norway   v   netherlands    -    bb sf session 3

by Mark Horton

Norway dominated the first half of the day’s final session of play outscoring their opponents 51-14. As you will discover, quite a few of the Dutch wounds were self-inflicted.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ K Q 8 6 ♥ 6 ♦ J 7 6 5 ♣ Q J 8 4
♠ 10 7 5 2 ♥ Q 8 3 ♦ 10 8 ♣ A K 9 6		♠ J 4 ♥ K J 9 7 4 ♦ K Q 3 2 ♣ 10 7
	♠ A 9 3 ♥ A 10 5 2 ♦ A 9 4 ♣ 5 3 2

Open Room

South’s opening bid picked off the opponent’s heart fit.

East led the king of diamonds and declarer won and played a club. West won with the king and returned a diamond. East won and gave his partner a diamond ruff. Now West cashed the ace of clubs and gave his partner a club ruff. However, that was the end of the defenders fun.

Declarer ruffed the next diamond with dummy’s ace of spades, played a spade to the king, crossed to the ace of hearts and played the nine of spades. West covered and declarer claimed, +110

Closed Room

2♦ ♥ or ♠

This time the auction gave East a chance to get involved and the heart fit was located.

North led the king of spades and switched to a trump, ducked to declarer’s eight. South won the spade switch with the ace and could have put the contract two down by playing two rounds of hearts. However, he played a club and declarer won and played a diamond to the king and South’s ace.

This time South cashed the ace of hearts, North pitching a club, and played another heart. That should have been one down, but North discarded the jack of clubs on this trick and that gave declarer two extra club tricks and his contract, +140 and 6 IMPs to Norway.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ 9 6 5 2 ♥ K J 9 ♦ K 8 ♣ K 8 5 3
♠ 8 4 ♥ 10 4 3 ♦ 7 6 5 ♣ A Q J 9 4		♠ K Q 10 ♥ Q 6 2 ♦ Q J 9 4 ♣ 10 7 2
	♠ A J 7 3 ♥ A 8 7 5 ♦ A 10 3 2 ♣ 6

Open Room

1NT 9-12
2♣ Both majors
2NT Lebensohl

There was no particular reason for either South or North to press on to game – unless you think the vulnerability is an issue. The cards were ideally placed for declarer and after the opening lead of the queen of diamonds declarer was not hard pressed to take ten tricks, +170.

Closed Room

2NT 6♦ without 3♠ or invitational with short clubs.
3♣ Relay
3♠ Singleton club

East led the two of hearts and declarer won with the jack and played a spade, ducking when East played the king. Another heart went to declarer’s nine and he played a spade to the ace. That was followed by three rounds of diamonds, declarer ruffing, and the king of hearts. When East’s queen appeared declarer overtook it with dummy’s ace and ruffed a diamond, claiming ten tricks, +620 for 10 IMPs to the Netherlands.

Norway’s lead was down to 6 IMPs, but they immediately extended it:

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ K ♥ J 8 6 4 ♦ Q J ♣ 10 9 8 7 5 3
♠ A 8 5 4 ♥ 5 ♦ A 9 7 6 5 2 ♣ 6 2		♠ J 10 3 2 ♥ 9 3 2 ♦ K 8 4 ♣ A K Q
	♠ Q 9 7 6 ♥ A K Q 10 7 ♦ 10 3 ♣ J 4

Open Room

1NT 4♠ plus a minor

I was trying to remember the name of the convention used by West when this deal appeared on the screen (Raptor, it came to me after breakfast).

4♠ looked to be a reasonable shot, but declarer was undone by the combination of the 4-1 trump break and a forcing defence.

South cashed the ace of hearts and continued with the king, forcing dummy to ruff. Declarer continued with a low spade (it’s no better to play the ace of spades and a spade as South wins and plays back the nine of spades). North won and switched to a club. Declarer won, ruffed a heart and cashed the ace of spades. When North discarded he was one down, -100.

Closed Room

West’s spectacular double reaped a rich reward.

