| 38th World Team Championships | Page 2 | Bulletin 13 - Friday 12 October 2007 |
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bermuda bowl semi-finals 2 Norway v Netherlands and USA 1 v South Africa by Brian Senior
The first set of the Bermuda Bowl semi-finals saw Norway extend its 9-IMP carry-over advantage against Netherlands to 14, winning the set by 43-38, while USA1 took the first set against South Africa by 40-16, to take a 40-25 overall lead. There was plenty of action in the second set, though the swing on its first deal was somewhat random.
All four East/West pairs reached a contract of 4♥. Perhaps 3NT is a little better, and indeed, this was reached by France in the Venice Cup to gain a game swing, but 4♥ is the contract that most pairs would reach, I think. At three tables, West was declarer and North led a diamond twice and a club once. After a diamond lead, the contract was secure, of course, but also the North player who led a club did not appreciate how good his choice of opening lead had been and, when declarer won with the ♣9 and led a low heart, he ducked, so there was no ruff for South. Norway picked up an overtrick IMP in that match. For USA1, Garner/Weinstein play transfer responses to their 1♣ opening and this had the effect of making East declarer in 4♥. When Glen Holman, South for South Africa, led a club, it was heavy favourite to be a singleton so, when Steve Garner won in dummy and led a heart, Tim Cope hopped up with the ace to give his partner a ruff, leading the ♣10 to ensure a spade switch; down one and 10 IMPs to South Africa.
Norway v Netherlads
Boye Brogeland opened 1NT and Erik Saelensminde invited game via Stayman, Brogeland accepting with his 17-count. Bas Drijver led the ten of diamonds. Brogeland played low from dummy and won with the king. He led a low club to the king then a spade to the jack, losing to the queen. Drijver switched to the ten of hearts to Sjoert Brink’s king, ducked. Brogeland won the next heart, cashed the spades and prayed for a lucky diamond lay-out. When the ♦Q fell under the ace, he finessed the eight and had nine tricks for +400. Simon de Wijs opened 1♣, then showed his strong no trump type by rebidding 1NT. Bauke Muller drove to game via a cuebid and de Wijs eventually settled for 3NT. Here the lead was the ♥7 to the king. De Wijs ducked until the third round of hearts, but now needed a lot of good fortune if he was to bring home his contract. He cashed the top diamonds, getting the good news that he had a third trick in that suit, then played a club to the king. When that scored, he needed only to pick up the spades for four tricks but, knowing that the ♣A was with North, it seemed likely that Geir Helgemo would hold the ♠Q for his overcall. De Wijs ran the ten of spades to the queen and was one down for –50 and 10 IMPs to Norway. USA 1 v South Africa
For South Africa, Neville Eber opened 1NT and was left to play there. He received the ten of diamonds lead and, after playing low and getting the spade right, had ten tricks for +180. Howard Weinstein opened 1♣ and Steve Garner bid 1♥ to show four or more spades. After a long and complex auction, during which the Americans were warned off 3NT as their opponents had both shown interest in hearts, Weinstein became declarer in 4♠. Cope led the seven of hearts to Holman’s jack, ducked. Holman switched to the seven of clubs for the eight, ten and king, and Weinstein cashed the top diamonds, getting the good news, then played spades successfully. However, he had only nine tricks, and had to settle for down one; –50 and 6 IMPs to South Africa.
