| 21st European Youth Team Championships | Page 4 | Bulletin 3 - Saturday 14 July 2007 |
A Fairytale by GeO Tislevoll The Norwegian team in the Girls series is a little inexperienced, but there is no lack of courage. In Round 2 Katrine Gran and Virginia Chediak made a result no others could match. Try if you can. You hold:
You pass as South, and West opens Three Hearts. You are vulnerable against not.. North makes a take-out double and, after East passes it is you to call. What would you bid?
Katrine jumped to Four Spades, not a recommended bid, but it worked well. North, Virginia raised to Six Spades and they played in a spectacular slam on 28 HCP and a 4-3 fit! West led the heart king to the ace. A heart was ruffed, and the trump seven played to the ace. Then another heart ruff was followed by club to the king, after which the ace and king of trumps brought down West's ten. Declarer could now play her spade nine to drive out East’s queen. East had no heart to force declarer with, so Katrine was soon in again and able to draw the last trump and claim twelve tricks for a huge +1430! If South jumps to Five Clubs instead of 4♠, North probably will raise to Six Clubs, which is a nice contract. It will fail on a diamond lead, but let’s say West leads the king of hearts. Declarer takes the ace and ruffs a heart at once. Then declarer plays off all the clubs, perhaps after cashing one spade honour in the process, and before the last club is led the position looks like this:
On the last club East discards a diamond or a spade, it doesn't really matter. She will be endplayed one way or another, to establish the eleventh trick for declarer in one of the suits, and to give her the twelfth, by having to play from the honour in the other one. |
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