| 18th European Youth Team Championships | Page 6 | Bulletin 6 - Saturday, 13 July 2002 |
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Juniors Round 11 Round 11 of the Junior event saw a new record set for the fewest IMPs to be exchanged in a match, just 34 in the 17-17 IMP draw between Spain and the Czech Republic. Don't be fooled into thinking that this was a dull set, however, as Turkey and Belgium scored 137 IMPs between them while Norway and Austria managed to beat even that, exchanging 148.
The first round of the two auctions was identical but then Guillaume Grenthe found a double of 4© while Vedran Zoric did not. Perhaps the French pair have a special agreement here as otherwise to double with a minimum opening is a little odd. Both Easts bid 4ª and when that came around to North both players competed to 5©. Having heard his brother double 4©, Jerome Grenthe now doubled 5©, while Karlo Brguljan, who had not heard any encouraging noises from his partner, left the decision to him. Zoric, with a minimum and three-card support for what was known to be a very long spade suit, did the normal thing when he went on to 5ª, doubled by Olivier Bessis. Grenthe cashed the two top diamonds against 5©
doubled then switched to the ªA.
It was an easy matter for Matija Kazalicki to ruff the spade and
ruff two diamonds high in dummy to come to eleven tricks; +650 to
Croatia.
As we have seen, there are precisely ten tricks available in a spade contract, so Ericsson's more cautious approach to the South hand proved to be an expensive one on this particular lay-out; +420 and +50 to Poland, a 10 IMP gain.
Nikita Malinovski responded with a simple 1ª over the take-out double and, when Ollie Burgess's 4© came around to him he let it go; +450 to England. Vladimir Andreev bid only 3© on the South cards and that allowed Alex Hydes to show his spade support - though 3ª still looks pretty aggressive (I know, I'm getting old). Clearly, David Gold was not about to let his opponents play either 4© or 5© after that. Leonid Romanovich doubled 5ª but, as we have seen, that is only one down; -100 but 8 IMPs to England.
Two very contrasting auctions led to the same optimum contract
of 6§, both making
twelve tricks for a flat board. De Tessieres also opened 1NT and the 4§ response showed five-four in the minors, either way round, with usually two-two in the majors. Four Spades was a cuebid for clubs - opener bids 4¨ to set diamonds as trumps - and Bessis was happy to bid the small slam.
Poland picked up another big swing when they explored the hand more thoroughly than their Swedish counterparts. Daniel Sivelind's use of Stayman followed by a jump to 3NT led to a safe game contract but +660 was not nearly enough with the club slam so good on the combined hands. Sure enough, Jakub Kotorowicz used Stayman but then asked for further information and found that his partner had some clubs. When Krzysztof could then cuebid diamonds, Jakub took a shot at the slam. The well-played overtrick was just a bonus; +1390 and 12 IMPs to Poland.
Andreev's 1§ opening allowed Hydes to get in a heart overcall. North and South now each used up a level of bidding to cuebid, the first to show a constructive club raise or better, the second to drive to game. After setting clubs as trumps and exchanging cuebids, North took control and drove to seven. While there are some extra possibilities, the main line for 7§ requires that diamonds come in for four tricks and that clubs are not four-zero, so that a heart ruff can be taken in the South hand. It was not to be, and -100 meant a massive 16 IMPs to England.
Would you prefer to treat the West hand as a heart overcall, intending to come again to show the diamonds, thereby stressing the extra heart length, or make an immediate two-suited overcall? Where the opening bid is 1ª, the problem with the 2© overcall is that you strongly suspect that the auction will have reached 4ª when it gets back to you, almost obliging you to bid 5¨. If you start with a two-suited bid, you can double at your next turn to show the extra strength, though this will be a much more comfortable approach to take if you have shown specifically the red suits rather than merely hearts plus an unspecified minor. Grenthe chose to begin with a simple overcall and to see it through with 5¨. When he then left the decision over 5ª round to his partner, Jerome looked at his five-card heart support and bid a sixth heart - the wrong decision as it happens because 6© was down one for -100 and 5ª would also have been one down courtesy of the even heart break. In the other room, de Tessieres opened 1§ and Zoric perhaps jumped to 2NT partly with the hope of shutting out the spade suit. If that wa sin his mind he was to be disappointed, but seeing his opposition jump freely to slam was a decent consolation prize as he was able to double for a fairly painless two down; -300 and 9 IMPs to Croatia.
