All riled up

Monday's round-four match in the Open series featured two teams that seemed to be going in opposite directions. Norway had clobbered Palestine, 96-31, in round three, while Bulgaria had been roughed up by La Reunion, 76-20. Clearly, it doesn't pay to make the Bulgarian squad mad. They jumped out to a 20-0 lead early on and never looked back, winning handily, 65-24.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª 10 2 © A Q 7 4 ¨ K J 9 7 § Q J 8
ª 9 8 4 © 10 8 5 3 ¨ 10 6 5 § A K 7		ª K J 5 © J 6 ¨ Q 8 § 10 9 6 5 3 2
	ª A Q 7 6 3 © K 9 2 ¨ A 4 3 2 § 4

Valentin Al-Shati started with the §2 to Vladislav Isporski's king. He continued with the §A and another club, establishing the suit. Per Erik Austberg combined his chances, cashing the top three hearts to see if the suit split favorably. When hearts proved to be 4-2, Austberg made the normal play in diamonds, taking the finesse and going down one for minus 50.

At the other table, Dessislava Popova and Rossen Gunev played in 4© with the North-South cards, bringing it home for plus 420 and a 10-IMP gain.

Another 10 IMPs went into Bulgaria's account when Geir Helgemo missed the killing opening lead against a 5§ contract.

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

Gunev led the ©Q, and the issue was settled quickly. Popova won the first round of clubs with the ace and gave her partner a ruff. The ªA was still to come for down one.

Helgemo's choice of leads was decidedly unusual: the ¨2! That was enough for Al-Shati to bring home 11 tricks. He won the ¨A in dummy and immediately played a club. Austberg won the §A and played the ©9, hoping that the reason Helgemo didn't lead a heart was that he didn't have one. Al-Shati rose with the ©A, however, and soon was claiming for plus 400.

An aggressive preempt cost Norway on this deal.

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

Blessed with lots of good spots and a 3-3 club break, Helgemo took nine tricks despite never reaching the dummy. Isporski led his singleton heart: 5, jack, ace. The §K was next, taken by Isporski. Any lead from that point was going to help declarer. Indeed, the diamond continuation helped Helgemo pick up that suit as well. Helgemo won the diamond and played the §Q, followed by a low club, conceding two more tricks for plus 110.

Those same good spots came to the aid of the defenders in the other room, as Brogeland opened 2ª in first seat and was punished for minus 500 when Gunev balanced with a double in fourth seat and Popova passed. That was another 9 IMPs to Bulgaria.

Another 13 IMPs went to Bulgaria on this very interesting deal.

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

Austberg's low lead made the slam easy, as Isporski put in dummy's queen and ruffed out the king, establishing enough discards to handle the low clubs. Isporski claimed after driving out the trump ace and cashing a high trump.

At the other table, the Norwegians did not get past game.

North led the §10 and Brogeland took no chances with his contract, playing spades immediately, giving up on the club ruff. He finished at plus 650 for a 13-IMP loss.

At first glance, it might seem that a trump lead would defeat 6ª, depriving West of a club ruff, but in fact no lead can defeat the slam. Should North start with a spade - the ace or a low one -- West can win and run trumps, reaching this position with West on lead.

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

On the ¨K, South can spare a club, but when declarer plays a diamond to dummy's ace, South must surrender.

On the following deal, Al-Shati played well to overcome a bad trump split and earn another swing for his side.

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

Brogeland might have made this awkward contract, but he finished down one for minus 50. Al-Shati did better in the diamond fit despite the back trump split.

Helgemo led a low spade, taken in dummy with the ace as North followed with the queen. Al-Shati played the §A, shedding a heart, and followed with the §Q, covered by Austberg and ruffed in the East hand. Al-Shati then played the ¨A and a diamond to dummy, discovering the bad trump split.

Al-Shati cashed the §J, pitching another heart, and played a fourth round of clubs, which appeared to doom the contract. North discarded his ªJ on the fourth round of clubs, and, although Al-Shati was able to use his last trump to ruff the clubs good in dummy, it seemed that he could not reach dummy to use them. If he tried to ruff a spade to dummy, North would overruff and pull dummy's last trump. Al-Shati would then have to lose three more tricks.

Al-Shati found a solution, however. He played a low spade from his hand and pitched a heart. Helgemo, holding the trick, played the ªK. Again, if Al-Shati ruffed, North could overruff and kill the contract. Again, however, Al-Shati discarded instead of ruffing, this time pitching a club.

Helgemo had no more options at that point. If he played a spade away from his 10, Al-Shati would pitch from dummy and make North use one of his trumps. If Helgemo played the ª10, Al-Shati would ruff, not caring if North overruffed because the ª9 would be established for the ninth trick.

Helgemo finally exited with a heart to Al-Shati's ace. Declarer then ruffed his low heart in dummy for trick nine and plus 110, good for a 4-IMP gain.

Norway was trailing 49-5 when they finally made a significant gain.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª A 10 9 6 © J 7 5 4 ¨ 8 7 2 § 7 2
ª K J 5 © A 6 3 ¨ K 6 4 § A J 9 8		ª 7 3 2 © 10 ¨ A 10 9 5 3 § K Q 6 5
	ª Q 8 4 © K Q 9 8 2 ¨ Q J § 10 4 3

Isporski took 10 tricks after the opening heart lead, losing two spades and a diamond. Brogeland and Saelensminde found a better spot.

South led the ©K, taken in dummy with the ace. Saelensminde then drew trumps, ending in dummy, and cashed the ¨K, felling South's queen. Declarer made the play dictated by the rule of restricted choice, playing a diamond to the 9. Gunev won the jack and exited with the ª8. Saelensminde guessed correctly, putting in the jack. Plus 400 was good for a 7-IMP pickup, but time was running short on the Norwegians.

Another swing went Bulgaria's way with Al-Shati at the wheel. He guessed brilliantly to land a shaky contract.

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

Helgemo led the §A and continued with a low club to Austberg's jack after North had played the §Q. Austberg put it to Al-Shati at trick three by switching to a low spade. Considering Helgemo's opening bid (albeit in third seat) and the fact that Al-Shati needed the ©K to be with North, VuGraph commentators figured it was long odds that Al-Shati would make the right play in spades.

After considering his play carefully, Al-Shati wowed the VuGraph audience by going up with the ªK, passing his first test. The next question was, given that North had showed up with some much already, whether Al-Shati might despair of North's holding the ©K and try to drop it singleton in the South hand. He got that one right, too, entering dummy with a diamond and running the ©10. He played two more rounds of hearts and, apparently so happy just to make the contract, forgot to ruff his club to dummy, whereupon he could have played top diamonds, getting rid of all his spades. Instead, he exited with a spade but still scored up plus 420, a 10-IMP gain because 4© was defeated in the other room.

Norway got back 10 IMPs when Austberg brought home 4© doubled while declarer in 2© at the other table managed only eight tricks, but the Bulgarians had come back from a disappointing loss to soundly defeat one of the strongest teams in the field.

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