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China v The Netherlands, Round 7
After six rounds of the Open series, the Netherlands stood second in Group B. Their opponents in round 7, China, were in fourth place, so it was a meeting of serious contenders for the knockout phase.
The Chinese started well with a game swing on the first deal.
| Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul. |
| | ♠ 4 2
♥ K 9 8 6
♦ 10 7 6 5
♣ 8 3 2 |
♠ 10
♥ Q 5
♦ K Q 8 4 2
♣ Q J 9 7 4 |  |
♠ Q 7 6 5 3
♥ 3 2
♦ 9 3
♣ A 10 6 5 | | | ♠ A K J 9 8
♥ A J 10 7 4
♦ A J
♣ K |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Shi | Westra | Zhuang | Ramondt
|
| | Pass | Pass | 1♠
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Haojun Shi did well not to get involved with his minor two-suiter. Berry Westra had nothing to say over Vincent Ramondt’s 1♠ opener, and Zejun Zhuang was not disposed to disturb a contract in his five-card suit. Ramondt managed eight tricks despite the bad break for plus 110.
| West | North | East | South
|
| de Wijs | Fu | Muller | Zhao
|
| | Pass | Pass | 1♠
|
| 2NT | Pass | 4♣ | 4♥
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Simon de Wijs did fancy his hand with 5-5 in the minors, and a good fit was found, but it gave Jie Zhao a chance to show his second suit, and the good game contract was reached.
West led the ♣Q to the ace, dropping declarer’s king, and the ♦3 went to South’s ace. Zhao played a heart to dummy’s king and played a spade to the ace. Zhao followed with the ♥A. He lost a club, a diamond and a spade for plus 420 and 7 IMPs.
The Dutch got 6 IMPs back on the next deal.
| Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 2
♥ A K 7 3 2
♦ 5 3
♣ K 9 8 4 |
♠ A 10 7 4
♥ 4
♦ K Q 4
♣ A 6 5 3 2 | |
♠ J 6 5 3
♥ Q J 10 8
♦ A 10 6
♣ Q J | | | ♠ K 9 8
♥ 9 6 5
♦ J 9 8 7 2
♣ 10 7 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| de Wijs | Fu | Muller | Zhao
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 1♦ | 1♥ | Dbl | Pass
|
| 2♠ | All Pass
| | |
Bauke Muller’s junky collection of queens and jacks and probable wasted heart cards did not seem right for game, so he made a good pass of the 2♠ bid by de Wijs. Fu Zhong started with the ♥K, switching to a low club. When dummy’s ♣J held the trick, declarer played the queen to the ace and ruffed a club low in dummy. South overruffed and got out with a diamond. Declarer cashed the ♠A and claimed when a second spade crashed the king and queen together. Plus 140 for the Netherlands.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Shi | Westra | Zhuang | Ramondt
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 1♣ | 1♥ | 3NT | All Pass
|
Ramondt led the ♥6 to North’s king. A low heart was taken by Zhuang with the queen. He followed with the ♣Q, won by North, who exited again with a low heart. Zhuang won the ♥J, played a diamond to dummy and cashed the ♣A. He turned his attention to spades next, cashing the ace (Ramondt unblocked the king). Declarer could have cashed out for one down, but he tried another spade and went two off for 6 IMPs to the Dutch.
On board 10, the Dutch used the Multi 2♦ to advantage.
| Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul. |
| | ♠ A 7
♥ 4
♦ J 9 6 5
♣ A J 7 5 4 3 |
♠ K 5 4
♥ 10 7 6 3
♦ A K 10 7
♣ Q 8 | |
♠ J 10 9 8 2
♥ A 5
♦ Q 8 4
♣ K 10 9 | | | ♠ Q 6 3
♥ K Q J 9 8 2
♦ 3 2
♣ 6 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Shi | Westra | Zhuang | Ramondt
|
| | | Pass | 2♦*
|
| Pass | 2♥ | All Pass
| |
According to an expert player from England, standard defense to the Multi is to double with the West hand to show a balanced opener. The West hand in this case might be considered marginal, but it’s tough for the East hand after North’s 2♥ bid to get involved. Shi and Zhuang did defeat 2♥ by a trick (declarer managed a spade ruff with his singleton trump), but it hardly compensated for the missed game.
The record of the play does not provide an auction, but Muller declared 4♠ from the East seat.
