USA1 v The Netherlands

Orbis Venice Cup - Final

At the half-way stage of the Orbis Venice Cup final, the Netherlands led by 32.5 IMPs. However, USA1 struck on the first deal of the new day.

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

West North East South Simons Mancuso Pasman Quinn Pass 2© Pass 2NT Pass 3© Pass 4© All Pass

Two Hearts was weak with hearts and a minor and the Three Heart response to the enquiry showed a maximum with clubs. Anneke Simons settled for game, expecting wasted club values; +450.

West North East South Sokolow Vriend Molson van der Pas Pass Pass Pass 1¨ Pass 1© Pass 2ª Pass 3§ Pass 3© Pass 4§ Pass 4NT Pass 5¨ Pass 6© All Pass

Janice Seamon-Molson did not open the East hand, not having a two-suited option in her armoury. Tobi Sokolow was able to show her strong hand and delayed heart support.

When Molson could cuebid Four Clubs, she took control with RKCB, assuming her partner to hold the heart queen or some other compensation. Right she was.

The lead was the two of spades. Molson won the ace and played ace of clubs and a high club ruff. Molson came back to hand with the ten of trumps and ruffed another club. Now she called for a low diamond.

Bep Vriend thought for a while then went up with the ace, and Molson could ruff, draw trumps and claim; +980.

That was 11 IMPs to USA1.

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

West North East South Simons Mancuso Pasman Quinn 1ª Pass 1NT 2§ Pass 2NT All Pass

The Two Club overcall is ugly and got the fate it deserved when Renee Mancuso tried Two No Trump, hoping that her partner might be better for a vulnerable overcall. The spade lead held Mancuso to her five top winners; -300.

West North East South Sokolow Vriend Molson van der Pas 1ª Pass 1NT Pass 2§ Pass 2ª All Pass

Here it was West who bid the clubs opposite a forcing no trump response. Vriend led the ten of hearts to the king, van der Pas playing a discouraging four (odd-even signals). Sokolow played a spade to the jack and a second spade to the king and ace. Vriend switched to a club to the king. Van der Pas continued with the ace and two of clubs. Vriend ruffed and switched to the five of diamonds. Sokolow played low from dummy and van der Pas played a dangerous nine. She returned the low diamond for one down; -100 and 9 IMPs to the Netherlands.

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

West North East South Simons Mancuso Pasman Quinn Pass 2¨ 2© Dble Pass 2ª Pass 4ª All Pass

The lead was the queen of diamonds. Jet Pasman resisted any temptation to finesse the diamond ten. Instead she set about getting her heart ruff and eventually took the club ruff for her contract; +420.

West North East South Sokolow Vriend Molson van der Pas Pass 2¨ Dble 2NT Pass 3© Pass 4ª All Pass

Molson opened a multi and van der Pas doubled, take-out of spades. Sokolow enquired and bid Four Spades on hearing that her partner held a weak two in the suit. Vriend led her singleton club and now declarer could not play the simple heart ruff line as she would be in danger of conceding two club ruffs. The opening lead ran to declarer's nine. Sokolow cashed the ace of spades then crossed to the diamond ace to run the jack of clubs. Vriend ruffed and led a low heart to the ace. Now the contract is defeated if van der Pas leads a club for Vriend to ruff, or cashes the heart queen and then gives the ruff. But van der Pas erred by returning a low heart. Vriend could win but there was no longer a club ruff; +420 and a push, but a missed chance by the Netherlands.

Declarer also erred. Had she cashed both top spades before crossing to dummy to play the club jack, she would have been OK.

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All ª 9 © J 10 6 ¨ Q J 9 7 3 § A 10 7 6 ª Q 5 3 ª A 8 4 © Q 7 4 © A 9 5 3 2 ¨ A 8 ¨ K 4 2 § Q 8 5 4 3 § K J ª K J 10 7 6 2 © K 8 ¨ 10 6 5 § 9 2

West North East South Simons Mancuso Pasman Quinn     2ª Pass Pass Dble Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

West North East South Sokolow Vriend Molson van der Pas     2¨ Pass 2ª 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Effectively, both Souths opened a weak Two Spades. The two East players chose different actions over this. Pasman went for a take-out double, and that led to Simons playing Three No Trump from the West seat. Mancuso led her stiff spade and Simons ducked in dummy. When Shawn Quinn won the spade king, she wasted no time in switching to a diamond (the ten) and the contract was defeated; down two for -100.

