NT vs trumps

By Knut Kjarnsrod

One of the marks of true experts is that they can manage to land in NT-contracts when that is more appropriate than trump-contracts and vice versa more often than we mortals do In the tightly fought match between Canada and Norway both teams landed in three NT on this deal:

	ª A K 9 4 3 © J 4 2 ¨ A J 6 § K 10
ª Q J 10 5 © 10 ¨ 8 7 5 3 § Q J 9 4		ª 7 © A K 8 7 6 5 ¨ 10 9 2 § 7 6 5
	ª 8 6 2 © Q 9 3 ¨ K Q 4 § A 8 3 2

On VuGraph with Helness – Helgemo N-S the bidding went:

West	North	East	South
	Helness		Helgemo
		2¨*	Pass
2©	2ª	Pass	3©
Pass	3NT	All Pass

East led a small heart, and Helness took the necessary precautions to ensure his contract when he won the knave, laid down the ace of spades, led a diamond to dummy and a spade in case West should have forgotten to unblock his queen of spades with the suit 2-3 and easily emerged with nine tricks. The Canadians did very well to duplicate this effort to flatten the board.

Saelensminde- Brogeland have an interesting and quite unusual gadget available after a 1NT opening or 1NT overcall. A jump to three shows a singleton, and this worked very well in this board against Italy:

	ª 7 © 8 7 6 5 ¨ 10 8 5 § 10 8 6 4 3
ª K 6 5 2 © Q 2 ¨ Q 2 § A K J 9 5		ª Q 9 8 4 © J 10 9 3 ¨ A K J 9 § 7
	ª A J 10 3 © A K 4 ¨ 7 6 4 3 § Q 2

Geir Helgemo, Norway

Boye Brogeland opened 1NT as West, Erik jumped to Three Clubs, and 3NT closed the auction. There was no problem in landing that contract. After a different auction, where Geir Helgemo as South had shown a probable 4-4 in spades and diamonds, Duboin as West ended in the most frequent contract of the Bermuda Bowl field – Four Spades. On a heart lead this goes automatically down, but due to the bidding Tor Helness quite naturally led a diamond. Duboin embarked on a line that might well have succeeded against a less capable defender than Geir Helgemo. He played four rounds of diamonds discarding his hearts, Tor Helness ruffed and led a heart to the nine and king, ruffed. He cashed his top clubs, and this was the position:

	ª - © 7 6 5 ¨ - § 10 8 6
ª K 6 5 © - ¨ - § J 9 5		ª Q 9 8 4 © J 10 ¨ - § -
	ª A J 10 3 © A 4 ¨ - § -

He now led a club and ruffed with dummy’s queen. If Helgemo overruffs, Duboin is home. He ruffs the heart return and ruffs another club with the nine of trumps. Geir can overruff, but the knave of hearts works as an entry to clinch the contract with a trump finesse. Helgemo, however declined to overruff, took the spade with the ace and forced declarer with the heart ace to achieve two more trump tricks.

Round 15; one for the record books

The WC books often refer to an unfortunate decision involving (was it?) Siniscalco when he converted 7ªx against the French – which would have made – to 7NT doubled down six or so, as possibly the most expensive decision ever. in a WC event. By my calculation that might have been equaled or even surpassed here. We are looking at Sweden against South Africa, and the names of the guilty are temporarily concealed –though I am sure that we could find some players only too willing to let you know them!

On one of the more fortunate lies of the cards that you will ever see, N/S are cold for 7¨ on a spade lead; but a heart lead would actually set you I believe. At the table Fredin and Lindkvist achieved an unsatisfying +300 against 5ªdoubled and must have feared the worst. Actually things did not work out so badly...

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª ---- © A Q 7 6 5 ¨ 2 § A J 9 8 7 4 2
ª A 5 4 3 © K J 10 9 4 ¨ 8 6 4 § 5		ª K Q J 9 8 7 © 8 3 ¨ K § Q 10 6 3
	ª 10 6 2 © 2 ¨ A Q J 10 9 7 5 3 § K

West	North	East	South
Pass	1§	3ª	Dbl
4ª	6©!	Pass	7¨
Pass	7©	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

7© doubled went for 1700, and a gain to Sweden of 19IMPs; had 7¨ made that would have been 18IMPs to South Africa; still, since Sweden won the match 25-3 this manoeuvre only gained them an extra 7VPs I believe!