Denmark v Turkey – Juniors Round 13 Both these teams were stuck in mid-table going into Wednesday morning’s vugraph match and needed to get some big wins quickly if they were to get into serious contention for a qualifying place for next year’s World Championship. And, as it turned out, one team did indeed achieve the sort of result they required. Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.   ♠ A Q 9 8 ♥ 7 ♦ K 4 2 ♣ A K 9 7 5 ♠ K 6 5 2 ♥ A K 6 ♦ Q 10 8 5 ♣ Q J ♠ 10 7 4 3 ♥ Q 9 5 ♦ A J 7 6 3 ♣ 10   ♠ J ♥ J 10 8 4 3 2 ♦ 9 ♣ 8 6 4 3 2 West North East South Dalkilic Gjaldbaek Eskizara Schaltz     Pass Pass 1NT Dble Pass 2♥ All Pass       West North East South Houmoller Bakan Nielsen Anter     Pass Pass 1♦ 2♣ Dble 5♣ Pass Pass 5♦ Pass Pass Dble All Pass   What a difference an opening bid can make. Basar Dalkilic opened 1NT, Kare Gjaldbaek doubled and Martin Schaltz ran to 2♥, ending the auction. That proved to be quite a comfortable contract, the club fit making up for North’s lack of heart support. Dalkilic led a club to dummy and Schaltz played a heart, running the seven to the ace. Dalkilic switched to a spade and Schaltz rose with the ace, ruffed a spade and played the ♥J to Omer Eskizara’s queen. He ruffed the spade return and now could not afford to play another round of trumps in case they split unevenly. Schaltz’s club play was ruffed but there was just a diamond and a trump to lose from here; +110. Jonas Houmoller had a 1♦ opening in his methods and that led to a quite different auction after Huseyin Bakan’s 2♣ overcall. Lars Nielsen made a negative double and, when Salih Anter’s pre-emptive leap to 5♣ came back to him, felt that he had to bid on because of the big diamond fit. Bakan doubled 5♦ and there were three spades and a club to be lost; -300 and 5 IMPs to Turkey. Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.   ♠ 3 2 ♥ A Q 9 7 ♦ J 10 8 3 ♣ Q 10 4 ♠ A K 7 ♥ K J ♦ K Q 7 5 4 2 ♣ 9 6 ♠ J 8 4 ♥ 10 8 ♦ 9 6 ♣ A K 8 7 3 2   ♠ Q 10 9 6 5 ♥ 6 5 4 3 2 ♦ A ♣ J 5 West North East South alkilic Gjaldbaek Eskizara Schaltz     Pass   NT Pass 3NT All Pass West North East South Houmoller Bakan Nielsen Anter       Pass 1♦ Pass 2♣ 2♦ 3♦ 3♥ Pass Pass 3NT All Pass     The Turkish E/W had a free run to 3NT and Gjaldbaek led the ♥7 round to declarer’s jack. Dalkilic ducked a club to South’s jack and Schaltz played back a heart. Gjaldbaek took his three heart winners and, on seeing Schaltz play hearts upwards, switched to a diamond to the ace, enabling Schaltz to cash the last heart for down two; -200. Again, system played a part as Houmoller had a 1♦ opening and that allowed Anter in with a two-suited overcall of 2♦ on the way to 3NT by West. Bakan led the ♥Q rather than a small one and Houmoller won the king. He too ducked a club and the defence cashed three hearts but now Bakan switched to a spade, putting more weight on his partner’s bidding than his carding in hearts which, to be fair, was less clear than at the other table. Houmoller had only eight tricks, but the run of the clubs squeezed South between spades and the ♦A to provide the ninth; +600 and 13 IMPs to Denmark. Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ A K 6 ♥ A 4 2 ♦ Q J 3 ♣ 7 6 5 3 ♠ Q ♥ J 8 3 ♦ 7 6 5 4 2 ♣ J 8 4 2 ♠ 10 8 7 5 3 2 ♥ Q 9 5 ♦ K 10 9 8 ♣ -   ♠ J 9 4 ♥ K 10 7 6 ♦ A ♣ A K Q 10 9 West North East South Dalkilic Gjaldbaek Eskizara Schaltz Pass 1♦ Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 3♥ Pass 3NT All Pass   West North East South Houmoller Bakan Nielsen Anter Pass 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT Pass 4♣ Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠ Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ Pass 6♣ All Pass   Gjaldbaek/Schaltz play a strong club that starts at 15 HCP and have to open 1♦ with this North hand. 1NT was a relay and an artificial sequence saw them get to 3NT, which made a lot of tricks – eleven, for +660. The natural Turkish auction reached a good but by no means secure small slam. You would feel that 6♣ would have very good chances, until the trumps proved to be four-zero offside. That was an unlucky one down for –100 and 13 IMPs to Denmark when it might well have been 12 the other way on a slightly different lay-out. Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.   ♠ - ♥ 7 6 4 3 ♦ J 8 6 5 3 ♣ A K 9 5 ♠ 10 9 7 2 ♥ 9 5 2 ♦ A 9 ♣ Q J 6 2 ♣ 10 ♠ K Q 8 4 3 ♥ A K J 10 8 ♦ Q 10 ♦ Q 10   ♠ A J 6 5 ♥ Q ♦ K 7 4 2 ♣ 8 7 4 3 West North East South Dalkilic Gjaldbaek Eskizara Schaltz Pass 1♥ 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ Dble All Pass       West North East South Houmoller Bakan Nielsen Anter Pass Pass 1♠ Pass 3♦ Pass 4♠ All Pass The other side of the Gjaldbaek/Schaltz methods is that they can open 1♥/♠ to show only 8-14 HCP. Hearing partner open the bidding, even with such potentially limited values, was sufficient to convince Schaltz that a double of 4♠ would be a worthwhile enterprise. Right he was, though the penalty was not something to get rich on. Schaltz led his singleton heart and Eskizara won the ace then played ♠Q from hand. Schaltz ducked that and declarer played the ♣10. Gjaldbaek won the club and gave his partner a heart ruff. With two trumps to come, that was down one for –100. Of course, North did not have an opening bid in the other room and the danes got to game via a Bergen raise. There was no reason for Anter to double – and just a swell, as he failed to defeat the contract. Anter led a club to the king and back came a heart. Nielsen won the heart and played ♠K and, when that was ducked, a low spade. Anter won the ♠J and played two more rounds of trumps. Nielsen won the fourth round of trumps in dummy and led the ♣Q to the ace and ruff and had the rest, the ♣J providing a parking place for his diamond loser; +420 and 11 IMPs to Denmark. Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.   ♠ 6 ♥ A K 6 4 2 ♦ K Q 10 4 ♣ J 5 4 ♠ Q 10 ♥ Q J 8 7 ♦ A 9 6 3 2 ♣ A 2 ♣ K 8 7 3 ♠ 8 7 5 2 ♥ 5 3 ♦ 8 7 5 ♣ K 8 7 3   ♠ A K J 9 4 3 ♥ 10 9 ♦ J ♣ Q 10 9 6 West North East South Dalkilic Gjaldbaek Eskizara Schaltz   1♥ Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ All Pass       West North East South Houmoller Bakan Nielsen Anter   1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass 4♠ All Pass       Schaltz responded 1NT to show spades and the 2♣ rebid showed diamonds. Now, facing 8-14 and seeing a misfit, Schaltz signed off in 2♠ - well done as he made just eight tricks for +110 after losing both a spade trick and a club ruff. Anter was facing a normal range opening bid. Still, perhaps the misfit should have persuaded him that 3♠ was sufficient at his second turn – not that this would necessarily have made. Four Spades was quickly down when Houmoller led ace and another club and received a ruff. He exited with a heart and Anter took the spade finesse. Now the ace of diamonds was cashed for down two; -100 and 5 IMPs to Denmark. Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.   ♠ J 9 2 ♥ 8 6 3 ♦ A 10 7 5 3 ♣ 7 3 ♠ A K 10 7 ♥ K 10 4 ♦ K J 4 ♣ Q J 9 ♣ K 10 8 4 ♠ Q 3 ♥ A Q 5 2 ♦ 9 6 2 ♥ A Q 5 2   ♠ 8 6 5 4 ♥ J 9 7 ♦ Q 8 ♣ A 6 5 2 Both Wests opened 1NT and played the no trump game on the lead of a low diamond to the queen. Both declarers ducked this, which was necessary if they would otherwise have won and played on clubs – the normal choice as cashing the majors first could easily establish five defensive winners when diamonds were four-three all along. Both did very well indeed, because it is not at all clear that ducking is correct – put the ace of clubs in the North hand to see why. Both Souths played back a diamond to the king and ace. Now Bakan, who knew he did not have an entry, switched to a spade, putting no pressure on Houmoller, who played on clubs for ten tricks; +630. Gjaldbaek, who also knew that he did not have an entry, appreciated the fact that declarer could not know that and cleared the diamonds anyway. It was still open to Dalkilic to change tack and try to bring in eight tricks in the majors, when a spade finesse would have led to defeat, but he got it right, deciding that this line needed