Italy vs Germany

Venice Cup - Round 12

With two-thirds of the round robin completed, this match between tenth-placed Italy and seventh-placed Germany was of crucial importance to the two teams' qualification hopes. It was Italy who struck first.

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

West	North	East	South
Rauscheid	Rosetta	Nehmert	De Lucchi
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	2©	Pass	2ª
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Manara	Auken	Ferlazzo	V Arnim
	Pass	Pass	1§
1¨	Pass	2¨	Pass
Pass	Dble	Pass	3§
All Pass

Francesca De Lucchi's 1NT opening led to a straightforward transfer auction to the best contract for North/South. Andrea Rauscheid led the queen of diamonds to Pony Nehmert's ace and Nehmert switched to the eight of clubs. WWith the favourable heart position and the ªQ onside the defence could only come to a heart and a spade from here for +170 to Italy. Daniela Von Arnim opened a strong club and Gabriella Manara overcalled 1¨. When Sabine Auken passed and Caterina Ferlazzo raised to 2¨, the Germans had a problem in reaching spades. Auken doubled for take-out but Von Arnim had only one suit, and that of only four cards in length. Three Clubs was not a success, even with the favourable lie of the opposing cards. Again the defence began with a diamond to the ace and a club switch. Von Arnim won the club and played king and ruffed a diamond then a spade to her ace. A heart to the jack won and now she played a spade to the king, ruffed. Von Arnim was one down from here for -50 and 6 IMPs to Italy.

Rauscheid Andrea, Germany

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

West	North	East	South
Rauscheid	Rosetta	Nehmert	De Lucchi
			1¨
Pass	1ª	Pass	2©
Pass	2NT	Pass	3§
Pass	3¨	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Manara	Auken	Ferlazzo	V Arnim
			1§
Pass	1¨	Pass	1©
Pass	2©	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Germany struck back when Auken/Von Arnim bid a thin game and slipped it through on inaccurate defence. In the Open Room, the Italians had a mostly natural sequence to 3¨, 2NT being Lebensohl. De Lucchi made ten tricks for +130.

In the Closed Room, Von Arnim opened a strong club and rebid a two-way 1©. It looks as though Auken's 2© was a transfer bid as otherwise the jump to 3NT is quite bizarre. Manara led a heart to the ten and queen and Von Arnim took the club finesse, the jack losing to the king. Back came a heart to declarer's ace. Von Arnim crossed to the ace of clubs to take the diamond finesse and continued with ace and another diamond honour to the king. A spade switch would have netted four spade tricks and six in all, but Ferlazzo continued the heart attack and that was nine tricks and +400 for Von Arnim; 7 IMPs to Germany.

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

West	North	East	South
Rauscheid	Rosetta	Nehmert	De Lucchi
	Pass	Pass	1§
1©	Dble	2©	3©
4©	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	4ª	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Manara	Auken	Ferlazzo	V Arnim
	Pass	Pass	1ª
3©	3ª	4©	4ª
5©	Dble	All Pass

Not many pairs are playing strong jump overcalls at these championships but Manara's 3© call worked very well for her side, putting momentum into the auction and leaving her with a normal 5© bid at her next turn. Five Hearts doubled had to lose the four top tricks but that was only -300, a good save if her teammates could play 4ª at the other table. Sure enough, the 1§ opening and negative double meant that the Italians only found the spade fit at the four level and it didn't sound clear to Rauscheid that her opponents expected to make 4ª. The even split of both spades and diamonds made 4ª easy, however, and that was +620 to Italy and 8 IMPs. Germany picked up three modest swings over the next few deals to retake the lead at 19-14 IMPs, then Italy struck twice in quick succession.

