Norway - Netherlands (Bermuda Bowl Round 8)

The Ens Have It - by Philip Adler

When European rivals Norway and the Netherlands met in round eight of the Bermuda Bowl, the Dutch were on top of the table, 6 victory points ahead of Norway, who were fourth.

First, a quick quiz.

1. At favorable vulnerability, you pick up:

The auction goes:

(a) A weak two-bid, perhaps with only a five-card suit

What would you lead?

2.

	♠ 8 6 2 ♥ A J 9 6 5 ♦ 6 2 ♣ A 10 9
	♠ A Q 9 7 3 ♥ 3 ♦ A K 9 5 ♣ K Q 6

You get to six spades after an uncontested auction that began with three passes. West leads the diamond queen and East drops the three (upside-down). What would you do?

The match had an interesting start:

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

(a) 4-plus clubs and unbalanced or 2-plus clubs and balanced 12-14 or 18-20
(b) Weak -- as if you needed to be told!

In the Open Room, Boye Brogeland (South) decided to psych a two-club response. And for a moment he probably felt comfortable, when he could rebid a nonforcing three clubs. (Note that three clubs would have made.) But Espen Lindqvist (North), after a lengthy pause, decided to take a shot at three notrump, hoping his partner had an entry to his club suit.

The Norwegians were now in a contract that their opponents could make ... and did make, taking five hearts, one spade and three diamonds.

In the other room, where Erik Saelensminde (East) could sneak in a one-diamond overcall, Sjoert Brink (South) was happy to leap to three clubs. Per Erik Austberg (West) doubled to show cards, but then took the low road when East rebid only three diamonds (and missing a four-heart game).

South led a club, Bas Drijver (North) winning with his ace and immediately shifting to a trump. Declarer won with dummy's ace, played a diamond to his ten, cashed the diamond king, then played four rounds of hearts, discarding his club loser. East lost only one club and one diamond.

Plus 250 and minus 150 gave the Netherlands 3 IMPs.

The next seven boards were quiet, after which Norway had a 1-IMP lead. Then things livened up.

Board 25. Dealer North. East-West vul.
	♠ 10 8 6 ♥ J 10 9 8 6 ♦ 8 5 2 ♣ Q 5
♠ J ♥ Q 4 ♦ J 7 3 ♣ A K J 9 7 6 2		♠ K 4 3 2 ♥ K 7 3 ♦ K Q 10 6 ♣ 10 8
	♠ A Q 9 7 5 ♥ A 5 2 ♦ A 9 4 ♣ 4 3

(a) Weak two-bid in a major (maybe a five-card suit at this vulnerability) or a balanced 24-plus
(b) Pass or correct

Similar auctions at each table, with both Norths opening the "obvious" weak two! But there were different results.

Brogeland led the thoughtful spade ace: jack, eight (upside-down), two. Now a spade continuation would have defeated the contract, but not sure of the position, South shifted to the club four.

After a long pause, Bauke Muller called for dummy's two. North won with his queen and returned the spade ten. Declarer took his king and claimed six clubs for down two.

In the other room, Brink found a much worse lead: a low spade to dummy's jack. Declarer cashed the club ace, then played a diamond to his king, which held. Now came another club, and after a pause, East got it right, calling for dummy's king. Then South could not stop declarer from getting an overtrick at the end.

Plus 500 and plus 750 gave Norway 15 IMPs.

More came on the next deal:

Board 26. Dealer East. Both vul.
	♠ 10 2 ♥ A 10 7 3 ♦ A 10 9 5 3 ♣ A Q
♠ K Q 9 ♥ 9 8 6 2 ♦ 8 4 2 ♣ J 5 2		♠ 8 5 3 ♥ 5 4 ♦ K J 7 6 ♣ K 10 9 4
	♠ A J 7 6 4 ♥ K Q J ♦ Q ♣ 8 7 6 3

(a) Game-forcing relay
(b) A minimum
(c) Exactly five spades and four clubs

In the Open Room, Muller led the club ten, which was fatal. Declarer Lindqvist won with his queen, played a heart to dummy's jack, and ran the diamond queen. East took his king and shifted to a spade, but North put up dummy's ace, cashed the heart king, overtook the heart queen with his ace, cashed the diamond ace, and drove out the diamond jack. The defenders took two spades, but declarer had nine winners: one spade, four hearts, three diamonds and two clubs.

At the other table, Saelensminde led a low diamond to dummy's queen. Declarer Drijver played a low spade toward his hand, West winning with his king and accurately shifting to a club, North's queen losing to East's king. Back came the club four to the jack and ace. Declarer then ran the spade ten, but West produced the queen and led his last club, giving the defense two spades and three clubs for down one.

Plus 600 and plus 100 gave Norway 12 IMPs and the lead by 28.

The Netherlands then scored 19 unanswered IMPs on the next five boards, this being the most interesting:

Board 28. Dealer West. North-South vul.
	♠ A 6 ♥ 9 7 3 ♦ 10 ♣ A K J 9 6 5 2
♠ Q 8 5 3 ♥ K 6 5 ♦ K 8 6 5 ♣ Q 3		♠ J 10 9 7 4 ♥ -- ♦ A Q 7 4 3 ♣ 10 8 7
	♠ K 2 ♥ A Q J 10 8 4 2 ♦ J 9 2 ♣ 4

(a) Hearts
(b) Roman Key Card Blackwood
(c) One key card or four key cards

Not many would have duplicated Saelensminde's one-diamond overcall. Yes, that was his stronger suit, but whenever we hold spades, we strain to bid them.

Five hearts lost only one diamond and one heart.

In the Open Room there was some confusion about four notrump. North thought it was RKCB in hearts, but South felt it showed two places to play. East's double expressed a desire to bid five spades unless his partner knew better. West did not, so sacrificed in five spades.

The defense was nearly perfect. South led his club, North taking the trick and shifting to his diamond. Declarer won in his hand and led the spade nine, which ran to North's ace. North cashed the club ace, then fell from grace. He failed to play another club, which his partner would have ruffed with his spade king and would have led back a diamond for North to ruff. Instead, North played a trump, so the contract went down two.

Plus 650 and minus 300 gave the Netherlands 8 IMPs.

Then came the final deal:

Board 32. Dealer West. East-West vul.
	♠ 8 6 2 ♥ A J 9 6 5 ♦ 6 2 ♣ A 10 9
♠ K 5 4 ♥ K 10 7 4 ♦ Q J 7 ♣ 4 3 2		♠ J 10 ♥ Q 8 2 ♦ 10 8 4 3 ♣ J 8 7 5
	♠ A Q 9 7 3 ♥ 3 ♦ A K 9 5 ♣ K Q 6

(a) 8-11 points with exactly three spades
(b) Splinter
(c) Slam interest
(d) Control-bids

(a) Drury fit: maximum pass with spades

In both rooms, West led the diamond queen.

Brink won with his ace, played a heart to dummy's ace, returned a diamond to his king, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a heart, ruffed a diamond, and played dummy's remaining trump to East's ten and his queen. It lost to the king, but the spade jack dropped a moment later and Brink had 12 tricks.

In the other room, Brogeland won with his diamond ace, cashed the diamond king, ruffed a diamond with the spade eight, and played a spade to his queen and West's king to give this position:

	♠ 6 ♥ A J 9 6 5 ♦ -- ♣ A 10 9
♠ 5 4 ♥ K 10 7 4 ♦ -- ♣ 4 3 2		♠ J ♥ Q 8 2 ♦ 10 ♣ J 8 7 5
	♠ A 9 7 3 ♥ 3 ♦ 9 ♣ K Q 6

With a tournament director threatening a slow-play penalty, West removed a trump from his hand, but put it back and shifted to a heart. Declarer won with dummy's ace, ruffed a heart, ruffed a diamond, played a club to his hand, cashed the spade ace, and claimed.

Minus 480 and plus 980 gave Norway 11 IMPs on the board and a match win by 48 IMPs to 28, or 20-10 in victory points.

You will have noticed that if West had returned a trump, the contract would have failed. Then the Netherlands would have gained 11 IMPs and won by 2 IMPs to tie the match 15-15. What a lot one card can mean.