too much compared to the simple hope that the club ace would be with South; the same ten tricks for +630 and an interesting push. West North East South Dalkilic Gjaldbaek Eskizara Schaltz 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 3NT All Pass West North East South Houmoller Bakan Nielsen Anter 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass     Again both E/W pairs bid to 3NT but from different sides. I believe that Dalkilic’s 2♦ rebid was just marking time rather than being anything special systemically – presumably Gjaldbaek would have doubled had he been told that 2♦ was artificial. Anyway, Schaltz led a heart and could not have been too impressed when declarer won this with the six. Eskizara started well, playing a spade to the jack and king. Back came the ♦K to the eight from South and low from dummy, followed by the ♦7 to the three from South and dummy’s ace. Eskizara seems to have convinced himself that South had shown an even number of diamonds and that the suit was splitting four-four. This is actually pretty unlikely after the first trick, but never mind. He crossed to hand with a club to exit with his last diamond and Gjaldbaek could not believe his luck. He cashed out and that was two down for –100. Even had diamonds split evenly, it is not clear that anything good could have happened to allow declarer to make his contract, as North is then likely to be 4-1-4-4 and can afford to pitch a spade when the ♥A is cashed. What declarer missed was an entirely legitimate and successful line. He has to hope that the diamonds are indeed six-two and, after winning the second round, must cross to hand with a club to lead a spade for an avoidance play. If South plays the queen he ducks and the even break later allows him to make three spade tricks and ten in all, while if South plays low he goes up with the ace then plays another spade, and North never gets in to enjoy the diamonds. So is the contract always cold on a heart lead? No, but it would be a far-sighted South who managed to go up with the queen on the first round of spades, thereby stopping the later avoidance play and, if the queen was ducked, would then find the diamond switch. n the other room West was declarer and the automatic diamond lead meant that there was nothing to the play. Declarer tried for ♠KQ onside and was quickly two down for –100 and just another dull push. Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.   ♠ A J 10 5 4 ♥ J 6 2 ♦ A J 9 6 ♣ 3 ♠ K Q 9 ♥ K 9 5 ♦ Q 3 ♣ A K Q 6 2 ♠ 6 2 ♥ Q 10 7 4 ♦ 10 8 7 5 4 ♣ 9 4   ♠ 8 7 3 ♥ A 8 3 ♦ K 2 ♣ J 10 8 7 5 West North East South Dalkilic Gjaldbaek Eskizara Schaltz     1NT Dble 2♠ Pass Pass 3♣ All Pass     West North East South Houmoller Bakan Nielsen Anter       Pass 2♣ 2♥ Pass 4♣ Pass 4♠ All Pass   The very-mini no trump from Schaltz got doubled and Gjaldbaek ran to 2♠. Once Eskizara did not take any action, it was normal for Dalkilic to compete with 3♣ and he was left to play there. Note that Gjaldbaek showed a healthy disrespect for his partner’s opening bid and did not consider competing despite holding 11 HCP and some useful distribution. Gjaldbaek led a heart to the eight and nine and Dalkilic led the ♠Q then when that held, the ♠9. Gjaldbaek won the ♠10 and continued with the ♠A for dummy to ruff. The defence had no problem in coming to two diamonds, two clubs and a heart for down two; -200. Anter did not have an opening bid so Houmoller got to open a strong artificial 2♣. I do not have the Turkish systems in front of me but I believe that 2♥ showed one major and 4♣ asked the overcaller to bid his suit. Four Spades was, of course, quite hopeless after a trump lead to the queen and ace. Bakan played a diamond to the king and back to the ace, then ruffed the ♦9 in dummy and was over-ruffed. Houmoller cashed the ♠K and played two top clubs, after which the defence sat back and waited to collect two heart tricks; -100 and 7 IMPs to Denmark. Denmark won by 64-16 IMPs, just sufficient for a 25-5 VP win.

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