Germany v Canada (Venice Cup)

by Mark Horton

Eric Kokish presented the prematch interviews – but unfortunately he held the microphone so far away that both questions and answers are lost in the mists of time.

Germany were on a hot streak, having won eight matches in a row, so Canada, anxious to consolidate their position amongst the qualifiers, would have to be at their best. The first board gave a very slight indication that things might not go well for the Canadians.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Kraft	Auken	Gordon	von Arnim
	1♦	Pass	Pass
1♥	2♦	3♦*	Pass
4♥	All Pass

North led the king of diamonds and, seeing South’s eight, switched to the five of spades. South won with the king,declarer dropping the queen, and returned the two of spades. Declarer won in dummy with the ten and, ignoring the inferences from the bidding, ran the queen of hearts to thesingleton king. The club position meant declarer was spared a guess; +420.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Schraverus	Cimon	Alberti	Lee
	1♦	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♦	Pass	Pass
2♥	Pass	Pass	3♦
Pass	Pass	3♥	Pass
4♥	All Pass

I approve of South’s initial response and it was enough to keep West out of the auction on the first round. When she protected next time South might have seen the danger inadvertising her diamond support but, in reality, how often do your opponents bid a game in this situation?

The early play followed that in the Open Room, but declarer played a heart to the ace at trick four and earned an IMP for her side. It was a match of small swings – the biggest so far came on the following deal:

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Kraft	Auken	Gordon	von Arnim
		1♦	Dble
1♥	3♠	All Pass

South’s double would not be to everyone’s taste but the contract had some chances. East led the queen of hearts;declarer won and played a diamond. West took the ace and made the slightly surprising play of switching to the two of clubs, rather than continuing with a heart.

Now declarer was in with a chance. She won in hand and played a second diamond. East won with the queen and played the queen of clubs. Declarer won and had reached the critical point of the deal. If she ruffs a club, ruffs a diamond and advances the queen of spades, East has to cover and declarer wins with the ace and simply plays a spade. However, that line requires East to have ♠KJ6(7) and declarer decided to cater for West having the jack of spades. She played a heart to the ace, ruffed a club and played dummy’s last diamond. If West had started with ♠J7 she would have no answer, as if she ruffs with the seven declarer overruffs with the eight, and if she ruffs with the jack declarer simply discards her losing heart. On the actual lie of the cards West could ruff with the nine of spades and declarer had no winning move; one down, 50. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Schraverus	Cimon	Alberti	Lee
		1NT	All Pass

South cashed the king of hearts and switched to the three of spades. Declarer took the queen with the king and played a heart. South won and returned the eight of hearts, setting up her six. Not quite perfect, but one down and 4 IMPs for Canada, tieing the match 5-5.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Kraft	Auken	Gordon	von Arnim
Pass	1NT(i)	All Pass

(i) 1NT 10-12

East started with four rounds of clubs and West pitched a spade, so declarer made nine tricks; +150. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Schraverus	Cimon	Alberti	Lee
Pass	Pass	1♣	Dble
1♠	Dble	2♣*	2♥
Pass	3♣	Pass*	3♥
Pass	4♥	All Pass

Two Clubs denied three spades and the pass of Three Clubs showed at least one club honour.

North/South got their wires badly crossed – perhaps life would have been easier if South had passed over Two Clubs. This inelegant contract finished four down for –200 and a loss of 8 IMPs. On the following deal Germany played in Three Hearts down one, –50, while the Canadians again attempted Four Hearts, this time down three, –150. Tacchi pointed out that at this rate they would be making it by Board 12.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ A J 8 6 5 ♥ A 7 5 ♦ K ♣ K 8 3 2
♠ K 10 ♥ K J 9 6 4 ♦ Q 9 8 2 ♣ Q 7		♠ Q 9 7 3 ♥ 3 2 ♦ J 4 ♣ A 10 9 6 4
	♠ 4 2 ♥ Q 10 8 ♦ A 10 7 6 5 3 ♣ J 5

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Kraft	Auken	Gordon	von Arnim
			Pass
Pass	1♠	Pass	1NT
All Pass

West led the six of hearts; declarer won in hand with the eight and played a spade. She ducked when West put up the king and won the diamond switch in dummy. She cashed the ace of spades and played a third spade, discarding a diamond as West threw the four of hearts. East played a heart, covered by the ten, jack and ace, and declarer played a spade, East winning with the queen as South and West discarded diamonds.

