Germany - Denmark (Venice Cup Round 18)

The Schleswig- Holstein Question - by Mark Horton

The Schleswig-Holstein Question refers to a complex of diplomatic and other issues arising in the 19th century from the relations of two duchies, Schleswig and Holstein, to the Danish crown and to the German Confederation. The central question was whether the duchy of Schleswig was or was not an integral part of the dominions of the Danish crown, with which it had been associated in the Danish monarchy for centuries or whether Schleswig should, together with Holstein, become a part of the German Confederation.

Whilst researching this topic I spotted this famous quotation from Lord Palmerston:

Three men understood the Schleswig-Holstein Question: The Prince Consort, a German professor, and I. The Prince Consort is dead. The professor is mad. And I? I have forgotten.

Elements of the Schleswig-Holstein Question were fictionalised in Royal Flash, the second of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman novels.

Mentioning Palmerston I can’t resist reminding you of his famous foreign policy of gunboat diplomacy. A notable example of was the Don Pacifico Incident in 1850, in which Palmerston, the then British Foreign Secretary, dispatched a squadron of the Royal Navy to blockade the Greek port of Piraeus in retaliation for the harming of a British subject, David Pacifico, in Athens, and the subsequent failure of the government of King Otto to compensate the Gibraltar-born (and therefore British) Pacifico.

After that extended history lesson the question of everyone’s mind at the start of the the Round 18 Venice Cup match between Germany and Denmark was would both these teams be able to maintain a place in the top eight?

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ A Q ♥ 8 6 ♦ Q J 10 9 8 6 ♣ 10 5 2
♠ K 9 5 4 2 ♥ J 5 4 3 ♦ K ♣ Q 8 4		♠ 7 3 ♥ K 10 7 2 ♦ 3 ♣ A J 9 7 6 3
	♠ J 10 8 6 ♥ A Q 9 ♦ A 7 5 4 2 ♣ K

Open Room

East’s spade lead solved one problem and when declarer played the queen of diamonds from her hand and East played low without a flicker she went up with the queen to record +170. It’s easy to be wise after the event, but perhaps South might have made another bid, even though she was facing a passed partner perhaps 4♣ or a raise to 4♦?

Closed Room

I leave you to form your own judgement as to the merits of North’s jump to 3NT. Her luck was in as East’s club lead was away from the ace and when the king of diamonds fell under the ace declarer played safe, simply cashing her nine top tricks to pick up 10 IMPs.

Board 24 I have mentioned elsewhere, but Germany lost most of the points they gained there on the very next deal:

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ K ♥ 9 6 ♦ J 9 7 2 ♣ A Q J 7 6 5
♠ 8 7 6 5 3 ♥ K Q 10 ♦ K 3 ♣ 10 8 4		♠ A J 10 4 ♥ J 8 4 3 ♦ A Q 4 ♣ K 2
	♠ Q 9 2 ♥ A 7 5 2 ♦ 10 8 6 5 ♣ 9 3

Open Room

To defeat Four Spades North has to find the impossible lead of any club except the ace then there will be a trump promotion for South later on. On a diamond lead declarer won in hand and played a spade and was soon claiming +620.

Closed Room

One Spade was very conservative and when the bidding died at the two level Germany lost 10 IMPs.

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ 10 4 3 ♥ A 7 4 ♦ K 6 4 3 ♣ 9 5 2
♠ K 9 7 ♥ K 9 6 3 ♦ 8 5 2 ♣ K Q 10		♠ A 6 5 2 ♥ J 5 2 ♦ A J 9 7 ♣ A 7
	♠ Q J 8 ♥ Q 10 8 ♦ Q 10 ♣ J 8 6 4 3

Open Room

1NT was 12-14, so I have no idea why East declined her partner’s invitation.

South led the four of clubs and declarer won with dummy’s king and played a diamond. North decided to put up the king, so declarer took the ace, unblocked the ace of clubs and played the jack of diamonds. She was assured of eight tricks and in the ending that developed she had a heart guess for an overtrick. Diplomatically she got that wrong, +120.

Closed Room

This time West was declarer and in the normal game. North led the unbid suit and declarer won in hand and ran the eight of diamonds. South took the ten and played back a club to dummy’s ace. Declarer tried a heart to her nine and North made the fatal mistake of ducking. Declarer played a diamond to the nine and queen, won the club return and finally took a diamond finesse that worked. She cashed the ace of diamonds and South, under pressure in three suits, was forced to discard both her clubs. Now declarer played three rounds of spades and when South won and exited with the ten of hearts declarer was not hard pressed to play low to score up her game and collect 7 IMPs.

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

Open Room

North ignored her partner and led the four of spades for the jack, queen and king. Declarer cashed the ace of diamonds, getting the bad news as North discarded the five of clubs. A second diamond went to South’s queen as North pitched the six of spades. Now South fired a heart through declarer and North won with the queen and returned a heart, ducked to declarer’s ace. South won the next diamond, cashed her hearts and exited with a spade. There was still a club trick to come, down three, +300.

Given South’s opening bid, declarer might have considered going up with dummy’s ace of spades at trick one and running the ten of diamonds.

Closed Room

Here it was East who made a significant underbid. North led the three of hearts and declarer decided to put in the eight, the nine forcing her ace. She continued with a club to the ace and a diamond to the queen, so she emerged with nine tricks and was probably pleased to discover that was worth 9 IMPs.

Board 32. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ K 4 2 ♥ A 9 6 ♦ Q 9 7 ♣ K J 9 6
♠ 6 5 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ 5 4 3 2 ♣ Q 7 5 2		♠ Q J 10 9 8 ♥ J 7 5 ♦ 10 8 6 ♣ 10 3
	♠ A 7 3 ♥ Q 10 4 3 ♦ A K J ♣ A 8 4

Open Room

The German pair stopped at a safe level and, taking no risks, declarer collected ten tricks, +430.

Closed Room

Some aggressive bidding saw North/South reach the ambitious slam. East led the queen of spades and declarer won in hand, cashed the ace of hearts and played a heart. After a Muller like trance she went up with dummy’s queen. West took the king and was content to return a heart for one down, +50 giving Germany 10 IMPs.

They had secured an important win, 51-37 IMPs, 18-12 VP.