Norway vs Sweden (Schools Round 7)

In this battle of Scandinavia, Norway and Sweden clashed in Round 7 in the Schools. In today’s first match Norway, and Sweden will play each other again – this time in the Juniors.

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 ♣ J 8 6 4		♠ K J 8 6 4 3 ♥ Q 7 4 ♦ K 6 2 ♣ 9
	♠ A 10 9 5 ♥ 5 3 2 ♦ Q 9 ♣ A 7 3 2

Open Room

West	North	East	South
M. Gronkvist	Johansen	Fryklund	Bogen
			Pass
2♦*	Pass	2♥*	Pass
Pass	4♠	Dble	All Pass

Closed Room

Micke Gronkvist kicked off with a light multi opening, against which the Norwegian pair ran into some serious problems. 2♥ was for pass or correct and when Lars Arthur Johansen judged to play in 4♠ rather than 3NT Erik Fryklund happily made his contribution to the auction. The defence took two red tricks and three trump tricks for down two and N/S –300.

In the Closed Room Tor Eivind Grude didn’t find any opening bid to show the West hand in his stockpile of weapons, therefore Kristoffer Hegge didn’t have any clues to help with the opening glead. Hegge tried a low spade but West discarded a heart, so dummy’s five held the trick. Declarer played on spades, to the queen and king. Hegge tried his best to defeat the contract by playing a low diamond but, even though Rimstedt played low from dummy, to the ten and ace, from here on declarer cannot go wrong as the cards lie. Rimstedt continued by cashing a top club and then exited with a diamond. East won the king and played back a diamond, establishing declarer’s ninth trick in that suit; N/S +400 and 12 IMPs to Sweden.

Only a heart lead beats the contract. Sweden followed this up with an even larger swing.

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 ♣ J 10		♠ K Q 5 2 ♥ 4 ♦ 9 6 5 ♣ 9 8 6 5 3
	♠ 7 3 ♥ J 3 2 ♦ K Q 7 4 2 ♣ A K 7

Open Room

West	North	East	South
M. Gronkvist	Johansen	Fryklund	Bogen
Pass	1♣*	Pass	1♦
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♦
Pass	3NT	Pass	4♣
Pass	4♦	Pass	6♣
All Pass

What was the reason behind the fact that the Norwegians ended up in small slam on the 3-3 fit? North’s opening bid showed at least three clubs and on the second round he preffered to show a strong balanced hand rather than the suit lengths. Three Diamonds showed a fifth diamond. North had no intention of helping his partner, thus he told the same story once again by bidding 3NT. Without any four-cards major suit nor three-card diamond support, South reasonable enough placed North with a 3-3-2-5 shape, thus he bid 4♣ as slam try and then 6♣ over partners’s supposed cuebid. North should have corrected to 6♦, but no, he kept on taking poor decisions. If partner had equal length in the minor suits he would have bid 3♣ over 2NT, wouldn’t he? Declarer lost two trumps and a spade trick, so two down and N/S +200. This was the auction in the other room:

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Grude	S. Rimstedt	Hegge	I. Gronkvist
Pass	1♥	Pass	2♦
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♥
Pass	6 NT	All Pass

2♦ was not game forcing, nonetheless Sandra Rimstedt leaped to 6NT over 3♥. Rimstedt has improved during the last year thanks to a lot of practise in the American Nationals. Her declaring skills have already been given attention in the bulletin. Here, a lot of IMPs were at stake.

Hegge did well by finding the only lead that could cause declarer some problems – the king of spades. After that lead there are actually only two options in the play; either you play for the squeeze, in case East holds the major-suit queens, or you finesse in hearts. In order to prepare for the squeeze Rimstedt let the spade king hold the trick and she won the club shift in dummy. With the bulletin editor behind her shoulder I thought she should go for the more exciting squeeze. In that case it’s necessary to cash the two top heart in hand, on which the queen might drop, giving declarer twelve painless tricks. If there is no heart queen in sight, declarer runs all the minor-suit tricks to this ending:

	♠ A J ♥ 10 ♦ – ♣ –
♠ 10 ♥ 9 8 ♦ – ♣ –		♠ Q 5 ♥ Q ♦ – ♣ –
	♠ 7 ♥ J ♦ 2 ♣ –

On the last diamond North lets a heart go and East has to throw in the towel. Fortunately for Sweden, Rimstedt took the successful heart finesse instead. The accident in the Open Room was expensive for Norway, as that was worth 17 powerful IMPs to Sweden. At this point Sweden was leading by 29-0.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
M. Gronkvist	Johansen	Fryklund	Bogen
	1♥	Dble	All Pass

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Grude	S. Rimstedt	Hegge	I. Gronkvist
	1♥	All Pass

Erik Fryklund, Swedish Open Team Champion just a few months ago, defied the common understanding that a take-out double over 1♥ should contain four spades if with a limited hand. To see a double from partner must have been a delightful for Micke Gronkvist as West. E/W can make 4♠ but two down in 1♥ doubled was worth more; N/S –500. When Hegge judged differently in the Closed Room, Rimstedt was left to play in 1♥ undoubled. Declarer made the same number of tricks, so down two, N/S –200, but 6 IMPs to Sweden.

Norway scored their first IMP on Board 7 and here came their first large swing.

