Match of the Day Russia v. Israel


Five victory points separated the two teams at the start of the match, with Israel lying fourth, and Russia hoping to continue their recovery from the setback on Sunday. The first four boards saw some minor swings which left Israel leading by 6-2 (a common score at tennis, as Rigal pointed out). The first board with potential for a big swing actually turned out to be flat, but it had plenty of excitement:

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

Closed Room
West North East South
Zack Matouchko Amit Lobov

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

Open Room
West North East South
Doubinine Shaham Krasnosselski Levin

1¨ Pass 2NT
Pass 3NT 4©! Pass
Pass 5§ All Pass

It was surprising that neither East bid on the first round but on VuGraph Krasnosselski came back in later with spectacular bravery. Everyone had assumed that North's raise to Three No-trumps would end the auction. Note that against 3NT, though the defence can cash one spade and six hearts, in practice when West leads a spade, and South drops the jack, East will probably continue the suit allowing declarer to succeed. However, East made that hypothetical by entering with Four Hearts, a contract that can make so long as you don't misguess the majors. For example you may get to ruff two clubs and then the ace of hearts drops the king, leaving only a spade, heart and club loser.

North did well, therefore, to avoid doubling, and try Five Clubs, the same contract as had been bid without opposition at the other table.

In the Closed Room South was declarer. West led the ace of hearts on which East played the two. West obediently switched to a diamond, which East ruffed, and the ace of spades defeated the game.

On VuGraph, East was on lead, and made the intelligent choice of the TWO of hearts. As they were playing fourth highest, and East had bid at the four level, this could only be an instruction for West to return a diamond. As it happened West would have done this anyway, knowing declarer had five diamonds. West duly won the heart ace, and switched to the diamond, ruffed by East who then cashed the ace of spades. Flat board. A couple of boards later the Russian West was punished heavily for breaking a golden rule:

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

Closed Room
West North East South
Zack Matouchko Amit Lobov

Pass
1© Pass 1NT Pass
2¨ Pass 3© Pass
4© Dble All Pass

Open Room
West North East South
Doubinine Shaham Krasnosselski Levin

Pass
2© Pass 4© Pass
5§ Dble 5© Pass
Pass Dble All Pass

In the Closed Room West opened at the one level and East made a semi-forcing 1NT reponse which led naturally to game in hearts. North made a speculative double based on the view that he had three trump tricks, so at least they could not make any overtricks.

North led the spade queen. Declarer won and played a trump, taken by North. West ruffed the next spade, to play another trump, again won by North, who exited with a third trump to dummy. Declarer cashed the top clubs throwing three diamonds from hand, and led a diamond to the king, the ten dropping from North.

Now comes this choice: has North made a natural play from ¨J10 doubleton or a very clever one from ¨J10x. In the latter case you must follow with a low diamond to fell South's bare ace. However, we would expect most Wests to get it right, as they would not wish to credit their opponents with such skill! Zack did get the diamonds right, following with a high diamond from hand, and recorded +790 for Israel.

On VuGraph Doubinine's opening of Two Hearts showed a weak two suiter with hearts. When East raised to Four West realised that he needed very little from East for a slam to succeed (the ace of diamonds, and four hearts to the king or ace is enough, or even just good trumps), and he moved on with 5§. This broke the normal rule of limited auctions, and West was duly punished. Against Five Hearts doubled North led a diamond, and soon after it was 200 to Israel for a swing of 790 or 14 IMPs. At half-time Israel led 19-12.

Russia got right back in the match after a bidding problem that was repeated at several tables. Roman Keycard Blackwood assisted in the outcome:

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

Closed Room
West North East South
Zack Matouchko Amit Lobov

1§
Pass 1© Dble 2§
Pass 2NT Pass 3ª
Pass 4© All Pass

Open Room
West North East South
Doubinine Shaham Krasnosselski Levin

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

In the Closed Room Russia stopped quite normally in Four Hearts. East led the ace of diamonds but then played another one, so 12 tricks were made.

On VuGraph the Israeli auction was unopposed. Three Hearts was a forcing raise. Three No-trumps was a slam try usually denying the ace of clubs. South had extra values and wanted to make an encouraging noise, so he invented a cue-bid of Four Diamonds. This was enough to encourage North to wheel out Roman Keycard Blackwood, even though he had no aces. The response, showing two of five aces and the queen of trumps, was a big disappointment. North now knew the right contract was Five Hearts but the Laws did not permit him to bid it over Five Spades!

Several tables fell into the same trap, and ended in Six Hearts. The strange thing was that two declarers made it as East was so confident in their bidding that he did not try to cash two aces. On VuGraph, however, the Russian East was not so complimentary. He began with the ace of clubs and followed with the ace of diamonds to put the slam one down and give Russia a gain of 11 IMPs. The gap was now only 1 IMP.

Russia were perhaps a little unlucky on the next deal:

Board 12. Dealer West. NS Game
ª Q 2
© 3
¨ A J 8 5 4
§ Q J 7 6 2
ª K 10 9 8 7 ª A 4
© K J 4 2 © A 9 6 5
¨ 7 3 ¨ Q 6
§ 10 3 § A K 9 5 4
ª J 6 5 3
© Q 10 8 7
¨ K 10 9 2
§ 8

Closed Room
West North East South
Zack Matouchko Amit Lobov

Pass Pass 1NT Pass
2© Pass 2ª All Pass

Open Room
West North East South
Doubinine Shaham Krasnosselski Levin

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

Israel stopped in a safe contract of Two Spades. North led a club honour, declarer winning in dummy and unblocking the ten from hand. Declarer cashed the top trumps and cleared the suit to South's jack. South tried a low diamond, but when North won he led a second diamond, rather than give South a club ruff, so declarer now made ten tricks by taking the heart finesse and the club finesse.

By contrast Russia reached what looks a good heart game. North made the excellent lead of a LOW club, taken by the ace. Declarer followed with ace and king of spades. When the queen fell he could see that the contract was now cold on any 3-2 trump break. He cashed ace and king of trumps. If both followed he would play a high spade throwing a diamond loser from the dummy and the defence would have no answer.

However, with the trumps 4-1 South was able to win the third spade, put his partner in with a diamond, and receive a club ruff to defeat the contract. Well defended, for a 6 IMP swing to Israel.

This deal was a flat board in different grand slams, though both depended on the favourable heart break:

Board 16. Dealer West. EW Game
ª 6 5
© J 2
¨ 9 7 6 2
§ Q 10 9 6 3
ª A J 9 7 3 2 ª K Q 10 8
© K 9 4 3 © A 10 8 6 5
¨ ¨ A 10 5
§ A K J § 2
ª 4
© Q 7
¨ K Q J 8 4 3
§ 8 7 5 4

Closed Room
West North East South
Zack Matouchko Amit Lobov

1ª Pass 2NT 3¨
5¨ 6¨ Dble Pass
7ª All Pass

Open Room
West North East South
Doubinine Shaham Krasnosselski Levin

1§ Pass 1© 2¨
4¨ 5¨ 5NT 6¨
Dble Pass 7© All Pass

In the Closed Room the Two No-trump response was Jacoby, showing game values with heart support. West's leap to Five Diamonds was Exclusion Blackwood, promising a void and asking for aces outwith diamonds. The double of Six Diamonds was taken as meaning an even number of aces, namely two.

On VuGraph West opened a Polish Club. The response and overcall were natural. Four Diamonds was a heart raise with a void. Five Notrumps was the Grand Slam Force, asking for two of the top three honours and the double of Six Diamonds showed one top honour. Despite this East gambled the grand slam. In a way it was good that the result was no swing.

On the next deal there was a grand slam on a finesse on the North-South cards, but this time one team stopped in Six, and the other in game!

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

In unopposed auctions Matouchko & Lobov of Russia bid:

1§-1ª-2§-2©-3©-4§-4¨-4NT-5©-6NT-Pass

1§ was Polish; 2§ an enquiry with the reponse showing exactly four spades but 10+ points. The next two calls were natural, then 4¨ was a cue-bid with clubs as the trump suit, and 4NT was a club cue-bid.

Shaham & Levin bid naturally:

1©-2§-2NT-3NT-4NT-Pass

Both tables made the obvious 13 tricks so Russia gained 11 IMPs. Israel now led by just 2 IMPs. This was the match decider:

Board 18. Dealer East. NS Game
ª K 9 8 3
© J 9 8 4 3
¨ 8 5
§ 10 3
ª A 2 ª J 7 5
© 6 © A Q 10 2
¨ A K Q 6 4 ¨ J 10 9 2
§ J 9 7 4 2 § K 5
ª Q 10 6 4
© K 7 5
¨ 7 3
§ A Q 8 6

Both teams reached Five Diamonds.

On VuGraph Krasnosselski & Doubinine had an unopposed auction:

1§-2¨-3¨-4§-4©-4ª-5§-5¨-Pass

In the Closed Room, Zack opened 1¨ and Amit responded 1© which encouraged South to make a light take-out double. North responded 1ª and East made a natural call of 3¨ which West raised to Five. On VuGraph Shaham led a heart and declarer, in the hope of disposing of his spade loser, took the heart finesse. When this lost, and a later club to the king also lost, the game was defeated. In the Closed Room North led a club. If South switches to a spade the game goes down, but he continued clubs, perhaps with the idea of promoting a trump for North. North was able to ruff the third club, but only with a small trump. Declarer over-ruffed, drew trumps, and threw two spades from dummy on his good clubs. The swing was 10 IMPs to Israel giving them the win by 55-43 or 17-13 in Victory Points.

Results Contents
Juniors Round 9, Round 10, Round 11
Schools Round 1, Round 2, Round 3
Match of the Day Israel v Russia
Serendipity by MAJ
Bread & Butter Board
Rising Stars



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