Germany v France

by Tony Gordon (GBR)

When fourth-placed Germany faced sixth-placed France, Germany led 11-2 after 5 boards. Board 6 turned out to be a turning point in the match, but not in the way one might suppose.

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

Closed Room West North East South Farwig Lustin Stawowy Avon   1¨ Pass 1ª Pass 2¨ Pass 3NT All Pass

In the Closed Room, Barbara Stawowy and Katrin Farwig took the direct route to 3NT and Christine Lustin cashed her four top spades before switching to the ©10. Stawowy won in hand with the ©Q and decided to play South for the ¨Q in view of North's monopoly of the spade honours. She therefore played a diamond to dummy's Jack and when the finesse succeeded she had the rest of the tricks.

Open Room West North East South Bessis Auken D'Ovidio von Arnim 1¨ Pass 1ª Pass 2¨ Pass 2© Pass 3¨ Pass 3© Pass 3NT Pass Pass Dble Pass Pass 4¨ All Pass

In the Open Room, Catherine D'Ovidio and Veronique Bessis took a more probing route to 3NT and Sabine Auken chanced her arm with a lead-directing double in the pass out seat even though she had only four spades to cash.

However, the threat was only too real to Bessis and she retreated to 4¨. A 10-IMP gain to Germany you might think, but there was a cruel twist to come.

Daniela von Arnim led a spade to Auken's Jack and she switched to the ©9. After a slight pause, D'Ovidio flourished the ¨10, a card that was also visible in the dummy, and announced that she had started with fourteen cards! The director was summoned and France were duly fined 3 IMPs, but Germany's loss was the greater.

After this escape, France took control of the match with four big gains in the next seven boards.

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

Closed Room West North East South Farwig Lustin Stawowy Avon Pass Pass 1¨ Pass 1ª Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Open Room West North East South Bessis Auken D'Ovidio von Arnim Pass Pass 1¨ Pass 1ª Pass 2NT Pass 3§ Pass 3ª Pass 3NT Pass 4ª All Pass

Clubs were led and continued against the German 3NT and Stawowy won the second round perforce and played a spade to the Queen and another one to the King, discovering the bad break. She now needed the ¨Q to be onside, so she crossed to the ªA and took the diamond finesse. When that failed she was two down.

A heart was led against the French 4ª contract and von Arnim took her King and switched to a trump to the nine and King. A second round of spades revealed the 4-1 break and Bessis now had to guess which finesse to take. After considerable thought she played a club to the King and when that held she was home and dry. She drew one more round of trumps, cashed the ©QJ and then crossed to the ¨A and discarded her remaining club on the ©A. Although the diamond finesse subsequently lost she still had ten tricks and France had 11 IMPs.

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

Open Room West North East South Bessis Auken D'Ovidio von Arnim   1§ Pass 1ª 2ª 3§ All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Farwig Lustin Stawowy Avon   1§ Pass 1ª 2ª 3§ Pass 3NT All Pass

D'Ovidio had no problems in making an overtrick in her 3§ contract, but she must have wished she was in 3NT. Farwig was in 3NT in the other room and Lustin led the ªA and then switched to a diamond. Farwig ran this to dummy's Queen and then erred by playing the §10. With a certain club loser, she could no longer make the contract and she went two down for 8 IMPs to France.

On board 12 France reached a poor 3NT in the Closed Room, but were gifted the contract on a misdefence. 10 IMPs to France who now led 31-20.

Board 13. Dealer North. Game All ª 9 5 © Q 10 8 ¨ K § K 10 8 7 5 4 3 ª J 7 4 ª 10 8 3 2 © A J 4 2 © K 7 6 ¨ J 9 8 7 2 ¨ 6 5 4 § 9 § A 6 2 ª A K Q 6 © 9 5 3 ¨ A Q 10 3 § Q J

Closed Room West North East South Farwig Lustin Stawowy Avon Pass Pass 1¨ Pass 2§ Pass 2NT Pass 3§ Pass 3ª Pass 4§ Pass 5§ All Pass

In the Closed Room France reached 5§ with three top losers, but unless a heart was led (or the A§ was led followed by a heart switch) all but one of declarer's potential losers would rapidly disappear. However, Stawowy led a spade and that was +620 to France.

Open Room West North East South Bessis Auken D'Ovidio von Arnim 2NT Pass 3§ All Pass

In the Open Room, Auken opened 2NT showing a preempt in a minor with less than two of the top honours. Facing what was likely to be a six or seven card club suit headed by the Ace or King, von Arnim opted for a conservative pass or correct 3§. That was the right view on the actual layout, but on a diamond lead she made the same twelve tricks as in the other room for a 10-IMP loss.

That was the end of the major swings and France eventually emerged victorious by 48-27 IMPs (19-11 VPs), but stayed in sixth place while Germany dropped one place to fifth.