venice cup final session 1

USA 1 v Germany

by Brent Manley

In the opening set of their Venice Cup final match with USA 1, Germany started with a carryover advantage of 7.6 IMPs, and they extended the lead on the first deal.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ J 9 7 ♥ A J 2 ♦ A K Q 2 ♣ Q 8 7
♠ Q 8 6 5 2 ♥ 8 7 5 ♦ 9 4 3 ♣ A 10		♠ A K ♥ Q 10 9 4 3 ♦ 8 7 ♣ 9 6 3 2
	♠ 10 4 3 ♥ K 6 ♦ J 10 6 5 ♣ K J 5 4

In the closed room, Mirja Schraverus-Meuer opened 1NT (15-17) and blasted into game over her partner’s range-asking 2♠ bid. The opening lead of a low heart from East made nine tricks easy.

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Stansby	Auken	Rosenberg
	1NT	2♥	Dble
Pass	2NT	All Pass

Sabine Auken and Daniela Von Arnim are not hesitant to bid, and Auken’s 2♥ showed that suit and a minor. She also led a heart against the notrump contract, – plus 150 but a 6-IMP loss.

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

West	North	East	South
arasimhan	Schraverus	Levitina	Alberti
		Pass	Pass
1♦	2♠	Dble	Pass
3♥	All Pass

Schraverus’ 2♠ overcall showed a hand with at least six spades and 12-16 high-card points. Against Hansa Narasimhan’s 3♥, Schraverus started with the ♣A, switching to the ♠A at trick two. Anja Alberti’s play of the ♠J from the South hand may have been interpreted as suit preference because Schraverus switched to the ♦A at trick three and continued the suit to the 8, 9 and 10. Narasimhan ruffed the ♠8 in dummy, ruffed a club to hand, cashed the ♠K and played the ♦7. Schraverus ruffed in with the ♥8, forcing the ♥K. Narasimhan then cashed the ♥Q and played a heart to the ace. The ♥J was the fourth trick for the defense. Plus 140 to East-West.

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Stansby	Auken	Rosenberg
		Pass	Pass
1♥	1♠	4♥	Pass
Pass	Dble	Pass	4♠
All Pass

Auken’s aggressive raise of her partner’s opening put it to her opponents, and Rosenberg did well to pull JoAnna Stansby’s double of 4♥, contract that was virtually certain to make.

Against the vulnerable game, Auken started with the ♥K, switching to the ♦6 at trick two. That went to the 9, 10 and ace. Stansby entered dummy with a club to the queen, and Von Arnim played low on the ♠J. Stansby went up with the ♠A after some thought, dropping the queen on her left. A spade went to the 10 and king, and Von Arnim underled her ♥A to get a club ruff. The diamond trick to come meant plus 200 for Germany and a 2-IMP gain.

USA 1 gained 6 IMPs on the following deal in unexpected fashion.

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

In the closed room, Irina Levitina opened 3♠ with the East hand. That was followed by 4♥ from South, 4♠ from West and two passes to South. Strangely, Alberti took no further action. Levitina easily came to 10 tricks for plus 420.

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Stansby	Auken	Rosenberg
	Pass	3♠	4♥
4♠	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	4NT	Pass	6♦
Dble	6♥	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

The meaning of Stansby’s 4NT is not clear, but it obviously excited her partner, who apparently thought 4NT showed a two-suiter with the minors. Von Arnim cashed the top diamonds but was out of tricks at that point. What must have looked like a 13-IMP loss to Stansby and Rosenberg turned out to be a 6-IMP gain.

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

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Stansby	Auken	Rosenberg
		1NT	2♣*
3♠*	4♠	5♣	Pass
5♦	All Pass

Rosenberg’s 2♣ bid showed the majors, and Von Arnim’s 3♠ was a splinter bid. Stansby started with the ♥9, taken in dummy with the queen. The ♦J was ducked all around, and Stansby won the diamond continuation with the ace, then played a third round of trumps to stop any heart ruffs. This cost an overtrick because Von Arnim finessed in clubs and discarded her losing spade and heart when clubs broke 3-3. Plus 620 to Germany.

