Round 1: Turkey v Bulgaria - Open Oroup B

It is traditional for the opening vugraph show to feature a team from the home country, and so it was that the host, Turkey, settled in for the first round-robin match with neighbor Bulgaria.

Unintentionally, Turkey was a genial host in the first match, dropping a 55-28 decision to Bulgaria.

Turkey started well, earning a slam swing on the first board and collecting another 2 IMPs on board 2. It was 13-0 in favor of Turkey.

Bulgaria began their comeback with an unusual 2-IMP swing on board 5.

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

In the closed room, where Victor Aronov and Julian Stefanov for Bulgaria opposed Yalcin Atabey and Suleyman Kolata, East-West for Bulgaria found their heart fit, playing at the three level and taking 10 tricks for plus 170.
In the open room, the auction concluded rather abruptly, and Salvador Assael had to play well to avoid a bigger loss.

West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Karakolev	Assael	Zahariev
	1ª	2¨	Pass
Pass	Pass

Zahari Zahariev started with the ª4. Georgo Karakolev won the ªK to switch to the ©Q. Assael won the ace in hand and put the ¨K on the table. South ducked, and Assael was encouraged to see North play the 10. Assael continued with the ¨Q, taken by the ace, as North followed with the jack. Despite the 6-2 trump split, Assael could see some possibilities.

Zahariev contined with the ª2, won by North with the ace, and when North continued with the ª10, declarer discarded a low heart. He won the heart continuation with the king in dummy, dropping North’s jack, and cashed the good ©9 to discard a club. Now it went club to the king, club to the ace, ruff a club with the ¨3. South, down to all trumps, had to overruff and return a diamond from the 8-6 into declarer’s 9-7. That was plus 90 for 2 IMPs away instead of 6.

Bulgaria forged ahead for good on the next deal when East-West played in a superior 4© contract that went down on a bad trump split while 3NT was bid and made at the other table.

Bulgaria began pulling away just past midway in the match.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª 5 2 © A Q 9 6 2 ¨ K Q 6 § K Q 3
ª Q 8 7 4 © 7 5 3 ¨ 10 7 4 3 § 10 9		ª K 9 6 © 8 4 ¨ J 9 8 5 2 § J 7 2
	ª A J 10 3 © K J 10 ¨ A § A 8 6 5 4

West	North	East	South
Aronov	Atabey	Stefanov	Kolata
Pass	1©	Pass	2§
Pass	2©	Pass	2ª
Pass	3§	Pass	3©
Pass	4§	Pass	4¨
Pass	4©	Pass	6©
All Pass

In the face of all of South’s bidding, and considering his assets, North’s 4© was extremely conservative. In any case, neither player seemed willing to take control and ask the right questions. The Bulgarians in the other room were not similarly constrained.

West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Karakolev	Assael	Zahariev
Pass	1©	Pass	2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	3§	Pass	3¨
Pass	4§	Pass	4ª
Pass	4NT	Pass	5¨
Pass	7NT	All Pass

Zahariev’s 5¨ bid showed one or four key cards, and Karakolev could not envision South with the lower number of controls given the bidding The were lots of tricks, of course, and a 13-IMP gain for Bulgaria.

Bulgaria gained another big swing on board 15 when Karakolev and Zahariev bid to a sensible 3NT, taking 10 tricks, while Atabey and Kolata landed in a 5¨ contract with no chance on the same cards.

Turkey earned a 3-IMP swing on board 17 when Zorlu made a good defensive play against a notrump game.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª A J 6 © A Q ¨ A 7 5 4 2 § 9 7 6
ª Q 10 © 10 8 5 2 ¨ K Q 10 8 § A Q 2		ª 9 5 4 3 © K 9 4 ¨ 9 6 3 § 8 4 3
	ª K 8 7 2 © J 7 6 3 ¨ J § K J 10 5

The contract was 3NT by North at both tables after North opened 1NT.

In the closed room, Zahariev (East) started with a low spade to the queen and ace. Declarer then ran the §9 to West’s queen. West returned the ¨Q, ducked by declarer. North ducked again when West continued with the ¨10. West then continued with the ª10 to declarer’s jack. A club went to dummy’s 10, ducked by West, who won the third round of clubs with the ace. Declarer took the finesse when West played a heart, and that was five tricks for the defenders and one down.

In the open room, Assael (East) started with a low heart. Declarer took West’s 8 with the queen and played a club to dummy’s 10 and West’s ace! The ¨K and ¨Q were ducked, and declarer won the ©A perforce when West abandoned diamonds. Declarer decided to build a long trick in diamonds by playing the ¨A and a low diamond, pitching a spade and a low heart from dummy.

In with the ¨10, West returned a heart to partner’s king. Declarer won the spade return in hand and apparently claimed, relying on the “proven” club finesse. Zorlu naturally contested the claim, and when a tournament director was called to the table the result was down three as the defenders took two clubs, three diamonds and two hearts for three down.

The final deal of the match resulted in another swing for Bulgaria.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª A 2 © K 10 5 ¨ A Q 10 7 3 § A 9 8
ª K J 4 © Q J 9 6 ¨ 5 4 § K 10 6 5		ª Q 9 6 3 © 8 4 2 ¨ K 8 6 § J 4 2
	ª 10 8 7 5 © A 7 3 ¨ J 9 2 § Q 7 3

West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Karakolev	Assael	Zahariev
Pass	1§	Pass	1¨
Pass	1NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Karakolev’s 1§ was strong and artificial, South’s 1¨ was also artificial and negative.

Assael started with a low spade to the 7, king and ace. Karakolev returned a spade to the 8 and jack. Zorlu’s return of the ©6 proved ineffective when declarer inserted the 10. Declarer went to dummy with the ©K and took the diamond finesse, claiming after East won the ¨K and cashed the ªQ.

In the closed room, North was also declarer in 3NT, receiving the same opening lead of a low spade. Atabey won the ªA and entered dummy with the ©K to play the ¨9. East won the king and put West in with a spade to the jack. At this point, the only effective defense was for West to exit with the ©Q, but he got out with a low diamond. Declarer could still have made the contract by cashing his diamonds, putting pressure on West.

On the run of the diamonds, West would come down to three clubs to the king, the ©Q J and the ª4. If he pitched a heart, North’s ©10 would be good. If West let go of his low spade, North could play his two hearts, throwing West in to lead away from his §K.

Declarer did not read the situation, however, and when West got out with a diamond, North cashed three more tricks in the suit, then played a low club to dummy’s queen. He could not avoid one down from there, giving Bulgaria a 12-IMP gain.