Austria v The Netherlands

Orbis Venice Cup - Semifinal

Inch by inch

After averaging more than 75 IMPs per set between them in the first four rounds in their Orbis Venice Cup seminfinal match, Austria and the Netherlands seemed a good bet for some swinging bridge when they played on VuGraph Tuesday in set five.

There were no fireworks, but it was an entertaining set as the Netherlands strung together a series of small gains to prevail in the set, 16-6, and increase their lead to 174-154 with 16 deals to play.

Both pairs did well to get to game -- and make it -- on the North-South cards on the following deal.

 

 

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

West North East South Weigkricht Pasman Fischer Simons   1© Dble Pass 2¨ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Terry Weigkricht led the ©5, and Anneke Simons duly took nine tricks for plus 600.

West North East South van der Pas Erhart Vriend Terraneo   1§ Dble Pass 1¨ Pass 2§ Pass 2¨ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Sylvia Terraneo got the lead of the §7. Bep Vriend put in the 10 and declarer won the ace. Next came the ¨K, taken by Vriend, who attacked hearts by leading the 4. Terraneo inserted the ©Q and resumed her campaign for diamond tricks. She played the ¨6 from hand, and put in dummy's 7 when Marijke van der Pas played the 3. Back to hand with the ªA, Terraneo played a third diamond, taken by by West with the queen. A heart return set up the suit for the defenders, but declarer had nine tricks via three diamonds, two hearts, two spades and two clubs. Plus 600 and no swing.

Was there a better line for the defense -- perhaps a continuation of clubs by East to knock out dummy's entry to the diamonds? In order to do so, East would have had to sacrifice a trick in clubs, giving declarer three, assuming South unblocks the §9 from hand on the second round of the suit. Declarer would then have three clubs tricks and, if she took the right view in hearts, three tricks in that suit (she finesses the 10 while in dummy with the club -- and she gets back another time with a diamond) to go with one diamond and two spades.

The Netherlands stole the deal from Austria on the following board, but they lost an IMP anyway.

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

West North East South van der Pas Erhart Vriend Terraneo 2§(1) Pass 2ª All Pass

(1) Weak hand with long diamonds or natural and game-forcing

Looking at the North-South cards, one would be happy to be in 4©. The Austrians went quietly, however, and Vriend was not tested by the defense. Terraneo led a low spade to the ace, and Maria Erhart won and returned the suit. Vriend now played a club to the ace and the §9 from dummy. Erhart hopped up with the §K and played the ©10, Vriend won the ace, pulled trumps and claimed, conceding a heart. Plus 170 to the Dutch.

West North East South Weigkricht Pasman Fischer Simons Pass 1© 2©(1) 4© Pass Pass Dble All Pass

(1) Spades and a minor.

Doris Fischer led the ªK, taken by Jet Pasman with the ace. When Fischer came in with the trump ace, she cashed a high spade, led a club to partner's ace and took the setting trick by ruffing a diamond. Plus 200 and 1 IMP to Austria.

Austria gained another 5 IMPs when Weigkricht and Fischer stopped in 2§, just making, on Board 6, while van der Pas and Vriend played in 3§, down one.

Both teams missed an opportunity on this deal.

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

West North East South Weigkricht Pasman Fischer Simons Pass 1§(1) 2© Dble Pass 2ª Pass 4ª Pass 5§ Pass 5© Pass 6ª All Pass

(1) Strong.

Fischer's double indicated some useful values, but the partnership could not work out that Fischer had a source of tricks in the five-card club holding. There was nothing to the play, and Weigkricht easily scored up a disappointing plus 1460.

West North East South van der Pas Erhart Vriend Terraneo     Pass 2§ 3© Pass Pass 3ª Pass 4© Pass 6ª All Pass

Perhaps Vriend's pass of 3© convinced van der Pas that a grand slam was not likely, hence her leap to 6ª. In fairness, the grand slam was not bid by anyone in the Orbis Venice Cup or the Orbis Bermuda Bowl, although Norway did earn a swing when Brazil sacrificed in 7© on the North-South cards and were beaten six tricks for minus 1700, a 6-IMP loss.

