Bulgaria vs Denmark (Schools Round 7)

As the Schools Championship approached the half-way point, Bulgaria and Denmark were both just outside the medal positions. Bulgaria started the match with a bang, outbidding their opponents to pick up a game swing on the first board of the match.

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

For Bulgaria, Stefan Skorchev and Dean Spasov found the club fit immediately thanks to Skorchev’s Precision Club opening and the natural positive response. Despite the interference, they were now on firm ground and even had the luxury of exploring slam possibilities before settling in the excellent game contract. After a spade lead to the ace and a heart switch for the jack and ace, Spasov ruffed a spade, cashed the ace and queen of clubs, played ace and ruffed a diamond, drew the last trump and eventually conceded a heart; a safe +400.

Had South chosen to bid 3♠, his partner would have responded 4♥ and that contract is cold. Ruff a spade, cash the ace and king of hearts, then throw the third spade on the ♦K and play club winners, just giving up two heart tricks on any 3-3 or 4-2 trump split.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ Q 7 2 ♥ K 6 ♦ A 8 7 3 ♣ K Q 10 5
♠ – ♥ A J 10 9 8 ♦ J 10 5 4		♠ K J 8 6 4 3 ♥ Q 7 4 ♦ K 6 2
	♠ A 10 9 5 ♥ 5 3 2 ♦ Q 9 ♣ A 7 3 2

West	North	East	South
Rohrberg	Skorchev	Tofte	Spasov
			Pass
2♥	Dble	3♥	Dble
Pass	3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Siderov	Mortensen	Syusyuskin	Ege
			Pass
Pass	1♣	1♠	2NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Matias Rohrberg’s 2♥ opening was a simple weak two bid, but only promising five cards. Combined with Lars Tofte’s raise it jockeyed the Bulgarians into a hopeless 3NT after the automatic heart lead. Tofte led a low heart to the ace then unblocked the queen on the heart return. Skorchev picked up the clubs then tried the queen of spades, hoping to pin a stiff jack. Rohrberg teased him by throwing the other black jack on the trick, and he was one down for –50.

Zhivko Siderov did not open the West hand at the other table but Ivan Syusyuskin overcalled 1♠ and that convinced Niclas Ege to upgrade his hand to a 2NT bid, which Maria Mortensen raised to game. Had Siderov led his longest and strongest suit in time-honoured fashion, the outcome would have been the same as at the other table, but he went for a low diamond lead instead. On winning the ♦K, Syusyuskin returned a diamond to declarer’s queen. Ege played a club to dummy then the queen of spade to the king and ace, picked up the clubs then reverted to spades and had ten tricks for +430 and 10 IMPs to Denmark.

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

West	North	East	South
Rohrberg	Skorchev	Tofte	Spasov
Pass	1♣	Pass	2♦
Pass	2NT	Pass	4NT
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Siderov	Mortensen	Syusyuskin	Ege
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♦
Pass	2♥	Pass	2♠
Pass	2NT	Pass	4NT
Pass	5♠	Pass	6NT
All Pass

The Bulgarians had a simple quantitative auction after the strong club opening and natural positive response but Skorchev judged to stay out of slam. After a low spade lead had run around to the jack, Skorchev no doubt regretted his failure to upgrade the ace-jack of partner’s known five-card suit – though, of course, South did not have to have the king and queen of diamonds; 13 tricks for +720.

In the Schools, 6NT was bid and made ten times, Mortensen being the only one to go down, four pairs stopped in game, and there was one 6♣-1. In the Juniors, 6NT was bid 15 times and always made, 6♦ was made once, five pairs stopped in game and there was one 7NT down one.

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

West	North	East	South
Rohrberg	Skorchev	Tofte	Spasov
	1♦	1♥	Pass
2♦	Pass	2♥	Pass
4♥	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Siderov	Mortensen	Syusyuskin	Ege
	1♦	1♥	Pass
4♥	All Pass

Both Wests drove to game facing partner’s overcall, which seems normal enough. However, game should fail on careful defence. Ege led the ♦2 and Mortensen won the ace then returned the suit. Syusyuskin drew trumps, played a spade to the king, ducked, then a heart to hand for a second spade play. Mortensen won the jack and switched to a low club and that was one down for –100.

Spasov led the ♣Q, ducked, then switched to the ♦2, when perhaps a higher card would have been clearer, and Skorchev put in the ten, an expensive error. Tofte won the diamond and drew trumps, eliminating clubs along the way, then exited with the ♦Q and Skorchev was endplayed to give the contract; –620 and 12 IMPs to Denmark.

Though the ♦2 may have made it more difficult for North, had he stopped to think about which four tricks the defence had to take, he might have seen that no harm would come from rising with the ace and letting declarer make the king and queen of diamonds separately should he hold Kxx.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ A Q 7 ♥ A J 9 4 ♦ 7 5 2 ♣ A 8 7
♠ 10 9 4 ♥ 8 5 3 2 ♦ K 3		♠ K 8 6 5 3 2 ♥ 10 ♦ A 10 9 4
	♠ J ♥ K Q 7 6 ♦ Q J 8 6 ♣ Q 9 5 4

West	North	East	South
Rohrberg	Skorchev	Tofte	Spasov
			Pass
Pass	1NT	2♠	3♠
Pass	3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Siderov	Mortensen	Syusyuskin	Ege
			Pass
Pass	1NT	Pass	2♣
Pass	2♥	Pass	4♥
All Pass

Tofte came in with a 2♠ overcall and Spasov cuebid, Skorchev judging to play the no trump game. Tofte did not lead a spade now, preferring the four of diamonds, which went to the jack and king. Rohrberg switched to a spade, ducked to the king, and Tofte reverted to diamonds, leading the ten to dummy’s queen. Now Skorchev cashed the hearts and spades and East was squeezed then endplayed; +400.

