USA v Russia - Italy vNetherlands - Final Session 2

by Mark Horton

Double duty for your reporter, who was trying to follow developments in both finals as the second session got under way. Fortunately the deals were quiet, so there was not too much report on.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Ponomareva	Molson	Gromova	Sokolow
1§	Pass	1NT	All Pass

INT was not in danger. After South led a spade to the queen and king, when the diamond king obliged declarer cashed her tricks for +120.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Meyers	Karpenko	Montin	Vasilkova
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

With West as declarer only an inspired lead of the ace or queen of spades could defeat 3NT. North did lead a black queen but it was in clubs. You could argue that West should win that to avoid a possible switch to spades, but she ducked, giving North a second chance.

It was not taken, as unluckily South’s singleton club was the two, encouraging in their methods. North continued with the nine of clubs and declarer could win with dummy’s ten and play on diamonds. She eventually secured a winner in each major to emerge with 10 tricks and 11 IMPs.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª A 9 6 5 2 © A 10 7 ¨ J 10 9 7 § 3
ª 8 7 © 8 6 3 2 ¨ A 5 3 2 § 6 5 4		ª K Q 10 4 © Q 5 ¨ K Q 8 6 § Q 9 7
	ª J 3 © K J 9 4 ¨ 4 § A K J 10 8 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Ponomareva	Molson	Gromova	Sokolow
	Pass	1§	2§
All Pass

Declarer won the opening spade lead in dummy, cashed two top clubs and played a third round. In due course she played West for the queen of hearts to finish with nine tricks, +110.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Meyers	Karpenko	Montin	Vasilkova
	Pass	1¨	1©
Pass	2§*	Pass	3§
3¨	4©	All Pass

I will confess to being uncertain of the meaning of Two Clubs – the convention card is silent. It might be some type of Drury, or perhaps simply a relay. Or of course it might be a typo – as we say in the Bulletin Room imitation is the sincerest from of flattery.

Declarer won the opening spade lead in dummy, played a club to the jack, ruffed a club and played ace and ten of hearts with gratifying effect. That was eleven tricks and the same number of IMPs.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª J 10 2 © 8 3 ¨ A Q 3 § Q 10 9 5 4
ª Q 9 4 3 © K 10 6 ¨ K J 10 7 § 8 7		ª K 8 © Q 4 2 ¨ 9 4 2 § A K J 6 3
	ª A 7 6 5 © A J 9 7 5 ¨ 8 6 5 § 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Ponomareva	Molson	Gromova	Sokolow
		1§*	1©
Dble	1NT	All Pass

The way the play went West probably wished she had doubled 1NT. East cashed a top club and switched to the king of spades. Declarer won in dummy and played back a spade to her ten, and a low heart. East made the nice play of the queen, and declarer won and played back a heart to West’s ten. West cashed spades and the king of hearts, squeezing North in the minors. When West switched to a club East took two tricks in the suit and exited with a club, forcing North to give West a diamond trick. Two down, +100.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Meyers	Karpenko	Montin	Vasilkova
		1§	1©
1ª	1NT	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

This time West did double, but the defence was different. East led the three of clubs, not at all unreasonable but by no means fatal. Declarer won with the nine and played a heart to the two (no queen this time) seven and ten. The threat of dummy’s heart suit was clear, and West was at fault when she switched to the jack of diamonds rather than a spade. Declarer finessed, and cleared the hearts. That meant seven tricks, +180 and 7 IMPs, putting the Russians one ahead in the set, but still well behind in the match.

Time to move over to the where, as half time approached, only seven IMPs had been scored.

Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª 6 4 3 © Q J 8 3 ¨ Q 10 9 4 § 7 3
ª J 10 9 7 © 9 7 2 ¨ J 8 § A 5 4 2		ª A K Q 8 5 2 © 6 ¨ K 7 5 § Q 9 8
	ª - © A K 10 5 4 ¨ A 6 3 2 § K J 10 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Brink	Bocchi	Prooijen	Duboin
Pass	Pass	1ª	2©
3ª	4©	4ª	4NT
Dble	5©	Dble	All Pass

West led the two of hearts and declarer won in dummy and played a club to the jack and ace. West switched to the jack of diamonds, covered by the queen king and ace, and declarer simply drew trumps and claimed his overtrick for +750.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Verhees	Lauria	Jansma
Pass	Pass	1ª	2©
3ª	Pass	4ª	4NT
Dble	5©	All Pass

West led a trump and the early play was the same as at the other table. When West was in with the ace of clubs he played another trump and declarer again won in dummy and repeated the club finesse. He drew the last trump and cashed the winning clubs (at this level the players know when the spots are good!), discarding two diamonds from dummy. He played a diamond to dummy’s queen, which lost to the king. He ruffed the spade return and claimed. +450, but a loss of 7 IMPs.

