USA1 v The Netherlands

Orbis Venice Cup - Final

History in the making

Never in the history of the world championships has a title been decided by a margin as small as that in the Orbis Venice Cup, won by the Netherlands, 249.75-249.25, over USA 1 in a riveting final set on VuGraph.

It was a heart-breaking loss for USA 1, who had clawed their way back from a 15-IMP deficit and seemed to have momentum halfway through the set. The Dutch women mounted their own rally, however, to seal the championship.

The set started well for the Americans.

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

West North East South Simons Sokolow Pasman Molson Pass Pass 1NT All Pass

Janice Seamon-Molson stole the board with her 1NT opener, and Anneke Simons helped declarer's cause with the lead of a low spade. Molson won the ªQ and played the ¨Q. Simons won the king and cashed four spade tricks, then switched to the §Q. Jet Pasman won the §A and played a heart, but Pasman took the ¨J with the ace, letting Molson out for down one.

West North East South Meyers Vriend Montin van der Pas Pass Pass 1© 1ª Pass 2ª Pass 2NT Pass 4ª All Pass

Bep Vriend could have defeated the contract with the double-dummy lead of a diamond, but she did the normal thing by leading her partner's suit. It was too late, then, as Jill Meyers had time to set up her ©Q for a diamond discard. A diamond ruff gave her the dummy entry she needed to take the spade finesse. Plus 420 and 9 IMPs to USA 1, who had cut the margin to 6.5 IMPs on the first deal.

The Netherlands struck back on the next deal, scoring 5 IMPs when they defeated 4ª doubled two tricks for plus 300 in one room while Simons was allowed to escape for one down.

USA 1 earned 7 IMPs on Board 3 when Vriend in the Closed Room went minus 50 in 3NT, while Sokolow sat for a balancing double of 1©, defeating the contract by a trick for plus 200.

The Americans managed a 1 IMP gain in a most unusual way on this deal.

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

West North East South Meyers Vriend Montin van der Pas Pass 1© Pass 1ª Pass 4© All Pass

With the heart finesse working, Montin easily took 10 tricks for plus 420.

West North East South Simons Sokolow Pasman Molson 1§ 4© 4NT(1) Pass 5¨ Pass 6§ All Pass

(1) Alerted on Molson's side of the screen as a non-forward-going raise to 5§.

Sokolow apparently forgot the meaning of 4NT and the Dutch were in a position to collect 1100, but they, too, seemed confused about the auction, so they let Sokolow play it without a red card.

Pasman started with the ©A and a heart to declarer's king. Sokolow pulled trumps, ending in dummy, and played a spade off. Simons won the ªJ and the ªA before switching to a low diamond. This ran to the queen and ace. Sokolow could have claimed for minus 300, but she played a low diamond from dummy and inserted the 7. That gave the defense two more tricks and plus 400, but it was still a 1 IMP gain for USA 1.

The Netherlands got the IMP back on the next board, followed by a push. The Dutch women were clinging to a 4.5-IMP lead. They upped the lead to 9.5 IMPs when Vriend and van der Pas defeated 1 NT by a trick for plus 100 while Sokolow and Molson let the same contract through for minus 90.

USA 1 gained another 2 IMPs when Sokolow and Molson nailed Pasman for 500 in 2© doubled while Vriend and van der Pas picked up plus 420 in the other room. The Netherlands were ahead, 235.75-228.25.

The Netherlands missed an opportunity to increase the margin on the following deal. Instead, they suffered a loss that reduced their lead to 0.5.

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

West North East South Meyers Vriend Montin van der Pas 1© 1ª 2§ 2¨ 3§ 3¨ 4§ All Pass

The diamond bid and raise made it obvious 3NT was not going to make, and the Dutch judged that they didn't have enough assets for game in clubs. As the cards lie, 5§ can be made via a major-suit squeeze against East provided the defenders cash their diamond tricks first and declarer manages to maintain communication between the two hands (if the defenders play a heart at trick two, declarer must finesse in clubs on the first round). Meyers led a spade, and van der Pas finished with 10 tricks for plus 130.

West North East South Simons Sokolow Pasman Molson 1© 1ª 2§ Pass 3§ Pass 3ª Pass 3NT All Pass

Unaware that the diamond suit was wide open, Pasman made the normal lead of the ªQ. Sokolow won the ªA and played the §10 to the ace. She finessed the §9 on the way back, cashed the §K and returned to dummy with the ©K to run clubs. At trick nine, Pasman had discarded down to jack and a spade, the singleton ©Q and the ¨7. Sokolow, believing Pasman had no diamonds left, attempted to throw Pasman in with the heart to effect an endplay in spades. Pasman won the ©Q and played a diamond, allowing Simons to claim the rest of the tricks and hold declarer to her contract. Plus 400 was good for a 7-IMP gain for USA 1, now needing only 1 IMP to take the lead. They did so on the next deal.

