| 38th World Team Championships | Page 2 | Bulletin 6 - Friday 5 October 2007 |
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new zealand v usa 2 - vc Round 8 Back in the Game by Brentk Manley
The New Zealand team in the Venice Cup got off to a hot start, winning their first four matches handily. They fell on hard times after that, losing four of the next five. They were looking to get back on track against USA 2, who had the same thing in mind after being clobbered by France in the final match on Tuesday. New Zealand jumped ahead on the first deal.
Accurate defense would have defeated 4♠, but once her partner raised diamonds, Disa Eythorsdottir felt it was better to declare than to defend. Jenny Wilkinson and Shirley Newton duly took their three tricks for plus 100.
Jan Cormack’s liked partner Jan Alabaster’s second suit, but she knew from the bidding that her club honors were probably wasted, so she made a good pass. Plus 130 meant a 6-IMP gain for New Zealand. They lost it back on board 3, which should have been a small gain.
In the closed room, after Alabaster, North, opened 1NT in third seat, Shawn Quinn transferred to hearts with the West hand, leaving East, Sue Picus, to play it. Cormack started with her three high diamonds. Picus ruffed, played the ♥Q to the king and ace, pulled trumps with one more round, then played the ♠A, a spade to the king and a spade ruff. When the ♠Q came down, Picus had her ninth trick for plus 140. In the open room, New Zealand had a chance for a gain on the board, but it didn’t work out.
Newton started with the ♠J. Wilkinson took the ♠A and put the ♥3 on the table. Eythorsdottir flew with the ♥K, her only chance, and Newton won the ace. The defenders were now in a position to take with the first nine tricks, but Newton inexplicably continued with the ♣J. Eythorsdottir gratefully ran her minor-suit winners for plus 120 and a 6-IMP gain that should have been a 2-IMP loss. There was more action on this deal, which resulted in a modest swing to New Zealand.
West played in 4♠ at both tables after South had overcalled in hearts. The defense went exactly the same at both tables: doubleton heart lead by North, three rounds of hearts by South, ruff by West, claim – the losing diamond going on dummy’s long club. The difference was that in the open room Rozanne Pollack as South doubled the final contract. That was plus 590 to New Zealand and a 5-IMP gain. As you can see, a diamond switch at trick two or three will defeat the contract. A larger swing went to New Zealand two boards later.
2♦ described a hand with 10-14 high-card points and at least five diamonds. Newton might have bid 3NT directly over 2♠ – that contract makes with an overtrick – but she preferred to cuebid. Declarer did not have to try hard to come to 11 tricks.
West meant her jump to game to deny slam interest, but East expected a better hand for the auction. The inevitable one down meant 12 IMPs to New Zealand, who had surged ahead 23-8. USA 2 picked up 5 IMPs when Quinn and Picus pushed Cormack and Alabaster to the three level in spades, defending accurately to hold declarer to eight tricks, while at the other table, Pollack made an overtrick in 2♠. Then came a big swing to the Americans.
Wilkinson and Newton play a system in which a 1♥ bid shows at least four spades. Pollack’s 1♠ bid was, therefore, a takeout of spades. Wilkinson’s 2♠ bid confirmed support but not a great hand, and Pollack showed extras with a second takeout, this time in the form of a double. Newton started with the ♠K, switching to the ♦J at trick two. Eythorsdottir went up with the ♦A, pulled trumps and played the ♣J. The defenders could take the ♣A and a diamond, but that was it. Plus 620 to USA 2.
Quinn’s 2♥ bid was described as a constructive spade raise. Cormack might have doubled the final contract, but that would have saved only 1IMP. Picus took the maximum number of tricks possible, but she was one short of the required number. Even so, minus 100 meant USA 2 had gained 11 IMPs. The Americans were now ahead 24-23. The next deal was very bad for New Zealand.
Pollack’s 1♣ was strong and artificial, and 1♦ was a negative response. Newton’s 1NT showed a two-suiter with clubs and hearts or diamonds and spades. Wilkinson knew there was a good fit somewhere, so she applied maximum pressure with the leap in hearts. When they finally found their fit, they were at the five level. The defense would have been well placed with the opening lead of a trump – surely called for on the bidding – but Eythorsdottir started with a low club. At that point, Wilkinson was in a position to take nine tricks by simply crossruffing. She ruffed the opening lead, played the ♠K from dummy, ruffed out the ace, then ruffed another club. Instead of continuing the crossruff, however, Wilkinson played a heart to her king and Eythorsdottir’s ace. Eythorsdottir did not fail in her second chance to play trumps, and when Pollack won the ♦A and returned the suit, Wilkinson soon found herself writing minus 800 on the scorecard. At the other table, Cormack was in a position to minimize the loss, but it didn’t work out.
Whether Cormack should actually make it is a debatable point, but on the lie of the cards there are 11 tricks available in clubs. Here’s how: Win the opening diamond lead and ruff a diamond. Now a club to the ace reveals the bad break, so you follow with the ♥J, a heart to the queen, then the ♥A, pitching a spade. A heart ruff establishes the long heart, which you reach with a diamond ruff. Now the good heart is played and your second low spade is discarded. West can ruff and will come to one other trump trick, but you have 11 tricks for plus 550. On the bidding, this does not seem a farfetched line of play. Cormack won the diamond lead in hand, ran the ♥J, then ruffed a diamond in dummy. She played a club back to hand, took another heart finesse, cashed the ♥A, pitching a diamond, then tried a spade to the ace. Disaster! West ruffed and exited with the ♣J. Cormack still had two more losers and was one down for minus 100 and 14 IMPs to USA 2. USA2 was up 47-26 with two boards to go, but New Zealand closed the gap.
Wilkinson’s 1♦ showed four or more hearts and 10-14 high-card points. She did well to start with the ♠Q, ducked by Pollack. Declarer won the spade continuation in the dummy and played a diamond to the queen and West’s king. Wilkinson did not want to break clubs or hearts, so she played the ♦7 to Newton. On the return of a low club, Pollack played the king, taken by Wilkinson with the ace. She cashed the ♣Q, but the suit was blocked when she continued with the ♣4 instead of the ♣10. Newton could see that the suit was blocked and that her partner would be endplayed on a club continuation, so she played the ♠10 to dummy. Pollack could have salvaged something from this wreck of a contract by cashing the ♥A and exiting with a heart, endplaying Wilkinson. Instead, she cashed dummy’s high hearts and had to concede the rest for minus 300. At the other table, Quinn managed 10 tricks in 4♣ for plus 130, but it was still a 5-IMP loss. New Zealand earned another useful swing on the final deal.
Newton’s 2♠ asked about her partner’s strength, presumably minimum when Wilkinson passed the 3♥ overcall. Wilkinson did well to start with the ♠Q, which held. A second spade went to the king, and Newton tried a diamond. Pollack won the ♦A and played the ♠J. Newton won the ace and accurately switched to the ♣J. That mean plus 50 for New Zealand.
Quinn didn’t have a lot in reserve, but the five-card suit and the vulnerability persuaded her to go for the game. Cormack led a low heart and it was over quickly. The defense took the first seven tricks for plus 300 and an 8-IMP gain. USA 2 won the match, but New Zealand had closed the gap to 47-39. |
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