China v Austria

Mark Horton

China, group leaders and many peoples favourites to take the title, faced third placed Austria in Round 7 of the Women’s series. It would be a battle of the club systems, Austria’s Blue against China’s Precision.

The boards cooperated and provided both the players and the commentators with plenty of opportunities.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª 9 8 6 4 © 9 6 5 3 ¨ J § A J 9 5
ª A J 7 2 © A Q J ¨ 5 4 2 § 10 7 4		ª 5 © K ¨ A K Q 9 8 6 3 § K Q 3 2
	ª K Q 10 3 © 10 8 7 4 2 ¨ 10 7 § 8 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weigkricht	Wang	Grumm	Wang
	Pass	1§*	Pass
1NT*	Pass	2¨	Pass
2NT	Pass	6¨	All Pass

1NT promised four controls, so East knew immediately she was facing two of the missing aces. Once West showed a few extras she bid the slam. +920.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zhang	Erhart	Gu	Terraneo
	Pass	1§*	Pass
1NT	Pass	2¨	Pass
2NT	Pass	3§	Pass
3NT	Pass	4¨	Pass
4©	Pass	4NT	Pass
5©	Pass	6¨	All Pass

The Chinese pair had a slower, but equally successful auction to the same spot, so there was no swing. It was surprising that neither South was willing to bid over the strong club with the major two suiter.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weigkricht	Wang	Grumm	Wang
			Pass
1ª	2NT*	3ª	Pass
Pass	5¨	All Pass

Wang was flying sol here, and she caught a dummy that gave her a chance to make her contract. East led the two of diamonds and declarer put up dummy’s ten. When that held she played a low diamond, putting in the jack when West discarded the five of hearts. East won and switched to the two of hearts. Declarer won with the ace, crossed to the nine of diamonds and ran the seven of clubs. That was eleven tricks and +400.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zhang	Erhart	Gu	Terraneo
			Pass
1©	2NT*	3©	Pass
Pass	4¨	Pass	5¨
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

This time the stakes were higher. The play started in the same way, but at trick two West discarded the ten of hearts and declarer won the trick with the ace of diamonds and played the ten of spades. West won with the jack and played the king of hearts. Declarer won with the ace and advanced the jack of clubs, running it to West’s queen. That meant one down, -100 and 11 IMPs to China.

Given West’s diamond void and her opening bid it was a slightly surprising way to play the hand.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weigkricht	Wang	Grumm	Wang
1§*	Pass	1ª*	Pass
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

East showed three controls and whilst West’s rebid might offend the purists it was probably the best choice on the hand. When North led the five of spades declarer was over the first hurdle, but with both red suits failing to oblige she could only arrive at eight tricks. Sometimes there is no reward for enterprise.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zhang	Erhart	Gu	Terraneo
1§*	1©	Dble*	2ª
Pass	3ª	All Pass

Maria Erhart came in over the strong club with a canapé overcall and her side won the part score battle. Three Spades was unbeatable, +140 and 1 IMP to Austria.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weigkricht	Wang	Grumm	Wang
1©	Pass	2§*	Pass
2©	Pass	3¨	Pass
3©	Pass	5¨	All Pass

East’s Two Club response was canapé, and she could not resist a smile when her partner bid hearts for the third time. Five Diamonds was a practical choice, but of course declarer made all the tricks, +440. Tacchi pointed out that in Vaupillon you always make Six Diamonds, as South will cover the queen of diamonds (cover an honour with an honour) even with the bare ace in dummy.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zhang	Erhart	Gu	Terraneo
1©	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	Pass	2ª	Pass
3©	Pass	4NT*	Pass
5©*	Pass	6¨	All Pass

East was not really any better placed here, but took the more optimistic view, which proved to a winning one. +940 was worth 11 IMPs. You can expect to see this hand appear ina few bidding panels before too long.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weigkricht	Wang	Grumm	Wang
	1§*	Pass	2ª*
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
Pass	4§	Pass	4©
Pass	4ª*	Pass	5¨
Pass	6©	All Pass

Six Hearts needed only one trump loser and a finesse. Not this time, -50.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zhang	Erhart	Gu	Terraneo
	1NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

No problems here, declarer making eleven tricks to earn the same number of IMPs.

On Board 12 the South players held: ª8532 ©KJ107654 ¨10 §2. The VuGraph commentators posed the question, ‘What is this hand pattern known as and who named it?’ Kokish went for a swan and Terence Reese. Half right, it was a giraffe. Incidentally in Germany it is known as a Cologne hand, 4711, named after the famous fragrance. (You will find a story about it in For Love or Money at the Jannersten book stall.)

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª A 5 3 © 5 3 ¨ 10 4 3 § Q 8 6 5 3
ª J 10 9 8 2 © A 10 8 6 4 2 ¨ K 6 § -		ª K Q 6 © K J 9 ¨ A 8 § K J 10 7 4
	ª 7 4 © Q 7 ¨ Q J 9 7 5 2 § A 9 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weigkricht	Wang	Grumm	Wang
		1§*	2¨
2©	3¨	3©	Pass
4§*	Pass	4¨*	Pass
4©	All Pass

The Austrian pair had time for a couple of cue bids before they stopped at a safe level. Declarer played North for the queen of hearts, so she made eleven tricks, +450.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zhang	Erhart	Gu	Terraneo
		1§*	3¨
4¨*	5¨	Dble	All Pass

The over enterprising Austrian bidding (see how polite we are) was severely punished. Zia, commentating in VuGraph, tried to inveigle Kokish into a $10 bet that declarer would escape for –800. However, my Finnessing friend tells me that six tricks are the limit.

West led the jack of spades and declarer won with dummy’s ace and played a diamond to West’s king. West cashed the ace of hearts and played a heart to East’s king. East cashed the king of spades and the ace of diamonds and played the queen of spades. Declarer ruffed and tried the ace of clubs. So, she made only six tricks, -1100 and a loss of 12 IMPs. So, Zia would have lost his bet. However, if declarer had played a low club, instead of the ace, planning to endplay East, Zia would have been on to a winner.

The way to ensure a five trick defeat is very hard to see. After cashing the king of spades East must play the king of clubs while West still has a trump.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weigkricht	Wang	Grumm	Wang
			1§*
1©	Pass	4ª	5§
Pass	Pass	5ª	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Declarer ruffed the opening club lead (we like tongue in cheek Zia’s suggestion of a psychic lead of a low club, trying to suggest a non existant void!), drew trumps, played a diamond to the king, ruffed a club and then played all her trumps bar one before playing hearts, with gratifying effect, +650.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zhang	Erhart	Gu	Terraneo
			1§*
Pass	1¨*	4ª	5§
Pass	6§	All Pass

This was the obvious two down, -200, but Austria had 11 IMPs.

China had strengthened its position at the top but Austria remained in third place. Both teams look to be in the form that might make them winners.