Dear team captains, players and spectators.

Welcome to the blog from the Nordic Championship for Junior 2013. This year we are fortunate that we have three classes in the Nordic Championships, U25, U20 and girls' class, nine teams are participating this year: The first part is a regular Round Robin with 9 matches of 14 boards, where the winning team of the Round Robin gets the NBU trophy. After NBU trophy is settled, there will be a final game over 42 boards to determine the winners of each class. Schedule and the fixtures for the championship's on www.bridge.no.

On this blog, there will be photos, interesting boards and other exciting reading material, and  this blog will be like a bulletin during the championship. If there is something you miss in the blog, just give us a message via e-mail, telephone or BBO (BBO-nicks: larsarthur or hagz).

  Before the first match, we asked some of the players a few simple questions.

Team?

Age?

BBO-nick

Sosial status?

1. Who is your favourite bridge player?

2. Your favourite partner?

3. Favourite convention, and why?

4. Your best bridge result?

5. Ambitions for this championship?

6. Which team do you think will win your class? 

Dennis Bilde

Denmark U26

23 years old

BBO-nick: ballebojr

Sosial status: In a relationship

1. My favourite bridge player must be Geir Helgemo

2. Emil Jepsen

3. Stayman is very good

4. My best result is the Vanderbilt triumph (2013)

5. Gold of course

6. Denmark

Espen Flått

Norway U20

19 years old

BBO-nick: Espooz

Sosial status: Single

1. Geir Helgemo

2. Christian Bakke

3. Lindqvistraises after 1 major opening

4. 5th in the European Championship U20 2011

5. To win

6. I win

Simon Hult

U-25 Sweden

18 years old

BBO-nick: hultahult

Sosial status: SINGLE!!!

1. Peter Bertheau

2. Simon Ekenberg

3. Fryklund 2 diamond opening that shows exaxtly four diamonds 0-9 Hcp any distribution. Its nice convention because it allways happens a lot.

4. bronze medal in European championship U20

5. I think i will win, and relax.

6. Sweden of course.

Ida Grønkvist

Sweden U26

18 years old

BBO-nick: halko

Sosial status: In a relationship with Matias Rohrberg

1. Cecilia Rimstedt

2. Cecilia Rimstedt

3. Urresangen (sang=No trump) good convention because I know how to play it. (Upmark/Cullin)

4. Swedish championship gold for junior

5. To win

6. We will win of course

Oskari Koivu

Finland U20

14 years old

BBO-nick: Osku7

Sosial status: Single

1. Im not sure at the moment

2.My dad, because we have played a lot together

3. Exlclusion blackwood

4. Last year we played a friendly match against Estonia, and we won a lot.

5. I hope we are not last

6. Sweden

Emil Buus Thomsen

18 years old

BBO-nick: Lkongen

Sosial status: In a relationship

1. Majka Bilde

2. Frerik Skovly

3. Strong pass, because you get more opportunities than usual.↑ Go to the top

4. Defending nordic and danish champion in speedball

5. To win

6. My team

Board 13

In the match between Norway U25 and Denmark U25 both tables had the same bidding to 4 hearts. At both tables east led the six of clubs. dummy unblocked the nine, west playing the ten and north the Ace. The winning line for this contract is to play a heart to the Ace and another heart, making the contract if the hearts are 3-2. Neither of the tables did that, they both played heart to the Queen, even though the odds are 68% for 3-2 and 50% for the heart finesse working (am I missing something??). But this will be the winning line if the heart is 4-1 with single heart 4 behind dummy. After winning the trick with the king of heart, Emil Jepsen in the open room played the heart jack and Harald Eide in north made 10 tricks. In the closed room, Erlend Skjetne gave his partner Tor Eivind Grude a club ruff. After the ruff, EW made one spade trick and another heart trick. 12 worthfull IMPS to Norway U25.

Here is another exciting board that went in favor to Norway. With 7-4 in two suits Signe Buus Thomsen decided to preempt with 3 clubs. When Grude raised 5 diamonds to six there was hard for Jepsen not to bid 7 clubs. Ellingsen in closed passed after the 1 D opening and that gave him the chance to lead his stiff spade and ruff the next one against 6 diamond. 8 goldworthy imps to Norway.