Molson preferred to overcall Two No Trump, raised to game by Sokolow. Vriend's Two Spade response to the multi suggested spade shortage and interest in a heart contract. Van der Pas led the king of hearts, reasonably enough. Molson won the ace and played the club king. Vriend won the ace and switched to a diamond but it was too late. Declarer unblocked the club, crossed to the queen of hearts and cashe dthe club queen. When the clubs did not break, she gave up a heart and had nine tricks; +400 and 11 IMPs to USA1.

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

West North East South Simons Mancuso Pasman Quinn Pass 1ª Dble 2ª Pass 3§ Pass 4ª All Pass

West North East South Sokolow Vriend Molson van der Pas Pass 1ª Dble 2© Pass 3§ Pass 4ª All Pass

Both Souths led the queen of diamonds to the bare ace. Declarer played a spade and South won. Quinn switched to a low heart and three rounds of that suit gave Mancuso a ruff. The defense slopped a trick from here but the contract was already down one for -100.

Van der Pas won the ace of spades at trick two and continued with a low diamond in response to her partner's encouraging five on the first trick (it looks as though the five was just intended to show count). Molson could put in the diamond ten for a club pitch, draw trumps and set about the hearts. Another club went on the king of diamonds; +620 and 12 IMPs to USA1, pulling closer.

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

West North East South Simons Mancuso Pasman Quinn Pass 1© Pass 1ª Pass 2§ Pass 2¨ Pass 3§ Pass 4§ Pass 4ª All Pass

It is possible for South to hold weaker clubs and stronger hearts, making slam a less attractive proposition , but it still seems a little timid of North not to go on facing a five-card club suit. There was only a club to lose; +480.

West North East South Sokolow Vriend Molson van der Pas Pass 1© Pass 2ª Pass 3§ Pass 3ª Pass 4§ Pass 4¨ Dble Pass Pass Rdble Pass 4ª Pass 4NT Pass 5© Pass 5NT Pass 6§ Dble 6ª All Pass

Vriend started with a strong jump shift then repeated her spades. When van der Pas bid Four Clubs, it seems that she was cuebidding for spades, rather than bidding out her shape. Vriend cuebid diamonds then redoubled to show first-round control. Though van der Pas signed-off in Four Spades, Vriend was happy to continue with RKCB and more RKCB. When van der Pas denied a side king and Six Clubs got doubled, Vriend must have been a little worried that there would be two clubs to lose. However, she had little option but to bid Six Spades. As it turned out, there was no problem; +980 and 11 IMPs to the Netherlands.

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

West North East South Simons Mancuso Pasman Quinn Pass 1§ Pass 1¨ Pass 2NT Pass 6§ All Pass

West North East South Sokolow Vriend Molson van der Pas Pass 1§ Pass 1¨ Pass 2NT Pass 3¨ Pass 3NT Pass 4§ Pass 4¨ Pass 4© Pass 4ª Pass 5§ Pass 5© Pass 6§ All Pass

Both North/South pairs reached the poor club slam. Quinn's leap to Six Clubs looks unnecessary. No doubt Mancuso expected a genuine minor two-suiter for this sequence. Six Diamonds is better but also fails. After a heart lead, Mancuso drifted three down; -150.

The Dutch had a more exploratory auction, and it was a surprise that they too ended up in clubs rather than diamonds. The lead was a spade to declarer's queen. Van der Pas played a low club towards the queen, jack and Sokolow took the king. She switched to a low diamond. Had van der Pas taken the ace, she could have made the hand on a spade/diamond squeeze against West. But playing for a stiff diamond king would have been well against the odds. Van der Pas finessed and lost to the bare king. A heart was returned, knocking out the entry to hand while the clubs were still blocked. Unable to draw the last trump, declarer also conceded a diamond ruff for two down; -100 but 2 IMPs for the Netherlands.

USA1 won the set by 37-27 and trailed by 22.5 IMPs with 48 boards to play.