Austria vs The Netherlands

Open Round 1

In the first round of the Championships, Austria versus The Netherlands looked promising. Both teams counted quite a few stars. Austria for instance fielded Andreas Gloyer and Martin Schifko, the reigning World Junior Pairs Champs, but Holland countered with Jan Jansma, a former World Junior Teams champion and Bauke Muller, winner of the 1993 Bermuda Bowl. The very first board turned out to be a swing already:

Brd 1, North dealer, nobody vulnerable
	ª A 10 9 © 10 4 ¨ A J 9 8 7 6 4 § 10
ª Q 5 2 © K Q 6 ¨ 2 § A K J 9 8 5		ª K J © 9 7 3 2 ¨ Q 5 § Q 7 6 3 2
	ª 8 7 6 4 3 © A J 8 5 ¨ K 10 3 § 4

In the open room the Austrian North-South pair Gloyer-Schifko did well to rest in 4¨, just made.
In the closed room there was a little more action:

West	North	East	South
Bieder	De Wijs	Babsch	Muller
	1¨	Pass	1ª
2§	dbl *	3§	3©
3NT	Pass	Pass	dbl
4§	4ª	Pass	Pass
Pass

* three card spade

After Bauke Muller's 3©, Wolfgang Bieder felt he had another bid and gambled 3NT. A lot of bidding anyway
and when the smoke cleared it was North-South who found themselves in game.

Against the spade game West led a top club and switched to a spade for his partner's king, ducked by
declarer. At this point a heart switch is imperative to defeat the contract, but East continued with the trump
jack. Declarer won the ace and started to run his diamonds to make his game.

So Holland took an early lead of seven imps. Not much happened until board six came along:

Brd 6, East dealer, East-West vulnerable
	ª 8 7 4 © 10 7 5 4 ¨ 10 7 5 § A 6 2
ª A 2 © J 8 3 2 ¨ K 9 8 § 9 7 5 4		ª Q J 10 9 © K 9 6 ¨ J 6 3 § K Q J
	ª K 6 5 3 © A Q ¨ A Q 4 2 § 10 8 3

In the closed room the Austrian East Andy Babsch opened with 1§ and Bauke Muller as South decided to pass at every turn. A wise decision as we will see. West responded with 1© and it ended in 1NT played by Babsch. Eventually he scored seven tricks; Austria plus 90. In the open room this:

West	North	East	South
Jansma	Gloyer	Verhees	Schifko
		1§	1NT
dbl	Pass	Pass	Pass

When Jansma doubled 1NT he was not sure if that was the right thing to do with his ugly eight count. And his next move was even more difficult: to find the right lead. A club looked tempting, but 1§ could be a doubleton only. After a small pause Jansma decided to lead a club indeed, which ran to his partner's jack. Next came the ªQ, ducked all over and declarer did well to duck the spade continuation as well. Jansma returned to clubs, declarer winning the third round. He played a diamond to the queen for the king of Jan Jansma who cashed the last club. Declarer pitched a spade from dummy and hand and Louk Verhees got rid of the ©6. This was the position:

	ª - © 10 7 5 4 ¨ 10 7 § -
ª - © J 8 3 2 ¨ 9 8 § -		ª 10 9 © K 9 ¨ J 6 § -
	ª K © A Q ¨ A 4 2 § -

If West continued in hearts declarer, going after the diamonds, could escape for down one. Jansma
therefore continued in diamonds. Still, if declarer plays the ten and wins the jack with his ace and plays
another diamond back to west, the contract is still one down. Schifko however inserted low from dummy hoping to catch jack bare of diamonds. This resulted in down two and another five imps to The Netherlands which were now leading by 12 to 3.

Austria got a few imps back but got a hard time on two consecutive deals:

Brd 9, North dealer, East-West vulnerable
	ª J 2 © J 10 6 2 ¨ 8 4 3 2 § 9 7 5
ª A K 4 © 7 5 4 ¨ K 10 5 § K Q J 4		ª Q 10 9 8 7 3 © K 8 ¨ 6 § 8 6 3 2
	ª 6 5 © A Q 9 3 ¨ A Q J 9 7 § A 10

Closed room
West	North	East	South
Bieder	De Wijs	Babsch	Muller
	Pass	Pass	1¨
1NT	Pass	2© *	dbl
2ª	3¨	3ª	Pass
4ª	Pass	Pass	Pass

* transfer to spades

North duly led a heart resulting to a quick down one.

Open room
West	North	East	South
Jansma	Gloyer	Verhees	Schifko
	Pass	Pass	1§ *
Pass	1¨ **	1ª	dbl
2ª	Pass	3ª	Pass
4ª	Pass	Pass	Pass

* strong
** negative

After his partner's preemptive raise to 3ª Jansma got a chance to evaluate his hand once more and bid game, which proved to be an easy make since it was played by East.

By the way, this is not a good hand for beginners, since it's hard to explain to them that occasionally the weak hand should not transfer his long suit to the strong hand and that sometimes it might be a good idea too raise partners preempt one more time.

On the next hand with only 19 HCP together De Wijs-Muller bid a vulnerable heart game, which basically comes down on the finesse of the ªQ. The card proved to be rightsided and Holland won another 12 imps, since in the other room Austria rested in 3© making nine tricks only.

