China v Great Britain

Orbis Venice Cup - Round I

European champions, Great Britain, met the runners-up in the last Venice Cup, China, in the first round of the round robin on Saturday morning. China knocked Great Britain out at the quarter-final stage in Hammamet, so the Brits were looking for a little revenge. They could not have asked for a better start than that which they achieved on the first board.

Board 1. Dealer North. Love All ª 3 © K 6 5 ¨ Q 8 3 § Q 10 9 7 4 3 ª K Q J 10 6 ª A 8 5 4 2 © A 9 8 7 4 2 © Q 3 ¨ 4 ¨ J 9 6 2 § K § A 5 ª 9 7 © J 10 ¨ A K 10 7 5 § J 8 6 2

West North East South Dhondy Zhang McGowan Gu   1ª Pass 2© Pass 2ª Pass 4¨ Pass 4ª All Pass

4¨ was a splinter bid but it was not enough to get Liz McGowan excited, looking at a minimum hand with poor trumps. When she signed-off, Heather Dhondy made a disciplined pass. Ling Gu led a top diamond and switched to a club; +450.

West North East South Wang Smith Sun Davies   1ª Pass 2© Pass 2ª Pass 3ª Pass 4ª Pass 4NT Pass 5© Pass 6ª

Here 3ª was forcing. Ming Sun signed-off in 4ª but Hongli Wang took control with 4NT and bid the hopeless slam on discovering two key cards; -50 and 11 IMPs to GB.

A series of minor swings had moved the score on to 15-2 when the next major swing board came along.

Board 6. Dealer East. EW Game ª A 6 5 © 8 6 5 2 ¨ K Q 3 § A 8 5 ª Q 3 ª 10 9 8 7 4 © K J 10 9 4 3 © A Q ¨ 4 ¨ A J 8 6 5 § K J 10 9 § 2 ª K J 2 © 7 ¨ 10 9 7 2 § Q 7 6 4 3

West North East South Wang Smith Sun Davies   1ª Pass 2© Pass 2ª Pass 3© Pass 4© All Pass

Nicola Smith led the king of diamonds to dummy's ace. Wang led a club to the jack and ace and Smith switched to a trump. Declarer won in dummy, ruffed a diamond, then ruffed a club. After ruffing another diamond back to hand, she drew the remaining trumps and cashed the king of clubs. There were two spades and a club to lose now for -100.

West North East South Dhondy Zhang McGowan Gu   1ª Pass 2© Pass 3© Pass 4© All Pass

McGowan could not bring herself to rebid that spade suit so pretended that she had a third heart instead. Dhondy, of course, went on to game.

The play followed exactly the same lines as in the other room except that Dhondy did not cash the king of clubs after drawing trumps.

She was down to §K10 and ªQ3 and South had been squeezed out of a spade. South actually bared the ªK to keep three clubs, but it didn't matter. Dhondy exited with a spade and South had to win and lead a club into the tenace (had she kept two spades, the club lead would merely have been delayed by one trick). That was +620 and a further 12 IMPs to the British total.

Board 12. Dealer West. NS Game ª Q 3 © K Q 10 4 ¨ K 9 7 2 § K 9 5 ª A J 5 ª 9 7 5 2 © A 8 5 © J 9 3 ¨ J 10 5 ¨ Q 8 6 4 § Q J 4 3 § A 7 ª K 10 8 6 © 7 6 2 ¨ A 3 § 10 8 6 2

China's first significant gain came as they played a superior partscore. In the Closed Room, Dhondy opened the West cards with 1¨ and raised the 1ª response to two.

Perhaps that is just partnership style, but it looks wrong with such a balanced hand and scattered values. The defense was not taxed in taking 2ª off two tricks; -100.

In the Open Room, Wang opened a weak no trump and played there. Smith led the queen of hearts to declarer's ace.

Wang led the ¨10 to South's (Pat Davies) ace. From here Wang was comfortably placed to establish two diamonds and a second heart trick. The club finesse meant that she had seven in all; +90 and 5 IMPs to China.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All ª 10 6 4 © A Q J 8 ¨ 6 2 § Q 9 8 5 ª K 2 ª Q J 9 7 5 © 10 9 2 © 7 ¨ K 10 9 8 7 ¨ A Q J 5 3 § J 6 2 § 7 3 ª A 8 3 © K 6 5 4 3 ¨ 4 § A K 10 4

West North East South Wang Smith Sun Davies   1ª 2© Pass 4© All Pass

 

West North East South Dhondy Zhang McGowan Gu   1ª 2© Dble 3© 4¨ 4© 5¨ Pass Pass Dble All Pass

Is the West hand worth a negative double of 2©? Perhaps the answer depends on how limited the 1ª opening is? Wang, whose partner had opened a Precision 1ª, did not think she was worth a double. Smith just jumped to 4© and lost the obvious three tricks; +420.

