Denmark v Israel (Seriors Bowl)

Denmark went into their 96-board quarter-final match against Israel in the Seniors Bowl with the maximum possible carry-over of 16 IMPs from their Round Robin encounter.Israel took a bite out of that lead on the first board of the match.

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

West	North	East	South
Romik	Lund	Levit	Moller
	1♥	Pass	2♥
Dble	4♥	4♠	Dble
Pass	5♥	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Auken	Schwartz	S-Moller	Sheinman
	1♥	Pass	2♥
Dble	3♦	3♠	4♥
All Pass

It seems to me that Peter Lund’s leap to 4♥ at his second turn is the practical bid but it didn’t turn out too well when he next pulled his partner’s double of 4♠, fearing his own lack of defence to that contract. After a spade lead, it was not too taxing for the defenders to collect one spade trick and two in each minor for three down; -500.

I am much less a fan of Adrian Schwartz’s 3♦ game-try but it worked out much better as East/West had done their bidding and with no pressure in the auction were willing to defend against 4♥. The same five tricks were lost but that was only two down for -100 and 9 IMPs to Israel. In other matches a number of tables saw a contract of 4♠ by East/West, sometimes doubled. After a heart lead, bestdefence seems to be to give a ruff and discard, but this is not good enough to beat the contract. Declarer ruffs in the East hand while pitching the ♦10 from West, then plays the ♠Q, ducked, and the ♠J, covered by the king and ducked. A third heart is ruffed by East, West throwing a club, the diamondfinesse is taken, and declarer cashes the ace of spades, then starts running the diamonds. The defence just comes to a trump trick. Any defence that does not involve giving ruff and discards is less difficult for declarer to overcome. The set score had moved onto 12-3 in favour of Israel when the next potential major-swing board came along.

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

West	North	East	South
Romik	Lund	Levit	Moller
1♣	1♥	1♠	3♣
4♠	Pass	Pass	5♥
Pass	Pass	5♠	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Auken	Schwartz	S-Moller	Sheinman
1♣	1♥	1♠	4♥
4♠	Pass	Pass	5♥
Pass	Pass	5♠	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Five Hearts goes one down with a loser in each side-suit, but it is tough to let your opponents play in 5♥ when 5♠ will be so cheap. A diamond lead and continuation would get 5♠ down two but it is not really possible to find such a lead and both Souths started with a heart, then switched to their singleton club. Both declarers took the ace of clubs, drew trumps andestablished the clubs; one down for a push at -100.

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

West	North	East	South
Romik	Lund	Levit	Moller
		Pass	1♠
Dble	2♠	Dble	4♠
Dble	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Auken	Schwartz	S-Moller	Sheinman
		Pass	1♠
Dble	3♠	Dble	4♠
Pass	Pass	4NT	Pass
5♣	All Pass

Lund made a normal simple raise to 2♠ and Steen Moller in turn jumped to 4♠ over the responsive double. Pinhas Romik doubled that, ending the auction. Romik led the ace of spades then switched to a low diamond to the ace. Yeshayahu Levit returned the jack of spades and Romik made the disastrous discard of a heart. There is no way home in 4♠ without a heart pitch but now Moller was in control. He won the ♠Q and laid down the ace of hearts, being charmed by the fall of the king on his right. Moller cashed the king of spades next, ruffed a diamond back to hand took the finesse of the ten of hearts. With the hearts running, Moller had eleven tricks for +690.

At the other table Schwartz made an aggressive jump raise to 3♠ and Kirsten Steen-Moller made a responsive double. Rami Sheinman raised himself to 4♠ and, when that came around to Steen-Moller, she judged that her partner would be very short in spades so that five of a minor should be a good bet. As we can see, with diamonds coming in it was only the four-one trump split which beat 5♣. One down cost -50, but that went very nicely with the result from the other table;12 IMPs to Denmark.

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

West	North	East	South
Romik	Lund	Levit	Moller
			Pass
1♠	2♥	4♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Auken	Schwartz	S-Moller	Sheinman
			Pass
2♠	3♥	4♠	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Four Hearts requires good decisions in both hearts and clubs, so is not favourite to succeed, but one can understand that East would rather bid quickly to 4♠ before South has the opportunity to show a likely heart fit. In the first auction, 4♠ may well be making, while in the second it is only the fact that West is so maximal for the 2♠ opening that makes 4♥ odds against. Schwartz doubled 4♠ because he had a fair bit to spare for the 3♥ overcall; Lund went quietly.

Both Norths cashed a top heart then switched accurately to the diamond two if partner has the ♣A there will be a second chance to take the club tricks when North wins with the ♠K. Both declarers tried the ♦K, losing to the ace. Moller returned a heart, forcing dummy to ruff, and Romik ran the ♦J to the queen, pitching a club. Lund switched to a trump to dummy’s jack and ruffed when declarer played the ♦10 to ditch his other low club. Now the ♠K took the last trump off the table and there was a heart to lose at the end; down two for -100. The contract was also down two at the other table but the double meant that was -300 so 5 IMPs to Israel.

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

West	North	East	South
Romik	Lund	Levit	Moller
Pass	1♥	Pass	2♥
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Auken	Schwartz	S-Moller	Sheinman
Pass	1NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Four Hearts can be made with good guesswork, but neither table was close to reaching that contract. Lund made an overtrick in 2♥ without breathing heavily; +140. The Israeli North/South pair bid quickly to 3NT, against which Steen-Moller led a low spade to the ace. A second spade went to the jack and queen, and the spades were cleared. Everyone pitched clubs as declarer cashed the hearts. Now king ofdiamonds and the diamond finesse lost to the queen. Thedefence had blocked the clubs so, after crossing to the ♣A and cashing the thirteenth spade, had to give the last trick to dummy with a diamond; one down for -50 and 5 IMPs to Denmark.

The Danes won the set by 21-17, so led by 37-17 after 16 boards.