Swiss Teams Round 4

by Jos Jacobs & Marjo Chorus

Ckis Skawina (Poland) v. Noname (Turkey)

Netherlands Orange v. Scotland U-26

For the first round on Sunday, we decided to have a look at some teams who were not among the overnight leaders. The idea is of course that we will have much more on the eight qualifying teams anyway once the knock out stages get underway. So for this report, we have the match between the teams ranked 6th and 8th (NL Orange-Scotland) and the one between the nos. 15 and 16: Noname and Ckis Skawina.

After the one flash of lightning that struck on Saturday night, the players in both our matches lit the fireworks in an unmistakeable way on the very first board:

Board: 1. Dlr: North/None
	♠ A 10 9 6 5 3 ♥ 5 2 ♦ A Q 9 8 7 ♣ -
♠ 7 2 ♥ Q 4 3 ♦ - ♣ A Q J 9 8 6 3 2		♠ Q J 8 4 ♥ A J 8 6 ♦ J 6 5 3 2 ♣ -
	♠ K ♥ K 10 9 7 ♦ K 10 4 ♣ K 10 7 5 4

Noname v. Ckis Skawina:

* 0+ clubs gf

A logical auction, even more so in a Junior event, one would think. East made the best lead of a trump which ran to declarer’s seven. A heart went to the king, the ♠K was unblocked and a heart was conceded to East who returned another trump. Declarer won in hand, cashed the ♠A, ruffed a spade and had to go down two when the suit did not break. Ckis Skawina +600.

In the other room, EW were not so unfriendly in the end:

A reasonable enough contract but not this time. Down three but…undoubled, a mere +150 to Noname and 10 IMPs to the Poles.

In the NL Orange v. Scotland match:

Closed Room

Vincent Nab is getting more and more pleased, the way things go. As he said: “I was thinking about doubling 4♦ but I decided to wait…maybe, they will go on.” Right, as he was indeed given the chance to double 5♦ and he too, found the excellent lead of a trump. Declarer wins in hand and plays a spade to the King. His next move is to get back to hand with a club ruff but East can overruff and return another trump. Now, declarer decides to draw trumps and play on spades, so the defence have time to get a few heart tricks as well as declarer is out of trumps. Down four, NL Orange +800.

Open Room

As West did not interfere over the 2♣ gf relay, East refrained from doubling the final contract. “No double, no trouble” must have been North’s thoughts upon discovering the actual layout. When East did not lead a trump, the contract went only two down for +100 to the Scots but a healthy 12 IMPs to the Dutch.

The next board also produced swings in both our matches:

Board: 2. Dlr: East/NS
	♠ A 5 4 ♥ K 7 6 5 ♦ Q 6 3 ♣ 10 5 3
♠ J 8 2 ♥ - ♦ A 10 9 8 7 2 ♣ K 8 4 2		♠ K 10 9 ♥ 9 3 2 ♦ J 5 4 ♣ A Q J 6
	♠ Q 7 6 3 ♥ A Q J 10 8 4 ♦ K ♣ 9 7

In the NL Orange v. Scotland match, NS get overboard:

Open Room

Closed Room

A wise decision by South, in theory, not to accept the invitation. Ten tricks were made in very much the same way but as they were worth only +170, NL Orange had scored 12 IMPs more.

In the Noname-Ckis Skawina match, basically the same things happened:

Open Room

Diamond ace and another were led here, so Ozer quickly had ten tricks. Undoubled they were worth +620 to Noname.

In the Closed Room, the Turkish defenders did well to hold declarer to nine tricks for a well-deserved gain of 10 IMPs to level their match.

The fireworks continue.

Board: 4. Dlr: West/All
	♠ A Q J 9 5 3 ♥ Q 8 ♦ A 10 6 4 ♣ 7
♠ 6 4 2 ♥ J 6 3 ♦ - ♣ A K 10 9 8 5 4		♠ K 8 7 ♥ K 10 9 7 ♦ J 9 7 2 ♣ Q 2
	♠ 10 ♥ A 5 4 2 ♦ K Q 8 5 3 ♣ J 6 3

On board 4, the Scottish EW land in 3NT.

