As advertised

Thanks to a rally in the fourth set, England had a 12-IMP lead over France in the quarter-final round of the Women’s series of the World Bridge Olympiad with 16 deals to play.

It was an exciting set that would not be settled until the final deal.

England increased the lead on board 1 with an overtrick IMP, but the French drew to within 6 IMPs on the next deal.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª Q 6 3 2 © K Q J ¨ Q 8 7 4 § 9 7
ª K 10 7 © 9 5 ¨ A K J 3 § 10 8 5 4		ª 4 © A 7 6 4 2 ¨ 9 5 2 § A Q J 6
	ª A J 9 8 5 © 10 8 3 ¨ 10 6 § K 3 2

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	D'Ovidio	Smith	Allouche
		1©	Pass
2§	Pass	3§	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Catherine D’Ovidio started with a low diamond against Heather Dhondy’s pushy game – her 2§ response to 1© and Nicola Smith’s raise served to endplay Dhondy in the bidding. The favourable opening lead did little more than give declarer false hope for nine tricks. She played a club to the queen and 2, then followed with a low heart from dummy. North won the ©J and played a spade. Once that suit was cleared it was only a matter of time before defenders had six tricks and declarer was claiming for two down and minus 100.

West	North	East	South
Willard	Goldenfield	Cronier	Brunner
		1©	1ª
2NT	3ª	All Pass

That’s a lot of bidding considering the limited assets of the four players.

The French defense was deadly accurate. Sylvie Willard started with the ¨A, switching to the ©9. Benedicte Cronier won the ©A and continued with the ©2 (suit preference) to dummy. Michelle Brunner played a spade to the ace and a second spade, but Willard won the ªK, put Cronier in with the §A and took the heart ruff. There was still a diamond to come, so Brunner was two down for minus 200 and 7 IMPs to France.

Three deals later, England boosted their lead to 10 IMPs.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª K Q J 9 5 4 © 9 ¨ A 10 7 § 10 7 2
ª A 10 7 6 3 2 © K J 2 ¨ K J § 6 3		ª 8 © A 8 7 6 4 ¨ Q 9 4 2 § A K 8
	ª - © Q 10 5 3 ¨ 8 6 5 3 § Q J 9 5 4

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	D'Ovidio	Smith	Allouche
		1©	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
4©	All Pass

Danielle Allouche led the §Q to Smith’s ace. A diamond went to the king and ace, and D’Ovidio switched to a trump, which ran to dummy’s jack. The ¨J was cashed, followed by a club to the ace and a club ruffed low. The ©K was cashed, and when Smith played the ªA, Smith was surprised to see Allouche considering her play. Eventually, Allouche ruffed, but Smith had an overtrick for plus 650.

West	North	East	South
Willard	Goldenfield	Cronier	Brunner
		1©	Pass
1ª	2ª	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

There were some comments during the Vugraph show about the apparent excess of deals in which two of the players have six spades each. If Goldenfield was aware of the computer’s proclivities, she wasn’t impressed, bidding the natural 2ª anyway. Willard was happy to double with six trumps, and the defenders took all the tricks coming to them. Cronier started with the top two clubs, then gave Willard a club ruff. The ¨A was knocked out and the defense collected two more diamonds and a heart trick, leaving North with all trumps. Declarer managed five tricks, but it was only minus 500 – 4 IMPs to England, now leading 108-98.

The lead grew to 16 when Willard and Cronier overbid on this deal.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª A J © J 9 8 5 ¨ Q J 8 3 § K 8 4
ª 8 7 5 4 2 © 10 6 4 ¨ 7 4 § A 10 2		ª K Q 6 © A K Q 7 ¨ A 10 9 5 2 § 6
	ª 10 9 3 © 3 2 ¨ K 6 § Q J 9 7 5 3

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	D'Ovidio	Smith	Allouche
Pass	1¨	1NT	Pass
2©	Pass	3ª	All Pass

Dhondy’s hand didn’t improve enough for her to consider bidding game despite her partner’s super-acceptance of the transfer. Allouche started with the §Q, taken by the ace. A spade was led from dummy, and D’Ovidio played the ace to continue with the §K. Smith ruffed with the ªQ, cashed the king and began playing hearts. Allouche ruffed the ©Q and cashed the §J, but there was only one more trick coming – plus 140.

