England v USA1 (Venice Cup)

By Tony Gordon

This was an error-strewn encounter that resulted in a narrow win for England.

The first board set the trend when England missed the chance for a game swing.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ A ♥ A 10 7 6 5 ♦ K 9 7 ♣ A Q 10 2
♠ K 9 7 5 ♥ 9 4 2 ♦ Q ♣ J 8 6 4 3		♠ J 6 4 ♥ K J 8 3 ♦ A 6 5 4 ♣ 9 5
	♠ Q 10 8 3 2 ♥ Q ♦ J 10 8 3 2 ♣ K 7

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Brunner	Rosenberg	Goldenfield	Stansby
	1♥	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♣	Pass	2NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

South has an awkward bid at her second turn and JoAnna Stansby opted for an aggressive 2NT, which Debbie Rosenberg naturally raised to game. Michelle Brunner led her fourth-highest club and declarer tried dummy’s ten. When this held the trick, turned her attention to diamonds. The ♦K would have led to an easy ten tricks, but she played a low diamond to her jack and West’s queen. Brunner exited with a spade to dummy’s ace. Declarer continued diamonds but Rhona Goldenfield ducked the king and won the next round before switching to the ♠J, which was covered by the queen and king. Back came a heart and declarer hopefully ducked in dummy, but East won with the king and could have doomed the contract by returning an entry-destroying club, but she tried an optimistic spade instead and a grateful declarer could unscramble her nine tricks for +400 to USA1.

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Picus	Smith	Levin	Dhondy
	1♥	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♥
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

At the other table Heather Dhondy preferred to give false preference at her second turn and this resulted in North becoming declarer in 3NT. When Jill Levin understandably led a diamond Nicola Smith’s main problem was solved and she emerged with ten tricks for a 1-IMP gain to England.

The first big swing went to England on board 3 when USA1 over-competed in the Open Room and suffered a 1400 penalty to give England 14 IMPs; and 6 more IMPs came their way on board 6 when USA1 went down in 3NT while England stopped in a safe partscore. However, it was England’s turn to misjudge the auction on board 7 to allow USA1 to recover 9 IMPs and leave England ahead by 21-11.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ K J 6 5 4 3 ♥ Q 9 7 ♦ 8 2 ♣ J 7
♠ 7 ♥ A 8 5 2 ♦ J 10 5 3 ♣ 9 8 6 3		♠ A 10 9 8 ♥ 4 ♦ A K 6 4 ♣ A Q 5 2
	♠ Q 2 ♥ K J 10 6 3 ♦ Q 9 7 ♣ K 10 4

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Picus	Smith	Levin	Dhondy
	2♠	2NT	All Pass

2NT was not without hope, but stood no chance as the card lay. Declarer won the opening lead of the ♠Q with the ace and cashed the ♦AK, but the queen did not appear. She conceded a diamond and Dhondy switched to a heart. Levin took the third round with the ace, throwing low clubs from her hand, and cashed the ♦J before trying the club finesse. When that failed the defence had four major-suit winners to cash, so declarer ended three down for +300 to England.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Brunner	Rosenberg	Goldenfield	Stansby
	Pass	1♣	1♥
3♣*	All Pass

* Preemptive

When Rosenberg did not open the North hand in the other room, England alighted safely in 3♣. There were no problems in the play and Goldenfield scored +110 for a 9-IMP gain to England that stretched their lead to 17 IMPs. However, the Americans hit back on the very next board:

Board 10. Dealer East. Game Vul.
	♠ Q J 10 ♥ A 10 7 2 ♦ K 9 6 5 ♣ 6 3
♠ 8 5 ♥ 5 4 3 ♦ Q J 10 7 ♣ J 8 7 5		♠ A K 4 3 2 ♥ Q J 9 8 ♦ 4 3 ♣ K 2
	♠ 9 7 6 ♥ K 6 ♦ A 8 2 ♣ A Q 10 9 4

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Brunner	Rosenberg	Goldenfield	Stansby
		1♠		Pass
Pass	1NT*	Pass		3NT
All Pass

* 10-14

A low spade lead would have defeated the contract, but Goldenfield opted for the ♥J, systemically asking for an unblock of the ten. If declarer wins in hand and plays on clubs she will come to nine tricks, but she won in dummy and played a spade to the jack. If East ducks this she regains the tempo lost by the opening lead, but she doubtless did not expect declarer to have only three spades for this line of play and East won with the king. There was no winning defence at this point and her ♣K exit merely speeded up the play. Declarer played three rounds of clubs, won the heart switch with the ace and lost a second spade to East. Goldenfield could cash a heart, but declarer had the rest for +600 to USA1. Open Room

West	North	East	South
Picus	Smith	Levin	Dhondy
		1♠	All Pass

Smith’s protective 1NT would have shown 11-15 HCP, so 1♠ was passed out at the other table. After a trump lead Levin was one down for +100 to England but a gain of 11 IMPs for USA1.

Two boards later, England missed a non-vulnerable game to lose another 6 IMPs and the match was all square with four boards left to play.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All.
	♠ 5 4 2 ♥ A K J 10 7 ♦ J 6 4 ♣ K 7
♠ A K J 9 ♥ 8 5 4 2 ♦ 9 7 2 ♣ A 5		♠ Q 8 6 3 ♥ Q ♦ K 10 8 5 ♣ J 9 8 2
	♠ 10 7 ♥ 9 6 3 ♦ A Q 3 ♣ Q 10 6 4 3

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Picus	Smith	Levin	Dhondy
		Pass	Pass
1♦	1♥	1♠	2♥
2♠	3♥	Pass	Pass
3♠	All Pass

The defence began with a heart to the king and a trump switch, and Levin played a diamond to the eight and queen. Trumps were continued, so declarer ruffed a heart, crossed to the ♣A and ruffed another heart before exiting with a club to Smith’s king. Two rounds of hearts would have ensured two down, but Smith switched to the ♦6 after cashing the ♥A; however, declarer rose with the king and went two down after all for +100 to England.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Brunner	Rosenberg	Goldenfield	Stansby
		Pass	Pass
1♠	Pass	3♠	All Pass

Play began in a similar fashion against the same contract in the other room. After a high heart, Rosenberg switched to a trump; declarer won in hand and ran the ♦7 to Stansby’s queen. However, after South played a second round of trumps the play diverged as Brunner now repeated the diamond finesse. Stansby took her ace and switched to a club, which Brunner ducked. Any suit other than hearts would defeat the contract at this point, but Rosenberg played the ♥K and now Brunner could ruff in dummy, come back to the ♣A and trump another heart before ruffing a club to hand to draw the last trump. Dummy’s ♦K10 took the last two tricks to give Brunner nine tricks and England +140 and a lead of 6 IMPs with two boards remaining.

USA1 pulled back 3 IMPs on the penultimate board but the last board was flat, so England won the match by three IMPs (36-33), which converted to a 16-14 VPs victory.