Open Teams: Qualification Round 4 Özdil v. Pont   by Jos Jacobs In Round 4 of the qualification, the standings in a number of groups already began to show some indications about who might qualify or not. In group D, the two teams of Özdil and Pont were both on 50 V.P. so a good win would bring either team very much nearer to qualification. Apart from that, this match also was an interesting transnational confrontation as the eight players represented at least five different nationalities. The first board of the set was a push, but not quite one made of everyday stuff: Board 11. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ A 10 5 3 ♥ 8 ♦ K 9 7 2 ♣ Q 5 4 2 ♠ J 8 6 ♥ A K 10 2 ♦ J 10 5 ♣ K 9 3 ♠ K Q 7 4 ♥ 5 4 ♦ A Q 8 4 3 ♣ A 8   ♠ 9 2 ♥ Q J 9 7 6 3 ♦ 6 ♣ J 10 7 6 Open Room West North East South Özdil Wasik Ginossar Knap  Closed Room Ventin Holland Lambardi Bakhshi       2♥ Pass Pass Dble All Pass The same simple auction in both rooms. As the defence was easy enough (spade lead and a club ruff sooner or later) both declarers went four off for –800. Neither of them must have felt too happy with the match starting like this. Nothing very much happened on the next four boards, but then the match livened up: Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.   ♠ 10 8 6 ♥ J 7 ♦ Q 6 5 3 ♣ K J 8 7 ♠ A ♥ K 5 ♦ A J 9 8 2 ♣ A 10 5 4 2 ♠ J 7 5 2 ♥ 10 9 6 4 3 ♦ - ♣ Q 9 6 3   ♠ K Q 9 4 3 ♥ A Q 8 2 ♦ K 10 7 4 ♣ - Open Room West North East South Özdil Wasik Ginossar Knap 1♦ Pass 1♥ 1♠ 2♣ 2♠ Pass 3♦ Dble 3♠ Pass Pass 4♣ Dble All Pass   Wasik must have felt disappointed when seeing the dummy, but Özdil no doubt was quite happy. He won the spade lead and started crossruffing diamonds and spades, playing a heart through South in the process. ♠A, ♦ ruff, ♥A, ♥ to king, ♦A, ♦ ruff, ♠ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♠ ruff and the 13 th diamond ensured a ninth trick for the ♣Q en passant. The ♣A was still there to make the game-going trick for a score of +710 to the Özdil team. Closed Room West North East South Ventin Holland Lambardi Bakhshi 1♦ Pass 1♥ 1♠ 2♣ 2♠ Pass Pass 3♣ Pass Pass 3♠ All Pass       Ventin bid his hand a lot less enterprising than his Turkish counterpart. He sold out to 3♠ which duly went two down, for a loss of 12 IMPs. On the next board, Ventin got his revenge when his enterprising bidding drove his opponents well overboard: Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ 8 5 2 ♥ K J 9 7 6 3 ♦ K ♣ 7 6 4 ♠ A K Q J 7 ♥ - ♦ Q 10 7 5 4 ♣ Q 10 8 ♠ 4 ♥ 4 ♦ A J 9 8 6 3 2 ♣ J 9 5 3   ♠ 10 9 6 3 ♥ A Q 10 8 5 2 ♦ - ♣ A K 2 Open Room West North East South Özdil Wasik Ginossar Knap 2♥ Pass 2♠ Dble Pass 3♦ 4♦ 4♠ Pass Pass 5♥ Pass Pass Dble All Pass With 2♠ South was asking specifically for a singleton somewhere, but North was not interested in showing his blank ♦K. As 4♠ would have been an easy make, the save for just one down after a defensive slip turned out to be a profitable one Closed Room: West North East South Ventin Holland Lambardi Bakhshi   2♥ Pass 2NT 3♦ Pass 5♦ 5♥ 6♦ Pass Pass 6♥ Dble All Pass     Much more action in the Closed Room. On any lead but a club, 6♦ would have been made, but maybe South was hoping he might even make 6♥ himself. Not this time; the defenders duly collected their four tricks in the black suits for 500 and 10 IMPs back to Pont. On the last board of the set, much depended on the first response over partner’s 1♠ opening bid: Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ - ♥ Q J 7 4 3 2 ♦ Q 8 4 3 ♣ Q 9 5 ♠ K Q 8 4 3 ♥ K 8 6 ♦ 9 ♣ A 10 8 7 ♠ A 10 9 6 5 2 ♥ A 10 9 ♦ A 7 5 2 ♣ -   ♠ J 7 ♥ 5 ♦ K J 10 6 ♣ K J 6 4 3 2 Closed Room West North East South Ventin Holland Lambardi Bakhshi 1♠ Pass 2NT Pass 4♠ Pass 6♠ All Pass 2NT showed trump support, but after that neither West nor East showed any signs of inspiration, so the grand was missed. Open Room West North East South Özdil Wasik Ginossar Knap 1♠ Pass 4♣ Pass 4NT Pass 5♣ Pass 6♥ Pass 7♠ All Pass In the Open Room, both East and West did much better. First of all, East splintered which made it easy for West to launch Blackwood immediately. Next, Özdil found the neat bid of 6♥, checking third-round control of the suit. Ginossar realised that his partner’s heart loser could go on the ♣A as well, so after just a little thought he jumped to the grand. Well done and 13 IMPs to them to make it 30-10, a 21-9 V.P. victory for Özdil. They had made a big step forward towards qualification.

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