Sweden v Denmark - Round 1

Sweden’s BK Herkules, with PO Sundelin, Johan Sylvan, Peter Bertheau and Fredrik Nyström, won its group in the Round Robin last year in Rome, but was beaten badly in the final by the Italian team Angelini. In Malmö all four Swedes were in the team which collected the silver medals for Sweden. Now they have come to Barcelona for a revenge!

Since Norway performed poorly in Malmö there are only two Scandinavian countries here, Denmark and Sweden. They met in the first match in the battle of Scandinavia.

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

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Koch-Palmlund	Bertheau	Adamsen	Nystrom
Pass	Pass	1ª	Dble
Pass	2¨	2ª	5¨
All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Aagaard	Sundelin	Nicolajsen
Pass	Pass	1ª	Dble
Pass	1NT	2ª	All Pass

The young Swedish pair Bertheau-Nyström is too old to play in the Juniors, but on this board they showed some Junior manners. 2¨ was 8-11 HCP’s with diamonds and when Nyström jumped to 5¨ they were far too high. The contract was doomed to go down; -300 to Denmark.

In the other room the Danes had a completely different view, as they let their opponents buy 2ª. PO Sundelin finessed in clubs, pitched a diamond on §A and 2ª was just made; -110 but that was 5 IMPs to Denmark.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Koch-Palmlund	Bertheau	Adamsen	Nystrom
Pass	Pass	1©	Pass
2¨	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4¨	Pass
4ª	Pass	4NT	Pass
5§	Pass	6¨	All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Aagaard	Sundelin	Nicolajsen
Pass	Pass	1§	Pass
1ª	Pass	2©	Pass
3¨	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4¨	Pass
4ª	Pass	4NT	Pass
5¨	All Pass

6¨ is the spot to be. Declarer can throw a club on a high heart then play spades towards the hand. Two spades can then be ruffed in dummy. On a trump lead 6¨ is still a nice small slam, since the hearts can be established.
Koch-Palmlund/Adamsen found the slam relatively easy after a natural auction. Koch-Palmlund showed one ace and Adamsen hoped for the best, +920. Well done!

On a strong club opening Sylvan showed 8+ HCPs and 5-4 in diamonds and spades. 4NT did not ask for aces, but showed three. When Sylvan stopped in game Sweden had to lose 11 IMPs.

Board 13. Dealer North, All Vul.
	ª K J 10 6 © A J 4 ¨ K 8 § K 9 4 2
ª A Q 8 7 3 2 © 9 5 2 ¨ Q 5 § 7 5		ª 5 © Q 10 7 6 ¨ 10 9 7 6 4 2 § 8 3
	ª 9 4 © K 8 3 ¨ A J 3 § A Q J 10 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Koch-Palmlund	Bertheau	Adamsen	Nystrom
	1NT	Pass	2§
Pass	2ª	Pass	2NT
Pass	3§	Pass	3NT
Pass	4§	Pass	4©
Pass	4ª	Pass	6§
All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Aagaard	Sundelin	Nicolajsen
	1§	Pass	2§
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

The Open room players

Nyström mildly invited a club slam and it was accepted by Bertheau. Koch-Palmlund did not have to think long considering what to lead. As N/S together had promised at least six spades ªA hit the table in less than a second. Adamsen got his ruff and it was all over. What a pity on a quite decent small slam.

The Danes at the other table were not even close to slam, reaching 3NT. 1§ was either clubs or, as it was this time, a balanced hand with 15-17 HCPs. As the slam was beaten at the other table the Danes this time were the lucky ones as they won 13 IMPs. It could have been the other way round easily enough.

On the next board there were some fireworks at both tables.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Koch-Palmlund	Bertheau	Adamsen	Nystrom
			1§
2NT	Pass	3§	4ª
Pass	Pass	5§	Dble
All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Aagaard	Sundelin	Nicolajsen
			1ª
2NT	Pass	5¨	5ª
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

In the Open Room South opened a strong club. West’s 2NT was for the minors and now started the fight for the contract. When East ‘sacrificed’ in clubs, Nyström was hoping for a nice reward and doubled. But there were only two black tricks to win for the defence – 550 to Denmark. The Danes gained just 2 IMPs on the board, though, since Nicolajsen as South in the Closed Room tried to play 5ª. Sundelin did not believe 5ª had any chance and doubled – two down and 500 to Sweden.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Koch-Palmlund	Bertheau	Adamsen	Nystrom
Pass	1©	Pass	2§
Pass	3NT	Pass	4§
Pass	4©	Pass	4ª
Pass	4NT	Pass	6©
All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Aagaard	Sundelin	Nicolajsen
Pass	1©	Pass	2NT
Pass	3§	Pass	4©
All Pass

This board is in a way similar to board 13, when Bertheau/Nystr?m played in 6§ whereas Aagaard/Nicolajsen stopped in game. The Danes had the luck on their side before, but on this board the Swedes scored +1430 when they found 6© with only 26 HCPs. The key to the success for them was a complicated relay system. 2§ was asking and 3NT showed exactly the distribution 4-5-3-1 and 8-10 points according to the scale A=3, K=2, Q=1 and singleton=1. 4© was exactly 9 points and 4ª zero or two aces. A spade loser could go on ¨A and the rest of the play was dull. Aagaard/Nicolajsen had no visions as they simply reached game after a Jacoby sequence, where 3§ was a minimum hand - 680 and a very well deserved 13 IMPs to Sweden.

The battle of Scandinavia thus ended up almost even, 50-47 IMPs to Denmark which was translated to 16-14 in VPs.