South Africa vs Brazil
- Venice Cup - Round 2
Our first Venice Cup match of these Championships features two
teams who will have to perform at close to their best if they are
to reach the knock-out stages of what looks to be a tough competition,
South Africa and Brazil. There was plenty of action on an interesting
set of deals, with the South Africans having rather the better of
proceedings.
Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
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|
ª Q 9 5 4
© A K 6
¨ Q 8
§ A J 7 4 |
ª K 10 2
© Q 10 4 3
¨ 7 2
§ Q 10 3 2 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª J 6
© 7
¨ K J 9 5 4
§ K 9 8 6 5 |
|
ª A 8 7 3
© J 9 8 5 2
¨ A 10 6 3
§ - |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Amaral |
Hulett |
Doria |
Adrain |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
1¨ |
Dble |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Fihrer |
Mandelot |
Swartz |
Paim |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
1NT |
2NT |
3§ |
Dble |
Pass |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Margie Hulett for South Africa had no problem in making 4ª after
the lead of East's singleton heart. The heart went to the eight,
ten and king and Hulett played a spade to the ace then a second
spade. Though Marina Amaral played the ten smoothly, Hulett went
up with her queen. It was plain sailing from here with declarer
being able to establish the hearts with the aid of a second finesse
and making a total of twelve tricks for +680.
At the other table Agota Mandelot opened 1NT and Cherrie Swartz
overcalled 2NT, minors. It is not clear who was at fault after that
- perhaps Leda Paim expected her partner to show a four-card major
immediately so that 3ª would show only three cards, though my own
view would be that her pass over 3§ doubled need not deny a major.
Anyway, 3NT was not a success after a club lead to the queen and
ace. Declarer tried the queen of diamonds to the king and ace, followed
by the ©J to queen and king. Eventually, she had to let West into
the lead and Joan Fihrer wasted no time in returning the ten of
clubs to pick up the suit for the defence. Mandelot was three down
for -300 and 14 IMPs to South Africa.
Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
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|
ª K
© K Q 8 7
¨ J 10 6 4
§ 7 6 5 4 |
ª 10 9 8 5 3
© J 3
¨ A K 9 5
§ 8 3 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª A 7 4
© 10 6 5 4
¨ Q 8 7 2
§ 10 2 |
|
ª Q J 6 2
© A 9 2
¨ 3
§ A K Q J 9 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Amaral |
Hulett |
Doria |
Adrain |
|
|
|
1§ |
Pass |
1¨ |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Fihrer |
Mandelot |
Swartz |
Paim |
|
|
|
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1ª
|
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
Again one team played in 3NT and the other in four of a major,
but this time it was the no trump game that was successful. After
a spade to the ace and a spade back, there were ten tricks in 3NT;
South Africa +430. I do not have all the play details from the other
room but it is unclear why 4© went down. On the face of it, declarer
should lose only a heart, a spade and a diamond, ruffing one diamond
and pitching two on the spades. Anyway, the contract did fail by
a trick and that was -50 and 10 more IMPs to South Africa.
Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
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|
ª A 4
© 9 6 2
¨ Q 8 7 2
§ A Q 8 7 |
ª J 7 6 5 2
© K Q 10 3
¨ K 5 3
§ 5 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª 10 8
© A J 8 7
¨ J 9 6
§ 10 9 4 3 |
|
ª K Q 9 3
© 5 4
¨ A 10 4
§ K J 6 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Amaral |
Hulett |
Doria |
Adrain |
|
1NT |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Fihrer |
Mandelot |
Swartz |
Paim |
|
1§ |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
At both tables the defence began with four rounds of hearts. At
this point Lucia Doria switched to a low diamond from the East hand
and Hulett ran it, losing to the king for down one. Of course, the
contract can be made from this point by rising with the ace of diamonds
and cashing four rounds of clubs. That squeezes West between the
¨K and his spades. Sure enough, Mandelot brought home the game in
the other room for +600 and 12 IMPs to Brazil.
Well, you say, that serves Hulett right - obviously the diamond
switch would not be away from the king. And perhaps you would be
correct against some defenders, but suppose that declarer has the
queen and jack of diamonds and you do not switch; isn't declarer
likely to take the finesse and make her contract? Perhaps East SHOULD
switch to a diamond when holding the king to give declarer a losing
option. That must be correct if declarer does not believe that such
a switch will be found.
Of course, there were several tables at which a club lead was found
and now there was no squeeze so that the contract had to fail. Of
more interest would be if any pair of defenders worked it out after
a heart lead and switched before cashing the whole suit, thereby
avoiding the squeeze. If anyone managed that, please let us know.
Board 8. Dealer West. All Vul.