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

West North East South Meyers Vriend Montin van der Pas   Pass 1¨ Pass 2§ 2ª 3¨ Pass 5§ All Pass

Vriend finished minus 300 in her game contract after the lead of the ª2. Meyers won the ªA and switched to a low diamond. Vriend's ¨9 held the trick and she played low from dummy. Apparently seeking to create an entry to dummy, Vriend played a club to the 6. Meyers won a surprise trick with the §9, cashed the trump ace and exited with a trump. Vriend still had to lose two heart tricks for minus 300.

West North East South Simons Sokolow Pasman Molson   Pass 1¨ Pass 2§ Pass 3¨ Pass 3NT All Pass

Sokolow's no trump game was due to fail on the lead of the ©J, but Pasman started with her seventh-best spade. Simons went up with the ace and made her only safe exit with a low spade. Sokolow won and played the ¨9 to dummy's jack. Simons thought a long time before winning the queen, and more time after that before continuing the suit. Sokolow finished with 10 tricks for plus 630 and a 14 IMP gain. USA 1 was now in front by 13.5 IMPs.

The Dutch women wasted no time getting back on the board.

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

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

(1) Majors.

The bad splits in the majors doomed this contract to down three. Montin could only reflect that it was lucky she wasn't doubled. Plus 150 to the Netherlands.

West North East South Simons Sokolow Pasman Molson 1§ Pass 1© Pass 1ª Pass 2© Pass 3© Pass 4© Pass Pass Dble All Pass

Throughout the set, the Dutch had been somewhat conservative in the bidding, but Simons was not reluctant to put the ax to Sokolow's optimistic contract. The defense slipped a trick, but Sokolow had no real chance to make the contract and she finished down one. Plus 100 was a 6-IMP gain for the Netherlands.

The Netherlands gained 3 IMPs on the next board, but it could have been more.

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

West North East South Meyers Vriend Montin van der Pas 1¨ 1ª Dble Pass 2§ Pass 2¨ All Pass

Meyers managed eight tricks despite the bad trump split for plus 90.

West North East South Simons Sokolow Pasman Molson 1¨ 1ª Dble 2ª All Pass

Pasman led the ¨J, which was allowed to hold. Sokolow ruffed the diamond continuation and played a low heart from hand. She made the correct play of ducking, but now the defense got a crossruff going. Simons played the ¨A, ruffed and overruffed, followed by a heart ruff. Had Simons then played the ¨K, Pasman could have overruffed again, given Simons a heart ruff and completed the slaughter by winning her ªK. The defenders would still have the §A to come for plus 300.

Simons, however, played the ¨10, and Sokolow gratefully discarded the ©A, saving a trick. Pasman ruffed and returned a heart, but Sokolow overruffed Simons' ª7 with the queen, pulled trumps and had only to make a successful guess in clubs to finish at minus 100 for a push. She rode the §10, however, and was back to down two for minus 200 and a 3-IMP loss.

The Netherlands had moved to within 4.5 IMPs. The next deal settled the issue.

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

West North East South Meyers Vriend Montin van der Pas 1NT All Pass

Vriend had no trouble coming to seven tricks once she discovered the diamond division. Plus 90 to the Dutch.

West North East South Simons Sokolow Pasman Molson 1NT 2© All Pass

Molson's lead of a low spade seems reasonable, but it worked out badly on this occasion. Pasman ducked to the jack, played a spade to the queen and discarded her singleton diamond on the ªA. From there, she managed three diamond ruffs, a high heart and a high club for plus 110. That was 5 IMPs to the Netherlands, who had taken the lead by half an IMP.

The next two boards were pushes -- North-South were down one in 3NT at both tables on Board 14 and plus 660 in 3NT on Board 15.

On the last deal of the event, USA 1 still had a chance to win, but the team's fate depended on an opening lead.

Board 16. Dealer West. EW Game ª A J 10 5 © K 10 5 3 ¨ Q 7 5 § 9 6 ª 2 ª Q 9 7 4 © 4 © A Q 2 ¨ J 10 4 2 ¨ A K 6 3 § A K 10 8 7 43 § Q J ª K 8 6 3 © J 9 8 7 6 ¨ 9 8 § 5 2

The auction was short and sweet at both tables -- 3§ by West, 3NT by East. In the Closed Room, van der Pas led a low heart and Montin wrapped up 11 tricks for plus 660.

It was clear to the VuGraph audience that a spade lead by Molson would hold declarer to 10 tricks and earn USA 1 the IMP that would give them the gold medal. There was no compelling reason for Molson to find a spade lead, however. A heart seemed the normal lead and much more likely.

When Molson put the ©7 on the table, the Dutch partisans in the room erupted in wild applause. The final score in the Orbis Venice Cup was yet to be made official, but they knew that the trophy belonged to the Netherlands for the first time.