Match of the Day Round 2 Denmark v. Norway


Plus highlights from Great Britain v Israel.

The Round 2 meeting between the World and European champions was not on VuGraph, so your Bulletin staff took their seats at the table. The hands in the first half were quiet, with few swings. Perhaps the most interesting deal was this flat board:

Board 9. Dealer North. EW Game
ª A 5 3
© J 8 6
¨ Q 10 9 6 4
§ J 10
ª 10 8 7 6 ª K Q J 9
© Q 10 3 2 © K 7
¨ A K 8 7 3 ¨ 5
§ § Q 9 8 5 4 2
ª 4 2
© A 9 5 4
¨ J 2
§ A K 7 6 3

Closed Room
West North East South
Kristoffersen Nohr Charlsen Kristensen

Pass 1§ Pass
1© Pass 1ª Pass
3ª Pass 4ª All Pass

Open Room
West North East South
Brondum Saur L.Madsen Brogeland

Pass 1§ Pass
1¨ Pass 1ª Pass
4ª All Pass

Freddie Brondum's raise to 4ª was probably the popular choice elsewhere but when Kristoffersen raised only to Three his partner Thomas Charlsen, East at the other table, went on to game anyway. So the contract was 4ª at both tables. With East opening One Club there is a case for a trump lead. That would probably have left declarer struggling for tricks. However, both Souths led a top club, which made the game a much easier task. Both ruffed in dummy and led a heart to the king.

In the Closed Room South, Mik Kristensen won the ace and exited with a heart to dummy's queen. A heart ruff brought down the jack, and then Charlsen led the queen of clubs. When South did not cover he let it run. A club ruff was not over-ruffed by North. The ten of hearts wasa ruffed and over-ruffed. The next club ruff was over-ruffed by North and a trump came back, but declarer had ten tricks.

In the Open Room when declarer led a heart to the king at trick two, Boye Brogeland, South, tried an interesting shot when he smoothly let it hold. If declarer continues with another heart Brogeland would have played low again, expecting declarer to finesse the ten. However, declarer actually used the heart king as an entry to continue with the queen of clubs. Brogeland covered, declarer ruffed in dummy, and North's club honour fell. Now Morten Lund Madsen switched to trumps. North ducked the first, took the second, and led a heart to his partner's ace. The defence still had a trick to come, so the board was flat.

The Closed Room actually began with Boards 11-20. They were also fairly quiet, but North faced a difficult decision on the first:

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All
ª K 10 8 7 4
© A J 10 9 8 5
¨ 8 5
§
ª 5 3 2 ª 9
© Q © K 6 4
¨ 9 4 ¨ A K Q 10 6
§ A K 10 7 6 4 2 § Q J 8 5
ª A Q J 6
© 7 3 2
¨ J 7 3 2
§ 9 3

Closed Room
West North East South
Kristoffersen Nohr Charlsen Kristensen

Pass
3§ 3© 5§ Dble
All Pass

Open Room
West North East South
Brondum Saur L.Madsen Brogeland

Pass
1§ 2§ 2ª 4ª
5§ 5ª Pass Pass
6§ Pass Pass 6ª
Dble All Pass

In the Closed Room it seems to me that North, having a void in the opponent's pre-empt, should anticipate the problem he will face on the next round, and show both his majors at once. Four Clubs over Three Clubs is used for this purpose. East raises to Five Clubs, and it is easier for South to go Five Spades. Five Clubs Doubled made in some comfort, losing only the two major suit aces, for 550 to Norway whereas Five Spades doubled is a cheap sacrifice.

In the Open Room there was enough insurance being taken out to keep Generali in business. The final outcome was 300 to Denmark. Norway had gained 6 IMPs.

In the match between Great Britain and Israel the bidding at both tables took an interesting course.

Closed Room
West North East South
Cohen Levinger Leslie Liran

Pass
3§ 4§ 5§ Pass
Pass 5© Dble 5ª
All Pass

North's bid of Four Clubs promised both majors and South alerted his second Pass as forcing. Judging by the length of time it took for the tray to come back from the other side of the screen, North was not so sure! Whatever, he had done the right thing. The defence took their three red tricks for +50.

Open Room
West North East South
Shaham Bakhsi Levin Jones

Pass
3§ 4§ 5§ 5¨
Pass 5© Dble 5ª
Dble All Pass

Here North was promising any two suits and we certainly prefer Martin Jones approach of bidding at once on the South hand. The final double netted Israel a couple of IMPs. Back to our main report: Board 12 was a standard Three Notrumps with only overtricks at stake. Board 12 was a partscore with a surprising difference in the play:

Board 13. Dealer North. Game All
ª A K 8 6
© K 9 8 4
¨ Q 6 2
§ J 7
ª Q J 10 ª 5 4
© A 10 6 2 © Q J 7 5
¨ 10 8 7 3 ¨ K J 9
§ K 4 § A 10 9 6
ª 9 7 3 2
© 3
¨ A 5 4
§ Q 8 5 3 2

Closed Room
West North East South
Kristoffersen Nohr Charlsen Kristensen
Brondum Saur L.Madsen Brogeland

1© Pass 1ª
Pass 2ª All Pass

The lead at both tables was the queen of trumps against South's Two Spades. Both declarers won and led §J. Then the paths differed in an oddly significant way. In the Open Room the jack of clubs ran to West's king and West played another trump. Declarer won and led another club, won by East. If East plays a heart to West, West can draw the third trump but declarer now has the heart king for one diamond discard, and can set up the clubs with his remaining two entries. So the partscore will succeed. At trick five East actually played back a club. A friendly West ruffed with his master trump and underled his heart ace. This enabled declarer to make nine tricks. By contrast at trick two in the Closed Room East, Thomas Charlsen, put his ace on the jack of clubs and led a second trump himself. When Nohr led a second club, he decided East might have played low holding the missing top honour, so he put up the queen, and lost to the bare king. West was able to draw a third trump and switch to the ten of diamonds. Declarer had no chance of setting up the clubs and could do little more than settle for making the heart king as a trick. This meant two off and a useful 8 IMPs to Norway.