Let’s see how the Women coped with this deal:

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Ponomareva	Molson	Gromova	Sokolow
Pass	Pass	1ª	2©
3ª	Pass	4ª	Dble
Pass	5©	5ª	All Pass

No double, no trouble! South cashed the ace of hearts and played a low heart when North followed with the queen. Declarer ruffed and drew trumps while eliminating hearts, coming down to one trump in each hand. She tried a club to the ace and a club, but South won and played clubs. Declarer ruffed and played a low diamond to the jack and queen, down three, -150.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Meyers	Karpenko	Montin	Vasilkova
Pass	Pass	1ª	Dble
3ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

Clearly South should have taken another bid, double or 4NT? Play went along similar lines – a minor variation was that at one point declarer tried the jack of diamonds covered all around and was two down, -100, 2 IMPs to USA.

Okay, back to the Open where you can join me on a trip to the Twilight Zone

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª K J 9 6 © 10 8 4 2 ¨ J 10 § A 6 4
ª 8 7 © 3 ¨ 8 6 4 3 § 10 8 7 5 3 2		ª Q 5 © A K 7 6 ¨ A K Q 9 5 § Q 9
	ª A 10 4 3 2 © Q J 9 5 ¨ 7 2 § K J

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Brink	Bocchi	Prooijen	Duboin
			1ª
Pass	3¨	Dble	3ª
All Pass

This looks easy enough to defend, heart, heart, heart ruffed, diamond, heart ruffed, diamond. However something strange happened. West led his heart and East won, declarer dropping the jack. East cashed the king of diamonds for the two, three and ten and then cashed the ace of diamonds. A mysterious defence was completed when East played the six of hearts for West to ruff and he played back a diamond, giving declarer a ruff and discard. With the club queen onside the contract was made, +140.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Verhees	Lauria	Jansma
			1ª
Pass	2NT*	Dble	Pass
3§	3ª	Pass	Pass
3NT*	Pass	5¨	All Pass

One has to assume that Three Spades would have been defeated at this table, but Versace, clearly a red meat eater and never one to sell out easily, came again and put his side overboard. What is more, his partner took him seriously, and went for the game bonus. North/South were sufficiently impressed so as not to double and the contract failed by two tricks, 1 IMP to Italy.

Ok, back to reality.

Board 29. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª A Q 10 2 © K 8 ¨ 2 § Q 8 7 6 4 3
ª J © Q 10 7 6 5 ¨ J 10 8 6 3 § A K		ª K 8 5 © A 9 3 ¨ A Q 9 5 4 § 10 2
	ª 9 7 6 4 3 © J 4 2 ¨ K 7 § J 9 5

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Brink	Bocchi	Prooijen	Duboin
	1§	1¨	Pass
1©	1ª	2§	3ª
6¨	All Pass

Watching on Bridgebase, Norway’s Jon Sveindal described Six Diamonds as a bit heavy. What adjective would you use? The contract failed by two tricks, -200.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Verhees	Lauria	Jansma
	2§	2¨	3§
Dble	Pass	3¨	Pass
5¨	All Pass

Obviously Four Hearts would have been a good spot, but at what point could West have introduced his hearts? Five Diamonds was reasonable but unsuccessful, down one, -100 and 3 IMPs to Italy, who won this low scoring set 17-12.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Ponomareva	Molson	Gromova	Sokolow
	1§	1¨	1ª
Dble*	4ª	Pass	Pass
5¨	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

Obviously Four Spades would not have made, but it was tempting for West to bid Five Diamonds, a contract that had to fail by one trick, -100.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Meyers	Karpenko	Montin	Vasilkova
	2§*	Dble	3§
4©	5§	Dble	All Pass

This was not pretty, declarer losing two trumps, and a trick in each of the other suits, -800 and 14 IMPs to the USA, beginning to move well ahead, especially when they added another 14 IMPs on the remaining boards on the set.