Austria v Canada

Orbis Venice Cup - Round 10

Austria started the day in third place while Canada stood eighth - good enough, but a lot less comfortable with one of the favourites, China, breathing down their necks.

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

West North East South Gordon Erhart Reus Terraneo Pass Pass 1¨ 1© 1ª 2ª 3ª All Pass

West North East South Weigkricht Cimon Fischer Saltsman Pass Pass 1¨ 1© 1ª 2ª Dble Pass Pass 3© All Pass

The two auctions were the same up to two spades, showing a good heart raise. Now Sylvia Terraneo competed with Three Spades while Barbara Saltsman preferred to double - it is possible that Saltsman was less secure about finding partner with a fifth spade. The double didn't get the job done, as Francine Cimon allowed her opponents to play Three Hearts.That had five top losers, but -50 was a bargain for the Austrians.

Sharyn Reus led a heart against Three Spades and Dianna Gordon won and switched to a trump. Maria Erhart won the ace of spades, ruffed her heart loser, cashed a top diamond and played a spade to the king. When both spades and diamonds behaved, she had 12 tricks for +230 and 5 IMPs to Austria.

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

West North East South Gordon Erhart Reus Terraneo Pass Pass 1¨ Dble 3¨ 3© Pass 4¨ Pass 4© 5¨ Pass Pass 5© All Pass

West North East South Weigkricht Cimon Fischer Saltsman     Pass Pass 2¨ Dble 5¨ Pass Pass Dble All Pass

Cimon's third seat weak two bid allowed her partner to get the bidding up very high and very quickly. With no suit yet mentioned, East/West had little option but to take the money in Five Diamonds Doubled. That money proved to be 500.

In the other room, The one-level opening (which might have been three cards) meant that Terraneo could only raise to the three level. Once hearts were in the picture, East/West could judge to go on to Five Hearts. Erhart led a top diamond and switched to a club. Gordon took the ace, drew trumps and claimed; +650 and 4 IMPs to Canada.

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

West North East South Gordon Erhart Reus Terraneo Pass Pass 1§ Pass 1¨ Pass 1© 2§ Pass 3§ Pass Pass 3© All Pass

Terraneo opened a strong club and her rebid was two way, either natural or strong and balanced. Her subsequent pass confirmed the natural type and Erhart competed with Three Hearts over Three Clubs.

If you knew where everything was, you could do pretty well in a heart contract after the start of a club lead to the ace and a low diamond switch.

But, of course, Terraneo did not know where everything was. She rose with the ace of diamonds and ruffed her club loser then played a spade to the ten and king.

A diamond came through to the jack, queen and king, and she tried the queen of hearts. This was allowed to hold and a low heart continuation went to the jack. Reus cashed the ten of diamonds then played a club. The defense had a heart and a spade to come for down two; -200.

West North East South Weigkricht Cimon Fischer Saltsman Pass Pass 1© Pass 1NT Dble Rdble 4§ 4© 5§ Dble All Pass

Saltsman opened a natural One Heart and then redoubled to show a strong hand. Terry Weigkricht's jump to Four Clubs proved to be counterproductive for her side as it pushed Cimon to bid more hearts than she really wanted to do. Doris Fischer went on to Five Clubs and Saltsman doubled. After a heart lead, there were two diamonds, a spade and a heart for the defense; -300 and 11 IMPs to Canada.

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

West North East South Gordon Erhart Reus Terraneo   1© 2§ Pass 5¨ All Pass

When Terraneo overcalled, Erhart leaped straight to game in her long suit. When the diamonds were evenly divided, she had 11 tricks; +400.

West North East South Weigkricht Cimon Fischer Saltsman   1© 2§ Pass 2¨ Pass 2ª Pass 3¨ All Pass

Cimon contented herself with a simple diamond bid and then repeating the suit over saltsman's Two Spade rebid. Saltsman showed discipline in passing because of the apparent misfit but this was not the time for caution; +150 but 6 IMPs to Austria.

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

West North East South Gordon Erhart Reus Terraneo Pass 1© 1ª 2NT Pass 3© Dble 4© All Pass

Erhart stated that she had misread the four of diamonds as being the ace, hence the odd opening bid. Two No Trump was at least a limit raise in hearts and Three Hearts showed a minimum. When Reus doubled for take-out, Terraneo just assumed that it would be taken out so raised to game without allowing Gordon to show her preference. Of course, her preference might well have been to pass out the double. One must assume that a double of Four hearts from West would have been value-showing rather than penalty. The contract drifted three down for -150, better than Three Hearts Doubled down two from declarer's point of view.

West North East South Weigkricht Cimon Fischer Saltsman Pass Pass 1ª Dble Pass 2© Dble All Pass

For some reason, Cimon did not open the crisp seven-count! Fischer's One Spade opening was doubled for take-out and she in turn doubled the Two Heart response for take-out. Weigkricht passed, of course, but could they beat it?

The lead was the queen of diamonds to the king. Cimon played a spade to the king, cashed the ace of diamonds, then played a second spade to the queen. Fischer cashed the jack of diamonds, on which Weigkricht pitched the club jack, then switched to the king of clubs to dummy's ace. A diamond was ruffed and a club given up. When the defense played another club, Cimon could ruff and, with six tricks in the bag, simply make two trump tricks by force to make her contract. +470 was worth 12 IMPs to Canada, who led by 33-16.