East exited with a diamond and declarer won, discarding dummy’s remaining heart, and advanced the jack of clubs. West covered – a fatal error – and declarer put up the king. East could win, but eventually had to give dummy the last two tricks; +90. Note that if West does duck the jack of clubs and declarer ducks in dummy, East must also duck. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Schraverus	Cimon	Alberti	Lee
			2♦
2♥	All Pass

That looks like a very dangerous overcall on the West cards, but it passed off peacefully. North led the king of diamonds and switched to a heart for the queen and king. Declarer played the king of spades, North taking the ace and returning the six of spades. If declarer finesses she can arrive at eight tricks, but she put up the queen and was given no further chance; one down for –50 but I IMP for Germany.

The boards had not been very exciting for the spectators, but that was about to change – only a little.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Kraft	Auken	Gordon	von Arnim
1NT	Pass	2♣*	2♦
2♥	Pass	4♥	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

On another day North’s hair-trigger double might have produced a decent penalty. Here the ace of diamonds, a diamond ruff and a couple of clubs meant one down; +100.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Schraverus	Cimon	Alberti	Lee
1♦	3♣	Dble	4♣
All Pass

East led the jack of diamonds and in due course declarer arrived at ten tricks; +130. The aggressive double at the other table had saved an IMP.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ A 2 ♥ K Q J 10 3 2 ♦ Q 4 ♣ 8 7 2
♠ 3 ♥ 7 6 ♦ J 10 9 6 5 2 ♣ J 10 5 3		♠ Q 9 8 6 ♥ 9 8 4 ♦ A 7 3 ♣ Q 9 6
	♠ K J 10 7 5 4 ♥ A 5 ♦ K 8 ♣ A K 4

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Kraft	Auken	Gordon	von Arnim
	1♥	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♥	Pass	2NT*
Pass	3NT	Pass	4♣*
Pass	4♠*	Pass	5♠
Pass	6♥	All Pass

2NT was forcing and Four Clubs and Four Spades were cue– bids. Five Spades was a general, how do you feel about a slam, question and North went for her chunky looking heart suit.

Since North had denied a diamond control it might have been one of those deals where underleading the ace ofdiamonds might have given declarer an anxious moment, but this was not the case. East cashed the ace of diamonds anddeclarer was soon claiming +1430. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Schraverus	Cimon	Alberti	Lee
	1♥	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♥	Pass	3♣
Pass	3♠	Pass	4NT*
Pass	5♣*	Pass	5♦*
Pass	5♠	All Pass

The Canadians could not match the result in the other room – that was 13 IMPs for Germany.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	♠ 10 9 8 6 4 ♥ J 8 4 ♦ J 10 ♣ Q J 9
♠ A 7 2 ♥ – ♦ A 9 8 4 ♣ A 10 8 7 6 4		♠ Q 5 ♥ A K 10 6 2 ♦ Q 6 5 3 2 ♣ 2
	♠ K J 3 ♥ Q 9 7 5 3 ♦ K 7 ♣ K 5 3

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Kraft	Auken	Gordon	von Arnim
		Pass	1♥
2♣	All Pass

By modern standards, East’s initial pass was very surprising and it left her awkwardly placed when her left-hand opponent opened in her best suit and her partner overcalled in her weakest. I think you have to bid now, probably 2NT, but when she passed again her side was well below par on the deal.Declarer could just manage Two Clubs, but +90 was not likely to be enough.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Schraverus	Cimon	Alberti	Lee
		1♥	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♦	Pass
2♠*	Pass	3♦	Pass
4♦*	Pass	4♥	Pass
5♦	All Pass

The German pair – having a fantastic tournament on their debut – got very close, West using Conditional Keycard Blackwood, but then signing off in game over the discouraging minimal response. It was still worth 7 IMPs.

In winning their ninth straight match by 39-6 IMPs, 22-8 VP, Germany had given a very impressive performance – for Canada the road to the quarter-finals was going to be a hard one.