Two of Europe’s top women’s teams met in the fourth set of the qualifying round-robin for the Women’s Teams – the perennial contenders from the Netherlands led by Bep Vriend, and a mostly Austrian team captained by Maria Erhart. The Dutch came away with a 25-9 victory to lead their group after the first full day of play.
The lineups: Vriend and Carla Arnolds versus Erhart and Terry Weigkricht at one table, while Femke Hoogweg-Wietske Van Zwol of the Netherlands opposed Jovi Smederevac of Austria and Chantal Hammerli of Switzerland at the other.

On the first deal, both East-West pairs reached a spade slam, making 13 tricks when a side-suit finesses was successful. The Netherlands scored first, a single IMP, when Hoogweg and Van Zwol competed to 3¨, making four, while Vriend was allowed to play 2ª, down two for minus 100.

Vriend picked up another 2 IMPs on Board 3, where 2NT was the contract at both tables – by North-South at one and by East-West at the other.

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

West	North	East	South
Vriend	Erhart	Arnolds	Weigkricht
			Pass
Pass	1©	1ª	Pass
2§	2NT	All Pass

Arnolds led the ª6 to Erhart’s jack, and declarer followed with the ¨Q, taken by Arnolds with the ace. Too late, she played her singleton club to partner’s king. Vriend returned a spade, but Erhart was in control. She won the ace, cashed the ¨J, then played a spade to dummy’s king, followed by three more diamonds. Then came a club, taken by Vriend with the ace. Erhart finished with nine tricks: four diamonds, three spades, one club and the ©A.

West	North	East	South
Smederevac	Hoogweg	Hammerli	Van Zwol
			Pass
1§	1©	1ª	Pass
2§	Pass	2NT	All Pass

The light opening didn’t work so well for East-West. Van Zwol started with a low diamond to the jack, ducked by Hammerli. Van Zwol continued with the ¨Q, ducked again, but Van Zwol overtook with the king and knocked out declarer’s ace with the ¨10. A heart went to dummy’s queen and North’s ace, and she played a low spade to Hammerli’s 9 and South’s king. Two more diamonds followed, then a spade to the ace for two down and plus 200 for Vriend.

Austria scored 4 IMPs to gain the lead when Erhart and Weigkricht defeated 1NT by a trick for plus 50 while their teammate, Hammerli was making it.

The Netherlands made another small gain on Board 6, but it might have been much more.

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

West	North	East	South
Smederevac	Hoogweg	Hammerli	Van Zwol
		Pass	1¨
1ª	2©	3©	Pass
3ª	All Pass

Hoogweg led the ©K, overtaken by Van Zwol to return the suit, and North-South took the first three tricks. Smederevac won the club continuation with the ace and played trumps. When they proved to be 2-2, she conceded a club and claimed plus 140.

At the other table, the Dutch let a juicy penalty slip through their fingers.

West	North	East	South
Vriend	Erhart	Arnolds	Weigkricht
		Pass	1¨
1ª	2©	4ª	5¨
All Pass

Had Vriend seen fit to apply the red card to this ugly contract, the Netherlands would have scored plus 800. Perhaps Vriend feared that the Austrians would run to hearts if she doubled. For whatever reason, it was a lost opportunity. Vriend led a low spade to her partner’s ace, and a spade was returned to her king. Vriend played a club to partner’s ace and on the club return, Weigkricht overtook the §Q with the king to play a diamond. It was over quickly from there as Weigkricht recorded minus 200. That was 2 IMPs to Vriend.

Erhart regained the lead on Board 7, which was interesting for the differing views of the West hand at the two tables.

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

West	North	East	South
Smederevac	Hoogweg	Hammerli	Van Zwol
			Pass
1ª	2ª	Pass	2NT
3§	Pass	4ª	All Pass

Smederevac bid her 7-point hand as though it was 18 – and she caught a very nice dummy when the Dutch sold out. North started with diamonds, and Smederevac ruffed the second round, playing a heart to the ace, followed by the ªQ for plus 680.

The auction was vastly different at the other table.

West	North	East	South
Vriend	Erhart	Arnolds	Weigkricht
3ª	4©	Dble	Pass
Pass	4NT	Dble	5¨
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

The auction worked out about as well as it could for the Austrians. Vriend and Arnolds got the maximum from the deal, but it was still a loss. Vriend started with her singleton heart. Arnolds won the ©Q when Weigkricht played low, and Vriend ruffed the heart return with her singleton trump. The defenders still had two clubs to come for plus 500. That was 5 IMPs to Austria.

The match was close at that point, but the Dutch scored 20 IMPs over the final three boards to win handily.
The Dutch scored 7 IMPs on Board 8 when Hoogweg and Van Zwol made 3© for plus 140 at one table while Vriend made 3ª at the other table when Erhard underled her ©A at trick one, losing to Vriend’s singleton king.
Another 6 IMPs went to the Dutch on the next deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Smederevac	Hoogweg	Hammerli	Van Zwol
	Pass	Pass	1¨
1NT	2©	All Pass

Hoogweg had no difficulty making nine tricks, losing one trick in each suit for plus 140.

West	North	East	South
Vriend	Erhart	Arnolds	Weigkricht
	3©	Pass	4©
Dble	All Pass

With a trick and a half outside the ragged suit, a first-seat 3© bid with the North hand would not win many votes in a bidding contest, even at favorable vulnerability, but it did put pressure on the opponents. Weigkricht upped the ante with her preemptive raise. Arnolds made an excellent decision to pass her partner’s double of 4©. The level of the bidding was well past any makeable contract for her side. Erhart had the same four losers. Minus 100 for Erhart meant 6 IMPs to Vriend.

The final deal was another gain for the Vriend team.

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

West	North	East	South
Vriend	Erhart	Arnolds	Weigkricht
		1¨	Dble
1©	1ª	1NT	All Pass

Weigkricht led the ª2 to the 5, king and 6. Erhart continued with the ªJ, and when Arnolds played the 9, Weigkricht overtook with the queen and returned the suit. Suddenly, Arnolds had two spade tricks. All she had to do from there was knock out the ©A to claim 10 tricks for plus 180.

West	North	East	South
Smederevac	Hoogweg	Hammerli	Van Zwol
		1¨	Dble
1©	1ª	Pass	Pass
2§	Pass	2NT	Pass
3§	All Pass

Smederevac could not make nine tricks in clubs. The defense started with the ªJ to the ace. Declarer played the ©K next, taken by South with the ace. West ruffed the spade return and played three more hearts. North ruffed the fourth round of hearts with the §J and exited with a diamond. Smederevac won the ¨A and played a club to the king and ace. Another club went to South’s 10. Van Zwol cashed the §Q and punched West’s last trump out with a spade. That was one down and 7 IMPs to the Dutch.

There are still many matches to play, but Vriend, winner of the Mixed Pairs with Anton Maas earlier in the tournament, was in contention for a second championship.