The Netherlands v Spain – Round 5 Juniors Anything but a comfortable win for the Netherlands over Spain would be a surprise. If the Dutch wanted to hang on to a top position they needed some 20 VPs from this match Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ A Q J 5 ♥ A J 4 ♦ J ♣ 8 7 6 4 2 ♠ 8 7 6 3 ♥ 8 6 3 2 ♦ Q 2 ♣ K 5 3 ♠ 10 9 ♥ 10 5 ♦ A K 10 9 7 6 3 ♣ A Q   ♠ K 4 2 ♥ K Q 9 7 ♦ 8 5 4 ♣ J 10 9 West North East South Piqueras Drijver Guerrero Tammens   1♣ 1♦ 1♥ Pass 1♠ 3♦ Pass Pass 3♥ Pass Pass 4♦ All Pass     In the Open Room Sergio Escalera Guerrero received a club lead and could discard a loser on dummy’s king of clubs; +130. Maybe a potential swing for Spain? Of course not! Remember that this is a championship for juniors. This was the auction in the Closed Room: West North East South Groenenboom Gomez Molenaar Sunol   1♣ 1♦ 1♥ Pass 1♠ 2♦ 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass   Well, with a balanced hand a no trump contract might be the right choice. Llorenc Sunol Torres only forgot one little detail – it is an advantage to have as a minimum one stopper in each suit. The game was beaten badly since the defence cashed seven tricks in diamonds then two club tricks. Merijn Groenenboom was slightly dissatisfied not to get a trick with his king of clubs as the club suit now was blocked for the defence. However, that was -250 and 3 IMPs to the Netherlands. Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.   ♠ A 8 4 ♥ A 7 6 ♦ A J 7 6 3 ♣ K 9 ♠ Q 7 6 3 ♥ 10 9 2 ♦ 10 8 ♣ J 8 6 2 ♠ K 10 2 ♥ J 3 ♦ Q 9 4 2 ♣ A 7 4 3   ♠ J 9 5 ♥ K Q 8 5 4 ♦ K 5 ♣ Q 10 5 West North East South Piqueras Drijver Guerrero Tammens   1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT Pass 2♣* Pass 2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass       West North East South Groenenboom Gomez Molenaar Sunol   1NT Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 3NT Pass 4♥ All Pass   When the trump suit breaks nicely 4♥ should not cause any problems. With five trump tricks, two diamond tricks and one trick in each black suit, all you really need to do is to play clubs before drawing trumps, thus you need a club ruff in North’s hand for the tenth trick. Bas Tammens followed that successful line, but he didn’t need the club ruff as the defence established s diamond trick for him. 4♥ by Ramon Gomez Hierro was the final contract in the Closed Room. Danny Molenaar led the jack of hearts to the ace. Here declarer drew two more rounds of trumps. Molenaar discarded the four of clubs on the last trump, a suit preference for diamonds as he didn’t want to expose his ace of clubs. Now the declarer possibly will get things wrong. If the queen of diamonds drops or if the diamond suit is divided evenly the game will make, so declarer took the top two diamonds and ruffed a diamond. Still not ten tricks in sight and declarer now was in deep trouble. An entry to hand was needed to take another diamond ruff. Well, you have to trust your opponents’ signals, so next came a club to the king – and ace. Declarer was not happy how this play proceeded, and a continuation in clubs was no reason to become any happier. Gomez tried the club finesse but when it lost he was left with the nine tricks he started with; -50 and 10 IMPs for the Netherlands. Well defended. The score had moved on to 26-22 in favour of the Dutch when the next major swing came along.   ♠ A 7 ♥ K J 9 2 ♦ A 9 8 7 6 ♣ 1 0 8 West North East South       1NT 3♣* Dble Pass Pass ?       Even if I could have the spectacular convention 3♣ for transferring to diamonds after a no trump opening, it would be beyond all sense to use it with this hand, even though the vulnerability would be favourable. However, our friend, sitting West, obviously fancied the bid, but the question is: what to do when North doubles for penalty and your partner passes? With that awful diamond suit 3♥ might be an alternative to pass. Or? Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.   ♠ K 10 4 3 ♥ Q 10 7 4 ♦ 2 ♣ K Q 9 2 ♠ A 7 ♥ K J 9 2 ♦ A 9 8 7 6 ♣ 10 8 ♠ J 9 8 6 5 ♥ 8 6 5 ♦ K 5 4 ♣ 4 3   ♠ Q 2 ♥ A 3 ♦ Q J 10 3 ♣ A J 7 6 5 West North East South Piqueras Drijver Guerrero Tammens       1NT 3♣* Dble Pass Pass 3♦ Dble All Pass   West North East South Groenenboom Gomez Molenaar Sunol       1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass 3♣ All Pass   ♣ was explained to North as clubs by East. E/W must have been close to playing 3♣ doubled on a 2-2-fit, but when West remarkable corrected to 3♦, in any case they were playing in a trump suit with eight cards. On the other hand, 3♦ was not a very uplifting contract either, and so it was three down for –500. 3♣ by N/S at the other table was a more normal contract and declarer managed to end up with two overtricks; +150 but nevertheless 10 IMPs to the Netherlands. Now the Dutch flew away and here they supplied the finishing touch. Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ 6 ♥ Q J 5 4 ♦ K Q 10 7 ♣ A K J 6 ♠ K 7 3 ♥ A 7 6 3 ♦ 9 8 6 ♣ 7 4 3 ♠ A J 10 9 2 ♥ 10 9 8 ♦ 5 2 ♣ Q 10 2   ♠ Q 8 5 4 ♥ K 2 ♦ A J 4 3 ♣ 9 8 5 West North East South Piqueras Drijver Guerrero Tammens Pass 1♣ 1♠ 1NT 2♠ 3NT All Pass   West North East South Groenenboom Gomez Molenaar Sunol Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT All Pass   Jose Luis Ledesma Piqueras led a spade, the suit his partner had overcalled. Three rounds of spades established declarer’s queen, i.e. the necessary ninth trick when West held the ace of hearts. In the Closed Room Groenboom/Molenaar again defended well. With North as declarer Molenaar was able to lead the jack of spades, despite the fact that West declined to support the suit in the auction. The jack held the trick, so did the nine, and then came a spade to the king. West switched to clubs, to declarer’s ace. Next came a heart to the king and ace and back came another club. Declarer jumped up with the king to avoid East getting in to cash the spade tricks, but there were only eight tricks in the cards and no squeeze around; -100 and that was 12 heavy IMPs to the Dutch. After a rough start, the Netherlands had come through to win by a wide margin, 61-25 IMPs; 22-8 VPs. I will not be surprised if they finish in the top five.

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