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Mixed teams - Round of 16 second half
by P.O. Sundelin
Hauge – de Botton
When a match finishes 56-56 you might care to sit down to see whether it was humanly possible to get another imp somewhere…
Hauge had what looked like a relatively comfortable lead from the first half, 41 – 16, and things seemed to begin poorly for de Botton.
| Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ K Q 10
♥ –
♦ A Q 10 8 3
♣ K J 8 5 3 |
♠ A J 7 5
♥ 2
♦ K J 9 7 6 5 4
♣ 6 |  |
♠ 9 2
♥ Q J 9 8 7 5
♦ 2
♣ A Q 10 4 | | | ♠ 8 6 4 3
♥ A K 10 6 4 3
♦ –
♣ 9 7 2 |
Open Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Sandqvist | Hauge | Senior | Harding
|
| | | | 2♦
|
| 3♦ | Dbl | All Pass
| |
Rune Hauge no doubt had hoped for more than 300, but declarer finessed clubs to throw his heart and lost only four trump tricks and two spades. (By the way, trick two was a rare specimen. Trump three, two, heart three, diamond four)
The auction was duplicated at the other table for no swing.
| Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ 8
♥ K Q 9 7
♦ 10 7 6 5 3
♣ A 9 2 |
♠ 9 5 4
♥ A 8 5 4
♦ J 4
♣ Q 7 6 3 | |
♠ K Q 10 3 2
♥ J 3
♦ K 9 2
♣ K 8 4 | | | ♠ A J 7 6
♥ 10 6 2
♦ A Q 8
♣ J 10 5 |
Open Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Sandqvist | Hauge | Senior | Harding
|
| Pass | Pass | 1♠ | Pass
|
| 2♠ | | Dbl | All Pass
|
Hauge threw in a take-out double which Marianne Harding happily converted. An unfriendly position of the cards, and no slip in defence, resulted in 500 for Hauge. At the other table de Botton and Malinowski made an overtrick in Three Diamonds. Nine IMPs to Hauge, now leading by thirty-four.
But then some light appeared in the tunnel – and no, it was not an oncoming train:
| Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul. |
| | ♠ A Q 8 4
♥ K 9 4
♦ 9 2
♣ Q 10 9 3 |
♠ K 9 7 5 3
♥ 10 7 6 5
♦ J 10 8
♣ 2 | |
♠ J 10
♥ 8 2
♦ A 6 5 4 3
♣ J 8 6 5 | | | ♠ 6 2
♥ A Q J 3
♦ K Q 7
♣ A K 7 4 |
Hauge and Harding bid all the way up to Six Clubs. After a spade lead from East, all declarer had to do was guess the club jack (once the diamond ace is on side). He failed to do so (the spots were a little unlucky for him) so the slam went down.
At the other table Janet de Botton made eleven tricks in Three No-trumps for eleven IMPs cutting the lead to twenty-three.
| Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ A K 8 7 4 3
♥ K 3
♦ 9 7
♣ K 10 4 |
♠ J 10 9 6
♥ J
♦ Q 5 3
♣ Q 8 7 3 2 | |
♠ Q
♥ 10 8 7 5 4
♦ A 10 6 4
♣ J 9 5 | | | ♠ 5 2
♥ A Q 9 6 2
♦ K J 8 2
♣ A 6 |
Harding and Hauge ended up in Three Notrumps, down one, where Four Spades looks superior. It was duly reached at the other table but Erik Saelensminde as East found the only lead to create a problem for declarer, a small diamond! Arthur Malinowski misguessed for a push.
Board 19 was a no- swing game (although Harding played it in a more exciting Moysian fit rather than a laydown Three No-trumps). Then both tables avoided Three No-trumps and got to a quite good minor-suit game instead, another push.
Next…
| Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ K 3
♥ A K 5 3
♦ 10
♣ Q 10 9 8 5 2 |
♠ 7 6
♥ J 8
♦ J 6 4 3 2
♣ A K 4 3 | |
♠ J 10 8 2
♥ 6
♦ K Q 9 8 7 5
♣ J 6 | | | ♠ A Q 9 5 4
♥ Q 10 9 7 4 2
♦ A
♣ 7 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Sandqvist | Hauge | Senior | Harding
|
| | 1♣ | 2♦ | Dble
|
| 5♦ | Pass | Pass | 5♥
|
| All Pass
| | | |
North only let Five Hearts go after considerable contemplation. Harding had negative free bids at her disposal, but did not have a suitable hand for one, so she had to double. Hauge had surprisingly good support when later she introduced hearts at the five-level, but was afraid there might be two minor losers.
At the other table there was no interference, so after Malinowski was able to show a diamond splinter in support of hearts de Botton drove to slam. Thirteen IMPs to de Botton; it was Hauge by ten.
| Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ –
♥ A 8 6 5
♦ 9 7 3
♣ K J 9 6 5 2 |
♠ Q 9 8 7 6 4 3
♥ 10 4
♦ 8 5 4
♣ 7 | |
♠ J 5
♥ Q J 9 7 2
♦ J 10 2
♣ Q 10 4 | | | ♠ A K 10 2
♥ K 3
♦ A K Q 6
♣ A 8 3 |
Harding and Hauge got to Seven No-trumps, but unfortunately the club queen did not behave, so de Botton scored another plus as they stopped in Six Clubs. Fourteen IMPs to de Botton who suddenly took the lead by four. The next board saw Sandqvist earn an IMP the hard way.
| Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul. |
| | ♠ 9 3
♥ J 10 9 5 3
♦ 5 4
♣ K 8 5 2 |
♠ K Q J
♥ 8 4 2
♦ A 9 6
♣ Q 9 7 4 | |
♠ A 7 5
♥ A K 7
♦ K 8 7 2
♣ A J 3 | | | ♠ 10 8 6 4 2
♥ Q 6
♦ Q J 10 3
♣ 10 6 |
Nick Sandqvist found himself in Four No-trumps, won the heart lead, and taking a surprisingly pessimistic view of his chances in the club suit he began with a small diamond to the nine! Yes, South played small. Declarer then turned to clubs to make eleven tricks, which earned his side one imp.
