Denmark v Israel – Round 7 Juniors Denmark and Israel were both in need of a big win in Round 7 if they wanted to stay in the race and climb nearer the top teams. Would either of the teams manage that? Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ 6 ♥ J 8 7 5 3 ♦ Q 9 8 7 3 ♣ Q 4 ♠ A J 10 9 5 4 2 ♥ 6 4 ♦ 10 ♣ 10 9 8 ♠ Q 8 ♥ K 2 ♦ A J 6 4 ♣ A 7 6 3 2   ♠ K 7 3 ♥ A Q 10 9 ♦ K 5 2 ♣ K J 5 West North East South Houmoller Reshef Nielsen Ginossar   Pass 1♣ 1NT 3♠ 4♥ All Pass   West North East South Bar-Yossef Gjaldbaek Azizi Schaltz   2♦* Pass Pass 2♠ Pass 3NT Dble 4♠ Pass Pass Dble All Pass       3NT by East will actually make due to a successful spade finesse, but Yotam Bar-Yossef corrected into 4♠. 4♠ by East is cold as well, since North can be kept off lead and so a heart through dummy can be avoided. In the Closed Room Gjaldbaek led a heart and there were only nine tricks to win despite the king of spades being onside; -50. At the other table Reshef made a hard-hitting attempt to bring a game bonus home to Israel. The dummy didn’t disappoint him but as expected there was still a lot to do. The lead was the queen of spades and it was allowed to hold the first trick. A second spade was ruffed and Reshef let the jack of hearts run then played a heart to king and ace. A club to the queen held and East won the club continuation with the ace and exited with a club. Next came a diamond to the queen and the ace. A club would have given a ruff and a discard, so Nielsen exited with a diamond but Reshef read the position well and played low. Well done! That was N/S +420 and 8 IMPs to the Israelis and a perfect start for them. With five boards played Israel had enlarged their lead into 24-1. Then came: Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.   ♠ A Q 7 4 ♥ A J 8 7 ♦ A J 5 3 ♣ 6 ♠ 9 5 ♥ K Q ♦ 10 6 4 2 ♣ J 9 7 5 2 ♠ K 10 6 ♥ 10 6 4 3 ♦ 9 7 ♣ A 10 8 3   ♠ J 8 3 2 ♥ 9 5 2 ♦ K Q 8 ♣ K Q 4 West North East South Houmoller Reshef Nielsen Ginossar     Pass Pass Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass       West North East South Bar-Yossef Gjaldbaek Azizi Schaltz     Pass 1NT* Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 3NT All Pass   Martin Schaltz had an easy ride to ten tricks in 3NT in the Closed Room after a spade lead; +430. The Israeli pair reached 4♠, and that appears to be another making contract. There is no particular danger for declarer – or is there? Jonas Houmuller led the king of hearts, which held the first trick. Houmuller continued with the queen and declarer won the ace. The ace of trumps and another trump will lead to success but when declarer erred by playing a club towards dummy the Danes took their opportunity. Nielsen jumped up with the ace and gave his partner a heart ruff. The defence had to win a trump trick – a ‘needless’ undertrick for N/S; -50 and that gift meant 10 IMPs to the Danes. Israel seemed to be the stronger team halfway through the match as they were in the lead by 38 to 11 after nine boards. Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.   ♠ A K 10 6 5 ♥ A 9 2 ♦ Q 9 5 ♣ K 4 ♠ Q J 7 3 ♥ K Q 8 7 6 4 ♦ 3 ♣ 9 6 ♠ 9 8 ♥ J 10 5 3 ♦ A K 10 4 ♣ Q 7 3   ♠ 4 2 ♥ - ♦ J 8 7 6 2 ♣ A J 10 8 5 2 West North East South Houmoller Reshef Nielsen Ginossar     Pass Pass 1♥ 1♠ 2NT* 3♣ 3♥ 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass       West North East South Bar-Yossef Gjaldbaek Azizi Schaltz     Pass 2NT* Pass 5♦ Dble All Pass 2NT in the Open Room was four-card support support and 10+ HCPs. N/S however took over the auction, although the final contract was quite poor. Lars Kirkegaard Nielsen led the king of diamonds. You don’t have to be a fortune-teller to see a diamond ruff to come, so Ophir Reshef counteracted by nicely playing the queen in tempo. Now Nielsen took a losing option when he switched to a trump. Everything but a trump (or a low diamond) will lead the defence through the defensive jungle. West put up the jack and as the cards lay declarer should play low to ensure making the game. Instead, Reshef won the ace to play the nine of diamonds up towards dummy. Nielsen won the ace – and at this moment he had a second possibility to defeat the game. To do so a red suit had to be played, but when Nielsen found a pioneering club continuation declarer was back on the road. The jack of clubs held the trick then came the spade finesse with the ten. Declarer cashed the king of trumps and gave a trump trick to West. Back came a heart but declarer won the ace, cashed the king of clubs then played a diamond to the eight and claimed; N/S +620. In the Closed Room, Martin Schaltz opened 2NT, showing a weak hand with the minors. Kare Gjaldbaek jumped directly to game as he knew there were no losers in the majors. Adi Azizi was in doubt the game could make, holding four to the ace-king in trumps. Without the ten of diamonds in East’s hand Azizi might have led a top diamond in order to avoid declarer taking club ruffs in dummy. With the actual holding Azizi saw a chance to win three trump tricks, thus he tried a spade lead instead. It went to the jack and declarer’s ace. Next Gjaldbaek played the queen of trumps from hand. Azizi took the ace to continue with another spade. Declarer could win with the ten then run the nine of trumps, which held the trick. More diamonds towards dummy and a club finesse later on completed the mission; N/S +750 and that was worth 4 IMPs to Denmark. Denmark turned this match around by scoring 28 IMPs on the last four boards. Here came 11 IMPs: Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ 4 ♥ A 7 ♦ A Q J 10 8 6 4 2 ♣ J 6 ♠ 8 6 5 3 ♥ 4 3 ♦ K 9 7 ♣ K Q 9 8 ♠ Q J 9 2 ♥ J 10 8 ♦ 3 ♣ 7 5 4 3 2   ♠ A K 10 7 ♥ K Q 9 6 5 2 ♦ 5 ♣ A 10 West North East South Houmoller Reshef Nielsen Ginossar   5♦ All Pass   West North East South Bar-Yossef Gjaldbaek Azizi Schaltz   1♦ Pass 1NT* Pass 2♠* Pass 3♥ Pass 4♦ Pass 4♠* Pass 4NT Pass 5♥ Pass 6♦ All Pass   Rashef opened 5♦ and was left to play there; +420 Gjaldbaek took another view and opened 1♦, Precision style. 1NT was game forcing with any hand. 2♠ showed 6+ diamonds, 3♥ was natural and 4♦ settled the trump suit. 4♠ was cue, 4NT asked for aces and 5♥ showed two out of five without the trump queen. There was not much to the play; N/S +920 and that was worth 11 IMPs to Denmark. A strong finish by Denmark gave the final score 51-41 in favour of the Danes; 17-13 VPs

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