semi-final session 6

BB: USA 1 v South Africa and VC: France v Germany

by Mark Horton

I was trying to keep an eye on two matches, one in each of the two main events. The boards were not exceptional, but they offered a lot of opportunities for thoughtful card play.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ A K 2 ♥ K Q 6 5 2 ♦ ♣ K 9 8 7 2
♠ Q J 7 6 ♥ A ♦ A Q 9 3 ♣ J 10 5 4		♠ 10 9 8 ♥ J 10 7 4 3 ♦ J 6 5 ♣ A Q
	♠ 5 4 3 ♥ 9 8 ♦ K 10 8 7 4 2 ♣ 6 3

Open Room

2♥ was a poor spot.

East led the nine of spades, and declarer won and played a club. East took the queen and switched to a trump. West won and played back a spade. Declarer won and played another club, East winning and playing the jack of hearts. Declarer won and tried the king of clubs. East ruffed and played a spade, and West won and cashed the jack of clubs followed by a spade (it’s better to play the spade first as that leads to three down) ruffed and over-ruffed, two down, -100.

Closed Room

West’s second double paid a significant dividend.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ K J 6 ♥ A K 10 7 6 ♦ A K ♣ A 10 3
♠ ♥ 9 4 3 2 ♦ J 9 7 6 5 4 ♣ Q 9 6		♠ Q 10 9 7 5 3 ♥ Q J 5 ♦ 10 ♣ J 5 2
	♠ A 8 4 2 ♥ 8 ♦ Q 8 3 2 ♣ K 8 7 4

Open Room

East led the five of clubs for the queen and ace, and declarer immediately ran the ten of clubs. That was followed by a club to the king. The contract was in no danger and declarer was content to cash her winners, +660.

Closed Room

Declarer’s prospects of making twelve tricks were increased considerably when East led the ten of spades. She won in hand with the jack, West discarding the five of diamonds, and played a spade to the ace, on which West discarded the four of hearts.

Taking the heart suit in isolation (without the discard) the best line for four tricks is to play a heart to the ten – a 16.39% chance.

Declarer ran the eight of hearts and East won with the jack. It did not matter what she did now as the hearts behaved and declarer was +1440, those 13 IMPs putting Germany ahead.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ 7 6 4 ♥ A 4 3 2 ♦ A 10 7 ♣ 9 8 7
♠ J 8 2 ♥ 9 8 6 ♦ Q 8 4 3 2 ♣ 3 2		♠ K 10 5 3 ♥ K 10 5 ♦ J 9 ♣ A Q 10 4
	♠ A Q 9 ♥ Q J 7 ♦ K 6 5 ♣ K J 6 5

Open Room

The cards are so well placed that you can always make nine tricks on the North/South hands, but you cannot crime South for refusing to accept the invitation.

He won the diamond lead in hand and ran the queen of hearts. East took the king and played back the jack of diamonds. When that held, he switched to a spade. Declarer took the queen and cashed three heart tricks. Needing only one club trick for his contract, declarer played one to the king, +120.

Closed Room

North led the four of spades, and when declarer played low from dummy, South put in the nine, losing to West’s jack. Declarer played a club to the ten, and South won with the jack and switched to the seven of hearts. North put up the ace and now does best to go back to spades. No, he played a club. Declarer won with dummy’s ace and ruffed a club. A spade went to South’s queen, and he returned the queen of hearts to dummy’s king. Declarer played the queen of clubs, pitching his spade (a heart works better). North also pitched a spade and South cashed the jack of hearts, then played the ace of spades, which ensured the contract went three down, -500 and 9 IMPs to South Africa, who trailed 174-181.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	♠ Q 10 5 3 ♥ J 10 3 ♦ 7 ♣ K Q 10 8 6
♠ 7 2 ♥ 9 5 4 ♦ Q 10 6 5 3 ♣ 5 4 3		♠ A 8 6 ♥ Q 6 2 ♦ A K J 4 ♣ A J 9
	♠ K J 9 4 ♥ A K 8 7 ♦ 9 8 2 ♣ 7 2

Open Room

As on the previous deal, the cards were so disposed that it was easy to make a game, but it was impossible to bid it.

