|
The
Netherlands - USA 1
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Session 9. Board 1.
Dealer North. None Vul.
|
| |
ª A Q
9 6 4
© K 9
4
¨ K J 10
7
§ 8 |
ª
J 10 7
© 10 8 5
¨ A 9 2
§ K 5 3
2 |
 |
ª
K
© Q J 6
3
¨ Q 4 3
§ Q J 9
7 4 |
| |
ª 8 5
3 2
© A 7
2
¨ 8 6 5
§ A 10
6 |
|
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Drijver |
Hurd |
Brink |
Wooldridge |
| |
1ª |
Pass |
2ª |
| Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
4ª |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
When North made a try for game
South had a problem, as although his diamond holding was poor
he did have four trumps and two aces. It would be a good psychological
blow to score a thin game on the first deal of the match, and
South gave his partner the chance to do just that.
East led the queen of clubs and having escaped a heart lead,
declarer had a little bit of time on his side. After winning
with the ace of clubs his choices are to finesse in diamonds
or in spades. Since finding West with ªKx
would put declarer in a strong position he tried the spade finesse.
East won and switched to a heart, so decalrer finished two down,
-100. |
|
Marcel Lagas, The Netherlands |
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Mignocchi |
Lagas |
Grue |
Schollaardt |
| |
1ª |
Pass |
2ª |
| Pass |
Pass |
Dbl |
3ª |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
North was not interested in what would only have been a non-vulnerable
bonus and when East protected South went on. Needless to say declarer
did everything right here and emerged with tem tricks, +170 and
7 IMPs for The Netherlands.
|
Session 9. Board 4.
Dealer West. All Vul.
|
| |
ª 7 5
4 2
© A J
5 3
¨ K
§ K 8
7 3 |
ª
J 8 6
© Q 9 7
2
¨ A Q 5 2
§ 10 2 |
|
ª
A Q 10 9 3
© -
¨ 10 9 8
6
§ Q 6 5
4 |
| |
ª K
© K 10
8 6 4
¨ J 7 4
3
§ A J
9 |
|
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Drijver |
Hurd |
Brink |
Wooldridge |
| Pass |
1§ |
1ª |
2© |
| 2ª |
3© |
Pass |
4© |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
West led a spade and East took the ace and continued the suit,
forcing declarer to ruff. He played a diamond to West's ace and
ruffed the spade return. Now declarer cashed the king of hearts,
getting the bad news as East discarded a spade. The winning line
now for declarer is to continue with a trump, let's say the ten.
West covers, as good as anything, and declarer wins and plays a
spade, ruffing with the eight and being overuffed by West's nine.
This will be the position:
| |
ª -
© J 5
¨ -
§ K 8
7 3 |
ª
-
© 7
¨ Q 5 2
§ 10 2 |
|
ª
-
© -
¨ 10 9
§ Q 6 5
4 |
| |
ª -
© -
¨ J 7 4
§ A J
9 |
|
Joel Wooldridge, USA |
|
East has been forced to hold on to all his clubs and West
now has no good move. Say he plays a club. Declarer wins in
hand and advances the jack of diamonds, forcing West to cover.
Dummy ruffs and now the last trump squeezes East in the minors.
Declarer would be doing very well to get that right and indeed
South lost his way and went one down. However, there is na
easier way for declarer to get home. Go back to the point
where declarer has been forced for a second time. He can simply
ruff a diamond and finesse the jack of clubs. When that holds
he ruffs another diamond, comes back to hand with the ace
of clubs and ruffs his last diamond. Now he cashes the ace
of hearts and plays the king of clubs. West has to ruff and
lead into the heart tenace. As Henry Bethe points out, a more
challenging defence is to lead a trump. Say declarer wins
in dummy and plays a diamond. West wins and plays a second
trump. Declarer wins in hand and plays a spade to East's ace.
East, who will probably have discarded two spades now exits
with the ten of diamonds. Declarer plays low and makes the
first key play of discarding a spade from dummy! With the
count now rectified, declarer will be able to score a spade
ruff in hand, transfer the diamond menace to East by leading
the jack, and eventually squeeze East in the minors.
|
The only way to defeat Four Hearts is for West to lead a club,
removing a vital entry to the South hand. The same applies if East
is on lead, only a club will do - and that includes the queen!
