Swiss Teams Round 11

by Jos Jacobs and Marjo Chorus

Netherlands Girls v. USA Red

Italy Red v. Australia

The tension is growing and the field is closing in. That’s normal near the end of any qualification tournament. Three rounds to go and the fight for most of the berths is still wide open. Netherlands Girls are doing remarkable well, still lying 8th with 164 V.P. after their defeat in the previous round and thus having to face 9th placed USA Red who are one V.P. behind them. Our other featured match is Italy Red, 5th on 174 V.P. who will play Australia, the latter team level with USA Red.

This is going to be an exceptional report. More often than not, swings would occur on the same board at both tables or at neither table. Here we have a match, for once, in which flat boards in one match were swings in the other more often than not.

USA Red immediately take the lead on the first board:

Board: 11. Dlr: South/None
	♠ K 10 8 4 ♥ K 8 7 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ J 9 6
♠ J 9 7 6 ♥ Q 6 3 ♦ Q 6 5 ♣ A K 7		♠ 5 3 2 ♥ J 5 4 ♦ 10 7 ♣ 10 5 4 3 2
	♠ A Q ♥ A 10 9 2 ♦ A J 9 4 2 ♣ Q 8

No problems and an easy nine tricks. USA Red +400.

Open Room

It proved too difficult for the twins to get the two half-stoppers (they make one full stopper when put together) into the picture. Five Diamonds normally goes down as you will lose the ♣AK and a trump trick, provided there is no divine inspiration to run the ♦J.

USA Red another +50 and 10 IMPs for a solid start. On the next board, the Dutch Girls get 9 IMPs back:

Board: 12. Dlr: West/NS
	♠ A 8 7 5 ♥ J 7 ♦ Q 7 4 ♣ A 7 5 2
♠ Q 10 9 3 ♥ Q 10 4 ♦ 8 3 ♣ J 8 4 3		♠ 2 ♥ K 6 2 ♦ A K J 10 9 2 ♣ Q 9 6
	♠ K J 6 4 ♥ A 9 8 5 3 ♦ 6 5 ♣ K 10

South leads ♣K and another. North wins the ♣A and gives her sister a ruff. Sigrid returns a spade for Jamilla’s Ace and another club is played, declarer ruffing with the nine. Next comes a heart to dummy’s ten and North’s Jack. North exits with a heart and, at her turn, ruffs the 3rd round of the suit. Down two, NL Girls +100.

After North’s Precision 1♦ East overcalls 2♦, natural in this situation. West however alerts and explains “majors” to South, her screen mate. After East’s 3♦ rebid, the director was called who, of course, ordered the auction to go on. The 3♦ bid, however, also clarifies the situation for South, whose 3♥ now clearly is meant as a natural bid. North concluded the auction with 3NT which went three off after East’s lead of the ♦J. NL Girls another +300 and 9 IMPs back.

Board: 13. Dlr: North/All
	♠ A K 10 6 ♥ Q 10 6 ♦ Q 7 4 3 ♣ Q J
♠ Q 4 ♥ 5 2 ♦ A J 6 5 ♣ K 9 8 5 2		♠ - ♥ A 9 8 7 4 3 ♦ 10 8 ♣ A 10 7 6 3
	♠ J 9 8 7 5 3 2 ♥ K J ♦ K 9 2 ♣ 4

No problems here: ten tricks and +620 to NL Girls.

Closed Room

A system gadget enabled the Dutch EW to interfere more fiercely than their American counterparts. Over 1NT, the 2♥ overcall shows hearts and a minor. Laura Dekkers judged well by bidding 5♣ which is cold. The Americans also did the best they could by going on to 5♠ which is a good save but still one down, +200 and 13 IMPs to NL Girls. 22-10 in 3 boards; not bad going at all. Time to have a look at the other match, in which the score stood at 4-0 to Italy Red at this point. Here is their next board:

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

North’s double was take-out but South stood it, theoretically a wise decision as game is very far away. The defence, however, was extraordinary as you will rarely see two Aces being let through in a doubled partscore. North led his trump and dummy’s Ace was put up. A heart to the King held the trick, as did a low spade to dummy’s Jack. Declarer was now able to crossruff his majors, losing only two clubs and the master trump for an unexpected overtrick: Australia +570.

Closed Room

Against 4♦ North also led his trump but here, declarer won the Ace and led the ♠J. South jumped in with his Ace, after which it did no longer matter that here too, something went wrong with the ♥A. One down, Australia another +50 and 12 IMPs to take the lead 12-4. Back again to the USA Red v. NL Girls match. On the next board, USA Red hit back, thanks to their particular system gadget:

Board: 15. Dlr: South/NS
	♠ A J 8 6 2 ♥ 6 ♦ K Q 10 8 3 2 ♣ J
♠ K 7 4 ♥ A K 8 5 ♦ 9 ♣ K 10 8 6 5		♠ 9 5 ♥ Q 10 7 3 ♦ J 5 ♣ A 9 7 4 3
	♠ Q 10 3 ♥ J 9 4 2 ♦ A 7 6 4 ♣ Q 2

After the Precision-type 2♦ opening by West, Jamilla first shows her six-card suit, hoping to bring spades to life later on. Lien’s logical jump to 4♥ provokes an easy double from Sigrid but when Jamilla passes, the twins have missed their vulnerable spade game. One off, NL Girls +100.

