| 10th World Youth Team Championship | Page 2 | Bulletin 8 - Monday 15 August 2005 |
| |
||
France v Poland by Ron Klinger Before this match, both teams were more than 40 VPs ahead of fifth place and thus virtually certain of a semi-final berth. This match was more for bragging rights and also for a psychological edge should they meet later in the finals. The scores began at a frenetic pace with a 50 IMP turnover in the first five deals. It started with a slam that can be defeated
Datum: N/S +130
(i) Fit-jump There is no need to take a sacrifice if you can beat the contract. East led the ♦9 to the ace and West returned a heart; +50 to Poland.
Lead: ♦K Declarer lost two diamonds and a spade for 500 and11 IMPs to Poland. Perhaps a 4♦ bid by West instead of 5♣ would have helped East with the decision. Chile v Egypt
East led the ♣A, ruffed, and declarer pulled the ♦5 from dummy. West rose with the ♦A and switched to the ♥2; one down for +50 to Chile.
The first three tricks were the same as at the other table; +450 and 11 IMPs to Chile. Canada v China Hong Kong
East led the ♣9, ruffed. Then came the ♠A, two, three-, four, and the ♠7, ♥6, ♠K, ♠8. Declarer shifted to the ♦10, three, king, ace and back came the ♥2, ruffed; +50 to Canada.
East led the ♣A, ruffed, and declarer played the ♦5 from dummy. West rose with the ♦A, but alas returned a diamond. North ruffed, drew trumps and claimed +980;14 IMPs to Canada. Poland picked up 6 IMPs on a partscore deal and more on the next board:
Datum: N/S 410 East/West have a comfortable game in spades (ruff two hearts and finesse the spade). If East opens 1NT, West needs to make some invitational move.
Lead: ♥Q Declarer took the ♥A, ruffed a heart and ran the ♠J. After a spade to his ten he ruffed his other heart loser and made eleven tricks for +650.
Lead: ♥Q Declarer also made eleven tricks for +200; 10 IMPs to Poland, leading 27-0. After East bids 2♠ in reply to the take-out double, West is worth at least 3♠. Chile v Egypt
Lead: ♠5; Ten tricks +170. This time it was East who might have raised spades.
Lead: ♥6 It can go wrong, of course but, vulnerable at IMPs, West might try for a spade fit. Declarer took his seven tricks for +90; 2 IMPs to Egypt. Canada v China Hong Kong
Both tables made eleven tricks for, +650. France struck back on the next board:
Datum: N/S +170 At one table North played 3NT on the ♦8 lead for one down. At the other table:
Lead: ♠6 The lead gave declarer an extra trick with the ♠10, but there was still a long route to nine tricks. The ♣4 went to the queen and ace and West returned the ♠5, ducked to dummy’s king. After a club to the king, declarer played the ♦4: eight jack queen. West played his last spade to the ace and East cashed the thirteenth, everyone pitching hearts. Declarer had lost four tricks and had to make the rest. East exited with the ♣10 to the jack and declarer played a heart to the ace, diamond to the ace and cashed his last club, everyone again throwing hearts. Then came the ♦3: seven . . . and the moment of decision had arrived. To the joy of the French supporters, Bessis rose with the ♦K, felling the ten, and had his ninth trick for +600 and 12 IMPs to France. Almost the whole gain vanished on the next deal:
Datum: N/S 150
Lead: ♠J East/West did well to avoid the doomed 3NT. Declarer won the spade lead with the ace and played the ♦3 to the king and ace. South play the ♣A, ruffed. The ♦Q followed, West pitching a club. Then came ♥K, heart to the ace and a third heart. The 3-3 heart break meant declarer had eleven tricks for +450.
Lead: ♣J South was able to force out the ♣K and had the ♦A as entry; two off for 100 and 11 IMPs to Poland. The pace slackened to a more normal rate, but it was a steady stream to Poland. On this board the sound of the auction and the void in trumps persuaded South to double a cold contract:
Datum: N/S 640
(i) Shows 4+ spades Lead: ♥K Declarer took the ♥A and led the ♦Q. South won, cashed the ♥Q and played a third heart, ruffed with the ♠7. Then came ♣A, club ruff, diamond ruff with the ♠Q, club ruff, ♥J, ruffed with the ♠J and another club ruff. All these high ruffs had promoted a trump trick for North’s ♠6 and so declarer made ten tricks for +790.
Lead: ♥10 Declarer made eleven tricks for +650, but 4 IMPs to Poland. The next deal gave declarer a chance for a very pretty play:
Datum: N/S 50
Lead: ♠2 Declarer won with the ♠A and finished two down for 200.
(i) Transfer to hearts Lead: ♣4 Declarer inserted the ♣9 and ruffed North’s ♣10. The ♦4 came next and South took his ace to play the ♣8, king, ace, ♥10. Dummy’s other club went away on the ♦K and the ♥K was cashed. This was now the position:
East now played a low spade. South took the ♠K and gave North a spade ruff. North returned the ♦10, which South ruffed with the ♥J to uppercut declarer and take the contract one down. That was 100, but 3 IMPs to Poland. Suppose in the diagram position East leads the ♦J. South ruffs and declarer pitches a spade. South has no winning move. A spade exit makes it easy. If South plays a club,declarer ruffs and plays ♥A and another heart, discarding dummy’s low spades and dummy is high. Canada v China Hong Kong
North led the ♣10 and declarer was 200.
North led the ♠2 and declarer was 100 for 3 IMPs to China Hong Kong. Chile v Egypt
East led the ♥5 to West’s ace and the ♣7 came back.Declarer misguessed by rising with the ♣A. North now tried the ♥6 and East rose with the ♥K to switch to the ♦5. Declarer had no quick entry to reach the ♥Q and so lost one spade, two hearts, a diamond and a club for 200. This turned out to be a useful gain in view of what happened at the other table:
This was certainly the best contract on the East/West cards. South led the ♣3 and declarer made eleven tricks without great difficulty for +600 and 9 IMPs to Chile en route to a 21-9 win. At other tables 4♥ sometimes made, sometimes failed, but no other pair found 5♦ East/West. Poland led by 55-14 when this deal came along:
Datum: N/S +1210
There is no problem in the play; Poland +1430.
Lead: ♦A South continued with the ♦Q to the king and the ♥4 came back, jack, queen. East still had two hearts to lose for five down; 1100, but 8 IMPs to Poland. Chile v Egypt:
This went five down for 1100 and 9 IMPs to Egypt. Canada v China Hong Kong
That was 1430 and 13 IMPs to Canada, who won the match 25-5.
Lead: ♥A Declarer went two down for 300.
Lead: ♣A West shifted to the ♦J, but declarer had no way to avoid four losers in the black suits. That was one down for 50 and 8 IMPs to Poland.
Lead: ♥7 Declarer made ten tricks for +180.
(i) Range inquiry (ii) Maximum Lead: ♠3 East won the lead with the ♠K and switched to the ♥J, ducked all round. East continued with the ♠A and another spade. South played a diamond to the king and set up a club trick for +400 and 6 IMPs to France. Poland still scored a maximum 25-5 VPs for their 74 IMPs to 21. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
| Page 2 |
