Sweden v Netherlands – Girls Round 7

Sweden and Netherlands were lying joint-third after six rounds of the Girls Championship, making their Round 7 meeting absolutely crucial to their medal hopes. The match started quietly but we did not have to wait very long for the first big swing.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
S Rimstedt	Dekker	C Rimstedt	Barendrecht
2©	Pass	4©	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Wortel	Sjoberg	Michielsen	Ryman
Pass	1¨	1©	2¨
4©	Pass	Pass	4ª
All Pass

Jenny Ryman, Sweden

For Sweden, Sandra Rimstedt had a two-suited 2© opening available to her and used it. When sister, Cecilia raised to 4© Rosalien Barendrecht was in a very awakward position as South. Her distribution clearly suggested that she should bid but her lack of high cards, allied to the fact that she was vulnerable, made that look to be very dangerous. She elected to pass and the Swedes had stolen the pot. Astrid Dekker led a spade and, after cashing two of those, Baerndrecht switched to a club for the king and ace. Dekker cashed the ¨A for down one; –100.

Meike Wortel did not have a two-suited opening in her bag so passed. Emma Sjoberg opened the North hand 1¨ and now it didn't matter how much East/West competed, and they did get up to 4©, Jenny Ryman was always going to bid up to game with the South cards. She began with an inverted diamond raise then showed the spades at her second trun and was left to play the spade game. After the singleton diamond lead from Wortel, Ryman won the ace, drew trumps and conceded a diamond; twelve tricks for +680 and 11 IMPs to Sweden.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
S Rimstedt	Dekker	C Rimstedt	Barendrecht
-	-	-	Pass
1NT	Dble	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Wortel	Sjoberg	Michielsen	Ryman
-	-	-	Pass
1NT	Dble	Pass	2§
All Pass

Though both Norths doubled the strong no trump opening, the doubles did not have the same meanings.

Dekker's double was natural, penalty, and it was normal for Barendrecht, looking at an ace and a balanced hand, to pass it. Dekker cashed five rounds of clubs then switched to a spade to the ace and a spade was returned to declarer's king. Sandra Rimstedt had not come down to the right eight cards after the run of the clubs, or she would have got out for one down, of course. Having thrown a heart earleir, she had to concede a diamond and a spade for down two; –500.

Sjoberg's double was take-out, showing four cards in a major plus a longer minor. It was normal for Ryman to bid 2§ and for Sjoberg to let her play there. With clubs three-two and the spades producing three tricks, 2§ was a very comfortable contract and Sjoberg scored nine tricks for +110, but 9 IMPs to Netherlands.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
S Rimstedt	Dekker	C Rimstedt	Barendrecht
-	-	Pass	Pass
Pass	1NT	2¨	Pass
2ª	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Wortel	Sjoberg	Michielsen	Ryman
-	-	Pass	Pass
Pass	1NT	All Pass

Both Norths opened 1NT and the vulnerability convinced Marion Michielsen to keep quiet with the East cards while Cecilia Rimstedt overcalled to show spades and another, getting her side to 2ª. This time it was right to compete.

Michielsen led a spade against 1NT. Sjoberg won dummy's queen and knocked out the §A. The defence took the diamonds then switched to spades and Sjoberg ran for home; +90.

Dekker led a club against 2ª. Sandra Rimstedt won and passed the ª10 to the queen. The heart jack was covered by king and ace and Dekker switched to a diamond. Declarer won and played a spade to the ace and had the rest; +140 and 6 IMPs to Sweden.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
S Rimstedt	Dekker	C Rimstedt	Barendrecht
1©	1ª	4©	4NT
Pass	5§	5©	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Wortel	Sjoberg	Michielsen	Ryman
1©	1ª	2NT	3§
Pass	4ª	5©	Dble
All Pass

Two different routes to the same spot. North/South would have lost a trick in each suit had they played 5§ doubled (I assume that Sjoberg/Ryman would not have stayed in 4ª had it been doubled).

Wortel received a low spade lead and won dummy's queen. She ran the ©Q at trick two and that lost to the king. Back came a second spade to dummy's jack but there were two diamonds to be lost for down one; –100.

Rimstedt recieved the lead of ace and another diamond. She rose with dummy's king and led the ©Q, running it to the bare king. She got aspade switch now and won dummy's queen. Declarer crossed to hand with the §A to lead a spade towards the jack so had a discard for dummy's third diamond; down one for 100 and a flat board.
Had either declarer picked the trump suit correctly, she could then have made the contract by leading twice towards the ªQJ to establish three spade tricks including the ace for a discard of dummy's third diamond.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
S Rimstedt	Dekker	C Rimstedt	Barendrecht
-	-	-	1¨
2©	3¨	Pass	3NT
Pass	Pass	4ª	Dble
All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Wortel	Sjoberg	Michielsen	Ryman
-	-	-	1§
2©	3¨	Pass	3©
Pass	4¨	Pass	4©
Pass	5¨	Pass	6¨
All Pass

Barendrecht opened 1¨, caught a diamond raise from partner and tried 3NT, a contract that would have succeeded except on a spade lead. But Cecilia saved in 4ª and now Barendrecht doubled on the weight of high cards. Cecilia found a wonderful dummy and a winning club view left her with just a spade and a club to lose; +690.

Ryman opened with a strong club and found he rpartner able to show a positive in her own five-card suit. Ryman cuebid and went on to slam facing a sign-off. Six Diamonds was hopeless, particularly with the ©Q marked offside on the auction. Sjoberg won the spade lead, drew trumps and eliminated spades, but eventually lost two clubs and a heart for down two; –200 but still 10 IMPs to Sweden. Ryman/Sjoberg must have been impressed with that one when they scored up!