Closed Room

Kaplan has more bidding space and thus starts his actions by simply overcalling 1♠ over 1♣. After partner’s raise, bidding the spade game is easy enough. Maybe, East should save as she is aware of the combined fits in the rounded suits. Anyway, 4♠ makes easily and USA Red score +620 to recoup 11 IMPs and nearly level the match. Over again to Italy Red and Australia. On the next board, their weak NT cost Australia a double partscore swing:

Board: 16. Dlr: West/EW
	♠ Q 8 2 ♥ A 9 4 3 2 ♦ 10 ♣ K Q 9 4
♠ 9 6 4 3 ♥ K 10 ♦ K Q 8 2 ♣ A 8 6		♠ A 10 7 ♥ Q 8 6 ♦ A 9 7 5 4 ♣ 7 2
	♠ K J 5 ♥ J 7 5 ♦ J 6 3 ♣ J 10 5 3

North’s three-suited singleton overcall brings back old memories of Kelsey, Astro and other obsolete conventions. However, they are still working well, as this deal proves. Just made, Italy Red +110.

Closed Room

After the suit opening, the Italians had established their diamond fit at once. Just made, +110 to Italy Red and 6 IMPs to them. More weak NT trouble for Australia on the next board:

Board: 17. Dlr: North/None
	♠ 10 6 4 ♥ Q J 10 ♦ J 6 ♣ K Q 7 5 2
♠ K J 9 7 ♥ 5 3 2 ♦ 5 4 2		♠ 8 3 ♥ K 9 7 6 ♦ A 7 3
	♠ A Q 5 2 ♥ A 8 4 ♦ K Q 10 9 8 ♣ J

Open Room

2♣ was clubs and a major but there was no safe spot to go. Down three, Italy Red +500.

Closed Room

Well, the Australians might have decided to defend 1♣ doubled but with these bad trumps, North quite rightly bid 1NT. He made a lot of tricks (ten) but this +180 still cost his side 8 IMPs. The Italians had come back strongly to lead 29-12 now. In the other match, Precision strikes again for the USA:

Open Room

In the Open Room, Sigrid overcalls 2♦ natural and is allowed to play there. Ten tricks, NL Girls +130.

Closed Room

Board: 18. Dlr: East/NS
	♠ 10 7 3 ♥ A Q J 2 ♦ K 5 3 ♣ Q 10 2
♠ A Q 6 ♥ 7 5 4 3 ♦ 8 7 4 2 ♣ 7 4		♠ 9 2 ♥ K 9 8 6 ♦ A 6 ♣ A J 9 8 5
	♠ K J 8 5 4 ♥ 10 ♦ Q J 10 9 ♣ K 6 3

Manno took a very good decision when he first passed 1♣ and then let his opponents in peace in 2♥. This duly went one off, +50 to Italy Red.

Closed Room

At the other table, NS showed what would happen if you do overcall with the South hand. Neither of them did anything clearly wrong except that in this aggressive style of overcalling, 3♠ by North (or even 2♠) probably is more than enough. The club lead by West ran to declarer’s King, though calling for dummy’s Queen at trick one looks a reasonable alternative. A heart went to the Ace and the ♥Q was covered by the King and ruffed. Next came a diamond to the King and Ace, East returning the suit. Declarer now had to play trumps from his hand (not that this really mattered), so West won the Queen and gave his partner a diamond ruff. A club ruff and the two black aces then made it down three, Italy Red +800 and 13 IMPs to lead 42-12. This also became the final score in the match: a convincing 24-6 V.P. win for them. In the other match, the two last boards produced as many swings, one each way:

Board: 19. Dlr: South/EW
	♠ 10 ♥ A J 10 5 4 3 ♦ 9 5 ♣ J 6 4 2
♠ A K Q 8 7 6 2 ♥ 9 6 ♦ J 7 3 ♣ A		♠ J 4 3 ♥ K 7 ♦ A 8 6 ♣ K Q 8 5 3
	♠ 9 5 ♥ Q 8 2 ♦ K Q 10 4 2 ♣ 10 9 7

After the Strong Club and the weak jump and raise by the twins, the Americans were sort of carried to their spade slam which would have made easily. East’s correction to 6NT in which contract his ♥K would be protected, looks reasonable enough but maybe not quite. First of all, North is still odds-on to hold the ♥A in which case (A) there is no problem, or the defenders might find a lead in a different suit in which case (B) there might be a severe problem.

When Sigrid put the ♦K on the table against 6NT, we had arrived in case B. NL Girls +100.

Closed Room

Hearing about her partner’s club suit was not really the best news West could get so she signed off in 4♠. After the play, EW did not feel happy at all (Judith Nab is quoted saying: “Maybe I should have bid 5♠.”) Right she was and North has every reason to congratulate himself on his 3♥ overcall, disturbing the EW auction.

Still, the NL Girls had the last word on this one…a fortunate 13 IMPs to them to lead by 4.

On the last board, the Dutch let through a vulnerable game that was easily defeated by the Americans who thus find out there is some justice after all. The final score: 43-35 or 17-13 V.P. to USA Red.