USA I vs Germany

Venice Cup Quarter-Final 3

By Tony Gordon (England)

A big second set had put Germany in control in this match and USA I trailed by 67 IMPs going into the third session. USA I needed to stem the tide, and they achieved this goal aided by some aggressive bidding from Karen McCallum.

The first board set the trend.

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

West	North	East	South
Myers	Auken	Montin	von Arnim
	Pass	1ª	5§
5ª	Pass	6§	Pass
6©	Pass	6ª	All Pass

Daniela von Arnim's preempt did not prevent Randi Montin and Jill Meyers from reaching the spade slam. There was only one trump loser, so USA I scored +980.

West	North	East	South
Farwig	McCallum	Hackett	Sanborn
	2©*	2NT	5§
Dble	All Pass

*0-10 with 5 hearts At the other table, Karen McCallum's weak 2© opening put a different perspective on the hand. Whether E-W would have reached the slam if Barbara Hackett had doubled is unclear, but when she reasonably bid 2NT instead, Katrin Farwig decided to take the money against 5§ rather than venture into the unknown. 5§ lost the obvious five tricks, so USA I scored -500 but gained 10 IMPs. A wrong diamond guess in 4ª on board 4 and a poor slam on board 5 meant that USA I trailed 23-10 after six boards; however the next two boards turned the set around.

Jill Meyers, USA

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

West	North	East	South
Farwig	McCallum	Hackett	Sanborn
			Pass
1©	2©*	4©	4ª
All Pass

*Michaels

A club lead will defeat 4ª, but Farwig naturally led a heart and Kerri Sanborn was able to dispose of dummy's club loser on the ©K. +620 to USA I.

West	North	East	South
Myers	Auken	Montin	von Arnim
			1¨
1©	1ª	4©	Pass
Pass	5¨	All Pass

The South hand was an automatic 1¨ opener for von Arnim, but she could not conveniently show her three-card spade support thereafter, so Sabine Auken settled for 5¨. However, that contract had the same three losers as 4ª, so Auken was one down and USA I gained 12 IMPs.

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

West	North	East	South
Farwig	McCallum	Hackett	Sanborn
Pass	2ª*	3§	Pass
Pass	3©	Pass	4©
All Pass

*0-10 with 5 spades

Docile bidding by Germany let USA I play peacefully in 4©. There were only three aces to lose and USA II scored +420.

West	North	East	South
Myers	Auken	Montin	von Arnim
3¨	Pass	4§*	Dble
4¨	Pass	5¨	All Pass

*Keycard ask

In contrast, USA I got in the first blow in the other room and Germany could not get their act together. Meyers lost a heart and a club and USA II scored +400 for a gain of 13 IMPs, and now led 35-23 in the set.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª K J 9 3 2 © 3 ¨ Q 9 6 5 § A Q 10
ª A Q 7 © A 7 6 4 2 ¨ 8 § 9 7 4 3		ª 8 5 4 © K J 10 8 ¨ A K 10 3 2 § J
	ª 10 6 © Q 9 5 ¨ J 7 4 § K 8 6 5 2

West	North	East	South
Farwig	McCallum	Hackett	Sanborn
1©	1ª	4§*	Pass
4©	All Pass

Farwig Katrin, Germany

* Splinter McCallum led the ¨6 and Farwig won the ace and ran the §J to McCallum's §Q. McCallum now switched to a spade, so Farwig emerged with eleven tricks for +450 to Germany.

West	North	East	South
Myers	Auken	Montin	von Arnim
Pass	1ª	2¨	Pass
2NT	All Pass

It would seem that Montin and Myers do not play equal-level conversion, so Montin had to overcall 2¨ rather than double 1ª. When Myers then bypassed her hearts in favour of 2NT, the heart fit was lost. Auken led the ª3 and Myers won with the queen. The heart blockage meant that the contract would fail if she cashed the top hearts and the queen did not fall, so she finessed the ©J. Von Arnim won her queen and switched to a club, but the compensatory blockage in that suit stymied the defence and Myers had her eight tricks. +120 to USA I, but 8 IMPs to Germany.

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

West	North	East	South
Farwig	McCallum	Hackett	Sanborn
	3§	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4§	Dble
4ª	All Pass

McCallum once again created problems with her opening effort and Germany came to rest in 4ª. Farwig could pitch two clubs on the hearts, but she lost two trump tricks and three diamonds, so she was two down for +200 to USA I.

West	North	East	South
Myers	Auken	Montin	von Arnim
	Pass	1©	Pass
1ª	2§	3©	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Myers had a problem at her second turn, and she guessed to bid 3NT. Auken led the §Q, and Myers ducked in dummy. Von Arnim thought for some time at this point, but she then made the good play of overtaking with the king and switching to a diamond. Myers was equal to the task, however, as she rose with ace to block the suit. A spade to the queen and ace followed, but the defence could cash only one diamond trick, so Myers made ten tricks when hearts behaved. +630 and 13 IMPs to USA I.

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

West	North	East	South
Farwig	McCallum	Hackett	Sanborn
		1ª	Pass
Pass	3¨	Pass	3NT
All Pass

3NT is where one would want to be with the N-S cards, but would McCallum bring it home? No problem. She won the opening spade lead in dummy and cashed the ¨AK, felling the queen, and eventually emerged with ten tricks for +430 to USA I.

West	North	East	South
Myers	Auken	Montin	von Arnim
		1ª	Pass
1NT	2¨	3§	Pass
3ª	4¨	All Pass

With no intermediate diamond jump available Germany could not follow the same route in the other room and they ended up in 4¨. That contract also required declarer to locate the ¨Q, but the defence began with four rounds of clubs and when Auken overruffed Myers on the fourth round she naturally continued with the top diamonds. +130 to Germany, but another 7 IMPs to USA I who won the session 55-32 to reduce their deficit to 44 IMPs.