Comeback Time

by Brian Senior

Trailing by 34 IMPs to YADLIN going into the last 15-board segment of the Rosenblum semi-final, it had to be comeback time if the HENNER-WELLAND team was to make it to the final. With the other half of the family clearly doomed to lose the other semi-final, Christal Henner-Welland had an extra incentive to win to avoid a double disappointment on the same day.

It didn’t start well for the US/Swedish combo as YADLIN picked up a partscore swing on the first board of the session to extend the lead to 39 IMPs. The second deal was flat, but then came just what the doctor ordered for HENNER-WELLAND.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ 9 7 3 ♥ A Q 5 4 ♦ 6 2 ♣ J 8 6 2
♠ Q J 10 6 ♥ K 10 9 7 6 3 ♦ A ♣ 5 3		♠ A 8 5 2 ♥ 2 ♦ 10 8 7 5 ♣ K Q 10 9
	♠ K 4 ♥ J 8 ♦ K Q J 9 4 3 ♣ A 7 4

West	North	East	South
Bertheau	D. Yadlin	Nystrom	I. Yadlin
		Pass	1♦
1♥	1NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Ozdil	Lindkvist	Ginossar	Fredin
		Pass	1NT
2♥	Pass	Pass	3♦
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Both North/South pairs bid aggressively to the thin 3NT after West had shown his hearts, but from different sides. Fredrik Nystrom led the queen of clubs and Dorn Yadlin ducked, which appears to be an error. Nystrom switched to a low spade so that, although the king won the trick, the defence had established sufficient tricks to defeat the contract – win the first club and, though you still require the ace of spades to be onside, declarer can succeed if diamonds come in and the heart finesse wins. Yadlin played the king of diamonds to the ace and Peter Bertheau played the ♠Q, ♠J and ♠10 to Nystrom’s ace. As dummy had thrown a club, Nystrom could now afford to play a club to the bare ace. Declarer cashed two diamonds then played the jack of hearts to the king and ace, cashed the ♥Q and conceded the rest for down three; –300.

Peter Fredin was in the same contract but from the other side of the table following a bidding sequence all of his own. Melih Ozdil led the queen of spades, ducked to Fredin’s king, and Fredin led the jack of diamonds, Ozdil winning the ace, perforce. The defence cashed the spades now before exiting with a club. Fredin knew that West was six-four in the majors, and he might have played low on the lead of the diamond jack had he held a doubleton. Accordingly, he took the heart finesse then played to the nine of diamonds to bring home his contract. A very nicely played +600 and 14 IMPs to HENNER-WELLAND, closing to 82-107.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ K J 9 4 ♥ Q ♦ K Q 6 4 ♣ J 6 5 3
♠ 7 5 ♥ J 10 8 6 3 ♦ A 8 3 ♣ K Q 9		♠ Q 3 2 ♥ K 9 7 2 ♦ 9 7 2 ♣ A 7 2
	♠ A 10 8 6 ♥ A 5 4 ♦ J 10 5 ♣ 10 8 4

West	North	East	South
Bertheau	D. Yadlin	Nystrom	I. Yadlin
			Pass
Pass	1♦	Pass	1NT
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♦
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Ozdil	Lindkvist	Ginossar	Fredin
			Pass
Pass	1♦	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♠	All Pass

Lindkvist/Fredin had a normal auction to the safe spade partscore. Ozdil led the king of clubs then switched to a trump for the queen and ace. Fredin gave up a club, after which the defenders failed to take their third club trick so came to only the ace of diamonds; +170.

Israel Yadlin picked a very bad time to bypass his four-card spade suit and a distinctly inferior partscore was reached. Nystrom led a low trump to declarer’s queen and Doron returned the suit. Bertheau won and switched to the ten of hearts for the queen, king and ace and declarer drew the third round of trumps. It all came down to the spade guess now and Doron got it wrong, leading low to his jack. That lost and he had only seven tricks; down one for –50 and 6 IMPs to HENNER-WELLAND. The gap was closing at 88-107.Five quiet boards saw the score move on by only 2 IMPs, in favour of HENNER-WELLAND, making it 90-107, when the next significant swing came along.

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ A 9 5 ♥ 10 8 6 ♦ K 8 6 ♣ K 9 8 5
♠ Q 10 8 3 ♥ 7 5 ♦ Q 10 9 5 2 ♣ 7 6		♠ K 4 2 ♥ A K Q 2 ♦ A 4 3 ♣ Q 10 2
	♠ J 7 6 ♥ J 9 4 3 ♦ J 7 ♣ A J 4 3

West	North	East	South
Bertheau	D. Yadlin	Nystrom	I. Yadlin
	Pass	1♣	Dble
Pass	1♦	1NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Ozdil	Lindkvist	Ginossar	Fredin
	Pass	1♣	All Pass

Nystrom opened a strong club and Israel doubled 1♦, spades and diamonds or hearts and clubs. One Diamond was pass or correct, and Nystrom showed his strong no trump type, ending the auction. Israel led a heart to the ten and king. Nystrom led a low diamond to the ten and Doron won. With the spades well placed for declarer, ducking would not have helped. He returned a heart to declarer’s ace and Nystrom cashed the ♦A, ♥Q, and the rest of the diamonds, after which the defence took the remainder; +90.

