IMPRESSIONS OF RICCIONE By Kees Tammens The weather could not be better; only Fotis, the internet editor, thinks it is not hot enough (he is Greek). The hotel is very nice and the Ferrari Testarossa, parked in front of the hotel, is breathtakingly beautiful. Bridge will be the main concern in the next two weeks so it was very thoughtful of Mr Giannariga Rona to point out in his opening speech that the girls and juniors could play their hearts out in the championship but should not forget that the world was upset by the tragic bombings in London last week. It is not all bridge in real life. Thanks for that remark. On to bridge! Your reporter is always looking for a special theme. It can be defensive problems, adventurous slam bidding, or hazardous junior enterprises. Or maybe a sequel on the ‘Good, bad and ugly’ series? The second board of the tournament was an exquisite trump criss-cross already described in Bulletin 2. It showed how interesting declarer play can be. FIRST BOARDS OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP Watching the vugraph is an excellent way of comparing the results on all the tables of the girls and junior events. Board 3 of the first match was exciting at many tables. Board 3. Dealer South. None E/W.   ♠ A Q 9 7 ♥ 9 6 5 4 ♦ Q 8 2 ♣ Q 3 ♠ J 6 3 ♥ K Q 8 7 ♦ K 6 5 ♣ K 9 8 ♠ K 10 8 5 4 2 ♥ 2 ♦ A J 10 4 3 ♣ 10   ♠ - ♥ A J 10 3 ♦ 9 7 ♣ A J 7 6 5 4 2 West North East South 1♣ Pass 1♥ Dble 4 ♥ Dble All Pass     The lead was the singleton ♣10 for the ace in the dummy. Declarer played a club from dummy, ducked by West, queen ruffed by East who rather surprisingly returned a spade for the queen, discarding a diamond from South. The other diamond disappearing on ♠A. Declarer ruffed a diamond and ruffed out ♣K, noting that East could not over-ruff. Another diamond ruff was trick six. A club from dummy, West refusing to ruff. Another club, ♥7, and ♥9 in North: trick eight. A spade ruffed in the dummy and ♥A as trick ten for a rather surprising +590; the same contract going one, two or three down at most other tables with 5♥ doubled down seven as the biggest result for N/S, and the first entry for the ‘Ugly’ award? LEAD THE UNBID SUIT Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.   ♠ K Q 6 ♥ 9 2 ♦ A 10 8 6 5 4 ♣ Q 7 ♠ 10 8 3 2 ♥ A K 7 5 ♦ 9 7 ♣ J 10 9 ♠ A J 7 ♥ 10 4 3 ♦ Q J 3 2 ♣ 6 5 4   ♠ 9 5 4 ♥ Q J 8 6 ♦ K ♣ A K 8 3 The common contract was 3NT played by North after South opened 1♣, North bid diamonds and South hearts. So spades were the unbid suit. And why not lead them? Well, ♠AJ7 is not really a suit you want to lead from. And if you decide to, which spade? In Austria versus Netherlands East, Merijn Groenenboom, chose ♠7, to the four, two and queen. Declarer played a heart for queen and king in West who returned the ♠3 to king and ace from East who also cashed ♠J. A heart from East and declarer tried the jack for the ace in West who cashed the thirteenth spade for down one and played a heart for his partner,s ♥10 as the second undertrick. With Bob Driver as declarer in 3NT, the choice by East was ♠A (anyone for ♠J?) which did not paralyse declarer. After the discouraging signal by West, East played a small diamond for the bare king in dummy. The Dutch decarer played in a nice way. Club for queen and a heart for queen and king. The spade return was for the king, then ♥9 to three, six and ace followed. West continued spades for the queen in North, after which declarer cashed the ♦K, discarding a club from dummy. He now crossed to ♣A and cashed ♣K. Even with clubs 4-2 there would be an endplay if a defender with a four-card holding in clubs also would have four cards in hearts, nice technique. It all added up to big win for the Dutch juniors, especially necessary because at the same time the Austrian girls slaughtered the Dutch girls. The final result of the Junior match was 25-3 VPs, and overall between the two series: Austria 28 Netherlands 29. NICE SLAM BIDDING Round 2. Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.   ♠ A 6 2 ♥ A 10 5 ♦ 8 4 ♣ J 10 8 7 6 ♠ J 9 8 4 ♥ 6 4 3 2 ♦ Q J 10 5 ♣ Q ♠ K 10 5 3 ♥ 9 8 7 ♦ 9 6 3 2 ♣ 4 2   ♠ Q 7 ♥ K Q J ♦ A K 7 ♣ A K 9 5 3 Andor van Munnen and Richard Ritmeijer of the Netherlands had a very scientific sequence. West North East South Richard Andor     Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT Pass 4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠ Pass 6♣ All Pass   Two No Trump showed 22-23, 3♣ asked and 3NT denied either a four- or five-card major. Four Clubs asked again and 4♦ showed a five-card minor 4♥ asking and 4♠ saying five clubs. THE TALE OF THE ♦7 Claudia van der Salm of the Dutch Girls team earned herself a drink on this board west North East South Marleen Claudia     Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT Pass 4NT Pass 6NT All Pass       Anyone for 6♣ after 4NT, suggesting a spot to play in? West led a heart for ♥K. ♣A and a club for the jack in dummy came next. A small spade for the queen was very good news. Declarer, Claudia cashed all her winners in hearts and clubs. Then a spade to the ace. A diamond for the ace, ♦K and the last trick for ♦7, which was high because East and West both kept all their spades and got rid of their diamonds. So Marleen had to buy Claudia a drink! Another chapter for the tale of the Seven. GREEK GIFT In the match between the Netherlands and Latvia the Latvian declarer got a favourable lead which proved to be e Greek gift because it presented a losing option. Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.   ♠ K 9 4 3 ♥ A Q 10 7 2 ♦ K 6 ♣ 6 3 ♠ J 8 6 ♥ J 4 3 ♦ 7 4 3 ♣ 10 8 4 2 ♠ A 10 7 ♥ 9 8 6 5 ♦ Q J 9 5 ♣ 7 5   ♠ Q 5 2 ♥ K ♦ A 10 8 2 ♣ A K Q J 9 The contract was 6NT with East, Bob Drijver on lead. A spade was out of the question, North bid hearts so that was nothing and also a club in the suit of South was unattractive. So the lead was ♦Q. Declarer took the king and finessed in diamonds. She cashed ♥K and then tried a spade to the king. But East took this and played back a spade so the contract failed by two tricks. With a passive club lead declarer at the other table had no other option than, after five tricks in clubs, to cash ♥K and cross to ♦K to see, after ♥A and ♥Q, that he had thirteen tricks with the automatic spade/diamond squeeze against East.

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