On thin ice

Entering play on Friday, Australia lay third in Group B. When the day was over, the team had fallen to fifth, losing two matches, one of them to Monaco. The other loss, to Finland, is covered in this report. The good news for Australia is that the team did make it to the round of 16.

Proceedings started positively for Australia when Matthew Thomson made a good decision to probe for a major-suit fit on this deal while the Finnish pair in the other room dropped the ball in the auction.

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

Kauko Koistinen led the §K to Peter Newman's ace. He cashed the ¨K, then followed with the ªA and a spade to the 10. A club return forced declarer to ruff, but he was still in control. He played the ©K, which was ducked, then played the ¨A and a third diamond, clearing the suit. A heart went to Koistinen's ace, and he forced Newman's last trump with a club back. Newman ruffed, ruffed his good ©Q with dummy's ª6, pulled the last trump and claimed for plus 620.

The Australian bidding seemed to knock the Jukka Pesonen and Sakari Stubb right out of the auction, although it seems that South might have raised 2¨ to three, giving them a fighting chance to find their spade fit. No doubt the auction did not necessarily indicate that North's hand was so strong, but 3¨ surely would have been a safe spot even with South's weak hand. Even 5¨ was cold on the lie of the cards, and with East bidding two suits, there was a good chance North would get the spade suit right. As it was, Pesonen took 11 tricks for plus 150. That was 10 IMPs to Australia.

Finland, trailing 12-0, cut the margin to 1 IMP on the following deal, which featured a comical defensive sequence by Thomson and Newman.

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

Stubb had no trouble with this contract, taking 10 tricks (it seems he should finish with 11, but the play record is not available) for plus 620. At the other table, Osmo Kiema and Koistinen judged well to save at 5©, and they got a bonus for their trouble.

Had Thomson led the ªJ, the difference between plus 300 and plus 500 would have been the guess in diamonds - on the bidding, Koistinen probably would have gotten it right. But Thomson led the ¨A, apparently with the idea of giving his partner a ruff. Koistinen followed with the ¨J, and Thomson seemed to misread this card, for he continued with a low diamond to dummy's 7. Newman, with a clear lapse in concentration, put in the queen. The only explanation for that play is that Newman believed his partner had started with ¨A K x x x and that Koistinen had falsecarded with an original holding of ¨J 9.

At any rate, Koistinen won the ¨K and played a low heart. Continuing the odd sequence, Thomson won and played a third diamond! The grateful Koistinen discarded his singleton spade and claimed for the loss of a club before the bug got at him. Minus 100 was good for an 11-IMP gain for Finland.

A series of pushes ensued, until Finland broke through into the lead.

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

Double dummy, the contract can be defeated with a heart lead. South wins the first round of trumps, puts North in with a diamond for a heart ruff, then cashes another diamond and knocks out dummy's §A. South will win either a club later or another heart ruff on the next trick. But when partner overcalls at the three level and you are short in that suit, you lead it unless you have X-ray vision. After the lead of the §7, Kiema made nine tricks for plus 140.

Paul Marston led the ©A, and Stubb was soon claiming 11 tricks for plus 550. The contract is always cold, but after a spade lead, declarer would have to play carefully, winning the ªA and continuing with a heart at trick two to avoid defeat.

The combined plus 690 was good for 12 IMPs to Finland, now in the lead, 23-12.

Finland tacked on another 5 IMPs when Marston and Stephen Burgess, running from 1NT doubled, landed in their 5-2 heart fit instead of their 5-4 diamond fit. 2© doubled went for 800. If the opponents, who were on for 4ª (bid and made in the other room) had doubled 2¨, it was possible to hold that to down one for minus 100 and a significant gain.

Another 11 IMPs went to Finland when Kiema and Koistinen bid a slam missed at the other table.

The score was 39-19 Finland when self-inflicted disaster struck the Australians again.

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

Burgess, in 3¨ with the East cards, took 10 tricks for plus 130. Matters got out of hand in the open room.

Thomson did all he could to discourage Newman, but Newman pressed on anyway, with disastrous consequences as the Finns took every trick that was coming to them.

Kiema started with the ¨K, followed by a heart to the queen. Thomson did the best he could, ruffing a diamond in dummy and pressing on with hearts, hoping to weaken West's trumps. Kiema ruffed and got out with a spade. Thomson played the ace and continued with hearts. Kiema ruffed the heart continuation and played a club to the king and ace. Koistinen cashed the ¨A and the §Q, the continued with diamonds, allowing the defenders to take the ªK and ªQ separately for down five. That was 1100, and 14 IMPs to Finland, now in front, 53-29.

Thomson, showing how well he can shrug off a bad result, played well on the next board to get 10 IMPs back for Australia.

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

Pesonen and Stubb stopped in 3ª with the North-South cards, taking 10 tricks for plus 170. Australia had a chance for a gain.

3© was a good spade raise, and Thomson aggressively bid game.

Kiema led the ¨Q to Thomson's ace, and Thomson played the ªK at trick two. Kiema ducked, and Thomson played the ªJ. Kiema won the ace and played a low diamond to East's king. The §5 was returned to the jack, king and ace, and the question at that point was whether Thomson would get the hearts right.

Thomson cashed the ª10 and the §Q and ruffed a club to hand and a diamond in dummy. Thomson at that point knew 11 of Kiema's cards, so Thomson could cash the ©A and follow with low hearts from both hands. The ©K fell on air, and Thomson had his vulnerable game.

A good auction by Kiema and Koistinen on the following deal resulted in a game swing to Finland.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª K Q 2 © A Q 6 3 ¨ 9 7 5 3 § 8 7
ª 6 5 © 10 9 5 ¨ K J 8 4 § A K 8 3		ª A J 10 9 7 3 © J ¨ Q 6 2 § Q J 3
	ª 8 4 © K 8 7 4 2 ¨ A 10 § 10 6 4 2

There are only 22 high-card points, but the hands fit very well. East had an easy ride to 10 tricks.

Kiema liked his hand a lot better having discovered there were no wasted values in hearts. Thomson led the ¨A and another diamond, threatening a ruff, and indeed the contract would have failed with the spade honors divided. Koistinen had no choice, however, but to play for some luck in spades. He won trick two with the ¨K and played a low spade to his jack. Declarer played a club to the ace and another trump, and when Newman played the ªQ and Thomson followed, Koistinen claimed for plus 420 and another 6 IMPs.

Finland seemed poised to make a run at the round of 16, but they were thumped in the first set Saturday by Lebanon, ending their hopes.

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