The Finals European Mixed Team … Au Revoir to the Dutch

The final of the mixed teams was a 45 board affair.  As I watch by the time we had reached board 40 the Zimmermann team had wrapped it up.  They came into the third stanza of 15 boards with a reasonable lead 65 to 37.   But still the Vriend team were in striking distance.  Five boards later they might as well have been shaking hands.  Zimmermann had scored 45 unanswered imps.   The onslaught started on the first board when Zimmerman got to 3NT in the Open Room.  Maybe they were helped on their way by Bertens.

Dealer: Vul:	Bertens ♠ AQ106 ♥ QJ6 ♦ 75 ♣ K1082
Cronier ♠ K83 ♥ 4 ♦ AKQJ104 ♣ 964		D’Ovidio ♠ J97 ♥ A97 ♦ 832 ♣ AQ75
	Verbeek ♠ 542 ♥ K108532 ♦ 96 ♣ J3

Cronier	Bertens	D’Ovidio	Verbeek
	1♣	Pass	2♦
3♦	3♥	DBL	Pass
3NT	all pass

In the Closed Room when Verbeek showed a weak hand, Cronier was good enough to bid diamonds at the three level.  When D;Ovidio could double the heart partscore Cronier with a source of tricks bid 3NT.  I suspect that D’Ovidio if Bertens had passed.  In the Open Room where Williard as South just bid 1♥ , Bakkeren’s 3♦ bid sounded a lot more preemptive and it was passed out. 7 imps.  But it was the next board that probably ended the Dutch hopes.  In the Closed Room the auction got really out of hand for the Dutch when the French struck with a lot of preemption.  Try it out yourself sitting North.  You are vulnerable against not.  East D’Ovidio opens 1♣ .  Your partner Verbeek bids a natural 1♥ and West Cronier jumps all the way to 5♣ .  What do you do?

North ♠ AKJ963 ♥ J53 ♦ KJ102 ♣ –

Let’s think about it. How would you rate each of the following choices:

A) DBL B) Pass C) 5♥ D) 5NT  E) Spade bid?

A)  What does DBL mean here anyway?  I don’t think it is a club stack.  It should suggest high cards like aces and kings which give you some defense as well as offense.

B) Pass.  This seems a bit wimpy to me.  You don’t really expect them to make 5C very often and besides that you could easily be making lots in a major.

C) I can see the point of raising partner.  You would like better hearts but partner did make a vulnerable overcall.  If partner has AKQxxx of hearts that will be enough.

D) A slam is certainly a possibility.  This seems a bit pushy too me but if you take an optimistic view then you might want to commit to slam.  Is 5NT a grand slam force or suggesting two places to play the hand.  I would want to be sure of this before making this bid.

E) I don’t think the spades are good enough to bid 5♠ … too bad

What is the winner?

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ AKJ963 ♥ J53 ♦ KJ102 ♣ –
West ♠ Q10 ♥ 7 ♦ Q754 ♣ QJ10852		East ♠ 842 ♥ AQ2 ♦ A63 ♣ K743
	South ♠ 75 ♥ K109864 ♦ 98 ♣ A96

5♥ makes as the cards lie and is the overall prize winner.  But I give an honorable mention to double.  They go for 500 into your 650.  Ont his tricky hand Bertens chose to commit to slam with 5NT and that was as we can all see not a winner.  In the Open Room where East, Bakkeren chose a 3♣ preempt the French were able to stop safely and without worries in the heart game.

Good power bridge.  Félicitations to the winners.