European Youth Teams Championship - Match 1 vs Sweden

I wasn't quite clear where to focus the team's attention before our first match. A lot of things were new to most of our team. These include: playing against very strong opposition; playing against an unusual bidding system; playing with LoveBridge tablets for the bidding; and playing with wooden screens separating the teams diagonally.

At breakfast (good croissants, I had two) we went over a few aspects of the Swede's bidding system. 

Like every other team at the tournament they are playing a strong NT opening and five-card-majors, which means their 1♣ opening could be only two cards. That's fine, we can ignore that and treat it as a normal 1♣ opening. Most teams also played a Multi 2♦, where that opening shows a weak two in either major. Our defence is basically natural, but with a double being either a weak NT or a very good hand. 

One Swedish pair also played transfer responses to 1♣, meaning that for example a 1♦ response shows Hearts. Thanks to Paul Gipson we have a defence to this and have practiced it: a double shows that suit (e.g. doubling the 1♦ transfer shows you actually have Diamonds), and bidding the suit they are transferring into shows a takeout double (e.g. bidding their intended suit of 1♥ shows a takeout of 1♥) . 

I didn't think it was worth spending too long focusing on the opponents Given that our pairs didn't know our own system especially well, I thought it best not to worry about the opponent's system too much.

What I should have done is tell our team to slow down. Against opponents who play fast there is a temptation to keep the tempo and play too fast. But as declarer you need to think. Questions like:

• Am I going to ruff anything in dummy?
• Am I going to set up dummy's suit, and if so do I have entries?
• What happens if trumps split badly?

I am allowed to watch a match and saw one of our declarers race through a contract and go one off. Of course, the opponents could have helped him out, but they didn't. Perhaps I should add to my checklist:

• Assume that each time the opponents will return the suit you want least

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Well, the results are now in, and as predicted we did not quite beat Sweden. The score in IMPs was114-15. Scorecard here. Given that a win of 60 IMPs or more translates to 20-0 in Victory Points this was an emphatic 20-0 loss. We join Ireland at the bottom of the table.

Looking through the hands the losses include three overbid and doubled contracts on our side, one where Sweden made a doubled part-score, and a couple of misplayed hands. Our positive IMPs came on one board where Sweden went down in a reasonable 6♣ (on the other table we played 2♠= after a misunderstanding), one where Sweden failed in Spade part scores on both tables, and the two hands below. 

These were our two successes (link to results for this board here)

On one table the Swedish West opened a strong 1NT and played there. Donald as North lead a small Spade and declarer wrapped up seven tricks.

On the other table Jamie for Scotland, playing a weak NT, opened 1♦. His partner Tamsin bid 1NT as East and played there. She went one better than the Swedish declarer and made eight tricks for a crucial 1 IMP swing.

However, the hand was not without controversy, as the director was called Tamsin's 1NT bid. The defence did not expect her to have a four card major, and may have misdefended because of it. She and Jamie received a warning that they need to alert these 1NT responses that might have a four card major if they do them in the future. In fact everyone has been encouraged to bid the major, so in the future it shouldn't be an issue.

This was an unusual board across the event in that every table played the same contract 1NT. Normally as West but twice as South which didn't go well. 

Our other successful board was a much more exciting hand (link here)

On her table Tamsin as East opened 3♠ and played there. This was passed out by Jamie (good bid) and went four off for minus 400. However, on the other table Donald and Michael as North-South managed to double 3♠ and beat it by two, for plus 500. They did well to avoid the trap of bidding 4♥ or 5♦, which West has an easy double of (as happened at many tables).

So those tremendous victories aside it was a heavy loss to get things going. On the plus side our vital sixth member of the team has arrived, and is currently doing battle with Hungary.


Results after Round 1: 0 VPs (Joint 17th)

Table here.