Half way all this resulted in a 37-8 lead (21-9 in VIP's) by The Netherlands.

Austria won eight imps back:

Brd 12, West dealer, North-South vulnerable
	ª Q 7 6 5 4 © 8 4 2 ¨ Q 7 5 § 4 3
ª A 3 © 9 ¨ J 9 3 2 § A Q 10 9 8 5		ª J 10 8 © J 6 5 ¨ 8 6 § K J 7 6 2
	ª K 9 2 © A K Q 10 7 3 ¨ A K 10 4 § -

Closed room
West	North	East	South
Bieder	De Wijs	Babsch	Muller
2§ *	Pass	2NT **	dbl
3§	Pass	Pass	4©
5§	dbl	Pass	Pass
Pass

* Precision
** relay

Declarer lost his four obvious tricks; East-West minus 300. More action from the open room:

West	North	East	South
Jansma	Gloyer	Verhees	Schifko
1§	Pass	1¨ *	dbl
3§	Pass	3NT	dbl
4¨	Pass	5§	5©
Pass	5ª	Pass	Pass
Pass

* negative of natural, positive

Everybody had fun, especially North when he entered the bidding on the five level for the first time and managed to find the ace of trumps doubleton: East-West plus 650.

This turned out to be the last board on which Austria managed to score some imps.

Brd 14, East dealer, Nobody vulnerable
	ª K J 4 2 © 9 7 5 ¨ J 10 6 4 § K 4
ª Q 8 6 © Q J ¨ A Q 8 5 § A 9 7 2		ª A 10 7 © A K 6 3 ¨ K 7 § J 10 8 5
	ª 9 5 3 © 10 8 4 2 ¨ 9 3 2 § Q 6 3

In the closed room the Austrians ended up in 3NT plus 1. In the open room Jansma-Verhees did not want to settle for that:

West	North	East	South
Jansma	Gloyer	Verhees	Schifko
		1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2©	Pass
2ª *	Pass	3§	Pass
4§	Pass	4¨ **	Pass
4© **	Pass	4ª **	Pass
4NT ***	Pass	6§	Pass
Pass	Pass

* game forcing relay
** cue bid
*** asking for extra's (No RKC)

Six clubs by west proved to be unbeatable since North eventually will be squeezend in diamonds and spades. Anyway, Gloyer kicked off with a small small and when Jansma inserted dummy's ten it was all over. Ten imps to Holland.

At Brd 15 the final contract and the nice dummy play was identical at both tables:

South dealer, North-South vulnerable
	ª 5 4 © K 9 6 ¨ A J 10 9 7 2 § K 10
ª K Q 10 2 © J 5 4 ¨ Q 6 5 § J 8 3		ª 9 8 7 6 3 © Q 10 8 ¨ 8 § 9 7 6 5
	ª A J © A 7 3 2 ¨ K 4 3 § A Q 4 2

At both tables 6¨ was bid and made after a spade lead by East. Declarer won the ace, cashed ace and king of diamonds, finessed the §J, cashed the §K, crossed to dummy in hearts and pitched his losers on the ace and queen of clubs. Twelve tricks.

Another interesting wash on 17:

North dealer, nobody vulnerable
	ª Q 10 6 5 2 © A Q ¨ 5 3 § J 8 6 3
ª A J 9 7 4 © K 9 2 ¨ 10 9 § A Q 4		ª K 8 3 © 4 3 ¨ A 7 4 2 § K 9 5 2
	ª - © J 10 8 7 6 5 ¨ K Q J 8 6 § 10 7

After South showed his two-suiter, the final contract at both tables was 4ª played by West and doubled by North. In the closed room North led a diamond which run to the jack. The heart return was for king and ace. North cashed the ©Q and exited with a diamond for the ace. Hereafter declarer lost control and gave away another two tricks: East-West minus 300.

In the open room Jan Jansma won North's diamond lead immediately and played a heart to the nine and the queen. A diamond came back. South won and continued the suit. Jansma ruffed with the nine, overruffed by North with the ten. Gloyer now switched to the deuce of trumps for the three and four (!). Declarer went on with a spade to the eight and cashed the ªK as well. He then crossed to his hand with a high club on which South, Martin Schifko, followed with the ten (!). Jansma cashed the ªA in this position:

	ª - © A ¨ - § J 8 6
ª - © K 2 ¨ - § Q 4		ª - © 4 ¨ - § K 9 5
	ª - © J 10 ¨ Q § 7

Remember, declarer lost already three tricks and could escape with one down only by playing a low heart or by guessing the clubs. Jansma, not sure about the position and tempted by Schifko's nice §10 (Jack-ten bare or third), decided first to cash the §Q and then to play a club to the King. Minus 300 as well.

However, 4ª can be made and, with the knowledge of South having a red two-suiter in combination with the penalty double, perhaps should be made: take the first diamond, pick up all four clubs and pith your second diamond. Then play hearts, but never insert the king, thus avoiding South coming in. In the meantime you finesse over North as much as you can in trumps and eventually you will end up with ten tricks.

On the rest of the boards the Dutchies managed to gain small scores on almost every hand. After twenty hands this led to the final result of Austria 6 (16) - The Netherlands 24 (61).