52nd European Team Championships
Opatija, Croatia • 21 June – 1 July 2014
Results, On-line Scores & Bulletins LiveBridge.net
Friday June 27, 2014
In the thirteenth Round of the 52nd European Bridge Teams Championships Qualifier RR, Opatija 2014, Sweden faced Iceland. The match ended with the victory of Sweden: 40-15, thus Sweden continued to lead the group A.
In the first board both teams declared and made a slam, played by almost all the Open Championship tables. In the second board both teams played 4
two down, but Iceland doubled in one of the rooms and won the first 7 IMPs of the match. The next board was the first two double digit swing:
Board 3
Although they play 1NT opening: 14 to 16, Einarsson revalued his good sixth diamond suit and opened 1NT. His partner asked for majors and closed 3NT when South denied them.
The 3 lead, sealed the fate of the contract one down when the Sweden pair ran the first 5 tricks.
At the other table, Nystrom opened 1
, showing 5+ diamonds or 4 diamantes if the hand has 4 diamonds and (441).
Baldursson showed his hearts, and Upmark doubled to show the other suits. Haraldsson supported his partner’s suit, and Nystrom showed his sixth diamond card. Upmark asked his partner for a heart stopper, and closed the game on diamonds when his partner denied it.
The defense begun with two heart tricks, but the rest was for the declarer, as he was able to pitch a club in the 4th spade.
Board 4
Baldursson erased the level three with his 4. Upmark showed his spade suit. East redoubled the bet with his 5 and Nystrom supported spades with 5
…the end. Declarer made 12 tricks = +680.
At the other table West also opened with 4, but here North showed the two majors with a 5 call. But some mistake in the sequence made them end in 7…West led the heart ace…one down.
This was an interesting defense:
Board 6
E/W arrived to the 2 contract and Nystrom led the 4.
The declarer played a small heart from dummy and the 10 made the first trick. Upmark continued with the 
K, learning that his partner had three cards of the suit he played a small club to his partner’s Q, waiting for a heart return. Haraldsson played the Q, North won with his K.
He played the A (taking away dummy’s exit card) and a heart.
Declarer was now in dummy and had to play a diamond to his the A, and the Q won his next trick. But he had no solution…and went two down.
A nice defense that took advantage of a tiny mistake, and that represented three IMPs when at the other table the declarer was only one down …
All the Boards: