germany   v   usa 2    -    vc Round 16

Shotrage of IMPs

by Brentk Manley

Going into their match on Friday, Venice Cup contenders Germany and USA 2 had decidedly different perspectives. The German women were comfortably in the qualifying range, standing second behind USA 1. Their opponents, on the other hand, were tied with two other teams for the final qualifying spot. With only six matches to go, any loss was potentially disastrous.

Germany took a 1-IMP lead after one board, but that did not last as the Americans scored 10 IMPs on the second deal.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ Q 9 7 ♥ A Q J 6 ♦ 3 ♣ K 7 5 4 3
♠ A 6 5 2 ♥ K 3 ♦ A J 7 6 5 ♣ A J		♠ K 10 8 ♥ 10 9 8 5 ♦ K 4 2 ♣ Q 8 2
	♠ J 4 3 ♥ 7 4 2 ♦ Q 10 9 8 ♣ 10 9 6

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Bjerkan	Auken	Sanborn
		Pass	Pass
1♣*	1NT*	Dble	Pass
Pass	2♣	Pass	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

1♣ was strong and artificial. 1NT showed spades and diamonds or hearts and clubs.

West	North	East	South
Quinn	Hackett	Picus	Nehmert
		Pass	Pass
1♦	Dble	1NT	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Pony Nehmert didn’t have much to go on for her opening lead. Hackett had promised suits other than diamonds, so Nehmert started with the lead of the suit in which she held an honor – and it made all the difference in the outcome.

Sue Picus took Barbara Hackett’s ♠Q in hand, cashed the ♦K and played a diamond to the jack. She, too, exited with a low diamond to South. Nehmert won the diamond and played a club. Picus rose with dummy’s ace, cashed her diamonds and called for the ♣J. Hackett won with the ♣K and returned the ♠9 to the 10, jack and ace. A third round of spades put North in again, and she was forced to play up to dummy’s ♥K. Nine tricks were in and USA 2 had a 10-1 lead.

Germany got 5 IMPs back on this deal.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ Q J 9 6 5 4 ♥ Q J ♦ 6 ♣ K 10 4 2
♠ 10 7 2 ♥ K 8 7 5 ♦ A 10 ♣ J 7 5 3		♠ A ♥ A 6 4 3 ♦ K J 8 7 5 3 ♣ 8 6
	♠ K 8 3 ♥ 10 9 2 ♦ Q 9 4 2 ♣ A Q 9

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Bjerkan	Auken	Sanborn
Pass	2♠	Dble	3♣*
3♥	3♠	4♥	4♠
All Pass

Sanborn’s 3♣ was described as showing values in the suit along with spade support. Sabine Auken started with a low heart, which went to the 2 and king. Von Arnim stopped to consider why her partner had underled the ♥A. Eventually she played the ♦A and continued the suit. Instead of ruffing, Bjerkan discarded her other losing heart. That was three tricks to Germany with the trump ace to come. One down.

West	North	East	South
Quinn	Hackett	Picus	Nehmert
Pass	2♠	3♦	3♠
Dble	Pass	4♥	All Pass

Shawn Quinn’s double of 3♠ showed the other suits with enough values to compete. Picus won the opening spade lead in hand, played the ♥A and a heart to the king, followed by the ♦A, a diamond to the king and a diamond ruff. She got back to hand with a spade ruff and ruffed another diamond. Her final trick was a spade ruff. That was one down and a modest swing to Germany.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ A K 9 5 2 ♥ 9 7 5 ♦ 6 5 ♣ K 10 9
♠ 10 8 7 ♥ Q J 8 4 ♦ Q 10 9 ♣ A 7 6		♠ J 6 4 3 ♥ K 6 3 ♦ J 8 4 ♣ J 8 2
	♠ Q ♥ A 10 2 ♦ A K 7 3 2 ♣ Q 5 4 3

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Bjerkan	Auken	Sanborn
	Pass	Pass	1♦
Pass	1♠	Pass	2♣
Pass	2♠	All Pass

With 25 high-card points between the North-South hands, you might expect a contract higher than the two level. It worked out very well for USA 2, however.

West	North	East	South
Quinn	Hackett	Picus	Nehmert
	Pass	Pass	1♦
Pass	1♠	Pass	2♣
Pass	2♥	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Quinn started with the ♥Q, ducked. She continued with a heart to the king and ace. After that start, Nehmert could not afford to duck a diamond, playing for a 3-3 break, because that would give East-West three heart tricks, a diamond and the ♣A for one down. If, however, she could locate the ♣J and find the suit splitting in her favor, nine tricks would be available. At trick three, therefore, she led a low club to dummy’s 9. When East won the ♣J, the chances for plus 400 were gone. That was a 7-IMP swing to USA 2.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ A 9 7 ♥ 10 9 2 ♦ Q 8 3 ♣ K J 6 5
♠ Q 8 4 2 ♥ K 6 3 ♦ K 9 7 5 ♣ A 8		♠ 10 5 3 ♥ J 7 5 4 ♦ A J 6 ♣ Q 9 2
	♠ K J 6 ♥ A Q 8 ♦ 10 4 2 ♣ 10 7 4 3

West	North	East	South
Quinn	Hackett	Picus	Nehmert
			Pass
1♦	Pass	1♥	Pass
1♠	Pass	1NT	All Pass

Nehmert started with a low club, ducked to North’s king. A club was returned to dummy’s ace and Picus played a diamond to her jack. When that held, she cashed the ♦A and played a diamond to the king. North discarded a spade on the 13th diamond, and Picus followed with a spade to the 9, 10 and jack. Nehmert played a club to Picus’s queen, and a second round of spades left North on play. She could cash her ♣J, but then she had to play a heart to South’s ace. The ♥K was her seventh trick. Plus 90.

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Bjerkan	Auken	Sanborn
1NT	All Pass

Von Arnim’s 1NT was 10-12, so North was on lead at this table. A low club went to the 2, 10 and ace. Von Arnim played a diamond to the jack, continuing with a heart to the king. When that held, she could have led a club from hand and scored the queen, but she played a second round of hearts. Sanborn won with the ♥A, falsecarding, and exited with a club to dummy’s queen. Von Arnim had seven tricks at that point if she simply cashed her diamonds, but she played a diamond to the king and a heart to South’s queen. When Sanborn played a fourth round of clubs, Von Arnim could choose between discarding the good heart or a low spade. When she chose the spade, Bjerkan played a low spade to Sanborn’s king. The ♠J blotted out dummy’s 10 and forced Von Arnim to cover with the queen. The ♠9 was the setting trick. That was 4 IMPs to USA 2.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ 10 2 ♥ A 9 ♦ A J 3 2 ♣ J 10 9 6 2
♠ Q J 9 ♥ K 8 7 3 ♦ Q 10 7 5 4 ♣ Q		♠ A 3 ♥ Q J 6 4 2 ♦ 9 6 ♣ K 7 5 3
	♠ K 8 7 6 5 4 ♥ 10 5 ♦ K 8 ♣ A 8 4

West	North	East	South
Quinn	Hackett	Picus	Nehmert
Pass	Pass	Pass	2♠
Pass	4♠	All Pass

Quinn started with the ♦4, and Nehmert won with the king when Picus played the 9. A diamond went to dummy’s jack, and Nehmert played a spade to her king. She got out of her hand with a spade to the jack and ace. Picus switched to a heart, taken in dummy with the ace. Nehmert took her heart pitch on the ♦A, then ran the ♣J to West’s singleton queen. Quinn cashed the ♠Q and exited with a heart, ruffed by declarer, who then cashed the rest of her trumps. In the three-card ending, Picus, holding the ♥Q and the ♣K 7, accidentally played the low club. That meant the ♣K fell under the ace and Nehmert had her game for plus 420.

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Bjerkan	Auken	Sanborn
Pass	Pass	1♥	1♠
2NT*	Pass	3♥	All Pass

Von Arnim’s 2NT was a limit raise of hearts. Sanborn started aggressively with the ♦K, which held. When Sanborn continued the suit, Auken played dummy’s queen. Bjerkan won the ♦A and switched to the ♠10, ducked to South’s king. Auken won the spade return in hand and played a club. Sanborn won the ♣A and played a third round of spades, Bjerkan ruffing with the 9♥. Auken overruffed with the jack, and she was in a position to get out for down one, good enough to tie the match. When she played the ♥Q from hand, however, Bjerkan won with the ace and gave her partner a diamond ruff with the 10♥. That was down two and 6 IMPs to Germany, who lost a close match 23-21.