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
S Rimstedt	Dekker	C Rimstedt	Barendrecht
Pass	Pass	1NT	Pass
2©	Pass	3ª	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Wortel	Sjoberg	Michielsen	Ryman
Pass	Pass	1NT	Pass
2©	Pass	2ª	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Cecilia broke the transfer, which seems over-aggressive even when holding a maximum for her 14-16 no trump. That ensured that hse would play 4ª rather than the superior 3NT. Barendrecht led a trump and Cecilia won, drew the rest of the missing trumps and ran the ©9 to the jack. Back came a diamond which she won in dummy to play a heart to the ten and queen. Again a diamond was returned and there was no way home; down one for –100.

There is a winning line but declarer has to watch her entries. At the end she could have pinned the ©8 by leading her king, but then would have only the §A as an entry to cash the established ©7, and using the §A breaks up a necessary endplay. Suppose that declarer judges South to have most of the missing high cards for her trump lead. Declarer wins trick one in dummy and runs the ©9, wins the return in dummy and takes the second heart finesse. Now she can win the next lead in hand to lead the ©K and pin the eight. There is an entry to hand to cash the ©7 after drawing trumps, throwing a diamond, of course. Now declarer ruffs her diamond in dummy and takes the club finesse at trick eleven. South wins but is endplayed to lead away from the §J. It is assumed that South threw a diamond on the third round of clubs to keep her club holding intact. If not, declarer can make without an endplay because the §J will fall under the ace.

Meanwhile, Wortel transferred then jumped to 3NT and Michielsen judged that her 4-3-3-3 shape might make 3NT easier than 4ª. Right she was. The lead was a safe spade and declarer won in dummy to play a heart to her king. that lost to the ace and the ©Q and ©J were cashed; +600 and 12 IMPs to Netherlands.

Board 17. None Vul. Dealer North.
	ª A J 5 2 © A K J 9 8 7 2 ¨ 8 § 9
ª 9 © Q 5 3 ¨ Q 9 7 5 3 2 § 10 8 4		ª Q 8 © 4 ¨ A K § K Q J 7 6 5 3 2
	ª K 10 7 6 4 3 © 10 6 ¨ J 10 6 4 § A

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
S Rimstedt	Dekker	C Rimstedt	Barendrecht
-	1©	2§	2ª
Pass	4NT	5§	Pass
Pass	5¨	Dble	Pass
Pass	5ª	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Wortel	Sjoberg	Michielsen	Ryman
-	1©	2§	2ª
3§	4§	5§	5ª
All Pass

If I had to pick a contract after my partner had bid 2ª over the 2§ overcall, I guess I would pick 6ª. But, of course, North does not have to pick a contract, she can ask some questions of South.

Sjoberg chose to cuebid 4§ then trust partner's judgement when she bid 5ª over 5§ – presumably the ¨A was missing when Ryman didn't show it, and who could tell about the §A? The club lead meant all thirteen tricks for +510.

Dekker appears to have asked for key cards but not to have liked the response – meaning that either she was given the wrong response, or she can't count, as clearly two key cards is sufficient to bid the small slam. No doubt the partnership knows who was wrong and will not make the same mistake again. Here the lead was a diamond, meaning only twelve tricks for +480 so 1 IMP to Sweden.

For what it is worth, I like 4NT a lot better than 4§ from North, but I would hope to then have a system to cope with East's 5§ bid so that I would know how many key cards partner holds.

Board 18. N/S Vul. Dealer East.
	ª Q 8 7 5 © Q 10 7 4 ¨ - § J 10 9 4 2
ª K 3 © 9 ¨ J 9 8 5 3 § A K Q 8 6		ª J 9 6 4 © J 6 3 2 ¨ Q 7 6 4 § 7
	ª A 10 2 © A K 8 5 ¨ A K 10 2 § 5 3

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
S Rimstedt	Dekker	C Rimstedt	Barendrecht
-	-	Pass	1¨
2§	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	2©	Pass	Pass
3§	Dble	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Wortel	Sjoberg	Michielsen	Ryman
-	-	2©	Dble
2ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

This was horrible. I would have thought that it was normal for North to pass her partner's reopening double when looking at §J10942. Dekker was a very lucky girl when she instead bid 2©, only to now get an opportunity to double 3§. There is no excuse for Sandra's 3§ bid. Holding only a five-card suit, she has no reason at all to bid again and the double merely saw justice done.

Dekker led the §J and Sandra won and led her heart. Dekker won the queen and switched to a low spade to her partner's ace. Back came a club, which declarer won. Sandra cashed the ªK before playing a diamond to the queen and king. From here she was allowed ruffs with both her small trumps so got out for down three; –500.

Michielsen had an opening to show a weak hand with at least four-four in the majors – just what Wortel wanted to here, particularly when Ryman started with a double. The only positive thing about this situation, compared to that at the other table, was that South had no laid claim to the diamond suit – the one where East/West belong. But it is very tough to get to diamonds after this start and Wortel just gave preference to spades, trying to look as confident as she could. Alas, she did not look confident enough, because Ryman doubled again and that ended the auction. Sjoberg led the §J and Wortel won and cashed s econd club, throwing a heart from dummy. She then played a diamond to the queen and king and Ryman cashed a second diamond then gave her partner a diamond ruff. It was difficult for Ryman to appreciate that declarer had only two trumps, but this line of defence actually helped Wortel a little. Still, she could only scramble five tricks and that meant –500 and just another dull push.

Sweden ended up with a narrow victory, 38-32 IMPs or 16-14 VPs, giving them third place overnight, 2 VPs clear of Netherlands but quite a way behind the two leaders.