Crouching tigers

With 16 deals to go in the Venice Cup final, USA I led China by a score of 193.3-169. It was a useful lead, but not insurmountable.

There were some nervous moments for the Americans, but they eventually prevailed. Here are few deals from the last round. USA I started off with an 11-IMP swing.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª Q © Q J 6 5 2 ¨ 5 § A K J 9 4 3
ª 9 4 © K 10 9 8 ¨ K 9 8 3 2 § 10 6		ª 10 8 3 2 © 7 4 ¨ A Q J 10 7 § 8 2
	ª A K J 7 6 5 © A 3 ¨ 6 4 § Q 7 5

Janice Seamon-Molson and Tobi Sokolow had an excellent auction to the top spot in the closed room.

West	North	East	South
Yu	Seamon-Molson	Hongli	Sokolow
	1§	1¨	1ª
4¨	4©	Pass	6§
All Pass

Sokolow knew her partner was not introducing a four-card suit at the four level, so she accurately pictured a hand with 6-5 shape. The chances were good, therefore, that Seamon-Molson had a singleton or void in diamonds. Indeed, the ¨A was the only trick for the defense. That was plus 920 to USA I.

Curiously, the Chinese in the open room had a more difficult time without interference.

West	North	East	South
Levin	Liping	Picus	Wenfei
	2§	Pass	2¨
Pass	3©	Pass	3ª
Pass	4§	Pass	4NT
Pass	5§	All Pass

Perhaps the meaning of 4NT was not entirely clear to Liping Wang. In any case, Wenfei Wang considered her final call for some time before putting the green pass card on the table.

China picked up 5 IMPs on the next deal when Sue Picus and Jill Levin got too high in a heart partial, going minus 50 against plus 140 in the closed room.

China trailed 204.3-182 when the following deal came up.

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

West	North	East	South
Levin	Liping	Picus	Wenfei
		Pass	1ª
Pass	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	4ª	Pass	6ª
All Pass

Levin led a low spade, which Wenfei rode around to her 5. She cashed the ©A, went to dummy with the ¨A and played a low heart to the 8, queen and king. That was the only trick for the defense. Plus 980.

The auction got out of hand in the closed room.

West	North	East	South
Yu	Seamon-Molson	Hongli	Sokolow
		Pass	1ª
Pass	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	2ª	Pass	5§
Pass	5ª	Pass	6©
Pass	7ª	All Pass

Sokolow’s 5§ asked for key cards in spades excluding the club suit, and 6© would normally be an inquiry about the ©K. Whether that is the meaning in the Americans’ bidding system, the result was a leap to a no-play grand slam and a loss of 14 IMPs.

Halfway through the match, China had whittled the American’s lead to 13.3 IMPs. The next deal could have swung the match to the Chinese.

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª J 5 © 8 6 3 2 ¨ A K 9 7 6 § Q 9
ª K 10 © A K 10 ¨ 8 2 § A J 10 8 6 3		ª 8 3 2 © J 9 7 ¨ Q 10 5 4 3 § K 5
	ª A Q 9 7 6 4 © Q 5 4 ¨ J § 7 4 2

West	North	East	South
Levin	Liping	Picus	Wenfei
	Pass	Pass	2¨
2NT	All Pass

Wenfei’s 2¨ showed a weak two-bid in a major. Liping correctly deduced that her partner’s suit was spades, and she started with the ªJ. Wenfei ducked to Levin’s king. The contract was very shaky. Levin could not afford to lose an early trick. It would be down a lot if she did. At trick two, Levin put the §J on the table, covered by North with the queen. Levin took the §K and advanced the ©J, also covered, and she finished with 10 tricks for plus 180. It might seem to have been an error for North cover the §J at trick two, but Seamon-Molson, defending 3NT in the other room, said she probably would have done the same, reasoning that West was unlikely to have a six-card club suit and that the only chance was for her partner to have four to the 8-7.

West	North	East	South
Yu	Seamon-Molson	Hongli	Sokolow
	Pass	Pass	2¨
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Yu Zhang, China

Seamon-Molson started with her fourth-best diamond, and Yu Zhang considered her play for a long time before putting in dummy’s 10. Sokolow won the ¨J and returned the ª9. Yu played the king, the a club to the king and a club to the jack. It was a disastrous decision. Seamon-Molson won the §Q, cashed her top diamonds (Sokolow discarded a spade on one of them), then played her ªJ to the South hand. Instead of plus 600, declarer was minus 400. It was an 11-IMP swing to USA I instead of a 10-IMP loss. The 21-IMP swing was particularly meaningful in a match won by 19.3 IMPs.

China managed an 11-IMP swing on t he next-to-last board, but by then the margin was too great for them to overcome. The final score was 229.3-210.

When the Chinese players entered the VuGraph auditorium after the match, they received an hearty round of applause from the spectators who had watched them fight valiantly on their way to a silver medal.