Rosetta Annalisa, Italy

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª Q 10 7 4 © 10 7 5 3 ¨ K 10 5 § 6 3
ª A J 9 3 © K ¨ 9 8 6 3 § A J 8 4		ª 6 5 2 © A 6 4 ¨ A Q J 7 4 § 10 7
	ª K 8 © Q J 9 8 2 ¨ 2 § K Q 9 5 2

West	North	East	South
Rauscheid	Rosetta	Nehmert	De Lucchi
	Pass	1¨	2NT
Dble	3©	Pass	Pass
4¨	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Manara	Auken	Ferlazzo	V Arnim
	Pass	1¨	1©
Dble	3©	Pass	Pass
Dble	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Rauscheid doubled De Lucchi's unusual 2NT overcall but when 3© came around to her she downgraded the bare king of that suit and settled for a competitive 4¨. De Lucchi led the king of clubs and Nehmert won, took the diamond finesse, crossed to the king of hearts and drew the remaining trumps with the aid of a second finesse. Then she played the §10 and claimed eleven tricks; +150.

Von Arnim made a simple 1© overcall and Manara doubled, then doubled again when the pre-emptive 3© raise came back to her. Ferlazzo may not have been particularly thrilled about it, but 3NT was the obvious response and that proved to be unbeatable. Von Arnim led a heart to the king and Ferlazzo took the diamond finesse then played a club for the king and ace. A second diamond finesse was followed by the §10 and that created an overtrick; +630 and 10 IMPs to Italy.

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

West	North	East	South
Rauscheid	Rosetta	Nehmert	De Lucchi
		1©	Pass
1ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Manara	Auken	Ferlazzo	V Arnim
		1§	Pass
1©	Pass	2©	Pass
3§	Pass	3NT	All Pass

This time the swing came in the play or, rather, in the defence. Both Souths led a low diamond. Rosetta won her ace and switched to the jack of hearts. Nehmert did the best she could by going up with the ace. She threw a diamond from dummy, hoping to bring in the clubs for one loser. The §K was ducked but De Lucchi took the §Q and played king and another diamond. Nehmert just cashed out from here and the defence took the last three tricks for down two; -100.

The Germans didn't seem to want to take any tricks in the other room. Auken ducked the diamond at trick one so that Ferlazzo's ten won the trick. Ferlazzo continued with the §K, ducked, and the §Q, also ducked. Now she switched her attention to diamonds, and Von Arnim won the king. But with South on lead there was no defence to the contract and declarer came to nine tricks for +400 and 11 IMPs to Italy.

Italy led by 35-19 IMPs and looked to be doing their prospects of qualification no harm at all, but thye were to add only 2 more IMPs, while germany had a string of gains, including:

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

West	North	East	South
Rauscheid	Rosetta	Nehmert	De Lucchi
			Pass
Pass	2§	Pass	2©
Pass	2ª	Pass	3©
Pass	4§	Pass	4ª
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Manara	Auken	Ferlazzo	V Arnim
			Pass
Pass	1§	Pass	1©
Pass	1ª	Pass	2¨
Pass	6§	Pass	6©
Pass	6ª	All Pass

Two Clubs was Annalisa Rosetta's big bid and the 2© response showed two controls. De Lucchi showed her heart suit at her next turn then gave spade preference and Rosetta took a pessimistic view of her hand - of course, 4© could just as easily have been based on a small doubleton so there was no safety in going on. However, the Italians were not happy with their +710 - Rauscheid ducked the first heart.

Sure enough, Auken/Von Arnim reached the slam in the other room via a rather dynamic auction from Auken. Von Arnim cuebid the heart ace on the way to 6ª but that was not sufficient for Auken; +1430 and 12 IMPs to Germany.

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

West	North	East	South
Rauscheid	Rosetta	Nehmert	De Lucchi
	1§	1ª	2©
3¨	4©	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Manara	Auken	Ferlazzo	V Arnim
	1©	1ª	4©
4NT	Pass	5¨	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

De Lucchi was able to make a non-forcing 2© bid, enabling her side to find the heart fit, but Rauscheid did well to judge to defend and not bid out her two-suiter in the face of a possibly prepared club opening on her left. There was no way for De Lucchi to avoid losing a trick in each suit for down one; -50.

Auken's four-card major opening put momentum into the auction as Von Arnim was able to make a pre-emptive raise to game before Manara had even one opportunity to start to describe her hand. Of course, she bid 4NT to show her minor two-suiter, and Auken was happy to double Ferlazzo's choice of 5¨. Again the defence took one trick in each suit; -300 and 8 IMPs to Germany.

The match ended in a 51-37 IMP victory for Germany, converting to 18-12 VPs.