West	North	East	South
arasimhan	Schraverus	Levitina	Alberti
		1♣	Pass
1♦	1♠	2♣	3♣
Pass	3♠	All Pass

Alberti’s 3♣ bid served to talk Narasimhan and Levitina out of competing past 3♠. They defeated 3♠ two tricks, but it was an 11-IMP loss. USA 1 was trailing at that point 33.6-6. More IMPs came Germany’s way on this deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Stansby	Auken	Rosenberg
1♥	1♠	Dble	Rdbl*
2♣	2♠	Dble	Pass
3♣	Pass	3♦	All Pass

Rosenberg’s redouble was explained as showing a doubleton spade with a hand good enough to compete – or a very good hand. Auken’s negative double followed by the bid of her own suit showed a strong hand, and Von Arnim made an excellent decision to pass. Rosenberg led her doubleton spade and ruffed with the ♦Q on the third round of spades, but there was only the ♣A to come for the defense from there – plus 110 for Germany.

West	North	East	South
arasimhan	Schraverus	Levitina	Alberti
1♣	2♠	3♦	Pass
3♥	Pass	3NT	All Pass

The ♠J went to declarer’s queen. Levitina cashed the ♦K before entering dummy with the ♥A to take a losing diamond finesse. Schraverus run her spades and the defenders were able to endplay dummy to hold declarer to five tricks and four down for minus 200 – 7 more IMPs to Germany.

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

West	North	East	South
arasimhan	Schraverus	Levitina	Alberti
	1♥	Pass	2♦
Pass	2♥	Pass	3♦
All Pass

If this auction was accurately recorded, it is curious indeed. In any event, declarer had to lose two diamonds, one heart and one spade for plus 110.

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Stansby	Auken	Rosenberg
	2♥	Pass	3♥
All Pass

Auken started off with the best lead – a diamond. Von Arnim cashed the queen and ace and exited with a low spade. Stansby went up with the king, played a club to the queen and cashed the ♣A to discard her diamond. She then played the ♦K. Von Arnim ruffed with the 5♥, which was overruffed with the 7. Stansby got out with the ♠J, ducked to Von Arnim’s ace. On the trump return, Stansby went up with the ace, ruffed her spade, ruffed a club to hand and exited with a trump. It was a well-earned plus 140.

The Americans picked up 12 IMPs when Auken opened 3♠, which was doubled for takeout. Stansby, holding five spades to the A-10, sat for it and collected plus 500 while North-South at the other table tried 3NT, failing by a trick.

The final deal of the match involved the exchange of just 2 IMPs, but it could have been a 13-IMP swing to USA 1.

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

West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Stansby	Auken	Rosenberg
Pass	1♥	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♦*
Dble	3♣	Pass	4♣
Pass	4♦	Pass	4♠
Pass	5♣	All Pass

Stansby and Rosenberg missed a pretty good slam that just happens to go down – so long as East leads a diamond, as suggested by West’s double of the fourth-suit bid. North-South duly scored up plus 600.

West	North	East	South
arasimhan	Schraverus	Levitina	Alberti
Pass	1♥	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♣	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Narasimhan led the ♦7. When dummy’s king held, Alberti should have been looking for ways to set up heart tricks without letting East into the lead. The proper way to go about that would have been to play a low heart from dummy at trick two, inserting the 9 if Levitina played low. Instead, Alberti inexplicably cashed dummy’s top clubs, making certain that even if she was lucky enough to have West win the third round of hearts, there was no way she was ever getting to them before the defenders took a lot of tricks. Alberti was headed for a well-deserved minus 200 – except that, on the ♣K, Narasimhan discarded a low heart! In one play, declarer went from two down to two overtricks and a 2-IMP gain.