Saturday, June 16, 2018

Euro Teams Round 29 Estonia

Board 1
North Deals
None Vul
8 7
J 8 3 2
A K 10 2
K 10 9
A J 9 6 3
7 4
Q 7 6 4 3
A
N
WE
S
K 2
K Q
J 9 5
Q J 7 5 3 2
Q 10 5 4
A 10 9 6 5
8
8 6 4
EW 2; EW 3; EW 2; NS 1; Par −110
Ireland versus Estonia ..a possible win match but all teams are decent players these days but one is more hopeful when taking on a 20th placer rather than a top 10 team.
Board 1 saw us win 4 imps via Boland Moran making 2  and Hanlon McGanns opps getting to (unlikely) or being pushed to 3  down 1.
Board 2
East Deals
N-S Vul
K 10 8 7 6 4
A 8 4
Q J
Q 5
A 2
Q J 9 7 6 3
8 7 3 2
6
N
WE
S
5 3
K 2
A K 9 4
A K 10 9 8
Q J 9
10 5
10 6 5
J 7 4 3 2
EW 5; EW 5; EW 1N; EW 2; NS 1; Par −450
Then we had the above monster 17 count .. AK AK and Kx opposite what would be termed a monster weak2 bid and our 2 lads are doing the "land on a pinhead" bidding to reach 3  or else they had a misunderstanding about a 3  bid being stronger than 4  or something.
Its like Echo and the Bunnymen ..."Bring on the dancing horses" song ...
If all the dancing horses in this event are bidding 4  then our lads should be the same.
Board 8
West Deals
None Vul
K 7
A 9 6 5 4 2
10 8 4
Q 6
A J 8
10 8 7
6 2
A J 9 5 3
N
WE
S
9 6 5 4
Q J
K Q J
K 8 7 2
Q 10 3 2
K 3
A 9 7 5 3
10 4
EW 3N; EW 2; NS 2; EW 2; NS 1; Par −300: NS 4×−2
Somehow Hanlon McGann got rid of a loser to make 2  and 4 imps
Board 9
North Deals
E-W Vul
6
K 9 6 4
K J 7 6 3
10 9 7
A K Q J 9 3
7 3
A Q 9 4
A
N
WE
S
10 7 4 2
Q J 10 2
10 5
8 4 3
8 5
A 8 5
8 2
K Q J 6 5 2
EW 4; EW 2N; NS 3; N 1; NS 1; Par −300: NS 5×−2
Here our lads probably took the push over 5  and bid 5  and lost the obvious 3 tricks.
Some bright spark worked out that the 5 level is for the opposition a long time ago except of course if you are examining a slam. So the opps reached par ...big deal ..
The opps in the other room did not even reach game ... but they still won 7 imps ..
Should be 300 + 170 to be + 9 imps for us .. so going to 5  cost 16 imps not just the 7 imps on th out column .. ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS is required. I did not enjoy watching the results coming through on this match.
Board 11
South Deals
None Vul
A J 8
10 8 7 2
A K 8 6
10 2
10 4 2
J 6
J 9 7 3 2
K 8 6
N
WE
S
K 9 5
A Q
Q 10 4
Q J 9 7 4
Q 7 6 3
K 9 5 4 3
5
A 5 3
NS 4; NS 3; NS 2N; NS 1; Par +420
Here our lads decide the 4 level in s is a good idea. Its a weak NT hand facing a 5 count.
That normally plays in 1 NT and probqably goes down. How in the world has some 2 lads bid it up to 4  that cannot even make enough tricks to get a mention on the hand printout.
Best defence gets +800 .... Normal contract on the board is a partscore NS ... Some intrepid pairs got to 4  and were rewarded with 10 tricks but its a 21 point game with a shortage opposite your  AK so the room is part score in s ..no need to be risking -800 ..
Of course if they bid 4  well and good we lose 7 imps ..but they were not there yet ..
NINE IMPS out ..needlessly ..
Board 12
West Deals
N-S Vul
A Q J 4
A 6 5 3
10 6 2
7 5
10
10 8 7
A 9 4
Q J 6 4 3 2
N
WE
S
9 5 3
K 4 2
K Q J 8 7 5
K
K 8 7 6 2
Q J 9
3
A 10 9 8
NS 4; NS 2; EW 3; NS 1N; EW 1; Par +300: EW 5×−2
Here the Estonians were persuaded to try the 4-3 4  game going down while Hanlon McGann found a 9 card 4  game and made it for 13 imps in ..
Board 13
North Deals
Both Vul
J 4 2
J 10 7 5 4 3
10 5
5 2
K 9 8 7 5
Q 6
8 7 3
7 6 3
N
WE
S
A 10
A K 9 8
Q 6
A K Q 10 9
Q 6 3
2
A K J 9 4 2
J 8 4
EW 5; EW 3; EW 2; EW 1N; Par −600
Here our lads tried 3 NT with no stopper and the Estonian led a to his partner who kept going until trick 7 before he stopped got as KIT KAT ...He was tired after cashing all those cheques. A look at the room shows lots of BLACK ... 5  or 4  ...take your pick and you don't lose 13 imps ... This match just hurt my head ... The dancing horses were on it ..
As I was writing this I got the feeling of deja view ...did I not write about a Latvian lad leading against 3 NT until trick 7 and it was also s.
We got 4 imps for an up and down 1 NT ..but it was another needless LOSS instead of a morale boosting 30 imp victory ......a 10 VPs difference .. 

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