In the other room, Eldad Ginossar’s 1♣ opening was either natural or balanced and it ended the auction, leaving him to play a rather unattractive contract. Ginossar won the heart lead and played three more rounds of the suit, ruffing the fourth round and being over-ruffed. Magnus Lindkvist led a club to Fredin’s jack and Fredin switched to a low spade for the eight, nine and king. Ginossar now led a spade back and guessed wrongly, putting up the queen and losing to the ace. Fredin played ace and another trump, after which Lindkvist played a low diamond through. Ginossar went wrong again by putting up the ace and was two down for –200 and 7 IMPs to HENNER-WELLAND. With five deals to play, they were only a game swing behind at 97-107. After two partscore deals, HENNER-WELLAND had added 1 IMP to trail by 98-107, then:

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ 9 2 ♥ A 10 7 6 ♦ 10 9 4 ♣ J 9 3 2
♠ Q 6 4 3 ♥ Q 4 2 ♦ A 7 5 3 2 ♣ Q		♠ 10 ♥ K 9 8 5 3 ♦ J 8 ♣ A 10 7 6 5
	♠ A K J 8 7 5 ♥ J ♦ K Q 6 ♣ K 8 4

West	North	East	South
Bertheau	D. Yadlin	Nystrom	I. Yadlin
Pass	Pass	1♥	Dble
2♦	Pass	2♥	3♠
Pass	4♠	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Ozdil	Lindkvist	Ginossar	Fredin
Pass	Pass	2♥	Dble
4♥	Pass	Pass	4♠
All Pass

Ginossar’s weak opening was raised to game by Ozdil and now Fredin was pretty much committed to bidding out his hand. Ozdil led the queen of clubs against 4♠ and Ginossar ducked. In the fullness of time the defence came to a spade, a diamond and two clubs for down one; –100.

Nystrom’s one-level opening put less momentum into the auction. Bertheau showed a constructive heart raise and Nystrom signed off in 2♥. Now many would have thought 2♠ to be sufficient on the South cards but Israel jumped to show the strong jump overcall and Doron raised him to game. Bertheau was prepared to trust his partner to have some defence, even for a favourable vulnerability third-seat opening, so doubled. He too led the queen of clubs and the play went as at the other table for down one and 3 IMPs to HENNER-WELLAND, only 6 IMPs down at 101-107.

Board 29. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ 7 2 ♥ K 4 ♦ A K 6 2 ♣ A K Q 3 2
♠ K 8 6 4 ♥ 8 7 3 ♦ J 7 ♣ J 9 8 5		♠ Q J 9 5 3 ♥ J 10 9 6 5 ♦ 10 8 4 ♣ –
	♠ A 10 ♥ A Q 2 ♦ Q 9 5 3 ♣ 10 7 6 4

West	North	East	South
Bertheau	D. Yadlin	Nystrom	I. Yadlin
	2NT	Pass	3♣
Pass	3NT	Pass	4NT
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Ozdil	Lindkvist	Ginossar	Fredin
	1♣	Pass	3NT
Pass	4♣	Pass	4♥
Pass	5♦	Pass	5♠
Pass	5NT	Pass	6♣
All Pass

Doron opened 2NT then denied a four- or five-card major, and Israel invited slam. Doron had tricks but was very minimum in high-card terms so judged to pass. Sitting behind dummy, I thought that they had got lucky when the four-zero club split came to light after the spade lead to dummy’s ace. Had declarer had a fifth major-suit card, I would have been correct as there would have been a club and a spade to lose in 6♣. But on the actual deal the spade loser goes away on the third heart, so 6♣/♦ is quite cold. Doron took his eleven tricks for +660 and hoped his opponents would be in the fair grand slam at the other table.

Fredin made a mildly aggressive response at the other table, after which clubs were agreed and there was an exchange of cuebids. Lindkvist suggested seven, but Fredin had nothing more to say and the Swedes stopped safely in the small slam. With just a trump to lose, that was worth +1370 and 12 IMPs to HENNER-WELLAND. This deal was the match-breaker. There was no swing on the final, partscore, deal, so HENNER-WELLAND had come back to win by 113-107, having kept their opponents scoreless for the last 14 deals.