Syusyuskin did not overcall and his opponents had a normal Stayman auction to the heart game. Syusyuskin led his trump, which declarer won in hand to play a diamond up. Siderov won the ♦K and switched to a club, ducked to the king. Now Syusyuskin switched back to diamonds, playing ace and another to give his partner a ruff for down one; –50 and 10 IMPs to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria led by 47-26 after twelve boards, then came a dramatic turn-around in the match, starting with this huge swing:

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ J 9 3 ♥ – ♦ K 10 9 4 ♣ A Q 9 8 6 5
♠ A Q 8 6 4 2 ♥ A Q 5 4 ♦ 6 2		♠ K 10 7 5 ♥ K 9 8 6 ♦ Q J 7 5
	♠ – ♥ J 10 7 3 2 ♦ A 8 3 ♣ K J 7 3 2

West	North	East	South
Tofte	Spasov	Rohrberg	Skorchev
	Pass	Pass	2♥
2♠	3♣	3♥	3♠
4♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Siderov	Mortensen	Syusyuskin	Ege
	1♣	Pass	1♥
1♠	Pass	2NT	4♣
4♠	5♣	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

The board was switched at the first table, so it was Skorchev who opened 2♥, weak with hearts and a minor, and Spasov who bid 3♣, pass or correct, over the 2♠ intervention. Rohrberg showed a good spade raise and Skorchev showed a maximum by in turn cuebidding 3♠. All looked set for a fiercely competitive auction, but from here N/S lost their way and allowed their opponents to play 4♠. Worse, they failed to find the heart ruff to defeat the contract so that was +620 to Denmark.

I suppose that, from South’s point of view, he had already shown a good hand when he bid 3♠, so thought he should leave future decisions to partner. North, meanwhile, must have been concerned that his partner would turn up with strong hearts, when neither 4♠ nor 5♣ would be making. However, I feel that North should bid on, given South’s 3♠ bid. That sounds like suitability for playing in the minor, as partner has shown no interest in hearts.

If that looked bad for Bulgaria, events at the other table were no better. Mortensen opened the North hand, allowing Ege to show strong club support at his second turn. Now Mortensen’s extra distribution and low point-count strongly suggested bidding on, as either or both games could be making. Actually, l slam is both cold and very good for N/S, but maybe that is tough to get to. When Syusyuskin left the decision to Siderov and that decision was to double, Denmark had another +1150 on the ♦Q lead and 18 IMPs.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ K 6 4 ♥ 7 ♦ Q J 10 8 6 3 2 ♣ K 6
♠ 8 ♥ A K Q 6 3 ♦ A 7 5		♠ Q 9 3 2 ♥ J 9 5 ♦ K 4
	♠ A J 10 7 5 ♥ 10 8 4 2 ♦ 9 ♣ J 9 5

West	North	East	South
Rohrberg	Skorchev	Tofte	Spasov
1♥	3♦	4♥	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Siderov	Mortensen	Syusyuskin	Ege
1♣	3♦	Dble	Pass
4♥	All Pass

Both the natural 1♥ opener and the strong club opener reached 4♥ without difficulty (that was a very aggressive 4♥ raise by Tofte but 3♥ would have done the trick just as well).

Skorchev led the queen of diamonds and, knowing that he could not ruff a diamond in dummy, Rohrberg won the king, drew trumps then played on clubs; ten tricks for +620.

Mortensen also led the ♦Q but Siderov, mindful of the fact that 3♦ was a weak bid, chose to win in hand then draw trumps. He next crossed to dummy with the ♦K and ran the ♣Q to the king. Down to only one trump, declarer was now forced and could not get even a second club trick so was down two for –200 and 13 IMPs to Denmark.

Siderov’s play looks horrible because of the result, but let’s look at it. Ace and another club is fine whenever North has ♣Kx or ♣Jx, but it fails when she has ♣9x or any singleton (♣KJ9 with South is a no-win situation so we can forget about that possibility). North is unlikely to hold a singleton club because he is known to have only eight red cards, assuming diamonds to be 7-1, and anyway, there is no point in playing for a sure losing position. Either line is successful when North holds ♣Jx, ace and another is necessary when he holds ♣Kx, but the queen play is necessary against ♣9x. Given the auction, isn’t ♣9x more likely than ♣Kx?

Despite the above, I think that Siderov misplayed the clubs. Better would be to lead the first club from hand, intending to finesse the ten or eight, then cross to the diamond to lead the queen and pin either the doubleton nine or jack. The point is, of course, that North may misdefend by going in with the king from his actual holding, or hesitate before playing low. I know he shouldn’t but….

Denmark had the lead now and the remaining boards continued to go badly for Bulgaria. The final result was 79-59 in favour of Denmark, converting to 19-11 VPs.