The Netherlands vs Germany

Women Round 22

This was the top match from the first round of the two the women had to play on the last day of their Championships. One could not have invented a better scenario: the leading two teams playing in a direct confrontation with the gold medal at stake. The Netherlands went into the match, however, having a distinct advantage: they were 13 V.P. up so they could even afford a slight defeat, provided they would not lose against Croatia, a team looking for its last chance to qualify, in their last match. On the other hand, Germany would have to play Finland in their last match, which looked like an easier task for them, as far as rankings are reliable these days.

The first two boards displayed on VuGraph, 19 & 20, looked a bit indifferent, but on board the match really got underway:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Van der Pas	Nehmert	Vriend	Rauscheid
	1§	Dble	1¨
Pass	2©	Pass	3NT
All Pass

When Bep Vriend doubled with the East hand, slam looked far off for North who made no further move when South opted for a solid 3NT which in this auction clearly promised values in spades and diamonds and little else. Right she was, and Germany chalked up what looked like a routine 430.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Pasman	Auken	Simons
	1§	1ª	1NT
Pass	2©	Pass	2NT
Pass	4§	Pass	4ª
Dble	Pass	Pass	Redble
Pass	6§	All Pass

When Auken overcalled 1ª the situation became less clear-cut for Pasman. Her 4§ rebid gave a good picture of the hand, but also made it difficult for her partner to evaluate her hand properly. The ªA looked like a useful value, but the South hand had nothing more to offer. The double of 4ª denied any interest for a lead in that suit and the redouble of course showed first-round control.

SIMONS Anneke, Netherlands

Had South held a doubleton heart, as her NT bidding could well suggest, 6§ would have been OK, but on the actual layout it had no chance against correct defence. Sabine Auken led a top diamond, got a count signal (the 8) and switched to a spade, breaking up the squeeze. On any other continuation, declarer can win, play off all the trumps, finesse in spades and squeeze East in the red suits, as in fact happened at a number of other tables. In this match, Germany thus dealt an important first blow: 10-0 to them. Two boards later:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Pasman	Auken	Simons
			Pass
1©	1ª	2¨	2ª
Dble	3ª	Dble	All Pass

Overcalling on the North hand is OK at this vulnerability, but why not 2ª? That would solve South's problems at once.

To defend in 3ª was a joy for the Germans. Three top diamonds followed by a club to the jack and queen. Then came two top hearts, the §A and a third heart, ruffed and overruffed. A fourth round of diamonds was ruffed by West with the queen and overruffed by declarer, who went on to play a trump to the ace where she might have gone down only four by finessing the ª10 through East. Down five, +1100 to Germany.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Van der Pas	Nehmert	Vriend	Rauscheid
			Pass
1©	Pass	2¨	Pass
3§	Pass	3ª	Pass
4§	Pass	4©	All Pass

Please note the difference. North did not bother at all to overcall and thus EW were allowed to score a quiet heart game. That was Netherlands +620, but another 10 IMPs to Germany, who led 21-0. Just what they must have wanted: a flying start.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Pasman	Auken	Simons
1ª	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	All Pass

2¨ was invitational with hearts. In spite of her four top tricks Daniela von Arnim did not make any forward-going move, so the Germans played in 2© and made 10 tricks. Germany +170.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Van der Pas	Nehmert	Vriend	Rauscheid
1§	Pass	3©	Pass
4©	All Pass

In the Closed Room, the bidding was mainly the same: 3© showing an invitational hand with hearts. Even more so because they already were on the three-level, Marijke van der Pas had no trouble in raising to game. The Netherlands another +620 but this time for a surprise 10-IMP gain.

Both teams had interesting chances on board 6:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Pasman	Auken	Simons
		1NT	2¨
Pass	2NT	Pass	3¨
Pass	4ª	All Pass

After the weak NT opening bid, 2¨ showed one major and 3¨ confirmed spades. Now if North bids 3NT there is nothing the defence can do as the clubs are 5-2, West not having an entry. Jet Pasman, understandably so if you look at her club stopper, bid the more normal 4ª and now the spotlights were on Sabine Auken again. Would she find the lead of the §A, the only lead to beat the contract?