It was now de Botton by 5.
On 24 both declarers holding ten trumps tried to drop a singleton king. No success. Two down instead of one. No swing.
| Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ 10 7 6
♥ A 9 8 7 6
♦ 6
♣ Q J 5 2 |
♠ J 9 8 5
♥ 10 5 3
♦ Q 9 5
♣ 10 9 8 | |
♠ A K Q 4
♥ K J 4
♦ A K 10 4 3
♣ 4 | | | ♠ 3 2
♥ Q 2
♦ J 8 7 2
♣ A K 7 6 3 |
Four Spades was played and made by West at both tables. Hauge led his singleton diamond, and that simplified the play for Sandqvist, who lost two hearts and a club.
At the other table the lead was a club. South overtook to return a trump. Saelensminde drew trumps, established diamonds and guessed right in hearts (North had bid one heart after two passes had followed East’s One Diamond opening). A club continuation instead might have tested declarer harder.
On Board 26 Harding played super-safely to make eight tricks in Two Spades, losing an IMP to the overtrick in the other room.
On board 27 Senior and Sandqvist reached an overly optimistic Three No-trumps. Perhaps “foolish” would describe the contact more accurately. Three down served the culprits right. A heart part-score just made in the other room, and that meant a swing of the six IMPs necessary to tie the match, since board 28 was a game bid and made at both tables.
To split the tie of 56-56 there was a four- board set waiting:
| Board 81. Dealer North. none Vul. |
| | ♠ 9
♥ A 7 6 4 2
♦ 10 8 7 4
♣ 8 7 5 |
♠ A K Q J 6 4
♥ 9
♦ A 9 3
♣ 6 3 2 | |
♠ 10 8
♥ K 10 8 5
♦ 5 2
♣ A Q J 9 4 | | | ♠ 7 5 3 2
♥ Q J 3
♦ K Q J 6
♣ K 10 |
Open Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Sandqvist | Saelensminde | Senior | Fuglestad
|
| | Pass | Pass | 1♦
|
| 1♠ | Dble | Redble | Pass
|
| 3♠ | Pass | 4♠ | All Pass
|
Good bidding and judgement took East-West to Four Spades. Sandqvist ducked the diamond lead, won the trump return and took a diamond ruff, then had to lose a heart and a club for 420
Closed Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Hauge | Malinowski | Harding | de Botton
|
| | Pass | Pass | 1♦
|
| 2♠ | 3♦ | Pass | Pass
|
| 3♠ | All Pass
| | |
Hauge also took ten tricks but lost six IMPs.
| Board 82. Dealer East. North/South Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 9 5
♥ A 10 8
♦ 9 3
♣ A Q J 8 6 |
♠ A J 4 3 2
♥ 9 6
♦ A 10 8 6
♣ 4 2 | |
♠ 10 7 6
♥ Q 3 2
♦ K 7 4 2
♣ 10 9 3 | | | ♠ K 8
♥ K J 7 5 4
♦ Q J 5
♣ K 7 5 |
Open Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Sandqvist | Saelensminde | Senior | Fuglestad
|
| | | Pass | 1♥
|
| 1♠ | 2NT* | Pass | 3♥
|
| Pass | 4♥ | All Pass
| |
* Trump support
On a club lead declarer suspected that West was short in clubs, and played for West to hold the trump queen. One down, 100 for de Botton.
Closed Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Hauge | Malinowski | Harding | de Botton
|
| | | Pass | 1♥
|
| 2♠ | 3♣ | 3♠ | 4♣ |
| Pass | 4♥ | All Pass
| |
After Hauge’s exotic jump overcall Janet de Botton would surely have made the technically correct play in trumps, but Hauge led the spade ace and another, establishing a potential discard. So she chose to play ace and king of trumps, then rely on the long trump hand to have enough black cards so that she could get rid of her diamonds. 620 to de Botton, and another twelve IMPs to lead by eighteen.
| Board 3. Dealer South. East/West Vul. |
| | ♠ 9 3 2
♥ K J 10 8 5
♦ A 9
♣ A J 4 |
♠ 8 6
♥ A Q 4
♦ K Q 8 7 6
♣ 8 3 2 | |
♠ A Q J 7 4
♥ 9 2
♦ J 3
♣ K Q 9 6 | | | ♠ K 10 5
♥ 7 6 3
♦ 10 5 4 2
♣ 10 7 5 |
Open Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Sandqvist | Saelensminde | Senior | Fuglestad
|
| | | | Pass
|
| 1♥ | 1♥ | 1♠ | Pass
|
| 1NT | Pass | 2♥ | Pass
|
| 3♥ | Pass | 3NT | All Pass
|
North led the heart jack to West’s queen, then immediately took the diamond ace and continued with a high heart. When the spade finesse failed the contract went two down, 200 to Hauge.
Closed Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Hauge | Malinowski | Harding | de Botton
|
| | | | Pass |
| 1♥ | 1♥ | 1♠ | Pass
|
| 1NT | Pass | 2♥* | All Pass
|
*Forcing “Stayman”
Hauge decided (?) to pass Harding’s forcing bid, and made an overtrick to win seven IMPs.
As the last board was played in Three No-trumps with nine tricks at both tables, de Botton won by eleven to continue to the round of eight. |
