Day 4

I watch the English match with Tosh, who, as English Coach, is suffering from divided loyalties. This is pleasure almost unalloyed. We lose a few imps on the first 2 boards, but then come charging through with a few game swings. Board 26 is the match talking point. Stewart, with Jack-free 5=2=5=1 20 count, hears partner open the bidding. He has a wee peek at the Grand, but soon settles in the cold 6NT. The English EW grind to a halt in 5D, which looks solid enough, but they find an inspired way to go down – 17 fat imps and a 58-24 win. We advance serenely to 14th place, just 5VP behind England now and 10 ahead of Ireland who have suffered another defeat, to Denmark this time.

The sun is shining. Hardly a cloud in the sky.

But Croatia are next up. Currently 18th in the table. I decide to give Athena and Glen a last game before Athena heads home. And I rest my in-form pair: Ronan and Liam have been playing the first and third matches most days and I do not want to change pattern before I need to. The clouds start to gather. We are swiftly down 0-28, though it is difficult to blame much except luck, which has not been smiling on our new pair. Things quieten down for a bit, but then disaster strikes. A dubious auction to a hopeless Grand Slam. Followed by a missed vulnerable game. (There is a defence, but who is finding it?) Our worst result, and one we really cannot afford. Captain’s fault.

The sun has gone in, and my team is nowhere to be seen.  Only the lonely…. 

The day finishes with Russia. An uninspired match where a little inspiration would go a long way to avoiding defeat. When opponents do not bid it is normal to reach 3NT with a spade stopper of Jx opposite Txx. The suit is blocked (West has AK doubleton) but East has DKx. Cashing some winners would force him to discard winners, creating an endplay situation; or nonchalantly bare DK, as the French East does. But the failure to discard winners surely indicates that he thinks he has an entry, so we should drop the King? All too deep,  too late in the day. Unfortunately our EW pair get into the auction, and the Russians settle in a 4-3 heart fit that we cannot beat. On the last board Stewart has the wit to bid a thin nonvulnerable 3NT, in face of a strong no-trump on his right. This saves something from the wreck. We are back in 15th place, still just short of 3 figures. We need a good run in if we are to achieve a top half placing.

4 matches tomorrow, but none against top-placed teams. Turkey (20th), Czech Republic (8th), Finland (23rd) and Portugal (19th). Fingers crossed that we do not produce a Tragic Tuesday to emulate the Woeful Wednesday of 2 years ago. Positive thinking, please!