DENMARK
vs USA 2
The audience of yesterday morning's VuGraph match saw na entertaining
and exciting match with a couple of bulletin-made hands. Let's
start with "the keen analyst's favourite":
Board 1. Dealer North.
None Vul.
|
|
ª K
© A Q
10 4
¨ A J 10
3 2
§ Q 8
2 |
ª
10 4 2
© 9 8 7
¨ K Q 7 5
§ 7 4 3 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/Board3.gif) |
ª
A Q J 7
© K 2
¨ 4
§ A K 10
9 6 5 |
|
ª 9 8
6 5 3
© J 6
5 3
¨ 9 8 6
§ J |
|
The spectators were quick to spot that East/West have an "obvious"
3NT game. Just take the second round of hearts, lay down §A,
then lay down ªA,
cross to dummys ª10,
finesse in clubs and you will be fine! Well, thank you analyzers
but in the real world both tables missed this opportunity.
However, Denmark in the Closed Room came quite close:
West |
North |
East |
South |
Schaltz |
Wolford |
Marquardsen |
Lubesnik |
|
1¨ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
Pass |
2¨ |
2ª |
Pass |
2NT |
All Pass |
|
|
West scored ten tricks - Denmark +180.
In the Open Room the aggressive Danish Viking Precision style led
to a completely different auction:
West |
North |
East |
South |
Greenberg |
Askgaard |
Bathurst |
Bjarnasson |
|
1§ |
Dbl. |
1¨
|
Pass |
2¨ |
3§ |
3¨ |
All Pass |
|
|
|
![](../Graphics/Photos/USA-II-Ari-Greenberg.jpg)
Ari Greenberg, USA
|
|
West led a club to East's king, who switched to ªAQ
ruffed in dummy. Now declarer continued with a club ruff and
an unsuccessful heart finesse. East returned another heart
to North's 10 and declarer ruffed another club in his
hand. Then he played a diamond to the queen and ace and finally
went one down losing two more trump tricks - USA 2 +50, but
still the first 4 IMPs for Denmark.
Both North/South pairs did extremely well on board no. 3
reaching a thin no-trump game:
|
Board 3. Dealer South.
E/W Vul.
|
|
ª K 9
8 4
© A K
10 3
¨ K 9 8
§ 9 2 |
ª
A 7 5 3
© Q J 6
5 2
¨ 7 4
§ J 8 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/Board3.gif) |
ª
Q 10 2
© 9 4
¨ A 6 3
§ K 10 7
4 3 |
|
ª J 6
© 8 7
¨ Q J 10
5 2
§ A Q
6 5 |
|
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Schaltz |
Wolford |
Marquardsen |
Lubesnik |
|
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
1¨ |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3NT |
|
|
South's 3§
showed an invitational raise with diamonds and although North had
not much to spare, he did not feel like playing 3¨,
so he bid game. East led ª2,
which did not really worry declarer who even managed to score ten
tricks - USA 2 +430.
Could Denmark get to game as well and would they make it? The first
problem was easily solved, when South decided he had an opening
bid:
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Greenberg |
Askgaard |
Bathurst |
Bjarnasson |
|
|
|
1¨ |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
Andreas Marquardsen, Denmark
|
|
The task proved to be much harder
here, as South had become the declarer and receive the ©5
lead. Playing with the odds he ordered the 3 from dummy just
to lose the first trick to East's ©9.
(True enough, but a player who leads a suit bid by the opponents
usually has a good holding, so the 10 was a real alternative.
Editor) Back came a small club and declarer finessed the queen
to turn to his diamond suit. Though declarer started with a
small diamond to the king, East ducked his ace twice, which
could have been essential on other occasions. This time it didn't
matter. Had he established his club suit now, South might have
tried for a losing option of some sort of end play later on.
But East returned a heart to the jack and ace, which probably
was an indication for South that East did not hold the ªA.
He cashed ©K,
played a club to the ace, and continued with two more diamonds.
In the end he simply played a spade to the king and had nine
tricks in the bag - Denmark +400 and 1 IMP to USA 2. |
On board no.7 the Danish style paid again, this time winning a
partscore battle:
Board 7. Dealer South.
All Vul.
|
|
ª 7 3
2
© K 9
4
¨ J 9 6
5 2
§ K 5 |
ª
A Q 6 5 4
© Q 6
¨ 7 4 3
§ 10 8 4 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/Board3.gif) |
ª
K J 10 8
© J 8 5
¨ A 10
§ A Q 9
2 |
|
ª 9
© A 10
7 3 2
¨ K Q 8
§ J 7
6 3 |
|
The Closed Room saw a very lively auction with a "high-jumper"
in the East seat:
West |
North |
East |
South |
Schaltz |
Wolford |
Marquardsen |
Lubesnik |
|
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
1¨ |
1ª |
2© |
3ª |
All Pass |
When North led ©K
West was able to come to ten tricks discarding a club loser on a
good heart later in the play - Denmark +170.
At the other table another 10-point opening bid silenced East/West
completely:
West |
North |
East |
South |
Greenberg |
Askgaard |
Bathurst |
Bjarnasson |
|
|
|
1© |
Pass |
2© |
All Pass |
|
South dropped his king under East's ace after the diamond
lead. East now cashed ªJ
and tried a second spade ruffed by declarer, who now played a club
to the king and ace. South took the diamond switch with the queen
played ©AK and got
back to diamonds to score exactly eight tricks - Denmark +110 and
7 IMPs respectively.
A really awkward deal was waiting just around the corner:
Board 8. Dealer West.
