Open Teams: Qualification Round 5 Welland v. De Botton   by Jos Jacobs At this stage of the qualification, Welland were leading their group and De Botton were lying in second place, though at a distance of 10 V.P. So the latter were in danger of falling back if they were to lose, whereas a win for them would bring the tension back in the group. Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul.   ♠ 10 6 4 2 ♥ J 6 ♦ 9 6 3 2 ♣ A K 10 ♠ K 8 ♥ A 10 9 8 7 2 ♦ A ♣ 9 8 4 3 ♠ 7 5 ♥ Q 4 3 ♦ K Q J 10 4 ♣ Q 6 5   ♠ A Q J 9 3 ♥ K 5 ♦ 8 7 5 ♣ J 7 2 Open Room West North East South Ja. Hackett Levin Ju. Hackett Rosenberg       Pass 1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass     When the Hackett twins did not find out about the diamond duplication in time, they soon ended up too high. Welland +100. Please note that Rosenberg did not open the South cards. Closed Room West North East South Welland Sandqvist Fallenius Malinowski       1♠ 2♥ 2♠ 3♦ Pass 3♥ 3♠ All Pass   At the other table, South did open his sub-minimum hand, and North competed up to the three-level. He was lucky not to get doubled, but three off gave Welland another 300 and 9 IMPs. After some quiet pushes, there was action at both tables on a number of successive boards near the end. Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.   ♠ 8 7 2 ♥ 8 4 3 ♦ A ♣ K Q J 10 9 6 ♠ J 6 4 ♥ A J 9 2 ♦ K 10 9 8 6 ♣ 7 ♠ A K Q 10 9 5 ♥ - ♦ J 7 4 2 ♣ 5 3 2   ♠ 3 ♥ K Q 10 7 6 5 ♦ Q 5 3 ♣ A 8 4 Open Room West North East South Ja. Hackett Levin Ju. Hackett Rosenberg       1♥ Pass 1NT 2♠ 2NT 4♠ 5♣ Pass Pass 5♠ Dble All Pass   Five Clubs would have failed by one trick, and so did 5♠. It might have been made, however, had declarer guessed right in diamonds. South led the ♥K to the ace, declarer shedding a club. Next, dummy’s club was led, North winning the jack. He returned a spade to Justin’s ace. Next, declarer ruffed a club and ruffed a heart, drew two rounds of trumps and led a diamond. When he elected to put up dummy’s king he was down one in a contract he might have made. In the aftermath, Levin said he should have won the club trick with the king, suggesting ♣AK and thus persuading declarer to misguess diamonds, but this proved not necessary in the end. Welland +100 which looked a good resut.. Closed Room West North East South Welland Sandqvist Fallenius Malinowski       1♥ Pass 2♣ 3♠ Pass 4♦ 4♥ 4♠ 5♥ All Pass       With 4♠ making, saving in 5♥ was the correct decision, and when Malinowski went two down due to the vicious trump break this too looked a fine result, even more so as they were playing undoubled. It certainly must have been as a disappointment to find out that you lose 5 IMPs on the deal. De Botton recouped points on the next board: Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.   ♠ 10 8 ♥ 7 2 ♦ J 9 5 3 ♣ A K 5 4 2 ♠ A 5 3 ♥ K 9 8 4 ♦ Q 4 ♣ Q J 9 7 ♠ Q 6 4 ♥ Q J 10 6 5 3 ♦ A 8 7 ♣ 3   ♠ K J 9 7 2 ♥ A ♦ K 10 6 2 ♣ 10 8 6 Open Room West North East South Ja. Hackett Levin Ju. Hackett Rosenberg 1♥ Pass 3♥ Dble 4♥ All Pass     Strange things happened in the defence. North led the ♣A and switched to the ♠8 which ran to the ace. When Rosenberg failed to play ♠K and another (he could not be sure his partner would hold another trump) but led a second round of clubs instead, the contract suddenly was made. De Botton +620. Closed Room West North East South Welland Sandqvist Fallenius Malinowski 1♣ Pass 1♦ 1♠ 2♥ Dble 4♥ All Pass In the Closed Room, both bidding and play were much more according to classical standards. North led the ♣A and duly switched to the ♠10. West won the ace, but when in with the ♥A Malinowski could be sure from the auction that his partner still had a trump left, so he simply played ♠K and another. 12 IMPs back to De Botton. They immediately handed back these IMPs when 4♠ was misguessed at one table: Board 29. Dealer North. All Vul.   ♠ A K J 7 6 ♥ K 8 4 2 ♦ 8 5 ♣ 4 2 ♠ 5 2 ♥ Q J 10 9 7 ♦ Q 9 4 3 2 ♣ A ♠ 10 3 ♥ A 6 3 ♦ J 7 ♣ Q 10 9 7 5 3   ♠ Q 9 8 4 ♥ 5 ♦ A K 10 6 ♣ K J 8 6 Open Room West North East South Ja. Hackett Levin Ju. Hackett Rosenberg   1♠ Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠ All Pass   ♣10 to the jack and ace, low heart to the king and ace and ♣Q covered with the king and ruffed by West gave the defence three quick tricks. After drawing just one round of trumps declarer could not go down any more as East was unable to score any diamond overruffs. This all may sound a little trivial, but at the other table they proved that even trivialities are not always obvious. Closed Room West North East South Welland Sandqvist Fallenius Malinowski 1♠ Pass 2NT Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠ All Pass   Here, the ♦J was led to the ace. Instead of drawing trumps declarer first tried to ruff a diamond in his hand, only to see it overruffed by East. Next came the ♣10 covered by the jack and ace. A forth diamond was then ruffed high. Now, declarer cannot draw two rounds of trumps, else he runs out of trumps. So he drew one round and tried to cash the ♣K. If this had lived he would have had 10 tricks…but it did not. One down thus was the outcome and De Botton had lost 12 more IMPs and the match as well. The final score was 30-11 or 21-9 V.P. to Welland.

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