Declarer won East’s trump lead in dummy and played a club to the queen and ace. East tried two rounds of diamonds, and declarer ruffed and ran the ten of hearts. When that held, ten tricks were plain sailing, +170.

Closed Room

I cannot for the life of me work out why South did not go back to spades (or why North bid 3♥), but it cost South Africa 6 IMPs as declarer did not find a way make 3♥.

East started with two rounds of diamonds and declarer ruffed and ran the ten of hearts. When that held he played the queen of spades and when that won he switched to the king of clubs and East won and played ace and another spade. If declarer unblocks dummy’s honours on these two tricks he makes nine tricks as he preserves a vital entry to his hand, but when he failed to do so West ruffed and switched to a club.

Declarer finessed, and East won and could have put the contract two down by playing the queen of hearts, locking declarer in dummy. When he played back a club, declarer escaped for one down, -50 and the loss of 6 IMPs.

Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.
	♠ 10 2 ♥ A Q 5 ♦ Q 9 6 ♣ Q J 9 7 2
♠ A J 7 6 4 3 ♥ 8 ♦ A K J 2 ♣ A 6		♠ 9 8 ♥ J 10 9 7 4 2 ♦ 7 3 ♣ K 10 4
	♠ K Q 5 ♥ K 6 3 ♦ 10 8 5 4 ♣ 8 5 3

Open Room

Having made a sub-minimum response, East passed what was surely a forcing bid. With two trumps, a doubleton diamond and a possibly useful king it turned out badly, as there were always ten tricks, +170.

Closed Room

The Americans made no mistake, +420 and another 6 IMPs, extending their lead to 19.

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ J 10 9 5 2 ♥ 3 ♦ K Q J 9 7 ♣ K 10
♠ K Q 6 4 3 ♥ 4 2 ♦ 10 5 2 ♣ J 6 5		♠ A 8 ♥ A Q 9 7 6 ♦ 8 6 ♣ A 9 4 2
	♠ 7 ♥ K J 10 8 5 ♦ A 4 3 ♣ Q 8 7 3

Open Room

A trump lead is best, but not unreasonably East led the ace of spades, then switched to a diamond. Declarer won in hand and ruffed a spade with the ace of diamonds. She drew trumps and played a heart, but East took the ace, cashed the ace of clubs and exited with a club. Declarer could not avoid the loss of two more tricks, one down, -50.

There is a way to make 3♦, but it is hardly obvious. Declarer must discard from dummy on the second round of spades!

Say the defence play another trump. Declarer wins in hand and plays a heart, and East has no good move.

Closed Room

2♠ 5+♠ 4+minor 3-10

Board 26. Dealer East. All Vul.
	♠ Q J 10 7 6 4 ♥ A Q 9 5 ♦ A ♣ 8 2
♠ 9 3 ♥ 2 ♦ Q 9 7 3 2 ♣ A Q J 5 3		♠ K 8 2 ♥ K J 8 7 4 ♦ 10 4 ♣ 9 7 6
	♠ A 5 ♥ 10 6 3 ♦ K J 8 6 5 ♣ K 10 4

Open Room

1♥ Spades

There was some misunderstanding as to the meaning of East’s double – he clearly intended it to show hearts, while West thought it was for take out.

East led the ten of diamonds. Declarer won in hand and played a spade to the ace and a spade. East took the king and switched to a club. Declarer was two down, -200.

Closed Room

South Africa did extremely well to stop in 2♠ and declarer played carefully for eight tricks, +110 and 7 IMPs.

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ K 7 ♥ ♦ A K J 9 7 6 3 2 ♣ K J 9
♠ Q 10 6 5 4 3 ♥ J 9 6 ♦ 10 8 5 ♣ 10		♠ A J 8 2 ♥ A Q 4 ♦ Q 4 ♣ 8 7 5 4
	♠ 9 ♥ K 10 8 7 5 3 2 ♦ ♣ A Q 6 3 2

Open Room

3♣ Diamonds

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Garner’s jump to a slam that made when the queen of diamonds appeared on the second round was a potential match winner.

Closed Room

Although I am not a fan of the 4♥ bid it can work well to adopt this strategy on a two suited hand.

West led the ten of clubs and declarer won with dummy’s king and discarded his apde on the ace of diamonds.

He ruffed a spade and played the eight of hearts.

