Russia v Netherlands

by Mark Horton

Russia, a slumbering giant in bridge terms, against the well-organised and youthful team from the Netherlands. An intriguing semi final, which started very quietly.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª A J 5 4 © Q 3 2 ¨ K 7 5 § 6 4 3
ª 9 8 7 6 © J 8 4 ¨ Q 9 6 2 § A K		ª K Q 10 © 5 ¨ J 10 3 § Q 10 9 8 7 5
	ª 3 2 © A K 10 9 7 6 ¨ A 8 4 § J 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Doubinine	Verhees	Gromov	Jansma
		Pass	1©
Pass	2©	3§	3©
All Pass

Three Hearts was not in jeopardy, +140.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schollaardt	Rekunov	Drijver	Khokhlov
		Pass	1©
Pass	2©	Pass	Pass
Dble	Redble	Pass	Pass
2ª	Dble	3§	4©
All Pass

When North/South died in Two Hearts West did not hesitate to reopen. North showed his strength and then his power in spades, but South overreacted with his jump to game. It might have been right, but not this time, and Netherlands had 6 IMPs.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª Q 10 4 3 © A Q 10 5 4 3 2 ¨ 5 4 § -
ª K 9 © K 9 8 ¨ K 10 9 6 3 § K 9 7		ª A J 7 6 5 © J ¨ A Q 8 2 § 4 3 2
	ª 8 2 © 7 6 ¨ J 7 § A Q J 10 8 6 5

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Doubinine	Verhees	Gromov	Jansma
			Pass
Pass	4©	All Pass

When West passed North was faced with a classical problem. How high to go with his hand?
One of the fascinating aspects of bridge is that players have different views as to how certain types of hand should be treated. (As an aside, as the game at the very highest levels becomes more and more professional situations like this can be researched and analysed in great depth using suitable software. Suppose you researched this situation and discovered that one average it would cost you say 3.5 IMPs if you opened Four Hearts. Unless you were very stubborn you would stop doing it!) Here North’s opening salvo left East/West short of breath. East led the ace of spades and a second spade to West’s king. He switched to a diamond and East won, cashed the ace and played a spade, ruffed and overruffed. East still had to make the king of hearts, so that was three down, +150.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schollaardt	Rekunov	Drijver	Khokhlov
			Pass
1¨	4©	Dble	All Pass

After West has opened the bidding the odds must change. Here it was easy enough for East to show some cards and for West to pass. East led the ace of diamonds and switched to his heart. Declarer won with the queen and played a diamond. West won and played king and another spade. East won and played a third spade, ruffed and overuffed. The defenders still had another trick to come, the same down three, but this time –500 and 8 IMPs to the Netherlands.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Doubinine	Verhees	Gromov	Jansma
	1©	Pass	Pass
Dble	Pass	Pass	2§
Pass	Pass	3NT	All Pass

The area of protection can cause all sorts of problems, and here East/West got into trouble when East clearly hoped/expected West to deliver a better hand. 3NT was hopeless. According to the play record South led a spade and North won and switched to a club, ducked to South who won and played two more rounds of spades. Declarer won in dummy, cashed five rounds of diamonds…and claimed six tricks, even though the ace of clubs is still to come. It was scored as down three, -300.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schollaardt	Rekunov	Drijver	Khokhlov
	1©	Pass	1NT*
Pass	2§	All Pass

Two Clubs was straightforward, and the position of the club honours gave declarer nine tricks, +110. 5 IMPs to Netherlands.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª K Q 8 © K 9 3 ¨ 9 7 § Q J 9 8 7
ª A J 9 5 © Q 10 ¨ A Q J 8 3 § 10 5		ª 10 2 © A 6 5 4 2 ¨ K 6 2 § K 6 4
	ª 7 6 4 3 © J 8 7 ¨ 10 5 4 § A 3 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Doubinine	Verhees	Gromov	Jansma
		Pass	Pass
1¨	Pass	1©	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

With an awkward lead, South went for the two of clubs, third and fifth, which went to the five, seven and king. Declarer’s first decision had to centre on the club suit. Unless someone was playing a deep game the suit could not be breaking 4-4, so it would not help to play either major suit, as the defenders would then have an easy five tricks to cash.

Accordingly he took the only alternative of cashing five rounds of diamonds. North was under great pressure and he discarded the ©9,ª8 and ©3 – the only way to give declarer a problem. South parted with the ©8 and ª3. This was the position:

	ª K Q © K ¨ - § Q J 9 8
ª A J 9 5 © Q 10 ¨ - § 10		ª 10 2 © A 6 5 ¨ - § 6 4
	ª 7 6 4 © J 7 ¨ - § A 3

Declarer exited with a club and North won and returned a club to South’s ace, dummy discarding a spade. When a spade came next it seemed clear that the only hope was to rise with the ace and cash the ace of hearts, but declarer played low and was one dwon, -50.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schollaardt	Rekunov	Drijver	Khokhlov
		1©	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	All Pass

1NT was easy. Declarer played in simple style for seven tricks, +90 and 4 IMPs.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª J 8 © A K J 10 8 5 ¨ A J 2 § Q 8
ª A Q 7 3 © Q 9 2 ¨ 10 6 4 § A J 5		ª K 10 5 4 © 7 3 ¨ 8 7 § K 7 6 3 2
	ª 9 6 2 © 6 4 ¨ K Q 9 5 3 § 10 9 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Doubinine	Verhees	Gromov	Jansma
1NT	Dble	Redble*	Pass
2§	2©	2ª	Pass
3ª	All Pass

South led the six of hearts to North’s jack and won the low diamond return with the queen. He played a diamond back to North’s ace and the defence continued with ace and another heart. Declarer ruffed with dummy’s ten, cashed two spades, ruffed a diamond, played a club to the ace, drew the last trump and played a low club. When the queen appeared he was home, +140.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schollaardt	Rekunov	Drijver	Khokhlov
1§	1©	Dble	Pass
2ª	3©	3ª	4¨
Pass	4©	All Pass

The defenders made no mistake, quickly cashing the four winners they were entitled to. Declarer got the hearts right to go only one down, -50 and 3 IMPs to Russia. Netherlands had won a low scoring set 30-12.