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

West North East South Gordon Erhart Reus Terraneo   1¨ Pass 1ª Pass 1NT Pass 2§ 2ª All Pass

West North East South Weigkricht Cimon Fischer Saltsman   1§ Pass 1¨ 1ª Pass Pass Dble 2¨ 2© Pass 2NT All Pass

Curiously, it was at the table where East/West bid spades that North/South managed to buy the contract in spades. The curious opening bid by Reus was simply a miss-sorting error and nothing of devious intent. Reus led a top heart against Two Spades and switched to the king of clubs, on which Gordon deposited the nine. Perhaps Reus expected the ten from that holding, because when Erhart led the queen of diamonds from hand she took her ace and attempted to cash the queen of clubs. Erhart ruffed, played diamond king and ruffed a diamond. She threw her heart loser on the jack of clubs, ruffed a heart and led the eight of diamonds to the jack. She lost two trumps from here but was home with eight tricks; +110.

At the other table, the lead against Two No Trump was a low spade to dummy's jack. Weigkricht led the king of clubs to the bare ace and Cimon switched to the king of diamonds, ducked, and continued with the queen. Weigkricht won the ace and played two more rounds of clubs, establishing the suit. With the jack of diamonds as an entry to the clubs, the winning defense now is to put declarer in hand with the fourth club. She can cash her clubs and put North in with the fourth diamond to get a second spade trick, but has no access to the two heart winners in dummy and goes one off. Who would have thought that the problem would be a shortage of entries to the East hand? But Saltsman could not read the position and switched to a heart after winning the club jack. Weigkricht had eight tricks now for +120 and a 6 IMP gain.

Board 17. Dealer North. Love All ª A Q J 10 7 © 7 6 4 ¨ 5 § K 7 6 2 ª K 8 5 4 3 ª 9 6 © J 10 9 5 © K 8 2 ¨ J 10 7 ¨ K 9 8 3 2 § 8 § Q J 3 ª 2 © A Q 3 ¨ A Q 6 4 § A 10 9 5 4

West North East South Gordon Erhart Reus Terraneo 1ª Pass 2¨ Pass 2ª Pass 2NT Pass 3§ Pass 3© Pass 3ª Pass 4§ Pass 4ª Pass 6§ All Pass

The canape auction made North declarer, and the slam a lot worse proposition as either red suit position could be attacked at trick one. You might make Six Clubs double dummy, but in real life it looks normal to go down. Erhart received a heart lead and put in the queen. When that held she played two top clubs then ace of spades and ran the ten of spades to the king; Down one for -50. Winning lines require more finesses or risk going down with trumps 2-2 if declarer embarks on a cross-ruff from the start.

West North East South Weigkricht Cimon Fischer Saltsman Pass Pass 1¨ 1ª Pass 1NT 2§ Pass 2ª Pass 3§ Pass 4§ Pass 5§ All Pass

Cimon did not see an opening bid in the North cards and there was never any danger of the Canadians getting overboard. Five Clubs was a comfortable contract and duly made for +400 and 10 IMPs to Canada.

Two boards later, came more of the same.

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

West North East South Gordon Erhart Reus Terraneo Pass Pass 1§ Pass 1© Pass 2§ Pass 2¨ Pass 2© Pass 3§ Pass 4NT Pass 5§ Pass 6§ All Pass

One Club was strong and One Heart showed 6+ HCP but less than three controls. Erhart was looking for a five-acrd diamond suit in the dummy, which would have given the slam a reasonable play, at least. And, of course, a slightly better heart holding would also have helped.

As it was, the contract was very poor. Erhart ruffed the second spade, played ace of clubs and a club to the queen, and ran the ten of hearts. When that lost, she was one down; -50.

West North East South Weigkricht Cimon Fischer Saltsman Pass Pass 1§ Pass 1¨ Pass 2© Pass 3§ Pass 3¨ Pass 4§ Pass 4ª Pass 5§ All Pass

The natural auction seemed to be far better controlled and once again the Canadians stopped comfortably in game. +400 was again worth 10 IMPs. Canada led by 57-27 with one board to go, but Austria finished with a bang.

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

Both Norths had a free run to Four Hearts and received a diamond lead. Both Cimon and Erhart won the queen and played a heart to the king then cashed the heart queen. On seeing the 4-1 break, Erhart crossed to the ace of diamonds to lead a low club to her jack. The idea was to make it more difficult for West to win the first club if she held a doubleton honour, and also to set up a ruff and discard position to put pressure on whoever won the defensive club tricks. Reus won the king of clubs and switched to a low spade. This ran to the queen and Erhart played a club to the queen and ace. She won the spade return, drew trumps and had ten tricks; +620.

When Cimon saw the bad trump break, she played the jack of clubs from hand. That lost to the king and Fischer resisted the temptation to switch to a spade. She exited passively with a diamond to dummy's ace and Cimon played a club to her ten. When that held, she crossed to the ace of hearts and played a spade to the queen and king. Back came a second spade. She won the ace and exited with a third spade but Weigkricht could win that and play a trump and the contract was two down; -200 and 13 badly needed IMPs for Austria,

The last board pulled the Austrians up to only a 40-57 IMP loss, converting to 11-19 VPs. Austria slipped to joint fourth, while a big win from China meant that Canada also slipped, to joint eighth, despite their win.