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Mignocchi |
Lagas |
Grue |
Schollaardt |
| Pass |
Pass |
2ª |
Dbl |
| 3ª |
4© |
All Pass |
|
East's opening bid, promising spades and a minor, gave declarer
all the help he needed to follow one of the winning lines. +620
and 12 IMPs to The Netherlands.
|
Session 9. Board 5.
Dealer North. N/S Vul.
|
| |
ª A 8
6
© Q 9
6 2
¨ K 6
§ K 10
8 4 |
ª
K 9 7 5
© A K 8
7
¨ Q 8 5 2
§ 9 |
|
ª
J 3
© 4
¨ A 9 7
§ A Q J
7 5 3 2 |
| |
ª Q 10
4 2
© J 10
5 3
¨ J 10
4 3
§ 6 |
|
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Drijver |
Hurd |
Brink |
Wooldridge |
| |
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
| Dbl |
2© |
3§ |
Pass |
| 3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
West took some time to work out that East's bid of Three Clubs
was natural, but he eventually took a shot at a game that obviously
needed some luck.
North led a heart and declarer won and went after the clubs. North
covered the nine with the ten, probably raising declarer's hopes
for a moment but they were quickly dashed when South discarded on
the second round. There was no chance of making the contract now
but declarer did not lose his concentration. He made the fine play
of the nine of diamonds and when South produced the ten he ducked.
Now declarer could make eight tricks via one spade, two hearts,
three diamonds and two clubs.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Mignocchi |
Lagas |
Grue |
Schollaardt |
| |
1§ |
Pass |
1¨ |
| Dbl |
1© |
3§ |
All Pass |
That was a fine stop by East/West and declarer was not hard pressed
to arrive at nine tricks, +110 and 4 IMPs for the USA.
|
Session 9. Board 7.
Dealer South. All Vul.
|
| |
ª
© K J
9 8 7 543
¨ K Q 9
8 3
§ |
ª
A Q 6 4
© Q 2
¨ A
§ K 10 9
7 4 2 |
|
ª
9 8 7 2
© A 10
¨ J 5 4
§ A Q J
3 |
| |
ª K J
10 5 3
© 6
¨ 10 7
6 2
§ 8 6
5 |
|
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Drijver |
Hurd |
Brink |
Wooldridge |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1§ |
4© |
Dble |
Pass |
| 4ª |
Pass |
Pass |
Dbl |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Could you bring yourself to only make one bid with those North
cards? North led a top diamond and South must have been disappointed
to see only small trumps in dummy. Declarer won in hand perforce,
crossed to dummy with a club, North discarding and played the nine
of spades for the ten and queen, North discarding once again. Everything
was clear now and declarer simply played on clubs. All South could
make was three trump tricks, +790.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Mignocchi |
Lagas |
Grue |
Schollaardt |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1§ |
4© |
Dbl |
Pass |
| 4ª |
5¨ |
Dbl |
Pass |
| Pass |
5© |
Dbl |
All Pass |
Five Diamonds goes two down on repeated black suit leads and Five
Hearts was also two down, -500 and 7 IMPs for The Netherlands.
|
Session 9. Board 9.
Dealer North. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª Q 8
© K 8
5
¨ A K J
9 6 5
§ 9 8 |
ª
J 5 2
© A J 9
¨ 4 3
§ Q 10 6
4 3 |
|
ª
9 7 4 3
© 10 6 3
2
¨ 10 8
§ J 5 2 |
| |
ª A K
10 6
© Q 7
4
¨ Q 7 2
§ A K
7 |
|
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Drijver |
Hurd |
Brink |
Wooldridge |
| Pass |
1¨ |
Pass |
1ª |
| Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2NT* |
| Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4§ |
| Pass |
4© |
Pass |
4ª |
| Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5§ |
| Pass |
5NT |
Pass |
6ª |
| Pass |
6NT |
All Pass |
|
Was South still trying for a Grand Slam when he bid Six Spades?
Whatever, North signed off in the best contract, +990.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Mignocchi |
Lagas |
Grue |
Schollaardt |
| Pass |
1¨ |
Pass |
1ª |
| Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
3¨* |
| Pass |
3© |
Pass |
3ª |
| Pass |
4ª |
Pass |
4NT |
| Pass |
5© |
Pass |
6¨ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Another good auction - but 2 IMPs to the USA.
The Netherlands had had slighly the better of the first tem boards
and an evenly contested second half saw them win 50-43 IMPs, 16-14
VP.
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