China v England (Venice Cup)

By Mark Horton

When the vugraph audience was treated to a Venice Cup match between two of the leading teams, I was on hand tointerview some of the players.

England’s Nicola Smith revealed that although she had played in and won countless Championships she was still motivated by the excitement of a new partnership and rated her present one with Heather Dhondy her best yet.

Nicola is passionate about football and she refuted BrianSenior’s suggestion that she supported Chelsea; like Terence Reese she cheers on Queens Park Rangers (and has a sneaking admiration for Liverpool.)

When asked to name her favourite male partner Nicola went for Raymond Brock – here as Captain of the English Open team.

China’s Liu Yiqian was confident the next Venice Cup would be in Shanghai in 2007, but doubted China would field a team in the Senior Bowl – their players are all too young!

She thought it possible as many as 2,000,000 Chinese people could be following events here in Estoril.

She could not confirm the best beer in China is Tsingtao, but she did read the bridge column in The China Daily – published in Beijing and written by our proof-reader Phillip Alder.

She hopes that this time it will be jin – gold – for China.

The Great Shuffler delivered interesting deals that set the players some difficult problems.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	Liu	Smith	Wang
		Pass	1♣*
Pass	1♦*	Pass	2♦
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

3NT played by North is a very tough nut to crack, as only an impossible diamond lead allows the defenders to beat it.

East led the three of spades. Declarer won in hand with the nine and played a diamond to the queen. West ducked butdeclarer continued with the king of diamonds, so West won and returned a spade. Declarer won, crossed to hand with the seven of diamonds and played a heart to the jack. When that held she was home; +600. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Zhang	Goldenfield	Gu	Brunner
		Pass	1♦
Pass	1♠	Pass	3NT
All Pass

South gave her side a chance of matching the result at the other table but with West on lead she needed some help – and when West led a heart it was not forthcoming. Declarer tried the queen and when East covered with the king South took the ace and attacked diamonds. West won and switched to the eight of spades, covered by the queen, king and ace. Declarer cashed the queen of diamonds, crossed to dummy with a diamond and played a club to the king and ace.

It was hardly obvious that a club return now would produce a second undertrick, and when West exited with a heartdeclared cashed her winners, for –100 and 12 IMPs to China.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	Liu	Smith	Wang
			1♦
1NT	Pass	2♥*	4♦
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

South’s second bid made it impossible for East/West to discover their club fit. West cashed a top heart and when East produced the jack she continued the suit giving her partner a ruff. Now declarer could not be prevented from ruffing one club in dummy and discarding another on the ten of hearts, so the contract was two down; –300.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Zhang	Goldenfield	Gu	Brunner
			1♦
1NT	Pass	2♥*	4♦
Pass	Pass	4♠	All Pass

While considering the bidding in the Open Room the commentators had suggested that it was impossible for East to bid Four Spades in this position. Well, in China the impossible simply takes a little longer.

South cashed a top diamond and switched to the five of clubs. (If she plays a second diamond, declarer ruffs and can make the contract by drawing four rounds of spades, then running the nine of clubs.) Declarer won with dummy’s ten and played the king of spades, getting a nasty shock when South discarded. (At this point declarer can make the contract by overtaking the king of spades and playing a club to the jack – a difficult line to find.) She continued with the jack of spades, overtaking to play a club to the jack. North ruffed and led a diamond, forcingdeclarer to ruff. She played a club to the ace and North ruffed. At this point North, who was down to ♠87 ♥10654, needed only to play a heart to ensure the defeat of the contract, but when she inexplicably played a spade declarer could claim ten tricks and 8 IMPs.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	Liu	Smith	Wang
Pass	Pass	1♥	Pass
1♠	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	1NT	All Pass

I wonder how much thought North gave to passing her partner’s double? (Sabine Auken did just that in another match – after all it was not game – and collected +800.)

East led the jack of spades. Declarer won and played a club to the king and ace. East ducked the king of diamonds, took the next diamond and returned the ten of spades. West took her ace and played back a club so declarer won in dummy, cashed a winning club and the ace of hearts, and exited with a club to force West to surrender the rest of the tricks. A neat way to collect +180. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Zhang	Goldenfield	Gu	Brunner
Pass	Pass	1♥	Pass
1♠	All Pass

Here West was left to stew in One Spade. North led the queen of diamonds, declarer winning and playing a heart. South did well to go in with the ace and she cashed a diamond and switched to a trump. North won with the queen, cashed the jack of diamonds and played a diamond, ruffed in dummy.

