Photo: Ricardo Westerbeek-Merel Bruinsteen-Janneke Wackwitz & Michel Schols
The final of the Dutch Junior Teams Championship 2017 was decided on the next to last board. Here is what happened:
Dealer South E/W VUL
 Q 10 8 6 5 3 Q 5 3 10 2 Q 7 |
||
| 2K 10 8 6K 7A 10 9 8 4 3 |
A KA J 9 7 4 2A J 8 3K |
|
| J 9 7 4—Q 9 6 5 4J 6 5 2 |
At the first table NS saved, after a 1opening by West and a weak 2overcall by North, against 7rapidly in 7or minus 1400. Merel Bruinsteen as North and Janneke Wackwitz as South (world champions with the Dutch girls in 2016 and European champions in 2017) had a different view and produced a quiet and much slower bidding sequence:
| West | North | East | South |
| Merel | Janneke | ||
| Pass | |||
| 1 |
1 |
2 (=) |
3 |
| 4 |
4 |
4NT | Pass |
| 5 |
Pass | 7 |
Pass |
| Pass | Pass |
After a spade lead declarer had to guess trumps for +2210 and a big win. Did he have a clue? North only overcalled 1which after 4was likely a six-card suit. Did north have a more or less balanced distribution or did she have a second suit in diamonds?
If South was void in hearts, why did she only raised to 3in this favourable vulnerability? Lots of things to think about. As a matter of fact declarer started trumps with A with fatal consequences: one down and – 17 imps instead of +13 imps and the Dutch junior title-2017 to Merel Bruinsteen-Janneke Wackwitz with Ricardo Westerbeek-Michel Schols.
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