Sweden v China

Orbis Bermuda Bowl - Round 2

The second VuGraph match of the opening day featured two teams expected to survive the round robin phase of the Orbis Bermuda Bowl. It was a real nip and tuck affair, with the lead changing hand several times. We managed to catch some of the action around the middle of the match. When the music stopped, Sweden had recorded a narrow victory, 16-14VP.

The first board we feature showed how the standard for an opening bid have fallen in recent years, well at least in Sweden.

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

Open Room West North East South Fredin Ju Lindkvist Fu 2¨ Dble Rdble Pass 2ª Pass Pass 3§ Pass 3¨ All Pass

The cards were lying well for declarer, and he had no real problem in arriving at nine tricks to record +110.

Closed Room West North East South Yang Andersson Cao Gulberg 1ª Pass 1NT Pass 2§ Dble All Pass

North's emaciated opening bid was according to system, and the response was a transfer to clubs. That must have been just what North was hoping for, especially when East joined in with a double!

It reminded one of the old Russian proverb, 'He who sows the wind reaps the whirlwind'. North had nowhere to go, but South's club pips were to prove useful, and prevented a major loss.

The opening lead of the ten of clubs was allowed to run to declarer's queen, and West also ducked the next trick, when declarer played a heart to the king. The seven of diamonds went to the jack, and East played the jack of hearts.

Declarer elected to cover that with the queen, and West won and switched to the nine of spades. Declarer went up with the ace, and ruffed a diamond. That left the §AJ97 in dummy, and West could not avoid being endplayed later on to give declarer seven tricks and a flat board.

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

 

Open Room West North East South Fredin Ju Lindkvist Fu   1§ Pass 1© 1ª 2§ Pass 2¨ Pass 2© Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

After the strong club and value showing response North was able to get his spade suit into the game, but it did not prevent East-West from getting to 3NT. North led the ten of spades, and declarer went up with the king and played a diamond. It was perfectly reasonable for South to go up with the ace and play a second spade, hoping that North had started with a six-card suit, but here it meant declarer had a simple route to nine tricks.

It looks as if with holding the ace of diamonds will make life difficult for declarer, but there are several ways in which the contract can be made. One is to take the heart finesse and then play a spade, cutting communications between North and South. Declarer cannot be prevented from scoring nine tricks, most likely via one spade, three hearts, three diamonds and two clubs.

The double dummy program, 'Deep Finesse' has confirmed that the contract cannot be beaten, but that does not mean declarer cannot go down!

In the match between Denmark, the runaway leaders in the Venice Cup, and India, Charlotte Koch-Palmund and Bettina Kalkerup found a way to exploit a slight mistake by declarer.

The opening lead was the ten of spades, ducked all round. North played a second spade to dummy's king, and declarer played a diamond to the queen. Now came a club to the king and a second diamond. Charlotte went in with the ace and gave declarer a little gift by exiting with a heart. That went to the nine, queen and king. We all know to be careful about Greeks baring gifts, but clearly we must now add the dangerous Danes to this list. Declarer, seeing no danger, cashed her second top club. South made a second, and more spectacular gift to her opponent by discarding a heart! Now she could no longer be endplayed, and North took the setting tricks.

Closed Room West North East South Yang Andersson Cao Gulberg   1§ 1¨ Pass 1ª Dble Pass 3NT All Pass

The play to the first few tricks followed that in the Open Room, and when South again went up with the ace of diamonds, declarer was a heavy favourite to make. South played the eight of spades, and when that held the trick he played another diamond. Declarer won, and cashed a second trick in the suit before taking the heart finesse. He was clearly annoyed that he had not cashed his third diamond winner, and he failed to see that he had a winning line by cashing his top hearts, followed by the ace of clubs and a low club. That would force North to lead into the club tenace.

Whatever, that was 12 IMPs to Sweden.

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

Open Room West North East South Fredin Ju Lindkvist Fu     1¨ Pass 1ª Pass 2ª Pass 3§ Pass 4ª All Pass

Would you rate that North hand as being worth a game try? As Eric Kokish pointed out, the North hand is potentially good if a 4-4 spade fit exists, but even so, the singleton king of clubs was a huge card.

The opening lead was the six of clubs. West can make life difficult, although not impossible, by withholding the ace of clubs, but that is a hard play to find! Declarer had no problems in arriving at ten tricks to record +420.

Closed Room West North East South Yang Andersson Cao Gulberg     1§ Pass 1ª Pass 2ª All Pass

Aside from the Swedish style opening bid that was an auction you would expect to see reproduced all around the room. The same ten tricks, but 6 IMPs to China.

Board 14. Dealer West. NS Game ª A 8 © K 8 ¨ J 4 2 § A K J 10 6 5 ª 10 9 3 ª K Q 6 2 © Q J 9 3 2 © 10 7 5 ¨ K 5 ¨ 10 9 7 6 § Q 8 2 § 7 4 ª J 7 5 4 © A 6 4 ¨ A Q 8 3 § 9 3

 

Open Room West North East South Fredin Ju Lindkvist Fu   Pass 1¨ 1© 2§ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

West led the two of hearts, and declarer ran it round to his ace and ran the nine of clubs. It was not difficult now to arrive at 12 tricks, East being unable to stand the pressure exerted by the club suit.

Closed Room West North East South Yang Andersson Cao Gulberg   Pass Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2§ Pass 2¨ Pass 3NT All Pass

The same contract, but with North as declarer. East led the ten of diamonds, and North had a problem. He knew that the technical line was to go up with the ace of diamonds and play on clubs, ensuring nine tricks. However, it would only be wrong to play low if West could win the king of diamonds and switch to a spade from say ªQ1062. That would put the contract under threat if East held the guarded queen of clubs. Against that, West would have to find the switch, and these overtrick IMPs can add up quite quickly. When declarer played low, he had calculated the risks involved. West won and switched to a heart. The same twelve tricks were recorded.