Euro Teams Round 23 SWEDEN

Board 1 North Deals None Vul	♠ Q 8 2 ♥ 8 7 6 2 ♦ 10 8 ♣ Q 9 4 3
♠ A 10 6 ♥ K J 3 ♦ 6 4 3 ♣ K 10 6 5	N W E S	♠ K J 9 4 ♥ A Q 4 ♦ A K J 7 ♣ 8 7
	♠ 7 5 3 ♥ 10 9 5 ♦ Q 9 5 2 ♣ A J 2

EW 5♠; EW 4N; EW 4♥; E 5♦; W 4♦; EW 4♣; Par −450

And so we arrived at round 23 of 33 and Ireland faced into what was probably another hiding.
However we often play best against the strong teams.
Board 1 looks like everybodies 3 NT tickity boo but our man emerged with only 7 tricks.
Now he had company in 5 other declarers and he was not allowed look at all 4 hands like me.
I suppose if you start with a wrong ♠ Q guess you are on the wrack ..and the screw is turning.
Its somewhat different playing against top defenders who love to lead you astray.
Down 2 and 11 imps to Sweden.

Board 7 South Deals Both Vul	♠ 10 9 5 ♥ K 9 ♦ K Q 10 9 8 3 ♣ K 2
♠ K J 6 ♥ 10 7 2 ♦ 7 4 2 ♣ J 10 5 4	N W E S	♠ Q 8 7 4 ♥ A J 8 5 3 ♦ 5 ♣ 8 7 6
	♠ A 3 2 ♥ Q 6 4 ♦ A J 6 ♣ A Q 9 3

NS 4N; NS 5♦; NS 2♠; NS 3♣; N 1♥; Par +630

Our lad Hugh McGann declared 3 NT and got a ♣ lead and quickly and efficiently emerged with 12 tricks. Meanwhile the Swedish NS got themselves into a spot of bother and declared 5 ♣ for some reason and that went 3 off ... 690 and 300 was nearly a 1000 and 14 imps to Ireland now leading 18-12 having picked up 4 imps on a partscore make and break. 100+50.

Board 9 North Deals E-W Vul	♠ K 4 3 ♥ A K 6 5 ♦ 9 8 5 ♣ J 7 5
♠ Q J 10 8 7 ♥ Q ♦ K Q 7 6 2 ♣ K 4	N W E S	♠ 6 2 ♥ 10 4 2 ♦ A J 10 4 3 ♣ A 9 8
	♠ A 9 5 ♥ J 9 8 7 3 ♦ — ♣ Q 10 6 3 2

NS 4♥; EW 4♦; NS 4♣; E 2♠; W 1♠; Par +200: EW 5♦×−1

Both sides missed the cold 4 ♥ game here. unfortunately for Ireland we missed it on the top side and Sweden missed it on the bottom side. 3 ♥ up 2 was 200 added to 5 ♥ down 1 of 50 ..became 6 imps in the minus column. Often just getting a plus score is enough.
Having said that this was an 18 point game with a favourable trump Queen.
Now one must be aware that maybe our Hanlon McGann were jockeyed into 5 ♥ by some ♦ preemption by the Swedish EW. Maybe our EW should be getting closer to par.

Board 10 East Deals Both Vul	♠ 2 ♥ K 8 6 4 ♦ Q ♣ K J 9 8 7 5 2
♠ K Q 9 8 6 ♥ Q J 5 2 ♦ K 10 ♣ 4 3	N W E S	♠ A J 5 4 3 ♥ A 9 7 3 ♦ J 9 5 ♣ Q
	♠ 10 7 ♥ 10 ♦ A 8 7 6 4 3 2 ♣ A 10 6

EW 4♠; NS 5♣; EW 3♥; NS 2♦; Par +200: EW 5♠×−1

Finally a board where both our pairs rocked .. Hanlon McGann making 5 ♣ and Carroll Garvey contributing 11 tricks the opposite way with 4 ♠+1.
That added up to 15 imps for our lads now leading 33-18.

Board 12 West Deals N-S Vul	♠ 3 2 ♥ K Q 10 6 3 2 ♦ A K 8 ♣ 7 4
♠ A Q J 4 ♥ J 4 ♦ Q J 7 5 4 2 ♣ A	N W E S	♠ K 7 5 ♥ 8 7 ♦ 9 6 3 ♣ J 10 9 3 2
	♠ 10 9 8 6 ♥ A 9 5 ♦ 10 ♣ K Q 8 6 5

NS 3♥; NS 2N; EW 2♦; NS 2♣; Par +140

Hanlon McGann bid to 4 ♥ and not getting the double dummy defence they were able to make 10 tricks. In the Closed Room our laddies John Carroll and Tommy Garvey went on a little fishing trip with their 19 combined high card points and 7 combined ♠s. They caught a crocodile instead of a salmon and got badly mauled for 800. Thankfully the 620 of Hugh and Thomas softened the wounds. Maybe playing in 4 or 5 ♦s might have been safer. One Lithuanian team member managed to declare 4 ♠ unmolested for a quiet 2 down .. so our lads had company.
I understand the favourable vulnerability thing but -800 is not a good idea.

The grapevine from Ostend indicated that BJ and Ranald were chasing hard for the yellow jersey in the Seniors Butler. However at this stage Adam and Nick held down 2nd place with BJ and Ranald a respectable 6th.

Board 15 South Deals N-S Vul	♠ Q 8 ♥ 9 8 7 ♦ 6 4 3 ♣ K 9 8 7 2
♠ 10 9 6 4 ♥ K Q 10 ♦ Q 7 ♣ A Q J 4	N W E S	♠ A J 5 3 2 ♥ 5 2 ♦ K J 8 2 ♣ 5 3
	♠ K 7 ♥ A J 6 4 3 ♦ A 10 9 5 ♣ 10 6

EW 3♠; EW 2N; EW 1♦; EW 1♣; Par −140

Hanlon McGann successfully defended 4 ♠ down 1 and Garvey Carroll managed to guide it home. There appears to be a loser in each suit but the magical Tommy Garvey disappeared one of those losers. Maybe he played loser on loser or the new Malahide trick of loser on the floor and then appear to have one less loser thus making. 11 imps to Ireland .. now 44-23 ahead.

Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul	♠ Q 8 5 4 2 ♥ K 9 8 6 4 ♦ 7 ♣ A Q
♠ A K 10 7 ♥ Q J ♦ K Q J 10 ♣ K J 10	N W E S	♠ J 9 6 ♥ A 10 3 2 ♦ 9 8 4 2 ♣ 9 7
	♠ 3 ♥ 7 5 ♦ A 6 5 3 ♣ 8 6 5 4 3 2

EW 3N; EW 2♠; EW 2♥; EW 2♦; EW 1♣; Par −600

With Hanlon McGann managing somehow to slip away in a 2 ♥ contract for 3 undertricks at 50 a time things looked good on board 16 for another gain .. Sadly on what looks like a standard 3 NT contract our lads Garvey and Carroll located a 4-4 ♦ fit and also located the only minus score EW in the whole room of international bridge players. minus 150 and minus 200 added up to 8 imps in the bin. That gave us a deflated 44-31 win as us kibitzers had hoped to add some more imps to the current score of 44-23 ... Still 13.5 VPS against a top opposition ... However 13 and 14 scores were not going to make up for the surprisingly disasterous start this Irish team had.
We won 1 match of the first 12 and we also managed 1 draw.
Something like Tipperary hurlers ..