For the first session after lunch the line-ups of all but one teams had been changed. Only the Allegra team continued with their original line-up, as they don’t have much choice. So Di Bello-D’Avossa would face Angelini-Sementa whereas Lauria-Versace would face Bocchi-Duboin again, but turned at right angles. I will come back to this match in the report about the third quarter. In the other match, for Besiktas Kubac would replace Kandemir as Zorlu’s partner, Senguler-Dogan would replace Tarhan and Kandemir. For Schaltz, Schaltz jr-Christiansen would continue and Bruun-Fredin would be replaced by the Schaltz couple. This replacement worked very well, as the Schaltzes gave us an impressive performance in what turned out to be a very good game overall. The Besiktas NS pair showed some signs of overoptimism early on:

Board 3. Dlr: South/EW
	♠ ♥ A J 4 2 ♦ 9 8 4 2 ♣ A Q J 6 4
♠ 9 8 4 ♥ 9 6 5 ♦ A K Q 6 ♣ 10 7 5		♠ A K Q 5 3 2 ♥ Q 3 ♦ J 7 3 ♣ K 9
	♠ J 10 7 6 ♥ K 10 8 7 ♦ 10 5 ♣ 8 3 2

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Schaltz P	Kubac	Schaltz D	Zorlu
			Pass
Pass	1♣	1♠	Pass
2♠	Dbl	3♠	Dbl
All pass

One level too early: Schaltz +730. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Senguler	Schaltz M	Dogan	Christian
			Pass
Pass	1♥	2♠	Pass
3♦	Pass	3♥	Dbl
3♠	Pass	4♠	All pass

1♥ was Canapé, 2♠ was intermediate and the rest was…silence by South who quietly collected another +100 for a gain of 13 imps. Schaltz had taken the lead now: 39-35. Two boards later:

Board 5. Dlr: North/NS
	♠ 10 9 7 3 2 ♥ K 5 4 3 ♦ 4 2 ♣ K 6
♠ K Q J 5 ♥ A Q 9 ♦ A J 8 ♣ 7 4 2		♠ 8 4 ♥ J 10 7 ♦ K Q 7 6 5 ♣ J 9 5
	♠ A 6 ♥ 8 6 2 ♦ 10 9 3 ♣ A Q 10 8 3

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Schaltz P	Kubac	Schaltz D	Zorlu
	Pass	Pass	1♣
Dbl	1♠	2♦	Pass
Pass	2♥	All pass

When in doubt, leave your opponents alone, Peter Schaltz will have thought. Down two, 200 with no game on for EW. Of course he knew very well what to do when Dorthe could not move over 2♥. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Senguler	Schaltz M	Dogan	Christian
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	2♣	Pass
2♠	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All pass

Once again, the light opening made the difference. When the Danish South (for once?) did not open, EW were left to their own resources and quickly reached an understandable but hopeless game. Spade lead, club switch, next board. 7 more imps for Schaltz. Two boards later, Zorlu had to play very well to save the board but he rose to the occasion:

Board 7. Dlr: South/All
	♠ J 3 ♥ Q J ♦ A K 10 9 7 4 ♣ A 4 2
♠ Q 4 ♥ A K 5 4 ♦ 8 3 2 ♣ K 9 8 6		♠ A 7 5 ♥ 9 7 3 2 ♦ J 5 ♣ Q J 5 3
	♠ K 10 9 8 6 2 ♥ 10 8 6 ♦ Q 6 ♣ 10 7

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Schaltz P	Kubac	Schaltz D	Zorlu
			Pass
1NT	Pass	Pass	2♦
All pass

2♦ was Multi but North elected to leave it alone for reasons only known to himself. What’s wrong with playing in spades holding Jx of the suit and AK, A? Well, maybe he trusted South’s declarer play and in that respect he was quite right. A trump lead (very good choice by West) went to the queen and a heart was taken by West’s king. West shifted to a club, won by East’s jack, and back came another trump. Declarer won and played three more rounds of trumps. East discarded two clubs, West a club and a heart. Next came the ♣A and another club to West’s king. Having only hearts and spades left, West was forced now to present declarer with his eighth trick in his hand. Nicely played for +90! Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Senguler	Schaltz M	Dogan	Christian
			Pass
1♣	1NT	Pass	2♥
Pass	2♠	All pass

When West did not open 1NT (EW don’t play weak NT) North could overcall 1NT and a transfer sequence landed NS in the proper contract.. Just made for +110 and 1 more imp to Schaltz.

Board 9. Dlr: North/EW
	♠ K Q ♥ A Q J 5 2 ♦ K 10 7 6 4 ♣ 5
♠ A 8 7 3 ♥ K 10 6 ♦ A J 9 ♣ A Q 7		♠ 10 9 6 5 2 ♥ 9 7 4 ♦ ♣ 10 9 6 3 2
	♠ J 4 ♥ 8 3 ♦ Q 8 5 3 2 ♣ K J 8 4

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Schaltz P	Kubac	Schaltz D	Zorlu
	1♥	Pass	1NT
Dbl	2♦	Pass	3♦
Pass	3♠	Pass	3NT
All pass

Some overstretching by North saw the pair go overboard here. Peter Schaltz led a spade and, when in with the ♦A, made the careful play of another low spade to dummy’s king, thus denying South any possible entry to his hand. When declarer next played a club to the jack and queen, the contract went down three without any further problem. Schaltz +150. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Senguler	Schaltz M	Dogan	Christian
	1♣	Pass	1♦
Pass	2♣	Pass	2NT
Pass	3♦	All pass

(1):6-9 any or 10+ 4+♥
1♣ showed among others 10+ hcp and 4+ hearts, confirmed by the 2♣ rebid. 3♦ was a natural reply to the second relay, and there it rested. Schaltz another +130 and 7 imps. The score over the first nine boards read 43-1 to them! On the last board of the set we saw a very neat defence at one table against the partscore reached at both tables:

Board 12. Dlr: West/NS
	♠ K J 8 ♥ Q 9 3 2 ♦ J 3 ♣ K Q 6 4
♠ A 10 2 ♥ K J 7 5 ♦ A ♣ A J 10 8 5		♠ 6 5 4 3 ♥ 6 ♦ K Q 6 4 2 ♣ 9 7 3
	♠ Q 9 7 ♥ A 10 8 4 ♦ 10 9 8 7 5 ♣ 2

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Schaltz P	Kubac	Schaltz D	Zorlu
1♣	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♥	Pass	3♣	All pass

Kubac led a low trump! Had declarer put up dummy’s 7, he would have enabled himself to take a view in hearts next, but who can blame him for playing low? So the ♣5 won the first trick and all the locals started yelling for champagne, of course. The ♦A was unblocked and a low heart was taken by Kubac who continued a bold ♣K! Right he was: declarer could still win the ace, ruff a heart and discard two spades on the top diamonds, but Kubac would ruff the ♦A, cash the high trump and exit in spades to leave declarer with two more losing hearts for one down. Well defended, Besiktas +50. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Senguler	Schaltz M	Dogan	Christian
1♣	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♥	Pass	2NT	Pass
3♣	All pass

No inspiration at the other table. ♦J lead to the ace, ♥J won by the queen and a diamond back. Though North could ruff the next top diamond, he was far too late to prevent the heart ruffs so the contract made with a overtrick for another +130 and 5 imps to Besiktas. The halftime scores were: Allegra-Parioli 35-32 and Schaltz-Besiktas 69-40.