USA1 v Canada |
Orbis Venice Cup -
Quarterfinal |
USA1 led by
a single IMP going into the second set of their quarter-final with Canada
in the Orbis Venice Cup. They had extended their advantage to 4 IMPs
two boards into the set and added something more substantial on Board
19.
Board
19. Dealer South. EW Game |
|
ª |
A 10 9 4 |
|
© |
A J 3 2 |
¨ |
Q 8 |
§ |
9 4 2 |
ª |
7 |
|
ª |
K Q J 6 5 3 |
© |
K Q 5 |
© |
10 8 |
¨ |
J 10 7 5 4 |
¨ |
A K 6 |
§ |
K Q J 10 |
§ |
8 3 |
|
ª |
8 2 |
|
© |
9 7 6 4 |
¨ |
9 3 2 |
§ |
A 7 6 5 |
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Saltsman |
Meyers |
Cimon |
Montin |
|
|
|
Pass |
1¨
|
Dble |
1ª |
Pass |
2§
|
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2NT
|
Pass |
3ª |
All Pass |
|
Barbara Saltsman
knew very well that Francine Cimon's fourth suit then repeat her spades
sequence was forcing, but she hated her hand and decided to pass anyway.
Three Spades lost two trump tricks and two aces for +140. On another
day that could have been a winning board, whatever you may feel about
breaking discipline in this fashion, but today was not a good one for
Saltsman.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sokolow |
Reus |
Seamon |
Gordon |
|
|
|
Pass |
1¨
|
Dble |
Rdble |
1© |
Pass
|
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
2NT
|
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
The lead against
Three No Trump was a low heart. Tobi Sokolow rose with dummy's ten and,
when that held, played on clubs. Dianna Gordon won the second club and
returned a heart. Sharyn Reus took her ace and cleared the suit but
Sokolow could cash her clubs and play on spades, confident that the
hearts wee breaking evenly. She had nine tricks without requiring the
favourable diamond position. That was worth +600 and 10 IMPs to USA1.
Board
22. Dealer East. EW Game |
|
ª |
A Q 10 9 4 |
|
© |
J 9 3 |
¨ |
A J 6 3 |
§ |
5 |
ª |
J 8 7 3 2 |
|
ª |
K 6 |
© |
K 10 6 5 |
© |
A 8 7 4 2 |
¨ |
9 2 |
¨ |
K Q 7 4 |
§ |
A J |
§ |
Q 8 |
|
ª |
5 |
|
© |
Q |
¨ |
10 8 5 |
§ |
K 10 9 7 6 4 3 2 |
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Saltsman |
Meyers |
Cimon |
Montin |
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sokolow |
Reus |
Seamon |
Gordon |
|
The
size of South's pre-empt did not affect the outcome, with both West
players making the same Four Heart call. Randi Montin led a club against
Cimon. Declarer took the finesse and led a diamond up. Jill Meyers went
in with the ace and looked for a way to put her partner in to get a
club ruff.
Thinking that
her partner would probably have led a singleton spade, she decided that
the best shot was to lead a low spade and hope that Montin held the
king.
Cimon played
the king of spades then cashed two rounds of hearts. She could ruff
a diamond in dummy and claim ten tricks; +620.
Gordon led her
spade on the go and Reus won and gave her the ruff. There was a diamond
and a heart to come for the defense; one down for -100 and 12 IMPs to
Canada - their first gain of the set.
Board
27. Dealer South. Love All |
|
ª |
K Q J 10 4 3 2 |
© |
K 10 9 8 5 |
|
¨ |
— |
|
§ |
8 |
ª |
9 5 |
|
ª |
7 |
© |
Q J 7 |
© |
4 3 |
¨ |
A 10 8 7 6 |
¨ |
K J 5 4 2 |
§ |
A 7 3 |
§ |
K Q J 5 2 |
|
ª |
A 8 6 |
|
© |
A 6 2 |
¨ |
Q 9 3 |
§ |
10 9 6 4 |
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Saltsman |
Meyers |
Cimon |
Montin |
|
|
|
1NT |
Pass
|
4ª |
4NT |
Pass |
5¨
|
5ª |
Pass |
Pass |
6¨
|
All Pass |
|
|
|
Montin opened
a mini no trump on the South cards and Meyers jumped to Four Spades
in response. Cimon's Four No Trump was unusual, normally based on both
minors, and Saltsman chose diamonds. When Meyers went on to Five Spades,
Saltsman in turn bid one more. Nobody doubled and Six Diamonds drifted
a couple off for -100.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sokolow |
Reus |
Seamon |
Gordon |
|
|
|
Pass |
1¨
|
4ª |
5¨ |
5ª |
Pass
|
Pass |
6¨ |
Pass |
Pass
|
6ª |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
Gordon did
not have an opening bid in her methods, leading to a very different
auction. When the music stopped, Reus was in Six Spades Doubled - one
down for a further 100 to USA1, and 5 IMPs.