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 ♣ A 3		♠ 10 8 2 ♥ A Q 10 6 5 ♦ K 8 ♣ 9 8 4
	♠ 6 4 3 ♥ 9 2 ♦ 9 7 6 2 ♣ Q J 5 2

Open Room

West	North	East	South
M. Gronkvist	Johansen	Fryklund	Bogen
	1♦	1♥	Pass
2♦*	Pass	2♥	Pass
4♥	All Pass

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Grude	S. Rimstedt	Hegge	I. Gronkvist
	1♦	Pass	Pass
1♥	2♣	2♦*	Pass
4♥	All Pass

Fryklund was declarer as East in the Open Room while Grude declared as West. Against Fryklund, South led a low diamond and North has to be careful not to be endplayed. Perhaps the danger isn’t obvious, but stranger things than that have happened in the game of bridge. However, Johansen defended properly, thus N/S +100.

Rimstedt had a more awkward choice of lead the North hand. When she led a low spade declarer could win the nine and claim ten tricks; N/S +620. That was 12 IMPs to Norway, who still trailed though, 13 to 43 IMPs at this point.

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

Open Room

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Grude	S. Rimstedt	Hegge	I. Gronkvist
		Pass	Pass
1♠	Dble	Pass	2♥
All Pass

Despite the unfavourable vulnerability, Micke Gronkvist bid over 2♥. He couldn’t afford a bid at the three level, thus he rebid the spade suit. That was a winning move since the Swedish girls bought 2♥ in East/West’s direction. Gronkvist could have done better in 2♠, although E/W recording 110 was OK.

In 2♥ the trumps split nicely, so declarer could pitch a club in hand since the defence cannot touch the club suit; N/S +110 and that was another 6 IMPs for Sweden.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ J 9 8 7 ♥ 3 ♦ K 6 5 ♣ Q J 8 7 3
♠ K Q 6 2 ♥ 10 9 7 6 ♦ J 10 4 ♣ 9 6		♠ 5 4 ♥ J 8 5 ♦ 9 8 3 ♣ A K 10 5 4
	♠ A 10 3 ♥ A K Q 4 2 ♦ A Q 7 2 ♣ 2

Open Room

West	North	East	South
M. Gronkvist	Johansen	Fryklund	Bogen
Pass	Pass	Pass	1♥
Pass	1♠	Pass	4♠
All Pass

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Grude	S. Rimstedt	Hegge	I. Gronkvist
Pass	Pass	Pass	2♣*
Pass	2♦*	Pass	2♥
Pass	3♣	Pass	3♦
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Bogen and Johansen seems to seek all odd-suit fits as trumps (remember 4♠ and 6♣) but this time they hit the jackpot when they landed in the only playable game. East led the king of clubs and then switched to a diamond. Declarer won in hand, ruffed a couple of clubs and ran all his high cards in the red suits. West had to win two trump tricks but that was it; N/S +620.

n the Closed Room Ida Gronkvist opened 2♣ forcing and then showed hearts and diamonds and an unbalanced hand. Hegge once again displayed his leading skills as he started with a spade, the only lead that gives the defence a chance. Grude won the first trick with the queen and then continued correctly by shifting to a club. North played the queen, as she wanted to give the impression of holding AQ in the suit. East won the king and then played a spade to the ten and king. At this point a club sets the contract but for some reason West played more spades. When the diamond suit produced four tricks, the game was made; N/S +600. That was disappointing for Norway, although 1 IMP to them.

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 ♣ 10		♠ K 10 7 5 ♥ K 9 8 6 ♦ Q J 7 5 ♣ 4
	♠ – ♥ J 10 7 3 2 ♦ A 8 3 ♣ K J 7 3 2

Open Room

West	North	East	South
M. Gronkvist	Johansen	Fryklund	Bogen
	1♣	Pass	1♥
1♠	Pass	2♣*	4♣
4♠	5♣	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Grude	S. Rimstedt	Hegge	I. Gronkvist
	3♣	Dble	5♣
All Pass

Micke Gronkvist doubled in the pass-out seat, otherwise it could have been a striped-tailed ape double since N/S are cold for slam. There was only one trick for the defence to take, so N/S +950 and that was 7 IMPs and a glimpse of recovery for Norway, as the Swedes played 5♣ undoubled.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ 2 ♥ Q 9 7 ♦ A 8 5 ♣ J 9 8 7 6 3
♠ A K 7 4 ♥ K 10 ♦ K Q 10 6 4 3 ♣ A		♠ Q J 10 9 5 ♥ A 6 2 ♦ 9 7 2 ♣ 10 2
	♠ 8 6 3 ♥ J 8 5 4 3 ♦ J ♣ K Q 5 4

West	North	East	South
M. Gronkvist	Johansen	Fryklund	Bogen
Grude	S. Rimstedt	Hegge	I. Gronkvist
		Pass	Pass
1♦	Pass	1♠	Pass
4♣*	Pass	4♥*	Pass
4NT*	Pass	5♦*	Pass
5♥*	Pass	6♠	All Pass

We saw the same auction at both tables, where West cuebid clubs and then asked for aces and checked if E/W were in control of the queen of trumps. The last large swing of the match went to Norway as Bogen against 6♠ led his singleton diamond and got a ruff while Ida Gronkvist tried the king of clubs instead. That was the difference of 14 IMPs.

The Swedes won the match 63–42 IMPs, 19–11 VPs, and consolidated their position in the top tier in the Schools.