The 56^th European National Team Championships pitted the continent’s best players against one another in four different categories: open, mixed, women and seniors. The open series consisted of an 11-day round Robin contested by 30 teams. Three 16-board matches were played on most days, with the occasional ‘lighter’ day in between.

The event was held in Herning, a large town in the center of Denmark. The local amenities are plentiful, while the various museums and sports venues provided ample recreation while sitting out. For my partnership, the local tennis club gave much-needed opportunities to blow off steam by whacking a ball at each other. The town itself is low-key, serene and welcoming – the perfect place to hold a bridge tournament in my eyes. I don’t want to be bombarded with traffic and crowds of people while composing myself to play a match.

I played on the England open team. We did well against the smaller teams and less well, in general, against the big boys. However, we earned a creditable fourth place, having been in the mix for a medal towards the end. Most importantly, this earned us qualification for the World Championships, due to be held in Macau next year. Congratulations are also due to France ‒ who snuck into the eighth and final qualification spot at the last minute ‒, Sweden, Belgium and Israel. Italy won bronze, but the usual suspects Switzerland were outdone by Norway, who claimed the gold.

These tournaments are long and tough. It’s difficult to keep up one’s level in the latter stages, and there’s always another world-class pair around the corner. Not to mention the pressure built by your own expectations and those of the multiple thousands watching from afar, whether it be via BBO VuGraph or just hitting ‘refresh’ on the results pages. Let’s just say I’m always wiped out by the end.

There are two hands which really stand out for me from this year’s event, and I’m sure they will stay in my mind for a good while. On both of them, I missed a subtle chance to give declarer a losing option. This is the first, from our match against Finland early on:

South opened a Polish Club (natural, balanced or strong artificial). As West, I could have tried something unusual such as a 1NT overcall, but I bid a simple 1♦. North responded 1♥ showing spades and South rebid 2♦ to denote a strong hand with at least three spades. He later set spades as trumps, confirming at least four-card support, and North cue-bid 4♥. When South asked for keycards (not ideal with a void, but he would at least be well-placed facing a three-keycard response), I doubled just to test their methods. Some pairs aren’t on firm ground as to what they do when Roman Keycard Blackwood is interfered with. In an event of this magnitude, of course our opponents knew what was happening. North’s 5♣ bid showed two keycards, and South jumped to 6♠.

I led a top diamond, ruffed by declarer, who cashed the ♠K and ♠Q. He then crossed to dummy with the ♥A and ran the ♣9, unblocking the eight from hand. I won and… it was all over. Declarer could ruff the next diamond in hand then enter dummy with the ♣7 to draw the final trump.

Had I ducked the first club smoothly, declarer would have been in a quandary. If he repeated the finesse, he would be down! The next diamond would force his final trump, whereupon he wouldn’t be able to get back to dummy. Partner would score a club ruff and we’d get a diamond to boot, for two down. Declarer would have to divine to drop the ♣K on the second round. That’s not impossible after my strong bidding, but he’d need to pay me a great deal of unearned respect to play that way.

I ought to have ducked. It wasn’t really possible that we would score two club tricks, so this couldn’t cost the contract. I should have appreciated the position when declarer drew only two trumps (to keep control) then crossed to dummy with the jack of hearts to the ace.

Declarer, for his part, probably ought to play out the ♣A and another after drawing two rounds of trumps, thus preserving the ♥A as a late entry to table.

Here’s another I had later on, playing Greece. I sat West once again:

My partner’s 3♦ preempt was fairly down the middle given his position and vulnerability. South might have doubled but chose 3♥, after which North had a clear raise.

I led the ♦3, taken in dummy as partner contributed the ♦10. This ought to be a suit preference signal as from my perspective, the diamond position is known from the bidding. Thus, partner was showing the ♠A. Declarer immediately ran the ♥10. This time I gave the matter some consideration, but again did the normal thing by taking my ♥Q. Wrong. Declarer ruffed the next diamond, drew trumps and ran clubs, making four heart tricks, a diamond and five clubs for contract.

I should have reasoned that this was the layout after partner’s signal at trick one, and from declarer’s line of play. It’s most unusual to run the ♥10 on the first round with this combination, not even cashing the ace first. Declarer’s intention was surely to smoke out the queen at any cost. Remembering the old adage, What’s good for the opponents is bad for me, I should have ducked. See the effect here.

If declarer makes the natural play of cashing the ♥A next, he sees the split, then goes after clubs. I must refuse to ruff the third round otherwise declarer still has an entry to the long club on table. What’s more, I must discard a diamond. Say declarer then changes tack and gives up a spade, angling for a ruff on table. I go in with the ♠Q and play the ♦K. I cannot, after all, draw dummy’s trump without giving away a trick. Declarer ruffs the ♦K and surrenders another spade, but my partner can win that and play a diamond through for me to overruff declarer’s ♥J with the queen. I then exit with a third spade, forcing declarer to ruff on table and endplaying the dummy to lead the fourth round of clubs which I ruff with the ♥9 for the setting trick. Too tough to see? Well, as Zia often preaches, if declarer is going to make his contract by normal play, try something unusual. It can hardly cost.

