Content Saturday E-bulletin:
The Right Grand
And the five level belongs to…
Over the Top
Wrang, not wrong
RR 1, Board 14 - E / - |
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The last board of round one proved quite a challenge from a bidding standpoint. Yes, 7NT was on and in fact excellent. It depended on a favorable break in one of two suits, spades or diamonds. In the meantime one should avoid 7
. No easy task, your editor thought. He proved to be right, since it turned out that Balicki-Zmudzinski, one of the world´s leading pairs, actually bid the grand in diamonds, down one. In the same match Drijver-Groenenboom (2007 EC Juniors) reached the same contract for a push. Seven spades is a lucky shot, by the way.
We follow the two BBO matches:
Bulgaria vs. Fredin was a push as well, but much more honorable:
Closed Room| West | North | East | South |
| Aronov | Stefanov | ||
| - | 1 |
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| 2 |
2 |
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3 |
4 |
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| 4NT | 5 |
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| 7NT | a.p. |
Well bid by the Open European Pairs Champions.
Open Room| West | North | East | South |
| Kowalski | Tuszynski | ||
| - | 1 |
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| 2 |
2 |
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| 2NT | 3 |
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| 4 |
4 |
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| 4NT | 5 |
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| 5NT | 6 |
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| 7NT | a.p. |
 Anneke Simons Counting to thirteen |
Dutch Women vs. Lavazza
Closed Room| West | North | East | South |
| Simons | Pasman | ||
| - | 1 |
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| 2 |
3 |
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| 4 |
4 |
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| 4NT | 5 |
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| 7NT | a.p. |
In the Open Room Madala and Sementa had a bidding misunderstanding leading to 7 minus one. This was badly needed by the Dutch Ladies, equalizing the final result of the match.
Board ten of round one gave us some nice and long suits. They had to be treated carefully:
RR 1, Board 10 - E / All |
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Lavazza vs. Dutch Women
Open Room Agustin Madala Nice lead |
| North | South | ||
| Bocchi | Duboin | ||
| - | 1 |
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| 2 |
(s) |
2NT | (one-suiter) |
| 3 |
4 |
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| a.p. |
After a heart lead declarer duly cashed his thirteen tricks.
Closed Room| North | South | ||
| Vriend | Arnolds | ||
| - | 1 |
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| 2 |
3 |
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| 3NT | 4 |
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| 5 |
5 |
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| a.p. |
Agustin Madala led a low club (good lead!). Antonio Sementa cashed two top clubs and returned the #D9 (good switch!), destroying communciations. Five spades minus one is another clear indication that the five level is not were you want to be.
RR 2, Board 18 - E / NS |
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 Michael Barel Just after the miss guess... |
Ventin’s Fernandez declared 6 from the west chair. Michel Bessis led his A. Ten seconds later declarer claimed twelve tricks. In the eleventh second Michel apologised to his partner: ‘Sorry, I should have led a low diamond’. Over the top this remark? Not quite:
Israel vs. Forrester
| West | East | ||
| Barel | Zack | ||
| - | 1 |
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| 1 |
2NT | ||
| 3 |
(f) | 4 |
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| 4NT | 5 |
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| 6 |
a.p. |
It took North, David Bakhshi, a split second to table a low diamond. Michel Barel took the wrong view, Tony Forrester won with his queen and returned the suit: 6 down one.
 David Bakhshi Just after the miss guess... |
Orange White vs. Dutch Juniors
| West | East | ||
| Groenenboom | Bob Drijver | ||
| - | 1 |
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| 1 |
2NT | ||
| 3 |
(f) | 3 |
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| 4 |
4 |
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| 4NT | 5 |
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| 6 |
a.p. |
North, Bas Drijver, Bob’s brother, led a low diamond, declarer misguessed and went down, just like Barel in the other match. Bob’s terse comment: ‘I know my brother; I would have risen with the king at trick one.’
Sweden vs. Israel
RR 3, Board 4 - W / All |
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 Fredric Wrang |
| West | East | ||
| Nilsson | Wrang | (gf, 5+ ) |
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| 1 |
1NT | ||
| Zillion relays | At least 5/5 / |
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| ... | 4NT | (RKC for ) |
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| 5 |
6 |
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| a.p. | |||
Ilan Herbst led the Q. I was kibitzing the declarer, Fredric Wrang from Stockholm. The Swede went in the tank. I have to admit that I had no clue how to play the hand, but Wrang had. To the first trick he played low from dummy and ruffed in his hand. Next, he cashed his top diamonds, pitching a club and a heart from the dummy. He ruffed a third diamond with the three as South discarded a club. Now Wrang cashed the A en king, ruffed heart, ruffed a diamond, ruffed another heart, and ruffed the fourth diamond with the ace. In the three-card ending he discarded his last diamond on the Q, and when Ophir Herbst, North, followed suit, declarer showed his spade fork. He made twelve tricks no matter who possessed the trump queen. Wrang not Wrong! The full layout:
RR 3, Board 4 - W / All |
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