| 36th World Team Championships, Monte Carlo, Monaco | Tuesday, 4 November 2003 |
England v Egypt – Venice Cup Round Two England started with a narrow loss in Round One while Egypt had suffered something rather more serious. Both would be keen to get a solid win under their belts when they met in Round Two. On the first board the Egyptian E/W pair outbid their English counterparts but actually lost 2 IMPs for their pains.
Lily Khalil’s simple overcall put the English E/W pair under less pressure but this actually worked out badly for the English in that they did not get committed to a suit contract and alighted in 3NT instead. After a heart lead, 3NT requires the club finesse, just as does the diamond slam, so is clearly the wrong contract. However, this was Dhondy’s lucky day as the winning club finesse gave her twelve tricks and +490 for 2 IMPs to England.
The double of Nicola Smith’s 4¨ cuebid helped the English pair to stay out of slam as she could then confirm first-round control by redoubling and, when Heather Dhondy could not bid slam herself, Smith was prepared to trust her and stop off at the five level. Even with hearts coming in, 6© would not be secure as the §A might be offside, so the slam is against the odds; +650.
Sandra Penfold did not double the cuebid at the other table and that left her opponents with less options. Assouad jumped to slam and now the opening lead was critical. Had Penfold attempted to cash the ace of diamonds, figuring that she had a trump trick to come, it would have been ruffed and declarer’s clubs would all have gone away on the established diamonds. But Penfold was convinced that declarer, who had cuebid diamonds then jumped to slam without using Blackwood, would have a void. She led a club and Nevena Senior won the ace and returned the suit. Assouad won the second club and led a heart. She paused for some time, thinking about playing Penfold for queen third because the club lead looked to be from a short suit. Finally, however, she went up with the ace and was down one for –100 and 13 IMPs to England.
There was a serious difference of opinion between the respective South players as Penfold opened two levels higher than Khalil. Five Diamonds is surely too much at this vulnerability, particularly as 4¨ was available as a natural pre-empt. Choukry’s double would not have occurred to me, I have to confess and it looks normal for Assouad to pass with her defensively oriented hand. Choukry led the king of clubs and Assouad overtook to return the §J then a third round, ruffed by Penfold who cashed the ace of diamonds, discovering the three-nil break. She continued with a low heart and Choukry played the ace at the speed of light followed by the ace of spades. The winning play now would have been to discard, as West must play something that allows declarer to pick up the ¨Q, and the tempo of the ªplay of the ©A did perhaps suggest the three-one split. But the play is by no means automatic and does require declarer to play West for the actual unlikely 7-1-0-5 distribution. Penfold ruffed and played a second heart and Assouad won and cashed her other heart winner. She rather lost the plot now and returned a diamond, enabling Penfold to finesse and get out for three down, when a spade back would have seen her forced to ruff and lead from hand for down four; -800. The Egyptian N/S pair play transfer pre-empts and Lily Khalil opened 3§, doubled by Dhondy. She must have been somewhat surprised when Smith could jump to 4ª. Dhondy checked on key cards then bid the small slam; an easy +1430 and 12 IMPs to England.
Both N/S pairs bid easily to the small slam, though different hands took control and used RKCB in the two auctions. Seven requires four heart winners so is not good enough and, while both declarers made all the tricks, they could be content to have reached the correct contract; a push at +1010.
Maud Khoury did not open the North hand, leading to a very different auction. When Smith could double 2¨ to show values, Dhondy was happy to repeat her clubs and Maud’s competitive double got her side to 3¨. Smith led the §10 to the ace and Dhondy switched to her spade. Smith won the ace and returned a spade for Dhondy to ruff. The defence came to a second spade ruff and a trump trick to go with the ace of hearts for down two; -100 and 7 IMPs to England.
England benefited from playing four-card majors as Penfold’s 1§ opening promised four cards while Lily’s did not, permitting Senior to make a thin raise while Maud had to pass. That in turn allowed Penfold to compete to 3§ while Dhondy was left in 2ª. Dhondy lost three trump tricks plus two aces but made 2ª comfortably enough for +110. Choukry led two top diamonds against 3§ and Penfold ruffed then ducked a heart. Choukry won the ©10 and her switch to the ªK did not, as they say, exactly paralyse declarer. Penfold might have made an overtrick from here but the important thing was that she made her contract for another +110 and 6 IMPs to England.
Maud made a simple overcall and Lily a single raise. However, when Dhondy jumped to the club game Lily went on to 5¨, doubled by Smith. After a club lead and spade switch, there was just one loser in each side suit; down one for –100. Senior’s weak jump overcall saw Penfold raise directly to game and that caught Choukry with a huge fit for her partner’s second suit. She bid 6§ and that ended the auction. Penfold cashed the two major-suit aces then tried a second spade instead of a diamond so the diamond loser went away on the spades; still down one, however, for –50 and 4 IMPs to England. England ran out convincing winners by 55-8 IMPs, 25-4 VPs. |
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