When West played low – a mistake as it happens – East had to win and and played a club for West to ruff with the nine of hearts. Declarer ruffed the spade return and had to guess the denomination of West’s last heart, was it the jack or the ace?

When declarer played the ten of hearts he was one down, -50 and 14 IMPs that gave USA 1 a 26 IMP cushion.

It’s worth recording what happened in the Venice Cup:

Open Room

+920.

Closed Room

As in the other match one table bid the slam, the other played in 4♥.

Here too West led the ten of clubs, and declarer won in dummy and discarded a spade on the king of diamonds. She ruffed a diamond – a significant difference – and played the eight of hearts. West did not win, but here it did not matter. East took the queen and gave West a club ruff. Back came a diamond and East ruffed with the ace of hearts and played a club for West to ruff.

Those 14 IMPs put France just 1 IMP behind.

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ A ♥ Q J 6 2 ♦ K J 6 ♣ 10 9 5 4 2
♠ K 10 5 2 ♥ A 5 4 ♦ 10 8 7 4 ♣ K 7		♠ Q 9 7 4 ♥ K 9 ♦ A Q 9 3 ♣ J 6 3
	♠ J 8 6 3 ♥ 10 8 7 3 ♦ 5 2 ♣ A Q 8

Open Room

Not for the first time in this set the cards were favourably placed.

North led the queen of hearts and declarer won in hand and led a spade. When the ace came up it was easy enough to come to ten tricks, +170.

Closed Room

When the defenders started with three rounds of trumps, declarer won in dummy and took a club finesse. West won and played a spade, but a second club finesse worked and declarer was home, +110, those 7 IMPs keeping South Africa’s hopes alive.

Board 30. Dealer East. None Vul.
	♠ 4 ♥ J 7 5 2 ♦ 9 8 6 5 2 ♣ 7 4 2
♠ K Q 9 8 ♥ Q 4 3 ♦ A 10 ♣ A J 10 8		♠ A J 10 7 6 3 2 ♥ 6 ♦ J 3 ♣ Q 5 3
	♠ 5 ♥ A K 10 9 8 ♦ K Q 7 4 ♣ K 9 6

Open Room

There was nothing to the play, +480.

Closed Room

When South made a second double, North looked for a fit. He found one, but 5♦ was booked for four down. However, it did not quite work out like that.

West led the eight of spades, and East won and switched to his heart. Declarer put up the ace and played the queen of diamonds. West won and could have played back a heart for East to ruff. Then the queen of clubs would have produced +800.

Obviously the position was unclear, and when West exited with the ten of diamonds, declarer had escaped for two down, -300 and a useful 5 IMPs.

This deal just about settled the women’s match:

Open Room

That was +790.

Closed Room

That gave Germany 7 IMPs. They gave nothing away on the last two boards and had reversed the result when these two teams met in the Estoril final.

Board 31. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ A Q J 3 2 ♥ K 8 5 ♦ ♣ Q 9 5 3 2
♠ K 8 5 4 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ 5 ♣ A K J 10 6		♠ 9 ♥ Q 10 7 ♦ A J 10 9 7 6 ♣ 8 7 4
	♠ 10 7 6 ♥ J 9 3 2 ♦ K Q 8 4 3 2 ♣

Open Room

3♦ ♦+♠

East led a club, and declarer ruffed and tried the king of diamonds. When West played low, declarer ruffed and cross-ruffed clubs and diamonds. That line led to eight tricks, the best declarer could achieve, -100.

Closed Room

When North found the unfortunate lead of the ace of spade, declarer escaped for one down. Mind you it is not easy to lead a trump or a heart, either of which should result in two down.

Board 32. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ Q 9 7 4 ♥ J 7 5 ♦ A J 8 2 ♣ 7 4
♠ A 6 ♥ 10 9 ♦ 10 9 ♣ A K Q J 10 8 2		♠ J 10 5 ♥ Q 4 3 2 ♦ 6 4 3 ♣ 9 6 3
	♠ K 8 3 2 ♥ A K 8 6 ♦ K Q 7 5 ♣ 5

Open Room

East led a club and West played two rounds. Declarer ruffed, played a spade to the queen and ducked a spade to the ace. Ten tricks were certain, as was USA 1’s place in the final.