South led the ♥K, taken by the ace. He played the ♠10 at trick two, riding it to North’s ace. The ♣A was followed by a club to the queen. A diamond to the queen allowed declarer to finesse again in spades and he scored up plus 620 for an 11-IMP gain.
The Chinese got 9 IMP back on the next deal when Westra and Ramondt bid too much.
| Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul. |
| | ♠ J 10 5
♥ 2
♦ J 10 6 5
♣ A K J 6 4 |
♠ 9 6
♥ J 10 9 7 6 3
♦ 4
♣ Q 10 3 2 | |
♠ A Q 8 7
♥ 8
♦ A K 9 7
♣ 9 8 7 5 | | | ♠ K 4 3 2
♥ A K Q 5 4
♦ Q 8 3 2
♣ |
Zhao and Fu stopped in 3♦, making on the nose, on the North-South cards. Ramondt took a different view of the South hand.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Shi | Westra | Zhuang | Ramondt
|
| | | | 1♥
|
| Pass | 1NT | Dble | 2♦
|
| Pass | 2♠ | Pass | 4♣
|
| Pass | 4♦ | Pass | 5♦
|
| Pass | Pass | Dble | All Pass
|
Shi led the ♠9 to the ace. Ramondt ducked the spade return to dummy. Declarer played a heart to the queen and followed with the ace, pitching dummy’s ♠J. Zhuang ruffed and played a third spade in case West had the singleton ♦Q. The defenders settled for three trump tricks and the ♠A for plus 300.
The Dutch gained another 11 IMPs when a gadget 2NT opener (apparently the minors) kept the Chinese out of the cold spade game reached at the other table.
This deal was good for 7 IMPs to China.
| Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul. |
| | ♠ 7
♥ 9 7 5 4
♦ Q 6 5
♣ K 5 4 3 2 |
♠ 10 8 3
♥ K Q 3
♦ 10
♣ Q J 10 9 8 7 | |
♠ Q 9 4
♥ A J 10
♦ A J 7 3 2
♣ A 6 | | | ♠ A K J 6 5 2
♥ 8 6 2
♦ K 9 8 4
♣ |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Shi | Westra | Zhuang | Ramondt
|
| | | 1NT | 2♠
|
| 2NT | Pass | 3♣ | All Pass
|
Ramondt cashed two high spades and gave his partner a ruff, but there was only one other trick coming to the defenders. That was plus 110 to China.
| West | North | East | South
|
| de Wijs | Fu | Muller | Zhao
|
| | | 1♣* | 3♠
|
| Dble | Pass | 3NT | All Pass
|
Zhao did very well not to play his long suit, starting instead with the ♦9, which went to the 10, queen and ace. Muller had no choice for tricks but to play on clubs, hoping for a miracle. He cashed the ♣A and played a club to the queen and king. The return of a spade left declarer with five tricks and minus 200.
The next-to-last deal was China’s best of the day.
| Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ 6 5 4
♥ K 10 4
♦ Q 10 8 5
♣ K Q 10 |
♠ Q 10 7
♥ 9 7 2
♦ A J 7
♣ 9 6 3 2 | |
♠ K 9 8 2
♥ J 6
♦ 6 4 3
♣ A 7 5 4 | | | ♠ A J 3
♥ A Q 8 5 3
♦ K 9 2
♣ J 8 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Shi | Westra | Zhuang | Ramondt
|
| | | | 1NT |
| Pass | 3NT | All Pass
| |
Shi led the ♥7 to the jack and declarer’s queen. The ♣8 went to the king and ace, and Zhuang shifted to the ♠2. Ramondt put in the jack, taken by Shi with the queen. Declarer ducked the next round of spades and won the continuation perforce. He played a heart to the king and cashed the ♥10, severing a vital link to his hand. He then played the ♦Q, ducked all around, and a diamond to the 9. Shi won his jack and cashed the ♦A, the setting trick.
| West | North | East | South
|
| de Wijs | Fu | Muller | Zhao
|
| | | | 1♥ |
| Pass | 2♥ | Pass | 2NT
|
| Pass | 3NT | All Pass
| |
De Wijs started with the ♣6. Muller won the ace and shifted to a spade. Zhao won the third round of spades and played the ♥A and a heart to the king. When the ♥J fell, declarer played a diamond to the king and claimed plus 600 and 12 IMPs.
The Netherlands won a close match and ended the day third in their group, just ahead of fourth-place China.
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