Swiss Teams Round 12

by Marjo Chorus and Jos Jacobs

USA Red v. Noname

Greecoura v. Ckis Skawina

Two more rounds to go and the positions on the leaderboard are becoming more and more unsure. From 5th place downwards, ten teams are chasing the four QF berths left. Among them we find USA Red and Noname, 10th and 13th on 180 and 175, as well as Greecoura and Ckis Skawina who are 6th and joint 8th (with France, after the latter’s brilliant recovery in rounds 10 and 11) on 182.5 and 181 V.P. Though IMPs were flying around the whole of the playing area, in these two matches nothing very much seemed to happen so this report is going to be quite short.

This was the first board in Greecoura v. Ckis Skawina. On this one, all players had to take the right decisions:

Board: 21. Dlr: North/NS
	♠ 8 4 3 ♥ 7 5 4 2 ♦ K 9 7 5 4 2 ♣ -
♠ J 10 7 2 ♥ Q 9 8 6 3 ♦ 3 ♣ A 10 8		♠ A 9 ♥ K J ♦ 6 ♣ K J 9 7 5 4 3 2
	♠ K Q 6 5 ♥ A 10 ♦ A Q J 10 8 ♣ Q 6

South, completely unaware of North’s diamond support, decides to double 5♣ and collects +100 for Ckis Skawina when the contract goes one off.

Open Room

After North’s well-judged 3♦ bid, South knows what to do and the excellent diamond game is reached. Witkowski then looks at his hand for a considerable time before taking another excellent decision: he saves in 6♣ for down two and -300. This saves his team 2 IMPs but it’s still 5 IMPs to Greecoura.

In the other match, interesting things happened on board 22:

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

Open Room

2♦ was Precision style: threesuited opening bid with short diamonds. It looks as if nine tricks are always there if declarer immediately exploits the favourable spade layout for four tricks. East, however, led a diamond away from his Ace, which induced declarer to read the hand wrongly. He won in dummy and played a spade to the Jack rather than running the Queen. Next came a club to the Queen and King, followed by a diamond from West to the Queen and Ace. East cleared the diamonds but now, declarer had to cross to the ♣A in order to repeat the spade finesse. His only real chance left was to exit in diamonds, hoping an endplay had developed but West won and cashed a diamond and a club…one down. Noname +50.

Closed Room

1♣ was a doubleton or longer. When East led an uninspired ♠6 to the King and Ace, declarer’s problems were over. Nine tricks, +400 and 10 IMPs to Noname. Nothing very much happened at all from this point in either match. They reached the last board, quickly or slowly, with the scores at 19-0 to Noname and 7-6 to Ckis Skawina.

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

Open Room

For EW, even 7NT (and 7♣ too) is cold on a ♥A Vienna Coup and a major suit squeeze against South on the run of the clubs. For Ckis Skawina, Kania-Witkowski reach 6♥ however. South, Kontomitro, apparently missed the (in)famous board from the 1997 Europeans in Montecatini (Italy). Peter Fredin, playing for Sweden, doubled his learned German opponents in 4♠. The latter were having a bidding misunderstanding and had landed in a cuebid but now, they went on to reach their cold grand in clubs after all. So South doubled but nobody ran and NS, Greecoura, collected +300 for down two.

Closed Room

7♣ needs careful timing: as you will have to take the heart finesse anyway, there is no need to try the spades first. Your reward will be very sweet: North shows out on the first heart so you are forced into the winning line (Vienna Coup of the ♥A). After that, just run the clubs and watch South and his discards. Roussos however, first tried the spades and thus was one down after all. This gave him and his team the unusual experience of going down in a voluntarily bid grand slam and gain 6 IMPs for the effort. The final score in the match: 12-7 or 16-14 V.P. to Greecoura. No harm done to either team’s chances. In the other match, mainly the same happened. Clubs in one room, doubled hearts in the other.

Open Room

The big difference with the other match was, however, that Noname ended up in 6♣ which they made easily enough for +920 to them.

For this auction and result, the same story as above applies.

The swing to Noname on this board was 15 IMPs so they won the match 34-0 or 25-5 V.P.to rise to within the top eight. Please note that they too, lik e Meyouras early in the morning, have a very good goalkeeper. It’s such a pity that he apparently has no name…