Board
28. Dealer West. NS Game |
|
ª |
9 8 7 4 2 |
|
© |
10 4 |
¨ |
10 9 7 6 3 |
§ |
2 |
ª |
A 10 |
|
ª |
Pass |
© |
— |
© |
Pass |
¨ |
A K Q 4 |
¨ |
Pass |
§ |
A Q 9 8 7 4 3 |
§ |
All Pass |
|
ª |
Q J 5 |
|
© |
A Q J 3 |
¨ |
J 8 5 |
§ |
K 10 6 |
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Saltsman |
Meyers |
Cimon |
Montin |
1§
|
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2¨
|
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
4§
|
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
4ª
|
Pass |
5© |
All Pass |
|
Saltsman was
not completely confident that her Four Club would be understood, and
neither was she 100% confident as to the meaning of Four Hearts. When
she bid Four spades, however, Cimon felt that she knew enough about
what was going on to jump to the excellent slam, so the partnership
were clearly on somewhat firmer ground than Saltsman had thought. There
was nothing to the play, declarer winning the spade lead, ruffing a
diamond and playing on clubs; +920.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sokolow |
Reus |
Seamon |
Gordon |
1§
|
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2¨
|
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
4§
|
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
4ª
|
Pass |
5© |
All Pass |
|
The American
auction didn't get the job done at all. Janice Seamon-Molson felt that
she had to jump to Three Hearts as Two heart would not have been forcing.
After Sokolow had continued with Four Clubs and Four Spades, she was
in a not dissimilar position to Cimon's but had less reason to suspect
the seventh club. Her sign-off in Five Hearts was not a success. There
were four trump losers for two down; -100 and 14 IMPs to Canada.
Board
31. Dealer South. NS Game |
|
ª |
K 8 7 5 2 |
|
© |
5 2 |
¨ |
K J 5 |
§ |
10 7 5 |
ª |
A J 10 4 |
|
ª |
Q 9 |
© |
Q 8 |
© |
K J 7 6 4 |
¨ |
A 6 4 |
¨ |
Q 10 3 |
§ |
9 8 6 2 |
§ |
K Q J |
|
ª |
6 3 |
|
© |
A 10 9 3 |
¨ |
9 8 7 2 |
§ |
A 4 3 |
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Saltsman |
Meyers |
Cimon |
Montin |
|
|
|
Pass |
Pass
|
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1ª
|
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT
|
All Pass |
|
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sokolow |
Reus |
Seamon |
Gordon |
|
|
|
Pass |
Pass
|
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1ª
|
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2NT
|
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
Saltsman was
willing to jump straight to game, upgrading her heart queen and spade
intermediates, while Sokolow preferred to merely invite game. It made
no difference, of course, as East was maximum and raised to Three No
Trump anyway.
Both Montin
and Gordon led a high diamond to partner's king, and both Meyers and
Reus switched to a club. Reus chose the club five and that went to the
king and ace. Gordon returned a club and declarer was in control. Seamon-Molson
played a heart to the queen and a second heart to king and ace. Gordon
played a third club and declarer won and took the spade finesse; +400.
Meyers switched
to the seven of clubs and Cimon put in the jack. Montin took the ace
and thought for quite some time before coming up with the right answer.
She played a diamond and Cimon won in hand and took the spade finesse.
Meyers won her king and played another diamond. When Montin later won
the ace of hearts she had the thirteenth diamond to cash for one down;
-50 and 10 IMPs to USA1.
The set score
was 31-26 to USA1, and after 32 boards they led by 6 IMPs - still nothing
in it.