The Clash of the Irish… Camrose Match .. Revised

The Camrose tournament was on this weekend and I had a chance to comment on a match this morning.  If you are interested in all the teams and results of this Great Britain contest check out:

Camrose Results

England was the final winner beating out the Republic of Ireland who were second.  Wales was third and  Scotland was fourth.  Northern Ireland was a distant fifth and a second Northern Ireland team (as hosts) labeled NIBU  even further down the scoring table

The match this morning pitted the two Irish teams.  the Republic of Ireland versus Northern Ireland team.  Oddly one of the pairs on the Republic of Ireland team was not listed as one of the three pairs playing (a last minute substitution perhaps).  The pair was Karel de Raeymaker (he had Belgian parents) and Anna Onishuk (who was born in Russia).  Hence the “unIrish” names.

Their partners in the Open Room were John Carroll and Tommy Garvey.

Playing for the Northern Ireland in the Closed Room where I watched was John Murchan & Ciara Burns with their teammates Hastings Campbell & Greer MacKenzie in the Open Room.

It was an exciting match at my table with lots of bidding.  At one point I thought that Karel should have a nice cup of tea, herbal not Irish, since he needed to take it down a notch.  But then perhaps his style was just not “my cup of tea”.  Do you like these weak 2 bids?  The first one was white on red (but in second chair)

Exhibit A

KJ943 J6 873 764

 

Exhibit B

QJ865

84

J104

Q84

All the bidding meant that Anna had to work extra hard and she was a fine declarer.   Perhaps the most interesting example of their style (Bid Boldly, Play Safe a la Rixi Marcus, the fine British Women Internationalist) was this deal.  Coming into Board 11 of 16 Northern Ireland was leading by 11 imps 22-11.  First let’s follow East during the bidding

954

KJ643

QJ6

K5

White nobody vulnerable partner opens 2NT and you transfer to hearts.  What now?  Personally I bid 3NT.  If partner takes a move in hearts then I am interested and not otherwise.  Karel invited with 4NT.  The auction did eventually squeak to a halt in 5 despite partner’s maximum (with no heart fit).  The opposite hand was

AQ102

A10

A75

AQJ6

In the other room your opponents were in a more normal 3NT making 4.  So it was up to Anna to bring home 5 and I will give you a hint the hearts are 5-1.  So let’s see how she did it.  I will rotate the hand to make Anna South

	North 954 KJ643 QJ6 K5
West J73 Q9753 K84 98		East K86  8  109326  107432
	South AQ102 A10 A75 AQJ6

The opening lead was the 9 won in dummy.  She played a heart to the ace and the 1- covered with the Q and the K.  South showed out with the 6.  She now played on clubs.   ruffed the third round with the 7 while Anna discarded a spade and West got out a spade.  (Well anything else was worse).    Anna won in hand and it was effectively over.  She played another club and everybody discarded (but if West ruffs she overrufs and only has a diamond to lose.  If West discards a diamond she cashes her spade, ruffs a spade and can endplay North in a red suit.  Do you like it?  I did.  And that won her an imp (some imps are better than others.

However Board 15 was the deciding match of the set.  Coming into this board Ireland led Northern Ireland 24-18.  This hand was a bidding challenge. 

West

KJ83

83

AKJ108 

K8

Suppose you open 1NT white on red after your RHO passes.  (I wouldn’t with the weak doubletons.  What do you think?)  Anyway your partner bid 3 natural and forcing.  You bid 3NT.  Partner persists with 4 natural.  Your call?

Do you like 4?  I don’t know  natural (I guess).  When you aren’t quite sure where partner is heading this seems like a safe bet.

Now its up to partner.  Let’s see what he does?

East

A

AKQ974

Q5 

J1053

Partner continues with 4NT.  Darn if I know what that means.   Is it a notrump raise or keycard for diamonds or for clubs or for hearts or maybe no suit at all.  Anyways partner bids 5.  I hope they know what is going on now cause I am confused.  I supposed that West may be responding aces in a 1430 manner or maybe responding for hearts. East ended the torture with 6.  This doesn’t seem so bad except for one minor problem.  If hearts don’t break this is going down not to mention that playing it from the East hand you have to deal with a club lead.   Playing notrump from the East hand does give you more options.  Still with hearts not breaking and no spade miracle this should go down from either side most of the time. 

You guessed it.  Hearts don’t break and 6 has no chance at all.  Is this one of those times where 6NT makes?  Not exactly.  Here is the whole hand

	North Q1054 J1062 6  A974
West KJ83 83 AKJ108  K8		East A AKQ974 Q5  J1053
	South 9762 5 97432 Q62

Nope there really isn’t any legitimate way to make 6NT unless you guess hearts.  North (Garvey) started with a clever 10 after West opened with 1 and East had shown great hearts.  But let’s face it heart lead or no heart lead West was not going to guess em.  West played a second heart and got the bad news.  Now West (Hastings) ran the J.  And North made the rather remarkable play of ducky the ace.  Perhaps he felt safe in the knowledge that the hearts were not running, declarer couldn’t have more than one spade trick etc.  But he failed to consider what he would do if West had five diamonds.  Because after he ducked Hastings cashed all of dummy’s winners and then five diamonds.  His last three cards, all black where the K and the KJ.  As long as Hastings could guess the ending he was destined to take two tricks and make the hand.   So the 14 imps lost on this board was a result, not of the unusual bidding in the Closed Room (6 is a fine contract) but the defensive mistake by Garvey.  And that was the match.  The final score Northern Ireland 32, Ireland 24.

Paul added ….

This set was the first 16 boards of a 32 board match. In the second set Northern Ireland surprisingly increased their lead by 4 IMPs, playing against the top two Irish pairs, to gain a rare 17-13 VP win over their southern neighbours.