Both Wests were two-suited overcallers after the 1ª opening and both Norths bid the obvious 4ª. Jacek Baranowski passed the East cards despite his five-card heart support and Adam Skalski doubled to show his extras. When Baranowski converted to 5© and Sivelind went on to 5ª, Baranowski left that around to his partner and Skalski took one bid too many when he in turn went on to 6©. That was doubled for down two. The ace of clubs was led and Baranowski unblocked the king to create an entry to hand. When Ericsson switched to the ©J, he finessed, probably hoping for a lay-out on which 5ª was making for North/South; -300. By contrast, Cullin bid 5© freely over 4ª and Upmark did well not to go on to six over 5ª. His good judgement was rewarded when 5ª was one down for -50; 8 IMPs to Sweden.
Again, we see that both Wests favoured the two-suited approach. Birdsall decided to try 3© with the North cards to show a good spade raise, while Romanovich made the simple jump to 4ª. Birdsall's approach worked out well this time, though I personally prefer the less subtle approach. Malinovski showed his heart support, Burgess bid 4ª, and Mikhail Krasnosselski showed his second suit. When Birdsall took the push to 5ª because of his excellent trumps, and not being sure who could make what, neither East nor West had anything left to say. Five Spades was down one for 50 to Russia. Romanovich's 4ª bid shut Gold out and it was left to Hydes to show his extras by the usual route of a double. When Gold bid the inevitable 5©, Andreev decided to take the decision for his partnership in front of partner - which is fine when you get it right but, with a hand of extra shape and near-minimum high-card strength, it might have been wiser to allow North to express an opinion on this occasion. Still, 5© doubled does not have to make. Gold ruffed the spade lead and led the §K, ducked, then a club to the queen and ace. It may have looked to him as though the defence was trying to keep him out of his hand to prevent his taking a trump finesse. Anyway, back came a spade, ruffed, and Gold continued with the ¨K to South's ace. He ruffed the spade return and cashed the ¨Q then, after a little thought, laid down the ©A to make his game; +650 and 12 IMPs to England.
The North/South heart slam is on the club position, pure and simple. Given an uninterrupted auction, Praljak/Kazalicki bid to six and had to go one down when both club honours proved to be offside; -50. Once Praljak heard about heart support from his partner he was begging for a club cuebid and, on getting what he wanted, was always bidding the slam. Meanwhile, at the other table the East/West intervention proved to be counterproductive from their viewpoint as North/South were prevented from having a sensible discussion about slam prospects and North could not even be certain of genuine heart support. They stopped in five and +450 was worth 11 IMPs to France, who needed them to hold their defeat to 42-54 IMPs, or 13-17 VPs.
Whether North chose to make a jump rebid in hearts, Sivelind, or in diamonds, Kotorowicz, South eventually took control with RKCB and bid the slam when he heard a suitable response. Skalski doubled for the club lead and duly received what he had asked for - a quick one down for -100. Upmark did not double but Cullin found the club lead anyway - it did rather sound as though declarer was quite happy about a possible spade lead. That was -50 but 2 IMPs to Poland for the double. Poland were looking good and a 60-32 IMP, 21-9 VP win cemented their third position in the standings.
Though the Poles were not quite as aggressive as the Croatians had been against France, once again the East/West intervention helped to keep North/South out of the doomed slam; +450 to England. In the other room, Romanovich jumped to show his red two-suiter then on finding that he faced heart support, drove to slam, not being at all concerned that west had doubled spades, of course. Minus 50 meant 11 IMPs to England and a 63-19 IMP, 24-6 VP win. Finally, the hosts are perhaps getting going again. |
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