| 38th World Team Championships | Page 2 | Bulletin 11 - Wednesday 10 October 2007 |
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france v usa 2 - vc qf session 6 by Brian Senior
While the vugraph and BBO audiences were following the dramatic events in the final set of the Italy v South Africa Bermuda Bowl quarter-final, the really exciting finish came in the Venice Cup match between France and USA 2. The Americans took a 1 IMP lead into the final 16-board set, 142-141, but it did not survive the first deal.
What would be your preferred action with the South hand over a 3♥ pre-empt on your right? Danièle Gaviard doubled and Catherine d’Ovidio responded 3NT, hoping not to be facing a minimum double. Hjordis Eythorsdottir (Disa) led the ten of hearts to dummy’s jack. D’Ovidio palyed a low spade off the table and Rozanne Pollack went in with the jack. She switched to the two of diamonds to Disa’s king. Disa cashed the ace of hearts and there the play record ceases. D’Ovidio is credited with nine tricks for +400, which is difficult to achieve from here, whatever the continuation. Kerri Sanborn preferred to overcall 3♠ and played there. Sylvie Willard led her heart to the ace and Bénédicte Cronier gave her a heart ruff. Willard switched to ace and another diamond, and there were two trump tricks to come; down two for -100 and 11 IMPs to France, who moved into the lead at 152-142.
Disa opened a mini no trump with the East cards and this was passed around to d’Ovidio, who doubled. When that got back to Pollack, she ran to 2♣, and now d’Ovidio bid her spades, raised by Gaviard, who clearly expected a stronger hand for the double then bid combination. Still, all was not lost, as 3♠ can be made thanks to the very favourable trump position. Disa led the queen of hearts. D’Ovidio, who didn’t believe in the lucky spade position, chose to win in hand and play ace then queen of spades. Pollack won and switched to a top club, but switched back to hearts in time to establish the defensive winner there, and they came to one trick in each red suit as well as two clubs and a spade; down one for -100. Cronier did not have the option of opening a mini no trump, so passed and heard her opponents bid freely to 2♠. Again the lead was the queen of hearts. Cheri Bjerkan won in dummy to lead a spade to the queen, followed by a low diamond. Cronier went in with the king of diamonds and returned the suit, won in dummy to repeat the spade finesse. Bjerkan drew a third round of trumps and made nine tricks for +140 and 6 IMPs to USA 2; 148-152. There were three flat boards, then France extended its lead on this next deal:
After identical starts to the two auctions, Disa responded 3♥ to the reopening double, while Cronier jumped to 4♥. Over 3♥, Gaviard competed with 4♣, buying the contract. Against 4♣, Disa led a heart to Pollacks’ king. Pollack tried to cash a second heart, ruffed, and d’Ovidio led a diamond to the king, thena trump back to hand to lead a second diamond. Disa won and switched to a spade; down one for minus 50. Sanborn led the ♣2 against 4♥. Bjerkan won with the king and switched to the ♦9. Cronier won with the ace and drew two rounds of trumps, then led a diamond to the jack and queen. She won the heart return in hand and played a spade to the queen, then led the ♦10 to establish the eight for a spade discard; ten tricks for +620 and 11 IMPs to France, ahead now by 163-148.
Board 87 was flat, but there was a major swing on this deal. Pollack opened as West and Disa raised directly to 4♥ with the East hand, which bullied Gaviard into bidding 5♦, doubled on the way out by Disa. Pollack led ace then ten of hearts to Disa’a king. She switched to the king of clubs and, having seen East turn up with so much already, Gaviard won and laid down the ace of diamonds in the hope of dropping a singleton king. On the lie of the cards, she still had a diamond, a spade and a club to lose; down three for -500. Not altogether surprisingly, Willard did not open as West. Cronier opened in third seat, but the whole auction was a more gentle affair and the music eventually stopped with Sanborn declaring 4♦. Willard led the five of clubs to the jack, queen and ace, and Sanborn played her spade. Willard ducked, so one of declarer’s four top losers had disappeared as dummy’s king scored. South continued with the ♦J for a finesse and a second diamond to the king and ace. Now Sanborn exited with a heart. Cronier won with the ♥K and played back a spade, on which Sanborn discarded her remaining heart. Willard won with the ace and returned the nine of clubs, but Sanborn could cover that and her eight won the next club; ten tricks for +130 and 12 IMPs to USA 2, closing to 160-163. France gained 3 IMPs on Board 89 for an extra undertrick in 3NT and, with Board 90 being flat, led by 166-160 with six deals to play.
Disa was left to play in 2♥ on the lead of the jack of diamonds to the queen and king. D’Ovidio switched to the king of spades, then led a low spade to the ace, and Gaviard reverted to diamonds, dummy winning with the ace. There was no way to avoid the loss of two trumps, a club and a spade, so Disa was down two for -100. Sanborn/Bjerkan achieved a great result for USA 2 when Bjerkan was unwilling to go quietly over Willard’s 2♥ raise and competed via a good/bad 2NT. With a real maximum for her 1NT call, Sanborn now drove to game. Willard led a heart to the queen and ace, and Sanborn immediately played ace and another club. She ducked the heart return to the nine, but was allowed a second heart trick shortly after and cashed out for nine tricks; +400 and 7 IMPs to USA 2. The Americans had the lead back at 167-166 with five deals to play. Board 92 was flat, then the lead changed hands again.
Three no trump was the contract at both tables, but from different sides of the table, which made an important difference. Disa was declarer for USA 2 and the lead was the ♥9. She rose with dummy’s ace and played ace of clubs and a club to the king to confirm that she had five tricks there, then led a diamond to the queen. When that held, she cashed out and had nine tricks for +600. Willard declared for France and received the lead of the ♥3 round to her ten. She led a spade at trick two and dummy’s queen scored. Now a diamond to the queen gave her eleven tricks for +660 and 2 IMPs to France, who retook the lead by 168-167.
Pollack led the ♣2, so Gaviard ruffed, then ran the queen of spades. Pollack ducked that, so Gaviard played a second spade to the ten and king. Now Pollack played a second club to the ace and a club was returned. The ♣K was declarer’s ninth trick and the run of the spades squeezed East in three suits. Despite the four-one heart split, declarer could not be prevented from coming to a tenth trick; +420. The first three tricks were the same at the other table, but Willard switched to the jack of diamonds on winning with the ♠K. When that held, she switched to the nine of hearts, which Sanborn won in hand with the ace. With no club winner, Sanborn had insufficient pressure on East and had to go one down for -50 and 10 IMPs to France. The lead was up to 11, 178-167, with just two boards to play.
Identical auctions led, of course, to identical contracts. Both Easts led the jack of clubs and both Wests won with the ace. Pollack returned a second club to the king, and d’Ovidio played the queen of diamonds to Pollack’s king. Pollack switched to a low heart to the queen, king and ace. D’Ovidio took the ruffing diamond finesse and could get rid of one of her heart losers; ten tricks for +170. Willard switched to the ♥9 at trick two. Bjerkan played low from hand and won with dummy’s ace. She played a diamond, and Willard won and played another heart. The defence took its heart tricks and declarer had the rest; +140 but 1 IMP to France. The score was 179-167 with one board to play.
The Americans reached the slightly sub-par slam, while France stopped a level lower. With the club position as it was, there was no guess and both declarers made twelve tricks; +480 to France but +980 to USA 2 and 11 IMPs. But not enough! France had won by 179-178 IMPs. Those late overtricks in 3NT and 2♠ had proved to be crucial. Had the final deal been N/S vulnerable, USA 2 would have gained 13 instead of 11 and then they would have been the single-IMP winners. |
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