the [4 to dummy's queen at trick three then led the }8. When South played low he overtook with the nine and two more rounds of the suit gave him nine tricks – five clubs, two spades and two red aces. Had the }9 lost to the ten, it would have meant that the suit had broken evenly, of course.