Note that declarer can still succeed once I duck the ♥10, but only by playing clubs immediately, and that might look silly if hearts are 3-2 and clubs 3-1…

I suspect a smooth duck would have cooked declarer’s goose on both of these hands, but we’ll never know. The moral of the story is that if an opponent seems fated to succeed, you should look for ways of giving them a losing option and nudging them down the garden path.

Five other Championships were decided, starting with the Women’s Pairs.

In the Final of the Women’s pairs, Cathy and Sophia Baldysz looked set to win by a historic margin, as at one point they were more than five tops ahead of their nearest challengers. Here is a deal that helped them on their way:

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.

1♣     11-14 balanced or 4441♦(4315/3415) or 15+5+♣ or 4414 or 18+ any
2♥     Clubs
4♥     Control

West led the ♠J and declarer won in dummy and played a club, East winning and returning a spade. Declarer won, cashed the ♣K and then played four rounds of hearts, ruffing. A club to hand took care of the outstanding trump and the ♥6 disposed of the remaining small diamond, making dummy high. Note that if North is declarer, a diamond lead is fatal. +920 was a complete top.

The silver medals went to Finland’s Pia Erkkila & Raija Tuomi with Serbia’s Jovana Zoranovic & Selena Pepic collecting bronze.

Senior Pairs

Michal Kwiecien & Wlodzimierz Starkowski retained the title they won in Madeira, the fifth time a Polish pair has lifted the trophy. The runners up were Sweden’s Per-Inge Helmertz & Arne Jordestedt, while Israel’s Avi Kalish & Nir Grinberg finished third.

The idea of doubling a strong 1NT opening for penalties is not fashionable, but it can reap rich rewards as on this deal from the second qualifying session:

As you know that your side has the balance of power, there is no rush to lead a heart, which might give declarer a cheap trick. Either black suit is a good start, but we’ll look at how the play might go after a club lead for the eight, queen and ace. If declarer plays a diamond to dummy’s jack, South wins, cashes the ♣K and then switches to a heart. If declarer plays an honour, North can duck, and when South comes in with the ♦A, a second heart ensures that declarer is held to five tricks.

1No-Trump was the contract at 10 of the 11 tables, but it was only defeated on three occasions!

Women’s Teams

In a thrilling finish Norway took the title despite losing in the last round to the runners up, France. Türkiye finished third, the remaining qualifiers being Italy, Poland, England, Netherlands and Denmark.

The best way to tackle a suit combination will not always be the winning option, particularly when the odds are close. Look at this deal from Round 5:

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.

Seven pairs reached a slam on this deal, and the outcome depended on how declarer tackled the diamond suit. The percentage play of low to the queen did not work on this occasion, but if declarer had started the suit by playing the ♦8 from hand, intending to run it, then East would have won with the jack. On the next round of the suit, declarer plays the ♦Q, hoping to find West with a doubleton ♦10. This delightful play is known as an intra finesse, introduced to the world by the legendary Brazilian star Gabriel Chagas.

This type of play is not so rare – look at this deal from Round 22:

South leads the ♦Q and declarer wins in hand and plays the ♥7, South taking the ♥A and returning a heart to dummy’s king. Now comes the key play, a club for the eight, nine and queen. When South exits with the ♣3, declarer lets it run to the jack after which she can draw trumps, cash the ♣A and exit with a diamond to endplay North.

Senior Teams

The Netherlands stormed to victory followed by Poland and France. Europe’s contingent at the World Championships was completed by Italy, Sweden, Austria, England and Denmark.

Bridge players are used to using conventions, but the secret of success is to choose the right moment.

2♣     Weak in diamonds or any strong hand
4♣     Clubs and a major

Leaping Michaels is a popular convention. The only issue is deciding how strong you must be to employ it.

East led the ♦J and having taken dummy’s ♦A, declarer played the ♥J, West contributing the ♥2. When the ♥J held declarer continued with a heart to the ace, and East’s discard told declarer he was going down. Declarer now played clubs, but West ruffed the second round, and that was one down, -100 – it could have been worse.

Open Room

Here South was content to overcall in his longest suit and then introduce hearts.

West led the ♦K and having won perforce with the ♦A, declarer played the ♥J for the queen and ace and a second heart. When East discarded the ♦5, West won with the ♥K and played the ♦Q, but declarer ruffed and could ruff two hearts with dummy’s ♣109 to ensure 11 tricks, +750 and a 13 IMP swing.

East might be wishing that he had ruffed the second heart, after which a club, a spade or even a low diamond should restrict declarer to ten tricks. Or perhaps West wished he had not covered the ♥J. Then East ruffs the second round of the suit and declarer must lose three tricks.

16 pairs were in 5 Clubs, many of them doubled. It made five times, +750 being recorded on three occasions.

Mixed Teams

Israel dominated the competition, finishing ahead of France and Italy. Romania, Denmark, England, Sweden and Hungary also qualifying.