Sweden vs Germany (Girls Round 11)

Going into the final round of the Girls competition, Sweden was lying third. A good win would give them a chance of finishing second, depending on the Dutch result, while a poor result could see them overtaken by Israel and finish outside the medals. Germany, meanwhile, was likely to finish fifth but could hope for better if they won and Israel lost.

First blood went to Sweden.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ K Q 6 5 4 2 ♥ 4 3 ♦ A 6 3 ♣ J 3
♠ 3 ♥ A J 10 8 5 ♦ K Q 10 2		♠ 9 ♥ Q 7 6 2 ♦ J 9 8 4
	♠ A J 10 8 7 ♥ K 9 ♦ 7 5 ♣ Q 8 6 2

In the other room, the Swedish N/S pair managed to play 4♠ undoubled, down two for –100. Here, Cristina Giampietro opened with a multi and Marie Eggeling responded 2♥, pass or correct. Emma Sjoberg had the wrong shortage to get involved at this point so passed, and found that the auction had reached 4♠ when it came back to her. Now she doubled, take-out of spades, and Sandra Rimstedt judged correctly that she did not have sufficient distribution to bid at the five level so passed. Rimstedt led a heart to the king and ace and Sjoberg switched to the queen of diamonds; down two for –300 and 5 IMPs to Sweden.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ Q 7 5 2 ♥ A J ♦ K J 6 4 ♣ A 7 4
♠ K J 9 ♥ K 10 4 2 ♦ 5 3		♠ A 10 8 6 ♥ Q 9 ♦ A Q 8 7 2
	♠ 4 3 ♥ 8 7 6 5 3 ♦ 10 9 ♣ J 8 3 2

It is not obligatory to overcall 1NT with that North hand. With hindsight we can say that the heart holding is poor, there are no intermediates, a lack of good honour combinations, and the point count is completely minimum for the bid. Indeed, were one writing an article about hand evaluation, one might well use this hand as an example of a hand that was not worth a 1NT overcall. Having said all of that, many experts would overcall 1NT because the only sensible alternative is to pass and there may be no better opportunity to show the hand. After all, partner does not have to hold a one-count with length facing our shortage. Although the 1♦ opening was obviously loose, I have a little more sympathy with bidding over 1♦, where I have a useful positional holding in the suit opened, than I have over 1♣, where I have a very unpositional stopper. Anyway, be that as it may, both Norths did overcall and both Easts doubled.

I would have thought that it was normal to run with the South hand, which may produce zero tricks or help for partner in a no trump contract. Eggeling passed, however, and her side gained points on the board, though that perhaps had as much to do with the defence as the desirability of the contract.

Rimstedt, naturally enough, led a diamond. Dummy’s nine won the trick and, for want of anything better to do, Giampietro returned the suit. Rimstedt won the ♦Q and played ace and another diamond, establishing the fifth diamond. Now Giampietro played ace and jack of hearts. Sjoberg, who had pitched a club and a heart on the diamonds, allowed Rimstedt’s queen to hold the trick, and she switched to the spade eight to the king. Eventually the defenders crashed their spade honours and set up the ♠7 to allow declarer to escape for -500.

Freja Andersson did run to 2♥ and Anna-Marie Rowold had to pass that and wait for Anne Heim to double for take-out, which she could convert to penalty by passing again.

Rowold led the king of clubs, ducked, then switched to a diamond to Heim’s queen. Back came a club to the jack, queen and ace. Andersson tried a diamond but Heim went in with the ace and gave her partner a ruff as declarer threw a spade from hand. A club ruff was followed by a low spade to the king to allow the fourth club to be played – ruffed with the jack and over-ruffed. A diamond was ruffed and over-ruffed and now a low heart to dummy’s bare ace meant that Rowold still had the ♥K to come; down four for –1100 and 12 IMPs to Germany.

In other matches, E/W played 3NT five times, twice going down, which suggest that five Norths did not overcall. North played 2♥ undoubled twice, two down and four down, 2♣ doubled –3 once, 2♥ doubled –3 once and –4 once.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ A Q 2 ♥ A 4 ♦ 9 5 ♣ Q J 10 5 4 2
♠ J 10 8 ♥ Q 10 8 7 6 ♦ 10		♠ 4 3 ♥ K J 5 2 ♦ K J 4 3 2
	♠ K 9 7 6 5 ♥ 9 3 ♦ A Q 8 7 6 ♣ K

West	North	East	South
Sjoberg	Giampietro	S. Rimstedt	Eggeling
	1♣	1♦	1♠
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♦
Dble	2♠	Pass	4♠
All Pass

In the other room, the Swedish N/S pair played 3♣, making twelve tricks for +170, when North opened 2♣ and reverted to 3♣ over her partner’s forcing 2♠ bid. Here, the Germans quickly found their spade fit and bid to the excellent game, where Eggeling made eleven tricks for +650 after a diamond lead; 10 IMPs to Germany.