McGowan's 1ª opening had a wider range and Dhondy did find a double. Now, how far should the North hand raise? I would have thought that 4© was normal, particularly as partner will have a six-card suit far more often than not when North is looking at three of the top four honours herself. Yalan Zhang chose to bid only 3© and McGowan scraped up a 4¨ bid on her shapely minimum. That allowed Dhondy to go on to 5¨ over 4©. Ling Gu doubled, but there was only 300 available to the defense; -300 but 3 IMPs to GB.

Board 16. Dealer West. EW Game ª A K 7 3 © Q 9 ¨ Q J 2 § J 6 5 2 ª 10 9 8 4 ª 5 2 © 10 5 2 © A K J 6 4 3 ¨ 3 ¨ 10 9 8 6 5 § K Q 10 9 7 § — ª Q J 6 © 8 7 ¨ A K 7 4 § A 8 4 3

 

West North East South Dhondy Zhang McGowan Gu Pass 1¨ 2© Dble 3© Pass Pass Dble Pass 3ª Pass 4ª All Pass

Knowing that they had the values for game but were off the heart suit, the Chinese pair tried the solid 4-3 spade fit. Even had trumps been 3-3, declarer would have needed some good fortune to find a tenth trick. When they did not divide evenly, she could only take her nine tricks for down one; -50.

West North East South Wang Smith Sun Davies Pass 1§ 1© 2¨ 2© Pass 4© Dble All Pass

I confess that I would have chosen 3© on the East cards, but far from bidding more than in the other room, Sun started with a simple overcall. When she caught a raise, however, she was willing to go to game.

Davies doubled to show her extras and that ended the auction.

Davies cashed a top diamond and switched to spades.

Sun ruffed the third spade and embarked on a cross-ruff. When the fourth diamond was over-ruffed, she was one down; -200 and 6 IMPs to GB.

Board 19. Dealer South. EW Game ª K J 10 7 6 5 © K 10 5 ¨ K § 10 7 3 ª Q 4 ª A 9 8 2 © Q J 7 6 © A 9 3 ¨ 10 6 ¨ A Q J 9 8 § A 9 5 4 2 § J ª 3 © 8 4 2 ¨ 7 5 4 3 2 § K Q 8 6

What would be your choice with the East cards after a third-in-hand weak 2ª is opened on your right? My money would be on 2NT, but both McGowan and Sun preferred 3¨.

Dhondy left McGowan to play 3¨ and as that contract went one down I have been promised a beer if I keep the details of the play to myself; -100.

There was more action in the other room:

West North East South Wang Smith Sun Davies     Pass Pass 2ª 3¨ Pass 3ª Dble Rdble Pass 3NT All Pass

Wang looked for a spade stopper with a 3ª bid and bid 3NT herself when Sun was able to redouble to show the ªA. After a spade lead, the favourable positions in the red suits enabled Wang to make no less than 11 tricks for +660 and 13 badly needed IMPs to China. But GB negated most of that gain on the final board of the match.

Board 20. Dealer West. Game All ª A 10 © 10 8 5 3 ¨ K 8 2 § Q J 9 8 ª J 7 ª K 9 5 4 © A Q J 9 7 © 2 ¨ Q J 9 4 ¨ A 10 6 5 § A 10 § K 5 4 2 ª Q 8 6 3 2 © K 6 4 ¨ 7 3 § 7 6 3

West North East South Wang Smith Sun Davies 1© Pass 1ª Pass 2¨ Pass 3¨ Pass 3© Pass 4¨ Pass

Wang had a maximum for her non-strong club opening, so made a try for game over the diamond raise. Her choice of 3© did not inspire Sun, who signed-off in 4¨. That was a comfortable enough make for +130, but would that be sufficient?

West North East South Dhondy Zhang McGowan Gu 1© Pass 1ª Pass 2¨ Pass 3¨ Pass 3NT All Pass

Dhondy's 2¨ rebid had a wider range so McGowan was under more pressure to keep the bidding open. Her 3¨ bid, then, might not have delivered quite as much as the same bid in the other room, but Dhondy bid game herself anyway.

Zhang led the queen of clubs and Dhondy won in hand and played the ¨Q to the king and ace. Next she finessed the ©Q. After a little thought, she cashed the diamonds, ending in hand, then exited with king and another club. Zhang could take two clubs but then had to either lead into the heart tenace or open up the spades. Gu had bared the ©K so Zhang tried ace then ten of spades. Dhondy ducked and had two winners in whichever suit Gu decided to play; +600 and 10 IMPs to GB.

There is a very long way to go in the qualifying stage but Great Britain can be well pleased with the start they have made.