A large part of the VuGraph audience sighed in relief when the ©Q came out. Now declarer was out of trouble, as she could establish a heart for a diamond discard. Of course, on a trump lead declarer will establish a diamond for a heart discard. The Netherlands +420.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Van der Pas	Nehmert	Vriend	Rauscheid
		1¨	1ª
Pass	2©	All Pass

NEHMERT Pony, Germany

After the suit opening (the Dutch play 1 NT to show 15-17 hcp.) Rauscheid overcalled in spades and Nehmert bid a non-forcing 2©. The contract made, but the chance to halve the board had gone. Germany +110 but 7 IMPs to The Netherlands. The score stood at 21-17 to Germany. A remarkable difference in approach caused a substantial partscore swing on the next board:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Pasman	Auken	Simons
			Pass
1¨	1©	Dble	Pass
1NT	Pass	2NT	All Pass

The Germans did well to stay out of game on a combined 24 count, but even 2NT proved difficult. A heart honour was led by North, West winning the ace and playing a club to the king and South's ace. Simons continued another heart, Pasman playing the jack to drive out the queen and clear the suit. Next came the ¨10 from dummy, covered by queen and ace. A spade went to the ace and a low diamond went to declarer's seven and North's nine! With the ¨K still to come for the defence, the contract was one down, +100 to the Netherlands.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Van der Pas	Nehmert	Vriend	Rauscheid
			Pass
Pass	2¨	Pass	2ª
All Pass

In the Closed Room, West did very well to pass in second position, vulnerable. North showed a weak hand with majors by opening 2¨ and South gave preference. The EW pair did not take any action, but contented themselves to collect another 300 in some comfort. The 9-IMP swing saw the Netherlands taking the lead: 26-21.

Then, halfway the match, The Netherlands put the match out of reach for the Germans:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Pasman	Auken	Simons
		Pass	Pass
1ª	2NT	4ª	5¨
6ª	All Pass

Von Arnim gambled a little when she bid 6ª, but this message was not lost on Simons, who judged very well to pass. One down.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Van der Pas	Nehmert	Vriend	Rauscheid
		Pass	Pass
1ª	2NT	4ª	5¨
5ª	All Pass

Here, Van der Pas made the standard bid of 5ª and was allowed to play there as well, of course. The +650 combined with the +100 to bring the score to 39-24. Germany's chances for the gold were looking dim.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª K J 10 9 5 © 7 ¨ A 10 5 § Q 10 9 6
ª Q 8 7 4 3 © A Q J ¨ 9 8 6 2 § 2		ª 2 © K 10 9 8 4 ¨ K § A K J 8 7 3
	ª A 6 © 6 5 3 2 ¨ Q J 7 4 3 § 5 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Pasman	Auken	Simons
Pass	1ª	2ª	Pass
3©	Pass	4§	Pass
4¨	Pass	4©	All Pass

Why is this hand reported in the Bulletin, one might ask? Bidding and play look very easy as long as you do not want to make an overtrick. Germany +420.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Van der Pas	Nehmert	Vriend	Rauscheid
Pass	1ª	2ª	Pass
3©	All Pass

For once, being careful did not pay off. When Marijke van der Pas lost a trick in the play when she called for the wrong card from dummy, Vriend's caution got some reward after all, as nine tricks suddenly were the maximum. The Netherlands +140 and 7 IMPs back to Germany: 41-31.

No further spectacular bridge occurred in the match, which from this point onwards, drew to an end with a disappointing series of rather uneventful boards. The final score was 50-36 or 18-12 V.P. to The Netherlands. They had made a giant step forward to the country's first-ever victory in the 70 years of these Championships. Our sincere congratulations thus go to the team and we are pleased to see the name and logo of the Nederlandse Bridge Bond, the largest NBO in Europe, finally added to the list of NBO's ever to send a winning team to these European Tems Championships.