West	North	East	South
Willard	Goldenfield	Cronier	Brunner
Pass	Pass	1¨	Pass
1ª	Pass	2©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3ª	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Apparently Willard’s 2NT was meant to be a relay preparatory to signing off in 3ª. When her partner indicated three-card support, Willard took a shot at game. Goldenfield found the killing lead of a club, taken by Willard with the ace. She did not help herself by ruffing a club at trick two. When she followed with the ªK, Goldenfield won the ace and played a third club, forcing dummy to ruff with the ªQ. Hoping for some luck in hearts, Willard started cashing the high ones, but Brunner ruffed the ©Q with the ª9 and played a fourth round of clubs, allowing North to score the ªJ. The result was minus 100 and 6 IMPs to England.

The match tightened up considerably when Dhondy, facing a difficult decision, made a poor choice.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª 8 7 © K J 10 8 6 4 3 2 ¨ J 4 § 9
ª K J 6 4 3 2 © - ¨ K 9 5 § Q 10 6 2		ª A Q © Q 9 7 ¨ A Q 8 6 2 § A K 4
	ª 10 9 5 © A 5 ¨ 10 7 3 § J 8 7 5 3

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	D'Ovidio	Smith	Allouche
	4©	Dble	Pass
4ª	All Pass

The correct bid with the West hand on the given auction is debatable, and likely would depend on partnership agreements, but 4ª seems the worst choice. In the closed room, Willard and Cronier did not find the cold grand slam, but they did help their team to 13 IMPs.

West	North	East	South
Willard	Goldenfield	Cronier	Brunner
	4©	Dble	Pass
4NT	Pass	6¨	Pass
6ª	All Pass

4NT usually shows interest in a minor suit, and Cronier had more than enough to indicate how high she thought they should go. It wasn’t perfect, but at least they managed the small slam. The swing left France only 3 IMPs down, 114-111. They took the lead on the next deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	D'Ovidio	Smith	Allouche
		Pass	Pass
1§	1ª	2©	Dble
Pass	2ª	All Pass

Smith started with the §J, which went to D’Ovidio’s ace. She tried a diamond to dummy’s king, but Dhondy took the ace and switched to the ª6. That went to the 2, 7 and jack, and D’Ovidio continued with a diamond ruff. She then played a heart to the jack and queen. Dhondy continued with the ª9 to the 10 and queen, and Smith exited with a heart to the ace. D’Ovidio was rapidly running out of tricks, and she tried for one more diamond ruff, but Smith overruffed, pulled declarer’s last trump with the ace and exited with a club. D’Ovidio’s last trick was the §K. Plus 300 looked like a good position for England, but it didn’t work out that way.

West	North	East	South
Willard	Goldenfield	Cronier	Brunner
		Pass	2¨
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

Brunner paid for her aggressive preempt when Cronier balanced with a double. The result was minus 800 and an 11-IMP swing to France, now leading 122-114.

England got a couple of IMPs back by playing a superior part score on board 12. With four deals to go, France was in front 122-116. The final swing of the match was enough to put England in the lead.

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

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	D'Ovidio	Smith	Allouche
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	4©	All Pass

With no clues from the bidding to guide her, Allouche did not find the killing club lead, starting instead with a low diamond. Smith went up with the ace, pitching a club from hand. She ruffed a diamond, then played the ©Q, which went to the king. North played a spade to South’s ace and, too late, a club (the §Q) was played. Smith had her 10 tricks for plus 620. The contract played from the other side in the closed room, and that made all the difference.

