Women Teams R6 - Russia v Canada

The Hare & the Tortoise

by Mark Horton

Everyone must be familiar with Aesop’s classic fable telling how the slow but sure Tortoise overcame the lightning fast hare – so join me now for the bridge equivalent, a contest between the Russian women’s team, Olympiad winners in Istanbul, and a Canadian team that had scored an upset victory in their Country’s final trial.

The match started with a very tough deal:

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ K 9 5 4 3 ♥ J 8 3 ♦ J 5 ♣ 6 3 2
♠ A 6 ♥ A Q 10 9 4 ♦ K 10 7 4 ♣ 7 4		♠ J 10 ♥ 6 5 ♦ Q 9 8 2 ♣ A K Q 9 5
	♠ Q 8 7 2 ♥ K 7 2 ♦ A 6 3 ♣ J 10 8

Open Room

The Russian pair, playing Polish Club, did well to steer clear of the doomed 3NT and declarer made light work of the diamond game. She won the spade lead with the ace and played three rounds of clubs to get rid of dummy’s remaining spade. She ruffed a spade and ran the ten of diamonds. South took the ace and switched to a heart and declarer put in the queen, cashed the king of diamonds and claimed twelve tricks, +420.

Closed Room

If Three Spades was looking for some help in the suit East had to judge if her ♠J10 was what partner needed. It was not enough this time, and South’s automatic spade lead left declarer with little option but to hope that both heart honours were onside. That meant she was two down, -100 and the Russia hare had raced into an 11 IMP lead.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ J 8 3 2 ♥ K J 6 3 2 ♦ 5 2 ♣ A 7
♠ K Q 10 9 ♥ Q ♦ A K Q 7 3 ♣ K J 2		♠ 5 ♥ A 7 4 ♦ 10 8 6 ♣ 9 8 6 5 4 3
	♠ A 7 6 4 ♥ 10 9 8 5 ♦ J 9 4 ♣ Q 10

Open Room

With four-card support one might have expected South to chose an alternative to Two Hearts, but even with plenty of room the Russian pair could not locate their nine card fit. A minor suit game depends not least on how declarer views the club suit – and the overcall combined with the location of the ace of spades should ensure that declarer does not go wrong.

North led a heart and declarer put up the ace, led a spade, won the diamond return, ruffed a spade and played a club to the jack, which quickly led to eleven tricks, +150.

Closed Room

This time it was Canada’s turn to do well in the bidding.

Declarer won the heart lead and played a spade to the king. When that held she elected to cross ruff the majors and then exit with the king of clubs. North could take the ace, but the only other trick for the defence was the trump queen, +600 and 10 IMPs to Canada.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ K 8 7 2 ♥ K 5 ♦ A K 7 2 ♣ K 8 7
♠ 10 9 6 5 4 ♥ J 9 3 ♦ Q 8 6 5 4 ♣ -		♠ Q J 3 ♥ 10 8 7 2 ♦ 9 ♣ Q J 5 3 2
	♠ A ♥ A Q 6 4 ♦ J 10 3 ♣ A 10 9 6 4

Open Room

South’s Two Spade transfer established the club fit, and North/South were soon in a slam. East’s diamond lead went to the jack, queen and ace and declarer’s next, spectacularly unsuccessful move, was to play a low club to the king ace. That technical error meant she was one down, -100.

Closed Room

Here too East led her diamond and with that suit good for three tricks declarer cashed the king of clubs. The 5-0 break was disclosed, but declarer’s pips were good enough, and she lost only one trump trick, +1370 being worth 16 IMPs.

You might wish to consider the best line in Six Clubs on a passive lead. Suppose East tries a spade. One possibility is to win with the ace and play a club, intending to put in the eight if East follows. You expect to win the return, cash the king of clubs and if the suit breaks, play to ruff a heart. That will give you twelve tricks without needing to hazard the diamond finesse.

On Board 26 the West players were looking at: ♠102 ♥AQJ ♦J743 ♣KJ72 and, at game all, saw partner open Three Clubs. When South passes what should you do?

Vorobeychikova chose to raise to Four Clubs while Culham tried a sneaky 3NT. Neither stopped North/South finding their ten card heart fit, and Four Hearts was flat at +620.

Anyone for an obvious Five Clubs? Surely you should bid to the level you would like your opponents to play at?

That would surely have pushed North/South overboard, as North held: ♠AK843 ♥K107632 ♦A ♣9.

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ J 10 ♥ 7 4 ♦ A 10 9 7 6 2 ♣ A 9 8
♠ A 9 8 6 5 2 ♥ Q 5 3 ♦ 3 ♣ Q J 6		♠ K Q 4 3 ♥ K 6 2 ♦ 8 5 ♣ K 4 3 2
	♠ 7 ♥ A J 10 9 8 ♦ K Q J 4 ♣ 10 7 5

Open Room

Closed Room

Board 31. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ A 10 9 5 ♥ J 8 ♦ Q 9 7 5 ♣ Q 9 8
♠ K Q ♥ 3 2 ♦ 10 6 4 2 ♣ 10 7 6 4 2		♠ 8 7 6 4 ♥ A K 10 6 4 ♦ 3 ♣ K J 3
	♠ J 3 2 ♥ Q 9 7 5 ♦ A K J 8 ♣ A 5

Open Room

Closed Room

Play started along similar lines, but when West got in with a spade she did play a second club and declarer put in the nine, claiming nine tricks when it held. That was +150 but a loss of 10 IMPs.

Board 32. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ K J 10 7 ♥ A 9 ♦ J 8 6 5 ♣ K 10 9
♠ - ♥ K Q J 10 6 2 ♦ A K 2 ♣ Q J 7 2		♠ 3 ♥ 5 ♦ Q 9 7 4 3 ♣ A 8 6 5 4 3
	♠ A Q 9 8 6 5 4 2 ♥ 8 7 4 3 ♦ 10 ♣ -

Open Room

Only East knows why she passed her partner’s double of Four Spades. Declarer won the heart lead, drew the outstanding trump and gave up a heart. West continued with a heart and declarer ruffed and played the nine of clubs. When East put up the ace declarer had a second overtrick, +790.

Closed Room

With four-card spade support was North wise to pass her partner’s double? Not in my book.

She may have though it promised extras, whereas we can see it was Lightner style – and indeed had North found a club lead Five Hearts would have been defeated.

North led the ten of spades and declarer ruffed and led the ten of hearts. When that held she played the king of hearts, ruffed the spade return and drew the outstanding trumps, North throwing both her remaining spades.

When declarer cashed her top diamonds South discarded a spade. The contract was secure and the only question for declarer was that of a possible overtrick via the club finesse.

You may call me old fashioned, but would South overcall Four Spades on ♠AQ98652 ♥8743 ♦10 ♣K, or, perhaps more to the point, would North fail to bid Five Spades with ♠KJ1074 ♥A9 ♦J865 ♣109?

Of course this is all very easy from the comfort of my armchair, and we are only talking about one extra IMP. Declarer played safe for +850 and 17 IMPs.

The Canadian’s tortoise had prevailed over the Russian’s hare 40-38.