Austria vs Norway

Open Series - Round 27

At the time this match was scheduled, both teams were outside the top five. Norway just a little, and Austria a little more. So for both of them it was important to lose as little ground as possible. It turned out to be a match in which Austria looked set for a big win until the last board arrived.

The Austrians dealt a big blow on the first board:

Session 27. Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª A K 10 9 3 © 8 ¨ J 8 7 6 3 § 9 2
ª J 7 © A Q 5 2 ¨ Q 10 9 4 § Q 7 3		ª - © K J 10 7 4 3 ¨ A K 2 § J 6 5 4
	ª Q 8 6 5 4 2 © 9 6 ¨ 5 § A K 10 8

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Simon	Helness	Terraneo
	Pass	1©	1ª
2ª	3ª	4©	4ª
Dble	All Pass

This time, East did not hold the defensive tricks West was hoping for, so the contract made with an overtrick. Austria +690 to start with.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schifko	Aa	Gloyer	Groetheim
	2¨	2©	Pass
4©	Pass	Pass	4ª
Pass	Pass	5©	Dble
All Pass

One down on the club ruff. Norway +100 and 11 IMP´s to Austria. A flying start.

After two more swings to Austria and two pushes, on board 6 the very weak notrump struck, this time in Norway´s favour:

Session 27. Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª Q 9 4 3 © 10 6 3 ¨ 9 8 3 § A K Q
ª K 10 © J ¨ A K 10 § 8 7 6 5 4 3 2		ª J 8 7 © K Q 9 8 5 ¨ Q 7 5 2 § 10
	ª A 6 5 2 © A 7 4 2 ¨ J 6 4 § J 9

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Simon	Helness	Terraneo
		Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1©	Pass
2§	All Pass

When Terraneo could not open the bidding, Helgemo-Helness were given a free run to their best contract in the rebiddable club suit. Nine tricks, Norway +110.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schifko	Aa	Gloyer	Groetheim
		Pass	1NT
All Pass

Here, Groetheim could open 1NT and there it rested, as in these days a club overcall after 1NT is almost impossible. Seven tricks, Norway +90 and 5 IMP´s to open their account.

A few boards later, we saw yet another big swing to Austria:

Session 27. Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª 9 8 © A Q 9 8 7 ¨ Q 7 § K J 6 3
ª K 10 7 © 10 6 2 ¨ 9 3 2 § Q 9 8 5		ª Q 6 5 © J 5 4 ¨ J 8 6 5 4 § 10 2
	ª A J 4 3 2 © K 3 ¨ A K 10 § A 7 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Simon	Helness	Terraneo
		Pass	1ª
Pass	2©	Pass	2NT
Pass	3NT	Pass	6NT
All Pass

Helgemo led the §9 which ran round to South´s ace. Declarer went on to cash five heart tricks, West discarding a diamond and a spade and East two diamonds. Next came a low club from dummy, on which declarer allowed East´s §10 to hold. A spade was returned, Terraneo winning his ace and cashing the diamonds next. Now, West discarded the ªK on the last diamond. This induced declarer to finesse the §J at trick 12 for his contract. Nicely done, Austria +1440.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schifko	Aa	Gloyer	Groetheim
		Pass	1§
Pass	1©	Pass	1ª
Pass	2§	Pass	2¨
Pass	3§	Pass	3¨
Pass	3©	Pass	3NT
All Pass

No comment. Norway +660, but Austria had won 13 IMP´s more.

Session 27. Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª K 10 8 7 © 2 ¨ K J 10 7 6 4 § K J
ª 3 2 © A 9 6 ¨ A 8 5 § A Q 10 7 2		ª Q 6 4 © Q 7 5 4 3 ¨ 9 2 § 5 4 3
	ª A J 9 5 © K J 10 8 ¨ Q 3 § 9 8 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Simon	Helness	Terraneo
			1§
1NT	Dble	2©	Dble
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

East duly led a club in response to his partner´s double, and the contract went two down. Norway +500.

West	North	East	South
Schifko	Aa	Gloyer	Groetheim
			1¨
Pass	1ª	Pass	2ª
Dble	4ª	All Pass

When West kept quiet after the 1¨ opening bid, there was little chance the spades would get lost, as happened at the other table. So the Norwegians found their fit easily and ended up in the proper contract for a further +650 and 15 IMP´s.

A slight misdefence but a neat declarer play saved the board below for Austria:

Session 27. Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª J 8 7 6 © J 8 ¨ 9 7 3 § Q 9 6 3
ª A Q 4 3 © K 10 9 4 2 ¨ K § K 8 7		ª K 5 2 © 7 6 3 ¨ 8 5 4 § A J 10 5
	ª 10 9 © A Q 5 ¨ A Q J 10 6 2 § 4 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Simon	Helness	Terraneo
		Pass	1¨
1©	Pass	2©	3¨
All Pass

This contract went one down, Norway +100.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schifko	Aa	Gloyer	Groetheim
		Pass	1¨
Dble	Pass	2§	2¨
Dble	Pass	3¨	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	Pass
3NT	Pass	4§	All Pass

Well, nothing would have been wrong with 3©, but suddenly East found himself in a tricky contract. When the defence did not force dummy with continuous diamond leads, he found a neat solution. The spade lead went to the king and a heart went to the king in dummy. South won the second heart and persisted with spades, instead of shifting to diamonds. Dummy won and another heart was led to South, who finally continued ¨A and another, deummy ruffing. Club to the ten and a low club saw the lead come back to dummy, and declarer now simply played hearts through North to make his contract on a trump coup. A pleasure to watch on Rama. Austria +130 and just 1 IMP more. The Austrians had managed to carry their lead of about 30 IMP´s right through the match, but the last board was a real setback for them:

Andreas Gloyer, Austria

Session 27. Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª 10 7 4 © K J 5 2 ¨ K 9 7 § K 8 3
ª K 9 © A 8 6 3 ¨ J 10 6 3 2 § 5 2		ª Q 3 2 © Q 7 4 ¨ A Q § A Q 10 6 4
	ª A J 8 6 5 © 10 9 ¨ 8 5 4 § J 9 7

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Simon	Helness	Terraneo
Pass	Pass	1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
3NT	All Pass

This contract seems to have one legitimate chance: ¨K doubleton with North. Helness, however, did not really believe in this chance, even more so because South had led a spade and thus looked marked with spade length already, giving North more room to hold a string of diamonds. So he went for another possibility: §KJ under the §AQ10. Accordingly, he led a club to the 10, Terraneo winning with the jack. When South, not being able to work out what was really going on, decided to cash the ªA and then returned a heart, Helness had all the time in the world to even get to an overtrick. Norway +630.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Schifko	Aa	Gloyer	Groetheim
Pass	Pass	1¨	Pass
1©	Pass	1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	Pass

Spade lead as well, but declarer then went for his legitimate chance: diamond to the queen and ¨A. When the king did not drop, he continued the §Q from his hand. When this proved wrong, the contract went three off for another 300 to Norway, a swing of 14 IMP´s to make it 50-36 to Austria, or 18-12 in V.P.