West	North	East	South
Willard	Goldenfield	Cronier	Brunner
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	Pass	4©	All Pass

Goldenfield did very well to start with a spade – any other lead gives away the contract. Brunner won the opening lead with the ace and, looking at the East hand as dummy, had no difficulty finding the club switch. In due course, the defense had four tricks, plus 100 and 12 IMPs in the bank.

The next deal was a flat board with both tables bidding and making 3NT.

England had a chance to seal the match on the penultimate deal, but it didn’t happen.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª A Q 9 © K J 9 7 ¨ 8 3 § Q 8 6 4
ª J 4 © 6 5 3 2 ¨ K Q 9 7 2 § J 5		ª 10 5 3 © Q 8 ¨ 10 6 4 § A K 10 9 7
	ª K 8 7 6 2 © A 10 4 ¨ A J 5 § 3 2

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	D'Ovidio	Smith	Allouche
			1ª
Pass	2§	Pass	2ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

The double-dummy club lead defeats the contract because of the trump promotion, but it’s a lead no good player would make given the auction and possession of the ¨K Q. Indeed, Dhondy started with the ¨K, ducked by declarer as East contributed the 4. Dhondy continued with the ª4, taken in dummy with the queen. South now made the good play of a low club from dummy. Smith went in with the king, as South played the 2 and West the 5. A trump was continued, and Allouche took it in dummy and followed with a diamond to the ace and a diamond ruff. Now a heart to the ace allowed declarer to pick up the last trump, after which she played her second club, ducking when West produced the jack.

A diamond return was ruffed, and South had to play hearts. With a fairly accurate count of the East hand, there was no way South was going to drop the doubleton ©Q offside, and indeed she finessed, going one down.

West	North	East	South
Willard	Goldenfield	Cronier	Brunner
			1ª
Pass	2§	Pass	2ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Willard also started with the ¨K, ducked as at the other table. Again, a trump switch was taken in dummy and a low club played from the North hand. Cronier played the §K, Brunner followed low – but Willard played the jack. At this point Cronier could have continued with a high club and a third round to promote a trump trick, but she exited with a spade. Now Brunner did not have to make a guess in hearts. She could win the spade switch in dummy, play to the ¨A and ruff a diamond, enter hand with the ©A and pick up the last trump, discarding a heart from dummy. She could then play a club from hand and simply cover West’s card. East could win cheaply but would be endplayed. A heart return would solve declarer’s problem in that suit, a high club would be ruffed, making the §Q good for a heart discard, and on a low club return, declarer simply pitches a heart.

Alas, on the third round of spades, Brunner discarded a club! Now the endplay would not work, and she ended up taking the losing heart finesse as had her counterpart. One down – no swing.

With one deal to go, England led by 6. Because the open room Vugraph table had finished early, it was apparent France could still win the match.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª 6 2 © J 10 ¨ K 6 5 3 2 § A 6 5 3
ª K 10 9 5 © K 9 8 ¨ A Q 4 § K 10 4		ª A Q J 3 © A 7 5 2 ¨ 10 § Q J 9 7
	ª 8 7 4 © Q 6 4 3 ¨ J 9 8 7 § 8 2

West	North	East	South
Dhondy	D'Ovidio	Smith	Allouche
1NT	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	Pass	2ª	Pass
2NT	Pass	3§	Pass
3ª	Pass	4¨	Pass
4ª	All Pass

2¨ Transfer to hearts, balanced slam invitation or 4441 (any singleton)
2© Forced
2ª Balanced slam invitation or 4441
2NT Any minimum
3§ Natural
3ª Natural
4¨ Cue, but not necessarily the singleton

It’s clear that 12 tricks are easy with the East/West cards, but getting to the slam is not a trivial exercise. Plus 680 for England gave French partisans hope as the final deal came on the screen in the Vugraph room from the closed room.

West	North	East	South
Willard	Goldenfield	Cronier	Brunner
1NT	Pass	2§	Pass
2ª	Pass	4¨	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Willard considered her hand for a time after her partner’s splinter in diamonds, but she had a minimum and the ¨Q was wasted opposite the singleton. Finally, she passed, and England survived to play the semi-final round.