Closed Room

Wackwitz, West, leads a low club and happily sees his partner’s Queen appearing. That’s down three very quickly and another +300 for NL Orange. In the other room, the auction reaches the skies:

Open Room

North was too active here, I think; if South does not show any controls over 4♦, slam does not look a good shot to me. On a club lead and continuation, declarer ruffed and immediately ruffed out the ♠K. In view of the double, the trumps are finessable for no loser but then, there will not be an entry back to hand. The other line of playing spades through East won’t help either, for exactly the same reason. Rens Philipsen found an elegant endplay, thus limiting his losses to just down one: East was given his trump trick to lead away from his ♥K .

Maybe you would not believe it, but in the other match this board was a push in 2♠.

Board 6 in the Noname v. Ckis Skawina match was not a push, however:

Board: 6. Dlr: East/EW
	♠ 10 5 4 ♥ A K 9 5 3 ♦ K J ♣ K J 8
♠ J 9 3 ♥ 10 8 4 ♦ A 10 7 4 3 ♣ Q 9		♠ K 6 2 ♥ 7 6 2 ♦ 9 6 5 2 ♣ A 6 5
	♠ A Q 8 7 ♥ Q J ♦ Q 8 ♣ 10 7 4 3 2

Old-fashioned Acol style bidding with three-card trump support did not lead to the best of contracts as 4♥ certainly offers better chances. Prospects improved however when West led the ♣Q to the King and Ace. Declarer could now win the club return and draw three rounds of trumps…Noname +420.

In the Closed Room, the Polish had no way to find out about the good 5-2 fit or the possible Moysian:

Closed Room

Two down on the obvious diamond lead…Noname another +100 and 11 IMPs.

This was the penultimate board:

Board: 9. Dlr: North/EW
	♠ K 8 2 ♥ Q 8 6 ♦ Q 10 6 ♣ K Q 10 4
♠ Q 9 7 6 4 ♥ J 7 5 ♦ A K 8 4 ♣ 6		♠ J 5 3 ♥ K 9 4 3 ♦ 7 3 2 ♣ J 7 5
	♠ A 10 ♥ A 10 2 ♦ J 9 5 ♣ A 9 8 3 2

In the Noname v. Ckis Skawina match, EW had not interfered as it went 1♣ (Polish) by North and 3NT by South at one table and 1NT-3NT at the other.

West for Noname led the ♦A which cost the vital tempo. East for Ckis Skawina led a low heart which immediately gave the 9th trick. As the Turkish declarer went on to make an overtrick, Noname registered 1 IMP to win 36-11 or 22-8 V.P.

In the NL Orange v. Scotland match, they also reached 3NT at both tables but in the Open Room, West had shown his spades:

Can you make nine tricks on a spade lead? Philipsen ducked the lead, won the second round and tried a heart to the Queen and King. His next move afther the spade return, was a heart to the ten and…Jack. West then simply cashed all his tricks: down three, Scotland +150. What about a squeeze? Cash your five clubs after the ♠A. West has to throw two diamonds and what next? If he discards a heart, declarer can make two heart tricks. If he throws a spade, he might be put in the lead to open up the hearts for declarer. So you can play the 5th club, discarding a heart, lead a low heart to the Queen and King and then the correct view in hearts will see you home.

In the other room, West led a spade, after which declarer went for the squeeze:

Closed Room

Spade ducked, ♠A, heart to the Queen and King, spade back (a heart looks better) and five rounds of clubs. Alas, declarer misread the end position after West discarded both his last remaining small heart and one top diamond. He exited with a diamond and thus went one down after all. NL Orange +50 but 3 IMPs to Scotland to make the final score in this match 32-8 to NL Orange or 22-8 V.P.