Trailing by 5-22, at this point Sweden were in real danger of missing out on the medals as Israel were doing well against Italy.

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	♠ K 10 7 5 ♥ 7 6 2 ♦ 8 5 2 ♣ A Q 2
♠ A 4 3 2 ♥ K Q 5 ♦ A K J 7		♠ – ♥ A 9 8 ♦ Q 10 9 4
	♠ Q J 9 8 6 ♥ J 10 4 3 ♦ 6 3 ♣ J 6

West	North	East	South
Sjoberg	Giampietro	S. Rimstedt	Eggeling
		Pass	Pass
1♣	Pass	2♣	Pass
3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Rowold	Nedlich	Heim	Andersson
		Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	4♣	Pass
4♠	Pass	5♣	All Pass

Sjoberg opened a strong club and, facing a passed partner, simply jumped to 3NT opposite the natural positive response. That got her to the wrong game but had the merit of giving little information to the opening leader. Perhaps spades would not be led? No, Giampietro found the lead of the ♠5 to the jack. Technically, Sjoberg should have ducked this and hoped to find the long spade and ♣A in separate hands. She would have been successful by ducking until the fourth round. However, she chose to win the first spade in the hope of looking stronger in the suit than was actually the case. She led a club at trick two and Giampietro took her ace and led a second low spade. When Eggeling went up with the queen, the defence could no longer get at the fifth spade and Sjoberg survived for +600.

The German convention card appears to say that four-level responses to 1NT are RKCB, presumably for the suit bid. That is consistent with Rowold’s 4♠ rebid, but it is a horrible way to treat the East hand. The fact that Germany actually reached a better contract via this route than did the Swedes at the other table, does not make it feel any better – both pairs missed the best game of all, 5♦. Five Clubs made very easily as there was no sensible way to lose more than two trump tricks as the cards lay; +600 and a flat board.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ K Q 6 ♥ J 10 2 ♦ K 8 7 5 ♣ A 5 2
♠ J 8 7 5 4 ♥ A Q 9 6 ♦ Q 10 3		♠ 10 9 2 ♥ K 8 7 5 3 ♦ 9 4 2
	♠ A 3 ♥ 4 ♦ A J 6 ♣ K Q J 10 9 8 7

West	North	East	South
Sjoberg	Giampietro	S. Rimstedt	Eggeling
			1♣
Dble	Rdbl	1♥	3♣
3♥	4♣	Pass	4NT
Pass	5♣	Pass	6♣
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Rowold	Nedlich	Heim	Andersson
			1♣
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♣
Pass	4♣	Pass	4♦
Pass	4♠	Pass	4NT
Pass	5♦	Pass	6♣
All Pass

Both pairs did well to bid to the cold slam on this deal for a flat board at +1370. In the other matches, only two out of eight pairs got to six.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ 8 7 6 5 ♥ J 7 ♦ K 8 7 2 ♣ Q 10 5
♠ A 3 ♥ A 4 2 ♦ 9 5 3		♠ K Q 9 2 ♥ Q 8 ♦ A Q 10 4
	♠ J 10 4 ♥ K 10 9 6 5 3 ♦ J 6 ♣ A 6

Andersson’s 2♦ overcall showed either hearts or both black suits and 2♥ was pass or correct. Andersson led a heart to the jack and queen and Heim crossed to the ace of spades, Andersson playing the ten, to play a club to the king and ace. Andersson continued with the king of hearts and declarer ducked, won the next heart throwing a diamond from hand, played a diamond to the queen then ran the ♣9 to the ten. Nedlich cashed the ♣Q then played a spade and Heim put in the nine. That lost to the jack and the contract was down three for –300.

Eggeling did not come in with the South hand but she too led a heart to the jack and queen. Rimstedt did very well in the play. She started with the king of clubs from hand, which was ducked, then played a spade to the ace and ran the nine of diamonds to the jack. She ducked the heart continuation, won the next heart and took the diamond finesse. When that held she cashed the ♦A then played spades from the top and was rewarded when the jack and ten fell; nine tricks for +600 and 14 IMPs to Sweden. Declarer could, of course, also have succeeded by continuing clubs at trick three.

That board clinched a 44-28 IMP, 18-12 VP win for Sweden and the bronze medal.