Russia vs The Netherlands

Open Round 19

On paper a promising match, the young, talented Russian team versus The Netherlands, who were, at the time, 6th in the rankings. We pick up the match at board nr. 4.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Matushko	De Wijs	Khven	Muller
1ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	2©	Pass	3©
Pass	4©	All Pass

In the Closed Room Muller-De Wijs had no trouble reaching the heart game which was duly made by them.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Jansma	Gromov	Verhees	Petrunin
1ª	Pass	1NT	Dble
Pass	Pass	2ª	Dble
Pass	3©	All Pass

In the Open Room Verhees' thin 1NT response made life a bit more difficult for Gromov-Petrunin. South entered the auction with a take out double and North passed for penalties. When East ran to 2ª the Dutchies had thrown enough sand in the Russian bidding machinery. Who is to blame here ? It might be both North and South. North had shown some values with his second pass and South has good playing power for hearts as trumps.

The next hand:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Matushko	De Wijs	Khven	Muller
	Pass	Pass	2NT
Pass	3§	Pass	3¨
All Pass

Due to the favourable layout NS can make a lot of tricks in a diamonds as Muller did in the Closed Room (eleven tricks, NS plus 150).

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Jansma	Gromov	Verhees	Petrunin
	Pass	Pass	1§
1©	Pass	3©	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

In the Open Room the auction started with a strong club enabling EW to find their heart fit. It all ended in 3© doubled when South passed his partner's take out double for penalties.

North led the ª10, low from dummy. South won the queen, cashed the ace and switched to the §K. By that time the audience in the VuGraph theatre expected declarer to go down one, losing two tricks in spades, and one in each of the other suits. That way Holland would have won 2 IMP's on the board. However, Jansma decided to duck the first club trick and inserted the §A when South continued with the §3 in the next trick. Declarer then played the ¨J, which was ducked. Petrunin took the next diamond and cashed his §Q. So declarer went down two instead of one. Later Jansma explained his odd-looking club manoeuvre: he did not expect that North had doubled on 1 HCP only. So he was convinced that the §Q was with Gromov and since there was always the danger of getting a ruff in spades, he hoped for a 5-2 club split so that ducking the §A would cut communications. He planned to get rid of his club loser later by finessing the ªJ. Anyhow, 4 IMPs to Russia.

MULLER Bauke, Netherlands

Board 7 was of some interest, to the bidding as well as to the play:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Jansma	Gromov	Verhees	Petrunin
			3NT
All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Matushko	De Wijs	Khven	Muller
			1¨
Pass	1ª	Pass	3¨
Pass	4¨	Pass	4©
Pass	4ª	Pass	4NT
Pass	5©	Dble	Pass
Pass	6¨	All Pass

In the Open Room the Russian gadget of opening a gambling 3NT with an outside ace did not work out well this time, since slam is on. In the Closed Room Simon de Wijs did a good job to forget about 3NT and to raise his partner on the four level thus enabling his side to reach slam.

After a heart lead, probably the best way to play 6¨ is to draw the trumps and to play a low spade from hand to the nine or to let the ªJ run. If East wins the trick, and returns a heart or a club, you ruff or insert the ace respectively and rattle all your remaining diamonds for the show up squeeze.
Bauke Muller however, after winning the first trick and drawing the trumps, cashed his §A and played a club to the queen. This card won the trick and now declarer made even thirteen tricks. It comes as a bit of a surprise that Muller, one of the world's greatest dummy players, displayed his alternative line of play. The explanation of course is that after the lead Muller immediately visualised the actual heart position and due to the fact that he never made an overcall, it was almost certain that East did not have the §K.

We jump to the last two hands of the set. First 19:

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª 10 6 3 2 © K J 7 2 ¨ K Q 2 § 8 4
ª 9 4 © Q 6 ¨ 10 9 6 5 4 § A K 9 7		ª A K 8 7 © A 10 8 5 4 ¨ 8 § Q 6 2
	ª Q J 5 © 9 3 ¨ A J 7 3 § J 10 5 3

In the Open Room West played a quiet 1NT, which basically comes down on handling the heart position correctly. Jansma did (heart to the queen and later heart to the ten) and made seven tricks.

Closed, Simon de Wijs decided to open his nine count in third position. Matushko did well to pass his partner's double on 1NT and to lead the ©Q. East ducked when declarer inserted the king. It didn't matter much, the contract is always two light due to the club position. So plus 300 to Russia and 5 IMPs.

Then 20:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Matushko	De Wijs	Khven	Muller
Pass	1¨	1ª	Dble
Redble	Pass	Pass	2©
Pass	Pass	2ª	All Pass

An unbiddable 4ª in EW, indeed bid by nobody. In the Closed Room Matushko-Khven made ten tricks in 2ª.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Jansma	Gromov	Verhees	Petrunin
Pass	Pass	1ª	Pass
2ª	2NT	Pass	3¨
All Pass

More action from the Open Room, where Andrei Gromov interfered with a hair-raising pre-balancing unusual 2NT, which led to down three vulnerable in 3¨. Undoubled, but still 4 IMP's to The Netherlands who won the match 41-19 or 20-10 in V.P.