He led the ace of diamonds and continued with the seven, East winning with the king and switching to a spade. West took the ace and returned a spade. There were two clubs to lose, down two, -300 and 9 IMPs.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ K 9 ♥ 10 3 ♦ Q 10 8 6 ♣ A 10 8 7 2
♠ A J 10 8 6 5 3 ♥ A J 4 2 ♦ J ♣ 5		♠ Q ♥ 8 7 6 5 ♦ A 9 4 3 2 ♣ Q 9 3
	♠ 7 4 2 ♥ K Q 9 ♦ K 7 5 ♣ K J 6 4

Open Room

North led the ace of clubs and continued with the two, declarer ruffing and playing the jack of diamonds for the queen and ace. Declarer took a losing spade finesse and there was no way to avoid two heart losers, down one, -100.

Closed Room

With nothing to guide him North found the unfortunate lead of the ten of hearts and declarer took South’s queen with the ace and played a club. North put up the ace and played a heart. South won and North ruffed the next heart and exited with a club. Declarer ruffed and laid down the ace of spades, claiming +420 when the king appeared.

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
	♠ A 9 ♥ A K 5 3 ♦ Q J 9 3 2 ♣ 6 4
♠ K 5 ♥ Q 10 9 2 ♦ A K 5 ♣ A J 10 2		♠ 8 4 2 ♥ J 8 7 6 4 ♦ 10 7 6 4 ♣ 9
	♠ Q J 10 7 6 3 ♥ ♦ 8 ♣ K Q 8 7 5 3

Open Room

2♥ ♥ and a minor

Helgemo rejected the idea of opening with 2♦ (weak in a major) or 2♠ (6♠ 8-11), no doubt hoping to find a better moment to get involved.

When West doubled 2♠ (a very questionable bid) East tried 3♦. After considerable thought South doubled and when that got back to East he had a nasty decision to make. Should he really run to the suit known to be on his right?

3♦ was a bloody affair.

The defence started with two rounds of spades, followed by three rounds of hearts and another spade – an easy +1100.

Closed Room

Muller did not adopt a waiting game, showing a major and then coming again to indicate his extreme distribution.

When West went on to game (how could he possibly pass?) North must have been delighted. He led the six of clubs and declarer took the queen with the ace and played back the ten of clubs, discarding a diamond. South switched to the queen of spades and when that held accurately played a diamond.

Declarer won and played the jack of clubs, ruffed by North with the three and overuffed by the four. A spade went to North’s ace and he played three rounds of hearts, down three, -800.

East/West may have been surprised to pick up 7 IMPs.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	♠ 3 2 ♥ 10 ♦ A Q 10 9 5 ♣ A J 8 7 3
♠ A K J 8 7 6 ♥ 3 ♦ K J 7 6 ♣ Q 4		♠ Q ♥ Q J 8 7 6 4 ♦ 4 2 ♣ 10 6 5 2
	♠ 10 9 5 4 ♥ A K 9 5 2 ♦ 8 3 ♣ K 9

Open Room

I confess that the rationale behind East’s bid of 3♥ escapes me – its the modern game I guess. You can make 2♥ – but only on the North/South cards.

When West retreated to a slightly less expensive spot North led the ten of hearts and South won and switched to the eight of diamonds for the king and ace. North switched to the three of spades and declarer won in dummy and played a club. South went up with the king and switched back to diamonds. North won with the nine, cashed the ace and gave South a diamond ruff. The ace of clubs meant declarer was three down, -500.

Closed Room

At this table North preferred to get both his suits into the game.

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	♠ 10 2 ♥ A 8 3 ♦ 5 ♣ Q J 8 5 4 3 2
♠ Q J 8 6 ♥ J 9 6 5 2 ♦ K 10 3 ♣ 10		♠ A K 9 5 ♥ K 10 4 ♦ J 4 2 ♣ K 9 7
	♠ 7 4 3 ♥ Q 7 ♦ A Q 9 8 7 6 ♣ A 6

Open Room

Dble 4+♥
1♥ 3♥

East cashed the ace of spades and continued with two more rounds of the suit. North ruffing and playing a heart. East went in with the king and switched to a diamond. Declarer won with dummy’s ace, cashed the queen of hearts and played the ace of clubs and a club, claiming +110.

