| 10th World Youth Team Championship | Page 4 | Bulletin 8 - Monday 15 August 2005 |
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Australia v Poland by Ron Klinger Going in to Round 15 Poland were a comfortable first, certain to make the semi-finals. Australia were fifth and needed a very good day to make the semi-finals. Australia had picked up 2 IMPs for an extra undertrick when a slam hand appeared:
Datum: N/S +470
Lead: ♣8 Declarer took the ♣A and ran the ♥J to the queen. That was twelve tricks when the ♣J dropped on the second round of clubs.
Lead: ♠J The lead was helpful to declarer in solving the spade position. He can succeed via ♣A, ♣K, ♦10, cross to ♦K, draw the last trump and lead a low heart. If West ducks, take the spade finesse and clear the hearts. That line is easier double dummy. In practice declarer took the ♠A, crossed to the ♦K and then cashed the ♣A, ♣K, ♣10. Alas, there was no safe return to dummy. When he played a spade to the ten, West ruffed. North took the ♦10 exit and ran the ♥J to West for one down; 11 IMPs to Australia. Two boards later Australia missed an opportunity:
Datum: N/S 420
Lead: ♣7 Declarer made eleven tricks for +460.
Lead: ♥3 2♦ = multi; 2♠ = pass with spades, bid on with hearts. Declarer ducked and East won with the ♥J. At this point the ♠K would have been a helpful move. That could have produced +800. Instead, East switched to a club. Declarer took the ♣A and played the♦K, won by West who cashed ♠A, ♠Q. Now the defence was limited to +500 and 1 IMP to Australia. On the next board both sides were too high:
Datum: N/S +260
Lead: ♦4 One down.
Lead: ♣2 Declarer played low from dummy, but West made no mistake. He took the ♣A and played low on the first round of hearts; one down, no swing.
Datum: N/S +60
This contract had no hope and declarer finished two down for 100.
The 1NT overcall showed 5+ diamonds and a 4-card major. If 2♠ was pass-or-correct, East ought to bid 3♦ over the double. The same inference might have led East to find the diamond lead, but he chose the ♠3. North captured West’s queen, crossed to the ♣A and deceptively led a diamond. West grabbed the ♦A and played the ♠9, ten, jack. East was not deceived and cashed his four diamonds. That was two down for a tied board. After winning the spade lead, suppose that North runs four rounds of clubs. East can afford to let go two hearts and a diamond to leave this position:
When North plays the fifth club, what can East throw? A heart or a spade is quickly fatal, if declarer picks the position, while if a diamond is thrown declarer can play ace and another heart or king and another spade.
Datum: N/S 290
Lead: ♦7 North inserted the jack and East ducked. North continued with the ♦A, followed by the ♦Q, taken by the king. As South had thrown two clubs on this, declarer now had four clubs tricks available. When he crossed to the ♣A and played a heart to the jack and queen, declarer could claim.
Lead: ♦7 North also inserted the ♦J and East ducked. North shifted to the ♥6, ducked to South’s queen, and back came a heart. Declarer can succeed from here by playing South for honour-ten in spades. He will come to two spades, three hearts, a diamond and three clubs. North’s reluctance to continue diamonds suggests that North is not looking at both the ♠K and ♠Q. Even if the first spade loses to the ten, declarer can still hope for four club tricks. In practice, East crossed to the ♣A and played a diamond. North rose with the ♦A and continued diamonds. Declarer cashed his hearts, but South held steadfastly on to the clubs and the contract was one down for 100 and 12 IMPs to Poland, trailing 13-14. Poland picked up 10-3 in overtricks and undertricks to lead 23-17 until a defensive mix-up allowed Australia to make an impossible game:
Datum: N/S +40
East led the ♠A: two four eight and switched to the ♥K, taken by the ace. The ♣J was overtaken by the queen and West won the next club. When he returned the ♥10, declarer had eleven tricks for +600.
Lead: ♠4 East shifted to a trump, but declarer was in no danger and finished with ten tricks for +130, but 10 IMPs to Australia. The scoreline was now Australia 27 Poland 23, but Poland scored IMPs on each of the last five boards (6, 6, 4, 7, 6) to finish with a comfortable win by 52-27 or 20-10 in VPs. |
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