This deal provided more scope for swings:

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All
ª A 9 8 7
© 9 8 4 2
¨ 7 6
§ Q J 10
ª 6 5 2 ª K Q J 4 3
© A K J 7 © 10 6
¨ A Q 10 5 ¨ J
§ 7 4 § A 9 6 5 2
ª 10
© Q 5 3
¨ K 9 8 4 3 2
§ K 8 3

Closed Room
West North East South
Kristoffersen Nohr Charlsen Kristensen

1ª Pass
2¨ Pass 2ª Pass
3ª Pass 4§ Pass
4ª All Pass

Open Room
West North East South
Brondum Saur L.Madsen Brogeland

1ª Pass
2¨ Pass 2ª Pass
4ª All Pass

In the Closed Room West's Three Spades was forcing so East, despite his minimum opening, cue-bid his club control. South led a heart. Charlsen put up the ace, and led a trump to the king. The sight of the ten was worrying, and he now ducked a club. North won and returned a club. At this point it looks simple for declarer to ruff a club and concede just two trump tricks. However, East, with some idea that North held a doubleton club, decided at this point to play a high trump from hand. That allowed Nohr to win and clear dummy's last trump. Declarer threw him in with the last trump, hoping he had no clubs to play, but North cashed the third club to set the game.

In the Open Room South led a diamond. Morten Lund Madsen refused the finesse and led a trump to the queen. He then ducked a club. North won and led a low trump. Declarer now ruffed out clubs and later conceded two trumps. The swing was 10 IMPs to Denmark, the biggest swing of the match. Few pairs bid these North-South cards to a thin Three Notrumps:

Board 15. Dealer South. NS Game
ª A J 10 4
© 9 3
¨ A Q J 9 7 6
§ 3
ª 5 ª Q 9 8 7 6
© A K 7 © J 5 2
¨ 10 5 4 ¨ 8 3 2
§ A 10 9 6 4 2 § K 8
ª K 3 2
© Q 10 8 6 4
¨ K
§ Q J 7 5

Closed Room
West North East South
Kristoffersen Nohr Charlsen Kristensen

Pass
1§ 1¨ 1ª 1NT
2§ 2¨ 3§ All Pass

Open Room
West North East South
Brondum Saur L.Madsen Brogeland

Pass
1§ 1¨ 1ª 1NT
2§ 2¨ All Pass

In the Closed Room, if Charlsen had passed over Two Diamonds, South would surely have had another go, probably by bidding Two Hearts. However, the raise to Three Clubs by East shut out South. Three Clubs lost the obvious six tricks for only 100 to Denmark. At the Open table North-South never progressed beyond Two Diamonds. 1 IMP to Norway but both sides had missed an opportunity to gain.

Back at our other featured match it was again the South player who had a problem on this deal.

Closed Room
West North East South
Cohen Levinger Leslie Liran

Pass
1§ 1¨ 1ª Pass
2§ 2¨ All Pass

We don't disagree with South's initial pass, but the following two are pessimistic to say the least. Perhaps South forgot there is a bonus for making a vulnerable game?

Open Room
West North East South
Shaham Bakshi Levin Jones

Pass
1§ 1¨ 1ª 1NT
2§ 2¨ 3§ 3©
Pass 3NT All Pass

Martin Jones

Great Britain's Martin Jones may be unique amongst the competitors here in so far as he has already won his country's major Open Team Championship.

His well-judged actions ensured that his side got to the excellent 3NT whilst exploring the possibility of game in hearts. 10 well merited IMPs for Great Britain. Board 17 was a borderline slam (see below).

In our main match both East-Wests stayed safely in Four Spades, only to discover that the cards lay well and slam was easy. After 20 deals of a very low scoring match, Norway had won 36-25 or 17-13 in Victory points.

Board 17. Dealer North. Love All
ª 8 5
© K 6 4 2
¨ K 8 6
§ Q 9 7 5
ª A K J 9 6 4 3 ª Q 10
© 9 8 © A Q 10 5 3
¨ 10 7 ¨ A Q 9 4
§ A 2 § 10 6
ª 7 2
© J 7
¨ J 5 3 2
§ K J 8 4 3

The West hand is very powerful facing an opening bid, despite the poorly regarded 7-2-2-2 distribution. Without a club lead slam is excellent, and even with a club lead, Six Spades is a reasonable contract, needing little more than the heart finesse. The ten of spades provides an extra entry to dummy which could be important in some situations.

Closed Room
West North East South
Cohen Levinger Leslie Liran

Pass 1© Pass
1ª Pass 2¨ Pass
3ª Pass 4ª All Pass

Suzanne Cohen gave a little though to bidding on but with nothing in her partner's suits she can't be faulted for passing. She took all the tricks for +510.

Open Room
West North East South
Shaham Bakshi Levin Jones

Pass 1© Pass
1ª Pass 2¨ Pass
3§ Pass 3© Pass
4ª Pass 5ª Pass
6ª All Pass

Perhaps East expected a little more from his partner after the Four Spade bid, so he asked West to go on with a club control. David Bakhshi realised things were lying well for declarer so he tried the effect of leading a diamond. Declarer finessed, came to hand with a trump and finessed the queen of hearts. When that held, thirteen tricks were in sight, but declarer contented himself with twelve. 10 IMPs to Israel who went on to win 47-28, 19-11 VPs.

Results Contents
Juniors Round 2, Round 3 Match of the Day
Hungary v Netherlands



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