Norway v Netherlads
Brink opened 2♣, either strong and artificial or, as here, weak with diamonds. Brogeland doubled then, when Saelensminde cuebid to ask for a major, leapt to 6♣, ending the auction. After a diamond lead, Brogeland had 13 tricks for +1390. Helgemo did not have the option to open the South hand, so the Dutch East/West had an easier time of it – South’s 2♦ overcall had little effect on the auction. They bid smoothly to 6NT and made all 13 tricks on a heart lead; +1470 and 2 IMPs to Netherlands. USA 1 v South Africa
Zia opened 3♦ and Michael Rosenberg raised to 4♦ after Eber’s double. This caused Eber/Bosenberg no end of problems and, after an exchange of cuebids, Eber finally jumped to 7NT. Rosenberg felt reasonably confident that he could beat that, so he doubled and cashed the ace of hearts; down one for –200. Holman opened a weak 2♦ and Cope raised to 3♦. The Americans had an extra level of bidding to explore the best contract but something went horribly wrong. Cope wisely did not double 7♥ as his partner would have been on lead to a 7♠ run-out and a heart lead was by no means assured. Holman led his singleton. Garner won with the ten of clubs to play a heart to the jack and ace. Cope gave his partner a club ruff, but Garner won the return and ran the nine of hearts to hold his loss to two down; –200 and ‘just another dull push’.
Norway v Netherlads
Saelensminde opened with a strong and artificial 2♣, then showed his clubs. Three diamonds was asking rather than showing, and 3♠ showed the four-card spade suit. Now, 4♦ would perhaps have been natural, leaving 4♥ as the only bid available as a general spade slam try (3♥ over 3♣ would have been natural). When Saelensminde jumped to 6♠, Brogland trusted him to have strong trumps and excellent controls – still, 7♠ was a brave bid. Brink led a trump to declarer’s ten. Saelensminde played ace then ruffed a club low and cashed the diamonds. The combination of four-one spades and four-two clubs was too much to overcome. The contract was three down for –150. Muller opened 1♣, 16+, and the 1♥ response showed 9+ with four or more spades. If you would like a translation of the remainder of the auction, I’m afraid you will have to ask a Dutchman or, much better, wait until the World Championship book comes out next March. Anyway, it ended with a majestic leap to 6♠ by Muller. Helgemo led the six of hearts to the king and ace. Muller played ace, ruffed a club, cashed three top diamonds, throwing two hearts and a club, then led a low spade to hand. He ruffed a club with the eight, ruffed a heart, and ruffed another club with the jack. That gave seven trump tricks and five top winners in the side-suits; +980 and 14 IMPs to Netherlands. USA 1 v South Africa
For the second time in three deals, Eber/Bosenberg bid to a grand slam. This time, the contract had play – until the poor breaks become apparent. Eber received a heart lead and drifted two down for –100. Garner opened 1♣ and heard Weinsten respond 1♥ to show spades. He splintered, then went on over the sign-off, and Weinstein closed proceedings with a jump to 6♠. Holman doubled, suspecting that his club holding might make the play difficult. Cope led a club. Weinstein won with the ace, ruffed a club low, cashed the diamonds, played a heart to the ace, and took a second low ruff, but was over-ruffed. For a moment, it may have seemed that Weinstein had messed up the play, but the over-ruff had given him trump control and he could afford to win the heart return, ruff the fourth club high and return to hand with a ruff to draw trumps and cash the clubs; +1210 and 16 IMPs to USA1. The action slowed for a while. After 11 boards the set scores were 22-18 to Norway and 27-22 to South Africa.
Norway v Netherlads
Helgemo overcalled 1♠ and, when Helness could raise pre-emptively to 3♠ over de Wijs’s strong heart raise, went on to 4♠. De Wijs doubled that, but Muller removed to 5♥, ending the auction. Four spades would have gone one down courtesy of the diamond ruff. Helgemo cashed a top spade, then switched to the king of clubs; down one for –50. Brink overcalled 3♠, adding extra momentum to the auction. Brogeland felt that he was too strong to bid only 4♥, so cuebid 4♠, and Drijver bid 5♣ for the lead on the way to 5♠. Saelensminde signed-off in 5♥ but, when Brogeland made a forcing pass over 5♠, went on to 6♥, perhaps being unclear which side was saving. Brink assured him that he was the saver and 6♥ doubled was a quick two down after Brink had led the ♦K, ♠A and a second club; –300 and 6 IMPs to Netherlands. USA 1 v South Africa
Chris Bosenberg made the slightly surprising decision to pass his partner’s 1♦ opening but, when Eber introduced hearts over Zia’s double, jumped to 4♥. That convinced Eber to go on to 5♥ over 4♠, ending the auction. Rosenberg led a spade, won by Zia who switched to clubs; down one for –50. Garner responded 1♥ and Weinstein rebid 4♦, hearts and diamonds. Holman, who had doubled 1♥, now introduced his spades and, when Garner took the push to 5♥, it was natural for Cope in turn to go on to 5♠, ending the auction. Weinstein led the king of diamonds and continued the suit for down two; –200 and 6 IMPs to USA1.
