Swiss Teams Round 6

by Jos Jacobs & Marjo Chorus

Greecoura (Greece) v. Netherlands Red

Netherlands White v. Oze Ckis (Poland)

For the middle round of the day, once again we have one match from a top table in store for you, accompanied by a match from about halfway the table. This time, the top match is between the nos. 3 and 4 (Greecoura and Netherlands Red), whereas NL White and Oze Ckis were lying 18th and 20th respectively before their match.

The NL White Oze Ckis match really came to life on the closing boards, so first of all, here are some boards from Greecoura v. NL Red.

First blood in this match we saw on the second board:

Board: 22. Dlr: East/EW
	♠ 3 2 ♥ J 8 ♦ A 10 6 2 ♣ A 8 6 5 3
♠ J 9 5 ♥ A Q 5 ♦ K Q 7 4 ♣ Q J 10		♠ A K Q 7 6 ♥ 10 4 ♦ 9 8 ♣ K 9 7 2
	♠ 10 8 4 ♥ K 9 7 6 3 2 ♦ J 5 3 ♣ 4

EW reach the excellent contract of 3NT when Danny Molenaar judges his balanced hand more suitable for NT-purposes than with spades as trumps. Two overtricks, NL Red +660.

The correctness of his judgement was shown in the Closed Room:

Closed Room

Michielsen leads her singleton club and gets two ruffs when North happens to hold the ♦A as well.

One down, another +100 and 13 Imps to NL Red.

Two boards later, Greecoura hits back:

Board: 24. Dlr: West/None
	♠ 10 3 ♥ 8 6 5 ♦ Q 9 4 ♣ A J 7 6 3
♠ K J 8 4 2 ♥ A J 7 2 ♦ 2 ♣ K Q 2		♠ 5 ♥ 10 9 4 ♦ A K J 8 7 6 5 ♣ 5 4
	♠ A Q 9 7 6 ♥ K Q 3 ♦ 10 3 ♣ 10 9 8

3♦ by Verbeek shows an invitational hand with good diamonds. Without a diamond fit, Molenaar decides to call it a day. With the suit behaving, 3NT happens to be easy…Ten tricks, NL Red +130.

Closed Room

Roussos had no reason to assume Darkadakis would not have an outside entry, so he bids 3NT. After the club lead, he took the flying diamond finesse and we could hear his sigh of relief when this held…nine tricks. Greecoura +400 and 7 IMPs.

On this board, we also got a typical BBO commentators’ conversation. “Well done,” one of them cheered after the play was over, upon which another one came in, saying: “Why well done? Badly bid and only made by the simple expedient of a finesse…”

Over now to the NL White v. Oze Ckis match, in which the score stood at 2-0 to the Poles at this point.

Board: 25. Dlr: North/EW
	♠ K 10 7 6 4 3 ♥ J ♦ K 9 8 ♣ A 10 4
♠ A Q ♥ A K 9 4 2 ♦ J 10 7 2 ♣ 9 6		♠ 9 8 5 2 ♥ 8 6 3 ♦ A Q 6 4 3 ♣ Q
	♠ J ♥ Q 10 7 5 ♦ 5 ♣ K J 8 7 5 3 2

Well judged by Machno. With the spade finesse certainly wrong, there is little reason to bid on. The contract of 4♣ by South was just made, NL White +130.

Closed Room

Stuurman’s bold jump to game paid off when he caught Piotrowski in two minds. Probably, a trump lead is best but North led a spade into the tenace. Declarer got off play with a club but now, North jumped in with the ace and led his trump, which declarer did very well to duck. North next gave his partner a spade ruff but this cost a natural trump trick so that was all the defence could get with the diamond finesse working. NL White +790 and 14 IMPs.

The last three boards of this match all produced double-figure swings. Here is the first:

Board: 28. Dlr: West/NS
	♠ K J 4 ♥ A Q 9 8 3 ♦ J 6 4 ♣ 9 6
♠ A 8 7 ♥ K 10 7 5 ♦ Q 3 ♣ K 8 5 3		♠ Q 9 6 2 ♥ J 2 ♦ 10 8 5 ♣ J 10 4 2
	♠ 10 5 3 ♥ 6 4 ♦ A K 9 7 2 ♣ A Q 7

Gerbrand Hop’s practical shot quickly proved right when West led a club. When the ♦Q made a timely appearance, nine tricks were there for +600 to NL White.

On this same board, Molenaar as West for NL Red (our other match) found the brilliant lead of a low spade against 3NT. If you don’t put up the king now, East will win the Queen and return the ♣J. How’s that? Entry to the diamonds gone, one down inevitable. Well defended and worth 6 IMPs together with the diamond partial at the other table.

Closed Room

The weak NT opening by West made it pretty impossible for NS to get anywhere near 3NT. 2♠ was just made for +110 to Oze Ckis but NL White had scored 10 more IMPs to lead comfortably by 24-2.

But then:

Board: 29. Dlr: North/All
	♠ A Q 3 ♥ K Q 4 ♦ J 7 4 ♣ A K 4 3
♠ K 7 5 2 ♥ J 9 7 6 ♦ Q 6 2 ♣ J 7		♠ 10 9 8 6 4 ♥ A 8 5 3 ♦ K 10 5 ♣ 8
	♠ J ♥ 10 2 ♦ A 9 8 3 ♣ Q 10 9 6 5 2

Igla’s highly aggressive (but completely legal) 2♦ overcall with his major twosuiter kept the Dutch out of their best game which, as so often, is 3NT. Five Clubs had no play and thus went one down; Oze Ckis +100.

Closed Room

Polish Club and second-round transfer did the job. Oze Ckis an easy but fully deserved ten tricks, +630 and 12 IMPs back to trail 14-24 with one board to play.

And then the last board:

Board: 30. Dlr: East/None
	♠ Q J 9 7 3 2 ♥ A 9 6 ♦ 5 3 ♣ A 7
♠ 10 ♥ K Q 4 ♦ A K 10 9 6 4 ♣ 5 4 3		♠ A 8 6 4 ♥ J ♦ Q J 8 ♣ Q J 10 9 2
	♠ K 5 ♥ 10 8 7 5 3 2 ♦ 7 2 ♣ K 8 6

Open Room

Holding a reasonable suit of his own plus two aces, North might well have ventured to lead spades, in view of the NT bidding. He trusted his partner, however, only to find out that the contract could now no longer be beaten Ten tricks, Oze Ckis another fine +400.

Closed Room

After the 2♠ overcall, the NT game for EW was ruled out so they settled for 5♦ which proved one too many. It might even have gone down two on the club ruff but that extra IMP would have spoilt the tie.

One down, Oze Ckis +50 and 10 IMPs for an exact tie: 24-24.

We did not hear very much from our other featured match. This is mainly because almost nothing happened. The exception was board 28 (see above). So the score in this match was 19-7 now.

Open Room

* denies 4 cards major

As you can see, bad 3NT calls are occurring at regular intervals. On the marked spade lead, bidding 3NT is asking for trouble. Declarer can go after the hearts only to find out this doesn’t work either. Down three, Greecoura +150.

Closed Room

A Multi on a weak suit sees the Red Dutch(wo)men end up in the wrong column of the scoresheet on the last board. Darkadakis can launch a take-out double of the convertible 3♥ by North but Roussos has an easy penalty pass. One down, Greecoura another +100 and 6 IMPs. The final score: 19-13 or 16-14 V.P. to NL Red.