After 10 boards in the Austria-Netherlands match, Austria led, 6-0. It was all Netherlands from there as they outscored their adversaries 16-0 over the final six boards.

This deal featured a fine play by van der Pas to land a game contract.

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

West North East South Weigkricht Pasman Fischer Simons   1§ Pass 1¨ Pass 1© Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Fischer came home with 11 tricks after Simons led a low heart. Plus 210 to Austria.

West North East South van der Pas Erhart Vriend Terraneo   1§ Pass 1¨ Pass 1© Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Erhart led the ª5, which went to the 9, queen and ace. When Van der Pas played the §2, Erhart put up the queen. Van der Pas won with the ace and considered her play for a few moments before calling for the jack, which drew cheers from the Netherlands supporters in the VuGraph audience. Terraneo won with the §K and, hoping partner had more substantial holding in diamonds -- perhaps A J 8 x -- put the ¨10 on the table. Van der Pas covered with the queen. Erhart won the ace and played back the ¨J, overtaken by Terraneo with the king, surrendering the overtrick and 1 IMP in the process. That was 6 IMPs to the Netherlands.

Another 4 IMPs went to the Netherlands on this deal.

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

West North East South van der Pas Erhart Vriend Terraneo   Pass 1ª(1) Pass 1NT Pass 3¨ Pass 3NT All Pass

(1) Canapé

Vriend had a natural heart lead, and Erhart could do nothing but run the diamonds and hope for a discarding error from the Dutch. That didn't happen, and Erhart finished down one.

West North East South Weigkricht Pasman Fischer Simons   Pass 1¨ Pass 1NT 2© 3¨ 3© All Pass

Simons started with the ¨A and ¨K, ruffed by Fischer. She played the ©Q, ducked all around, and another heart. Pasman won with the ©A and got out with a trump. Fischer then played a club to the ace and a back to her queen and Simons' king. Fischer still had a club and two spade tricks to lose, so she was minus 100 on the board -- 4 more IMPs to the Netherlands.

The Netherlands gained 1IMP in unusual fashion on the next-to-last deal.

Board 15. Dealer South. NS Game ª A Q 10 9 5 © — ¨ Q 8 7 5 § K Q 9 5 ª K J 7 4 ª 6 2 © A Q J 10 4 2 © 9 7 6 ¨ 9 ¨ A K J 10 3 § 10 6 § 8 7 3 ª 8 3 © K 8 5 3 ¨ 6 4 2 § A J 4 2

West North East South van der Pas Erhart Vriend Terraneo     Pass 1© 1ª 2© Pass 2ª Dble 3¨ Pass 3© Pass 4© All Pass

Erhart led the §K and continued with a club to Terraneo's ace. The spade switch went to the jack and queen. Erhart followed with the ªA and the ª10, ruffed with the 9 and overruffed with the king. Plus 100 to Austria.

West North East South Weigkricht Pasman Fischer Simons 1ª(1) Pass 1NT Pass 2© Dble Pass 2ª All Pass

(1) Canapé.

The meaning of the 2ª bid is unclear, but South made the most of a defensive error to bring the contract home with an overtrick.

Weigkricht led the ¨9, which was ducked all around! Had Fischer overtaken with the 10, she could have cashed two more rounds of diamonds, allowing Weigkricht to discard both her clubs. She could then ruff a club and play the ©A. If declarer ruffed in dummy, she would have no way to return to hand to take a spade finesse, although she could make the contract by ruffing the ¨Q. West could overruff but would be forced to put South on lead with a heart or give declarer a free finesse in trumps. Another spade finesse would nail down eight tricks for declarer.

If declarer refused to ruff the ©A, she would go down. West could exit with the ©Q to South's king and insert the ªJ on the subsequent spade play to assure another trick.