Closed Room

South found the remarkable lead of the six of clubs!

Declarer won with the king, cashed the ace of spades, played a spade to the queen and ran the nine of hearts. South played the ace of clubs and declarer ruffed in dummy and played a heart, unblocking the king when North put up the ace. A club from North was ruffed in dummy and declarer played a heart to the ten. South could ruff, but there was only one more trick for the defence, +140 and 6 more Norwegian IMPs.

Both teams missed an opportunity on this deal:

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ K ♥ A K 10 4 2 ♦ 10 9 6 ♣ A 9 8 2
♠ A Q J 9 7 3 2 ♥ J 9 ♦ Q 4 3 ♣ K		♠ 8 6 5 ♥ 8 6 5 3 ♦ A K J 8 7 2 ♣
	♠ 10 4 ♥ Q 7 ♦ 5 ♣ Q J 10 7 6 5 4 3

Open Room

North’s decision to prefer an overcall to a double lost the club suit.

North cashed the top hearts and switched to a diamond. Declarer won in dummy and played a spade to the ace. +650.

Closed Room

Same decision, just about the same bidding, the same defence and the same number of tricks, no swing.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	♠ Q 9 3 2 ♥ 10 ♦ Q 10 6 ♣ J 10 8 7 5
♠ A K J 5 ♥ A Q J 9 7 ♦ 9 5 ♣ 6 4		♠ 10 8 6 4 ♥ K 5 4 3 ♦ K J ♣ K 3 2
	♠ 7 ♥ 8 6 2 ♦ A 8 7 4 3 2 ♣ A Q 9

Open Room

2♣ Drury

North’s lead of the queen of diamonds solved one minor problem for declarer, but he was always going to make nine tricks, +140.

Closed Room

North led the eight of clubs and South took two tricks in the suit, leaving declarer with two more losers, -50 and 5 IMPs to Netherlands.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ A 9 7 ♥ 10 8 4 3 ♦ K 7 3 2 ♣ Q 6
♠ Q 5 4 3 2 ♥ K J 9 7 ♦ 8 6 ♣ 8 5		♠ J 10 6 ♥ A Q 5 ♦ Q 4 ♣ K J 10 9 4
	♠ K 8 ♥ 6 2 ♦ A J 10 9 5 ♣ A 7 3 2

Open Room

1♥ 5♠ or 4♥+ 5 other minor
1♠ Takeout

Helness thought for a long time over his partner’s 3NT and I speculated that he was considering going back to 4♦. Well, I was half right – but he went a level higher.

There were only ten tricks, -100.

Closed Room

2♣ Majors

The exhibition of new age bidding continued with West’s entry into the auction.

When North/South stopped safely they had +130 and 6 IMPs.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ K J 7 ♥ K 9 6 5 ♦ K 10 8 3 ♣ 10 3
♠ 8 5 2 ♥ J 10 7 2 ♦ Q 9 5 ♣ 8 4 2		♠ A 10 ♥ A Q 8 4 ♦ A J 6 4 ♣ K Q 5
	♠ Q 9 6 4 3 ♥ 3 ♦ 7 2 ♣ A J 9 7 6

Open Room

North led the seven of spades (only a club lead is good enough to defeat the contract) and declarer made a very small, human, error when he ducked. South won and could hardly be blamed for failing to switch to a low club.

He played back a spade and declarer won in dummy and played the only card that works – the jack of diamonds.

North thought for a long time, but he could find no way to stop nine tricks.

Eventually he won and switched to the ten of clubs. South took the queen with the ace and switched to a diamond but declarer won in hand and ran the jack of hearts. He followed that with the ten, covered by the king and ace, cashed the ace of diamonds and ruffed a diamond with the seven of hearts. He could pick up North’s trumps via the finesse, +140.

Closed Room

South led the six of clubs and declarer won with the king and played ace of hearts and a heart to the jack and king. The defenders cashed their clubs and had to make a diamond, down one, -100 and another 6 IMPs had been recovered.