Euro Teams Round 18 PORTUGAL

Board 20 West Deals Both Vul	♠ A K 9 8 ♥ 9 8 3 ♦ Q 4 ♣ K J 9 5
♠ Q 3 ♥ 7 5 4 2 ♦ K 7 ♣ A 10 7 3 2	N W E S	♠ J 10 7 6 ♥ A J 10 6 ♦ A 10 6 3 2 ♣ —
	♠ 5 4 2 ♥ K Q ♦ J 9 8 5 ♣ Q 8 6 4

EW 3♥; EW 1N; EW 2♦; EW 1♠; NS 1♣; Par −140

Ireland lined up with Hanlon McGann opposite our North South of Boland Moran.
We hoped for some IMPS to keep Ireland rising on track.
However on this board 20 Hanlon McGann tried the 19 hcp game of 4H and failed while the Portuguese were beating 1 NT in the other room .. 200 + 100 gave them 7 imps.

Board 21 North Deals N-S Vul	♠ Q 5 ♥ A K Q 2 ♦ 10 9 8 4 ♣ 8 5 2
♠ 10 9 4 ♥ 9 6 4 ♦ A K J 5 ♣ Q J 3	N W E S	♠ K 3 ♥ 10 8 7 5 3 ♦ Q 7 6 2 ♣ A 6
	♠ A J 8 7 6 2 ♥ J ♦ 3 ♣ K 10 9 7 4

NS 3♠; NS 3♣; EW 1♥; EW 1♦; Par +140

Ireland hit back with 6 imps for 4 ♠ down and 3 ♠ making respectively with the cautious Boland matching his bidding to his hand evaluation skills. 6 imps to Ireland.

Board 22 East Deals E-W Vul	♠ Q 10 8 7 2 ♥ Q 9 8 ♦ 10 2 ♣ Q 8 5
♠ A K 9 6 4 3 ♥ A J ♦ K Q 5 3 ♣ 2	N W E S	♠ 5 ♥ K 6 5 4 2 ♦ A 7 6 ♣ K J 10 3
	♠ J ♥ 10 7 3 ♦ J 9 8 4 ♣ A 9 7 6 4

EW 4N; EW 4♠; EW 4♥; EW 4♦; EW 2♣; Par −630

Then on 22 the Portugals had presumably an accident with 28 points staying in part score.
Hanlon McGann duly bid a game and gathered in 10 imps.
Even internationals it seems miscount or take breaks

Board 23 South Deals Both Vul	♠ J 8 7 3 ♥ 9 7 4 ♦ Q 7 5 2 ♣ 10 2
♠ Q 10 5 4 ♥ A 3 ♦ 10 8 6 ♣ 9 7 6 4	N W E S	♠ A 9 6 2 ♥ 8 ♦ A K 3 ♣ A K Q 8 3
	♠ K ♥ K Q J 10 6 5 2 ♦ J 9 4 ♣ J 5

EW 5♠; EW 4N; EW 5♣; EW 3♦; NS 1♥; Par −650

We were unlucky on 23 when Hanlon McGann failed in 5 ♠ after hitting a 4-1 break.
If Hanlon was playing we would have been okay as Hanlon knows the Rabbi rule.
The Rabbi always plays ACE when its singleton OFFSIDE.
Flat board.

Anyway we got another 5 imps when Boland grabbed an extra doubled undertrick on 24

Board 25 North Deals E-W Vul	♠ Q J 4 ♥ A J 10 5 ♦ K 7 4 2 ♣ 7 6
♠ A K ♥ 8 3 ♦ A Q 8 3 ♣ A K 5 4 3	N W E S	♠ 10 9 8 6 3 ♥ K Q 9 2 ♦ J 9 5 ♣ 8
	♠ 7 5 2 ♥ 7 6 4 ♦ 10 6 ♣ Q J 10 9 2

EW 4♠; W 4♥; EW 3N; W 5♦; E 3♥; E 4♦; EW 2♣; Par −620

McGann played a 3 NT with 26 hcp and got home. No big deal he thinks.
Meanwhile Boland took a smack at the Portuguese 3 ♣ and the other Portuguese tried a takeout redouble and West looked at Boland and decided this old lad is joking me.
So he stuck it out and Boland holding ♣ QJT9x was going nowhere and Moran produced a couple of tricks and that was 1 down for 400 to add to 600 giving 14 imps from nowhere.
Ireland lost 6 on 29 but then came 30...

Board 30 East Deals None Vul	♠ A 8 ♥ K 6 ♦ A Q J 10 9 4 ♣ A 9 5
♠ Q J 10 9 ♥ 7 3 ♦ 8 6 3 2 ♣ K 10 8	N W E S	♠ K 6 5 4 3 2 ♥ J 8 5 ♦ K 7 ♣ 6 4
	♠ 7 ♥ A Q 10 9 4 2 ♦ 5 ♣ Q J 7 3 2

NS 7♥; NS 6♣; NS 4N; NS 5♦; Par +1510

Both sides played a ♥ contract. Both played in slam.
Boland Moran declared 6 ♥ and that was handy enough.. making 13 ..
The Portuguese on the other hand boosted to 7 ♥ against Hanlon McGann ..
Double Dummy its 13 tricks .... but I don't think anyone is going to have a go at ruffing out the ♦ K when taking the ♦ finesse might be easier. You can also go for ♣T doubleton and ♣ K onside. I don't know the answer .. anyway 15 imps to Ireland who won the match 53-18 for
17.5 VPS

This is the match where the solid citizen Ranald Milne secured a decent win for his Senior Teams with a eagle birdie finish on 31 and 32 ..

Ranald produced +550 for 3SX and +600 on a tough 3 NT. I will show the 2 boards.

Board 31 South Deals N-S Vul	♠ J 4 ♥ Q 10 9 8 5 ♦ K Q 10 7 ♣ 6 5
♠ K 10 5 ♥ K ♦ 9 8 6 5 2 ♣ 10 9 3 2	N W E S	♠ A Q 9 8 7 2 ♥ 7 6 4 2 ♦ A 4 ♣ 7
	♠ 6 3 ♥ A J 3 ♦ J 3 ♣ A K Q J 8 4

NS 4♥; NS 4♣; EW 2♠; NS 1♦; Par +300: EW 4♠×−2

West	North	East	South
BJ O Brien		Ranald Milne
			1 ♣
Pass	1 ♥	2 ♠	Dbl
3 ♠	Dbl	All pass

Ranaldo made 3S somehow .. Well done him

Board 32 West Deals E-W Vul	♠ K 6 3 ♥ 9 3 2 ♦ K 4 2 ♣ Q 8 3 2
♠ A Q 7 2 ♥ A Q 6 ♦ Q J 8 5 ♣ K 4	N W E S	♠ 9 5 4 ♥ K 8 4 ♦ A 6 3 ♣ J 10 9 5
	♠ J 10 8 ♥ J 10 7 5 ♦ 10 9 7 ♣ A 7 6

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

West	North	East	South
BJ O'Brien		Ranald Milne
1 ♦	Pass	1 N	Pass
2 N	Pass	3 N	All pass

Ranald guided 3 NT home for +600 ...
Breaking open a tight match with 20 imps on the Final 2 boards ..

The Irish ladies Whelan and Gilliland also produced the same +530 and + 600 on these boards.