Toe to toe

When two of the strongest teams in a bracket meet, you can expect intense competition, which is exactly what the VuGraph audience witnessed in Round 7 Tuesday in the Open series of the Olympiad in the match between France and Sweden. The teams started the day near the top of the standings in Group C, France only 1 Victory Point out of first, and Sweden only 2 behind.

The entertaining match produced a 53-43 victory for France.

Sweden started off strongly, earning 14 IMPs on the first board of the match.

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

Should Patrick Allegrini have bid his diamond suit over 2©? It certainly would have worked out in this case, but usually it is better to show support when you have support (in this case with the cuebid). It makes partner much happier in the long run. Unfortunately for France, the bad trump split doomed the contract, and Jean Jacques Palau finished down one for minus 50.

The strong club is often subject to interference that other systems do not encounter. In this case, the 1§ opening worked to the advantage of North-South as Magnus Lindkvist could mention his good diamond suit without fear of an ambiguous auction. The diamond slam was cold, so Sweden scored up plus 920 and a 14-IMP gain.

The Swedes tacked on another 6 IMPs on the next board when an odd-looking 2¨ bid by Mats Nilsland produced a good game contract.

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

2NT was a forcing bid, and 4¨ presumably showed extra length. With the heart suit lying as it did, Nilsland had no trouble taking 11 tricks for plus 400.

Paul Chemla did well to raise his partner's diamond bid with only two trumps, but Alain Levy could not find another call. In practice, with the heart suit lying so favorably, Levy made 12 tricks after Peter Fredin led the ªJ. It was 20-0 Sweden.

France earned 2 overtrick IMPs on board three, then earned a 9-IMP swing when Palau played well to land a tough 3NT contract.

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

Fredin might have taken action in fourth seat, but he might be buying trouble. The more his partner produced, the more Chemla would go down, so Fredin opted for a conservative position. The defense started with the ªQ and a spade to the king. Fredin switched to a low trump, but Chemla put in the 10 and continued with the ©Q. Fredin won and played a diamond to North's ace, winning the return with the ¨K. The ªA was ruffed, but Chemla still had to lose the §A and a trump trick for minus 200.

Fallenius could not open 2© because that bid shows a limited hand with four hearts and a longer minor. The pass allowed the French to find their vulnerable game. All Palau had to do was to find nine tricks.

Fallenius started with the ©Q, ducked by Palau. He won the spade switch in dummy, played a diamond to the king and another diamond, ducking to East's jack. Palau won the spade continuation in his hand and played two more rounds of diamonds, ending in dummy. When he played a low club from the table, East rose with the king and played a third round of spades.

Palau won in hand, played a club to dummy's ace and applied the coup de grace with the ©9, which he ran to West's 10. Fallenius found himself on lead with the ©K 8, while Palau was waiting with the ©A J. A well-earned swing for France, how within 9, trailing 20-11.

The defending Olympiad champions took the lead shortly thereafter when the Swedes let through a vulnerable game.

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

Nilsland could not open 2ª because the bid would not show the hand he held, so he passed, giving Palau the chance to start with the club preempt.

Allegrini led his singleton club and hopped up with the ªA at trick two. A diamond ruff put Palau in and Allegrini ruffed the club return to give his partner a second club ruff, scuttling the contract.

Fredin started with the §4, which brought proceedings to a screeching halt as Levy tried to figure out what was going on. After a long time in the tank, Levy finally went up with the §A. When Levy played a spade from dummy, Lindkvist inexplicably played the ªJ. There was now no way for Levy to be defeated. Levy won the ªK and played a second spade to Lindkvist's ace, and he gave Fredin a ruff, but the last trick for the defense was the §K. Plus 620 was a 12-IMP gain for France, now in the lead, 23-20.

Another 12 IMPs went to France when Lindkvist-Fredin reached a hopeless 3NT, down one, while Allegrini-Palau found the cold 5§, making six.

A Swedish gadget backfired on the next board as France made another gain.

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

6ª can be defeated only with a diamond lead, but finding that lead might be as tough as bidding slam with the North-South cards. Fredin was not tested to bring home his notrump contract, finishing with an overtrick for plus 430.

Apparently, the 2§ opening in the Swedish methods does not carry strict requirements for high-card points. 2¨ redoubled was going to make at least two overtricks (only a heart lead would prevent 12 tricks), so Fallenius had to run. Allegrini had the answer to 3§, and it was a bloody affair as Fallenius went four off for minus 800 and another 9 IMPs to France.

Sweden got back into the plus column by bidding a vulnerable 3NT and bringing it home while Chemla and Levy defended 1ª, beating it two tricks for a mere plus 100.

On this deal, Allegrini and Palau took a phantom save at the six level, but still gained 5 IMPs.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª 4 © K Q J 7 5 ¨ Q 10 9 6 4 2 § 6
ª 10 7 2 © 8 2 ¨ K 7 5 § K Q J 5 3		ª A K Q 9 8 6 5 © 6 4 ¨ -- § A 9 8 2
	ª J 3 © A 10 9 3 ¨ A J 8 3 § 10 7 4

Interestingly, in all the bidding, the seven-card spade suit was never actually mentioned. Anyway, as you can see, East-West can legitimately take only 11 tricks, but North-South must grab their hearts right away or one of them will go away. At any rate, the phantom save cost North-South minus 300, losing the spade opening lead, a club and a diamond. A diamond lead would have earned the Swedes plus 500, but that is far from clear.

The auction was much different at the other table.

Fredin led the ©10 to partner's jack. Lindkvist returned a diamond, and that was that. Plus 480 and 5 IMPs to the French.

Board 14 turned out to be a push in the France-Sweden match, but it was among the more interesting deals of the day, especially for what happened at other tables.

The Swedish auction was quite impressive.

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

In the match against Sweden, England's Heather Dhondy reached 7© from the North seat and was faced with the opening lead of the ª10 from Pia Anderson. The alternative to the spade finesse, of course, is to find the ¨Q doubleton or tripleton, but Dhondy was aware of Andersson's reputation for creativity, so she played low and brought the grand slam in.

In the Norway-New Zealand match, Stephen Blackstock of New Zealand also found the ª10 for his opening shot against 7©, but Jon Egil Furunes decided to take his chances with diamonds, rising with the ªA and suffering down one.

Back to the France-Sweden match, on the following deal, Lindkvist and Palau both finished down three in notrump contracts, but it could be argued that Lindkvist did much better -- he was two levels higher!

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

Fallenius put himself in contention for creative lead of the day but starting off with the ªJ. Palau went up with the king, and Nilsland ducked. Palau continued with the §K, taken by Fallenius with the ace. Another spade went to the 9 and 10, and Nilsland returned a diamond to the king and ace. Fallenius played a third round of spades to Nilsland's ace, and a diamond cleared the suit. When Palau played a heart to the 10, Nilsland cashed out for down three.

Levy started with a diamond, and Chemla won the ace and returned the suit, setting up four tricks for the defense. Lindkvist, in a hopeless position, at least succeeded in playing the heart suit for four tricks. Combined with one more black winner, he was able to earn a push for minus 150.

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