| 36th World Team Championships, Monte Carlo, Monaco | Tuesday, 4 November 2003 |
France v Indonesia – Seniors Round One Two years ago in Paris the first Seniors Bowl featured just seven teams, while here in Monte Carlo there is a field of sixteen as this event takes its place alongside the Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup as a true World Championship, with every WBF zone represented for the first time. Round One saw a match between France, who have had great success in European Senior competition, and Indonesia, a team that I fancy to be in the medals at this tournament. The Senior Championship is being played as a straight round robin with no knockout stage, each match being played in two 12-board segments. The match started with a bang for North/South with back-to-back slams to bid on the first two deals.
Both Souths began with an artificial 2¨ opening then showed about 22-23 balanced with their rebid. Pierre Adad made an invitational raise to 4NT and Maurice Aujaleu accepted, suggesting the alternative spot of 6ª. Looking at a doubleton diamond and three trumps, Adad passed 6ª out so the French pair reached the best contract on the deal. After the lead of the queen of diamonds, Aujaleu won in dummy, cashed two rounds of trumps then led up to the ¨A and ruffed his diamond loser; +980. Henky Lasut simply raised the 2NT rebid to 6NT. This is still a decent contract, of course, but significantly inferior to the spade slam. However, with the clubs lying as they were, Eddy Manoppo could not go wrong; +990 and a flat board.
Lasut made the lazy opening bid of 4ª, where he played for +680, giving an opportunity to France. Sure enough, Adad/Aujaleu took advantage, bidding to the cold small slam. Two Clubs was game-forcing and when Adad followed up by showing a powerful spade suit Aujaleu was prepared to cuebid despite his small singleton spade. I am not sure why his second cuebid was again in diamonds, but it got the job done as Adad jumped to 6ª; +1430 and 13 IMPs to France.
Adad led a spade against 3© and Aujaleu won the ace and switched to a trump. Budirahardia ran that to the king and back came a second trump for the ten, jack and ace. Declarer could not get a club ruff in dummy so his only hope was the ruffing spade finesse. He crossed to the queen of hearts and ran the spade, pitching a club, but that lost and the defence took two club tricks for down one; -100. Francois Leenhardt’s 1¨ opening might have been three cards in the other room but it would usually be four and it was easy for Christian Mari to support the suit at his second turn. The defence cashed two rounds of clubs then switched to a trump. Leenhardt ruffed the club loser, drew the remaining trumps and took the double heart finesse for nine tricks; +110 and 5 IMPs to France.
Both Souths declared 3NT on the lead of a low heart. Aujaleu put up dummy’s queen and ducked when that was headed by the king. Sacul returned a heart and the suit was cleared. Aujaleu played the ªQ to the ace and Sacul switched to a diamond for the ace and king. Aujaleu cashed the king of spades then the clubs and conceded down two for –100. Mari also led a low heart but Manoppo played low from dummy, winning the king with his ace. Manoppo played a spade honour and Leenhardt won and switched to the ¨10 for the ace and queen. Manoppo cashed the spade then crossed to a club to play another spade. There was still time for the defence to switch back to hearts but when a diamond was continued and declarer played low he had his ninth trick; +400 and 11 IMPs to Indonesia.
Sacul opened 3¨ in third seat, which looks a middle of the road action to me, and Aujaleu doubled. Adad’s decision to cuebid rather than commit to spades led to Aujaeu playing a dictate four-three fit. Budirahardia led out ace then jack of diamonds and Sacul overtook to play a third round. Aujaleu ruffed with the queen then played ace of hearts followed by a heart to the ten. It was good news when the ©10 held the trick but more good fortune was still needed and it duly materialized. Aujaleu cashed the ©K then led to the ace of clubs and continued with the §K and §Q. The fall of the jack enabled declarer to cash two more club tricks for +650. Leenhardt did not open in third seat but came in at his next turn.
When Mari raised to 3¨, Lasut doubled, ending the auction. The Indonesians
had no difficulty in taking the first seven tricks but that was
that and three down for -500 was worth 4 IMPs to France. |
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