Norway v Netherlads
Saelensminde opened 1♦ and Brink overcalled 1♥ to show spades. Brogeland doubled to show hearts and, when Saelensminde rebid his diamonds, leapt majestically to the diamond slam. Saelensminde won the spade lead, throwing a club, and played ace of diamonds then a diamond to the jack. He lost to the ♦Q, but had the rest for +1370. Helgemo made a natural 1♠ overcall and de Wijs bid 2♣, 8+ with hearts. Two hearts would have been invitational or better with clubs, the point of the switch being to permit a non-forcing 2♥ bid via 2♣ (2♥ over 2♦ would be less than invitational values). When Muller showed a minimum hand with long diamonds, de Wijs gave up on slam, jumping to 3NT, where he made all 13 tricks after winning the spade lead; +720 but 13 IMPs to Norway. USA 1 v South Africa
Eber/Bosenberg had a natural auction in which Bosenberg judged to go on over his partner’s 3NT sign-off and 6♦ was then reached after an exchange of cuebids. Bosenberg got the trumps right for +1390. If the Garner/Weinstein auction looks dark and mysterious, there is a simple explanation – it is dark and mysterious! Weinstein started with an insufficient bid of 2♣, which would have shown hearts, but that broke his concentration and he corrected to 3♣, which was a strong diamond raise. By the time that Garner cuebid 3♠, Weinstein had realised his error and leapt to 6♥ to make sure that his heart bid was taken seriously. There were 13 tricks in 6♥ after a spade lead and +1460 was worth 2 IMPs to USA1.
Norway v Netherlads
Not too much excitement here. Brogeland opened 1NT and Brink balanced with 2♠, ending the auction. Brogeland led the jack of diamonds to dummy’s queen, and Brink overtook the ♦10 then led the ♦9, ruffed low and over-ruffed. He led a club to the queen and ace, and Brogeland cashed the ace of spades before playing a club to the king. There was just a heart to lose from here; +140. De Wijs opened a strong club and rebid 1NT. Now Helgemo balanced with 2♠, but Muller was unwilling to go quietly when his side had to have the balance of the high-card strength. He competed with 2NT, looking for a fit in a minor. De Wijs chose clubs, of course, and Helness competed with 3♠. Again the lead was the jack of diamonds and Helgemo played three rounds, ruffed low and over-ruffed. Helgemo played the ten of clubs. Muller covered with the jack and Helgemo ducked. Muller cashed the ♣K then played a diamond, which de Wijs ruffed with the ace. He cashed the ace of hearts and there was still the ♠Q to come for down one; –100 and 6 IMPs to Netherlands. USA 1 v South Africa
Everything was peaceful enough at our first table, where Zia showed diamonds and a major, and converted to 2♠ when Rosenberg looked for the major. Eber tried the queen of hearts, but Zia put up the king and soon had eight tricks for +110. There was more action in the other room, where Cope came in over the 1♣ opening and Holman made a competitive double of the pre-emptive club raise, then raised the 3♠ response to game. Weinstein doubled the final contract and Garner led a diamond. Cope won in dummy to lead a heart up. Weinstein put in the jack and the king won. Now Cope gave up a heart. The defence was able to take two clubs and the ♠A and promote a second trump trick by leading a third round of hearts; down two for –500 and 12 IMPs to USA1. A strong finish enabled USA1 to win the set by 45-27, extending the lead to 85-52. Meanwhile, Netherlands won the set by 34-30 but still trailed Norway by 72-82. |
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