The Play Off

By Ib Lundby

Denmark 1993, Bali 1995, Hamilton 1997, Ft Lauderdale 1999 and Rio de Janeiro 2001 - the Danish Junior team has managed to reach the semi-finals every time. In 1993 the Danes lost with only ½ imp to Germany and came fourth, but Denmark won gold in Hamilton and bronze in Bali, Fort Lauderdale and now in Rio. Rio Bravo!
The Round Robin was quite a hurdle this time. In fact Denmark was only once among the four best teams (thanks to the ©K, Norway!), but fortunately this was after round 17. In the semi-final the Israeli team proved to be the better one, and they received a well-deserved ticket to the final, while Denmark had to meet Thailand in the play off.
This hand showed up to be a push in the final. At both tables East made 2ª doubled. It was a push in the play-off as well, but in quite another way:

Session 1. Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.   ª Q J 5 © Q 9 7 ¨ K J 6 4 § Q 4 3 ª A 9 8 7 4 © A K J 8 4 ¨ 10 9 § K ª 10 6 3 © 6 3 ¨ 7 5 3 2 § 9 8 6 2   ª K 2 © 10 5 2 ¨ A Q 8 § A J 10 7 5

The lead was a spade in both rooms, but Thailand played the contract from the South seat and as such had an easy task. This was the bidding in the other room:

West	North	East	South
	Marquardsen		Schaltz
			1§
1ª	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Lead: ª3.
West won the ªK with the Ace, cashed the ©A and K and continued with a third heart to the ©Q. Three times diamonds told declarer that West could not have more than one club, and very elegantly he therefore played a club to the ace, catching the bare king. If the §K had been with the East hand the contract would have been safe as well.
West could have put declarer on an almost impossible mission by playing a low heart instead of the ©A and K. What about the ©J?

Last session

Denmark was ahead by 73 IMPs before the last 16 boards, when the play off was shown on VuGraph, but the first four boards gave Thailand lots of chances to recover.
Board 1: Denmark played 3NT+5 while Thailand bid 6¨. However, declarer missed the winning line in 6¨, and instead Denmark scored 11 IMPs.
Board 2: Denmark played 3ª+4, while Thailand once again bid 6¨, this time doubled and made with an overtrick. 17 IMPs for Thailand.
Board 3: Both tables were in an impossible 3NT, but while Denmark went two off, Thailand won 9 tricks. 13 IMPs for Thailand.
Board 4: Thailand played 3NT as N-S with only 7 tricks, but in the closed room they were doubled in 2ª as E-W. It was close to making, but declarer got only 7 tricks.
This was board 2:

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

West	North	East	South
Schaltz	Triminkha	Marquardsen	Chitngamkusol
		Pass	1ª
2©	3¨	Pass	3©
Pass	3NT	Pass	4ª
Pass	5¨	Pass	6¨
Dbl	Pass	Pass	Pass

I noticed a little smile from Martin Schaltz, when South after long consideration bid 6¨, but very soon the smile disappeared from his face. After the heart lead from West Schaltz could put his 16 hcp-hand back in the pocket - it was worth nothing!
North wrote +1740 at the score sheet almost without calculation. Results like these maybe are normal in junior events?

Last bid: Obrigado!

Thanks to the players for many entertaining and exciting matches. Thanks to the organisation and hard working staff for a well-planned and arranged tournament. And thanks to the Hotel Portebello with all its Garcons and beautiful Gazelles for a wonderful fortnight. We will be back!