Declarer cashed the queen of hearts and ruffed a heart, but North overruffed and played the king of spades. Declarer won with the ace and played a club but South could take two clubs and play the jack of hearts so declarer was three down; –300 and 3 IMPs for England.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	Liu	Smith	Wang
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Facing a 13-15 no trump North made the sort of game try in which you bid it, then let partner try to make it.

West led a fourth-best three of spades. Declarer won with the king, cashed a top diamond, took dummy’s two top clubs and played a diamond to the king. She gave up a diamond and after the defenders cashed their spades, she claimed the rest; +400. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Zhang	Goldenfield	Gu	Brunner
	Pass	Pass	1NT
All Pass

In Acol land 1NT is 12-14, but with a ten count and a five-card suit some Norths would invite game (perhaps more so if vulnerable). This time declarer made ten tricks, but lost6 IMPs.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ 7 ♥ K Q J 10 5 3 ♦ A 9 4 ♣ J 6 5
♠ 10 9 8 6 3 ♥ A 9 8 2 ♦ 10 8 3 ♣ K		♠ A Q J 5 ♥ – ♦ K Q 7 5 2 ♣ A Q 8 7
	♠ K 4 2 ♥ 7 6 4 ♦ J 6 ♣ 10 9 4 3 2

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	Liu	Smith	Wang
2♥*	Pass	2NT*	Pass
3♠*	Pass	4♠	All Pass

Two Hearts was weak with both majors and 2NT a relay. Looking at the system notes, I am assuming that the reply showed a minimum 5-4, which is doubtless why East signed off.

However, could West have opened Two Hearts with ♠K10986 ♥9872 ♦A83 ♣2? Then Four Spades would not be quite the top spot and East would regret not making a try with Four Clubs. Declarer made eleven tricks; +450. Discussing this deal with England’s Captain Alan Mould, he sagely remarked that he would have bid Four Clubs if East/West could make a slam – otherwise he preferred Four Spades! Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Zhang	Goldenfield	Gu	Brunner
Pass	1♥	Dble	Pass
1♠	Pass	3♠	Pass
4♠	All Pass

By the same token, was One Spade the right bid from West, or Three Spades the best way to describe the East hand? Plus, having bid One Spade, surely West owed East a cuebid over Three Spades? Okay, these are theoretical points, but next time around the cards may be disposed to present you with a chance to win some IMPs.

China was booked for a decent win – until the last boardarrived at the table.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ A ♥ K Q ♦ J 10 7 4 ♣ A K 10 5 4 2
♠ 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ 10 7 6 2 ♦ – ♣ 9 8 6 3		♠ K Q 10 6 ♥ A J 9 8 4 ♦ K Q 8 ♣ Q
	♠ J 3 2 ♥ 5 3 ♦ A 9 6 5 3 2 ♣ J 7

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	Liu	Smith	Wang
Pass	1♣*	Pass	1♦*
Pass	2♣	Dble	Pass
2♠	Pass	3♠	4♣
4♠	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

With such a good hand East had no convenient way to enter the auction over the Precision Club, but came in on the next round. I have no idea why South, having already limited her hand, did not mention her diamonds, but at her next turn she felt obliged to say something. Perhaps a deep meaning 3NT, implying diamonds and some clubs might have got the message across but, when she raised clubs, diamonds were out of the picture.

North cashed the king of clubs and switched to the four of diamonds, covered by the king and ace and ruffed by declarer, who played a spade, taken by North’s ace. At this point the winning defence, which North must be kicking herself for missing, is to force dummy with a club, but when she continued with the jack of diamonds declarer could win, draw trumps, ruff a diamond and play the seven of hearts for a more than useful +790. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Zhang	Goldenfield	Gu	Brunner
Pass	1♣	Dble	1♦
Pass	3♦	All Pass

Given a more or less free run it’s not so easy to reach Five Diamonds – and many of those who did went down as, on a heart lead to the ace and a club switch, declarer was afraid to finesse in diamonds in case East could get a club ruff.

Declarer made eleven tricks and that gave England 14 precious IMPs. China won by 32-22 IMPs, 17-13 VP, but both teams were on the way to the quarter-finals.