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|
ª A 9
© J 10 8 6
¨ A 10
§ K J 10 7 3 |
ª J 7 6
© A K 9 7 4
¨ Q J 9
§ 6 2 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª 8 5
© Q 5 3 2
¨ 8 6 5 4 3 2
§ A |
|
ª K Q 10 4 3 2
© -
¨ K 7
§ Q 9 8 5 4 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Amaral |
Hulett |
Doria |
Adrain |
Pass |
1§ |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
5§ |
All Pass |
|
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Fihrer |
Mandelot |
Swartz |
Paim |
Pass |
1§ |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
4© |
Dble |
4NT |
Pass |
5¨ |
Pass |
5ª |
All Pass |
|
The excellent club slam proved to be too tough for both our pairs.
Di Adrain invented a diamond suit then jumped to 5§ over Hulett's
2§ rebid but that didn't really get the message across and Hulett
can hardly be blamed for passing. If you are willing to commit to
clubs on the South African auction, then 4© Exclusion Key Card would
seem the easiest approach over 2§ but that may well not have been
an option.
I am not totally sure what was going on in the other room but presumably
2NT was a transfer to clubs. The Brazilians exchanged cuebids and
Mandelot asked for key cards but then settled for 5ª on discovering
that two were missing. Should South have bid the slam, realising
that her partner had probably assumed the heart cuebid to be an
ace and that North should have sufficient key cards in the other
suits for slam to be on?
Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
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|
ª 10 8 2
© Q 5 2
¨ K 7 3
§ A Q 9 6 |
ª A K 9 5 4
© K
¨ Q 10
§ K 10 7 3 2 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª J 7 6
© A J 7 3
¨ A 9 6 5 2
§ 8 |
|
ª Q 3
© 10 9 8 6 4
¨ J 8 4
§ J 5 4 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Amaral |
Hulett |
Doria |
Adrain |
Fihrer |
Mandelot |
Swartz |
Paim |
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
Identical auctions and opening leads but different results. Both
Norths led a trump to the six, queen and king, and both declarers
cashed the king of hearts before playing a diamond. Amaral played
the ten of diamonds at trick three and took dummy's ace. She pitched
her remaining diamond on the ©A and continued with a club. When
South played low smoothly declarer decided to duck. Hulett won and
returned a second trump. Amaral won in dummy and ruffed a heart,
bringing down the queen, but with only one club ruff to come and
the heart being ruffed she had to go one down for -100.
Fihrer did rather better, leading the queen of diamonds at trick
three. When that got covered, she gave up a diamond and the even
break in that suit enabled her to make an overtrick; +650 and 13
IMPs to South Africa.
Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
|
|
ª A 10 9 6 5 3
© 8 5 4 2
¨ 5 3
§ 5 |
ª J 8 4
© J 9 6
¨ A J 6 2
§ A 10 6 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª Q 7 2
© A K Q 3
¨ K 7
§ 9 8 4 3 |
|
ª K
© 10 7
¨ Q 10 9 8 4
§ K Q J 7 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Amaral |
Hulett |
Doria |
Adrain |
|
|
1§ |
1¨ |
1NT |
All Pass |
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Fihrer |
Mandelot |
Swartz |
Paim |
|
|
1§ |
1¨ |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
|
What is the west hand worth when partner opens 1§, playing a strong
no trump so that the 1§ bid will often prove to be a minimum balanced
opening? I am firmly with Fihrer on this one, believing Amaral's
1NT call to be too timid. Mind you, Fihrer might have had some doubts
before dummy came down after Paim's double of 3NT. Both declarers
received a diamond lead, which they won in hand. They both crossed
to dummy with a heart and played a club up, after which there were
always nine tricks. Amaral made +150, while Fihrer managed an overtrick
in her doubled game for +950 and 13 IMPs to South Africa.
Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
|
|
ª Q J 10 4
© J 10 7 6 2
¨ 6
§ K 10 4 |
ª K 7 2
© A 4
¨ J 5 4 3 2
§ Q J 7 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª A 9 8 3
© 3
¨ A K 9 8 7
§ 8 5 3 |
|
ª 6 5
© K Q 9 8 5
¨ Q 10
§ A 9 6 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Amaral |
Hulett |
Doria |
Adrain |
|
Pass |
1¨ |
1© |
2© |
4© |
Pass |
Pass |
5¨ |
All Pass |
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Fihrer |
Mandelot |
Swartz |
Paim |
|
Pass |
1¨ |
1© |
2© |
4© |
All Pass |
|
Having already shown a constructive diamond raise with the 2©
cuebid, should west go on to 5¨
over 4©? The answer
in real life was, of course, that bidding on was the losing option,
and perhaps that is as it should be, because west has plenty of
high cards for defence but too little distribution to provide the
offence to make 5¨.
Both contracts failed by a trick for two 100s to South Africa, giving
them 5 IMPs.
The match ended in a comfortable 24-6 VP win to South Africa.
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