None Vul.
|
|
ª 3 2
© 3
¨ A 10
9 8 5
§ J 7
6 3 2 |
ª
K J 8 6
© K 7 2
¨ Q J 6 4
3
§ 9 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/Board3.gif) |
ª
A 9
© Q J 10
9 8 6
¨ 7 2
§ K Q 8 |
|
ª Q 10
7 5 4
© A 5
4
¨ K
§ A 10
5 4 |
|
Both tables got to 4©
to be played by East, with both Souths leading ¨K.
An easy line to set this game now, is to overtake with ¨A
and give partner a ruff.
In the Closed Room declarer went one down though North played a
small diamond in trick one. When the same happened in the Open Room
the audience had the chance to see if there was a way to bring home
the game now.
South switched to a small trump - by far the best defence - to dummy's
king. Declarer ordered another heart, so South was in again to insist
on a third round of trumps. East won, cashed ªA,
finessed the jack and discarded a diamond loser on ªK,
but still had to lose two club tricks for no swing.
The following board made the North/South pair work overtime due
to their relay system:
Board 9. Dealer North.
E/W Vul.
|
|
ª A 10
9 3 2
© Q
¨ 7 6 4
§ A J
10 6 |
ª
K Q 8
© 8 3
¨ 9 8 5
§ K Q 9
8 5 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/Board3.gif) |
ª
J 5 4
© 6 4 2
¨ J 10 3
§ 7 4 3
2 |
|
ª 7 6
© A K
J 10 9 7 5
¨ A K Q
2
§ - |
|
In the Closed Room USA 2 got to 6©
on a fairly natural auction:
West |
North |
East |
South |
Schaltz |
Wolford |
Marquardsen |
Lubesnik |
|
Pass |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
5§ |
Pass |
5¨ |
Pass |
5ª |
Pass |
6¨ |
Pass |
6© |
All Pass |
|
When Denmark once again opened a hand that was passed in the other
room, it was more than likely that Denmark would get to the grand,
that is on diamonds 3-3 only but offers several squeeze possibilities
as well:
West |
North |
East |
South |
Greenberg |
Askgaard |
Bathurst |
Bjarnasson |
|
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5§ |
Pass |
5¨ |
Pass |
6§ |
Pass |
7¨ |
All Pass |
|
|
|
After 1ª South's
1NT bid showed a gameforcing hand and asks for distribution. From
now on all bids by South were relays and North described his hand:
2¨ showed five spades
and a four- or five-card minor, 2ª
showed exactly five spades and four clubs, 3©
(here comes a small mistake) promised a 5-2-2-4 hand, 3NT were two
black or two red aces, 4©
showed no king, 5§
meant one outside queen and 6§
showed ©Q precisely.
Especially with the wrong distribution in mind, South saw an excellent
grand slam now and went for it.
West led §Q to dummys
ace. Declarer now ruffed a club high, played a heart to the queen
and ruffed another club high. Then he cashed four more rounds of
hearts to get a squeeze going in case the diamonds were not 3-3.
He then cashed his top diamonds and claimed - Denmark +1510 and
11 IMPs.
At halftime Denmark led 25-2, but soon USA 2 had chance to get
back some IMPs:
Board 12. Dealer West.
N/S Vul.
|
|
ª 10 5
2
© Q 10
8
¨ 9 8 5
§ K Q
6 2 |
ª
J 9 8 4
© 6
¨ J 10 3
2
§ A 10 9
4 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/Board3.gif) |
ª
-
© A K J
5 4
¨ A K Q 4
§ J 8 5
3 |
|
ª A K
Q 7 6 3
© 9 7
3 2
¨ 7 6
§ 7 |
|
In the Closed Room Denmark reached a sensible small slam in clubs,
but was unlucky to find a rather horrible trump split.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Schaltz |
Wolford |
Marquardsen |
Lubesnik |
Pass |
Pass |
1© |
1ª |
1NT |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
6§ |
All Pass |
Unable to cope with both honours offside West finally went down
two - USA 2 +100. Could the Americans in the Open Room avoid the
slam?
West |
North |
East |
South |
Greenberg |
Askgaard |
Bathurst |
Bjarnasson |
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
2ª |
Dbl. |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
All of a sudden the bidding was over and East was left to play
two levels lower than his opponents - unfortunately in a shaky 5-1
fit.
The battle started with declarer ruffing ªA
and taking a losing finesse in clubs. North's best move would
have been to return another spade but he went for a diamond instead.
Which declarer let run to dummys jack. Then he finessed successfully
in heart and cashed ©AK
and ¨AK, the latter
being ruffed by South with ©9,
which led to the following ending:
|
ª 10 5
© -
¨ -
§ K 6
2 |
ª
J 9 8
© -
¨ -
§ A 9 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/Board3.gif) |
ª
-
© 5
¨ Q
§ J 8 5 |
|
ª K Q
7 6 3
© -
¨ -
§ - |
|
South still didn't give up and tried to put declarer to the
test by underleading his spade honours, but Kevin Bathurst was up
to the task and ordered the jack realizing that he could never win
if North held one of the spade honours. Well played - USA 2 +420
and 11 IMPs back.
At the end of this match Denmark won 43-15, or 21-9 in VPs respectively
to remain in contention for one of the four qualifying spots.
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