BRAZIL v FRANCE
A strong second day had seen France move into second place in the standings and, as we have not yet taken a look at the French team, it is time that we did so.
| Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ A 8 4
♥ A 10 8
♦ K 10 8 6 4
♣ 9 8 |
♠ K 9 5 3 2
♥ 6 5 4 3
♦ A 2
♣ K 4 |  |
♠ J 7
♥ K 9 2
♦ Q J 9 7 3
♣ 10 7 2 | | | ♠ Q 10 6
♥ Q J 7
♦ 5
♣ A Q J 6 5 3 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Barbosa | O.Bessis | Brum | De Tessiere
|
| | | Pass | 1♣
|
| 1♠ | 2♦ | Pass | 3♣
|
| Pass | 3♠ | Pass | 3NT
|
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West | North | East | South
|
| J.Grenthe | Rossi | G.Grenthe | Viana
|
| | | Pass | 1♣
|
| 1♠ | 2♦ | Pass | 3♣
|
| Pass | 3NT | All Pass
| |
Do you like Eduardo Rossi’s committal 3NT or Olivier Bessis’s 3♠ asking bid? Three Spades will right-side the contract when South has ♠Qx(x) but risks missing NT altogether when South has only small spades, which will mean that you have to play 5♣ instead. There was a major swing on this deal, but it came largely in the play rather than because 3NT was played from different sides of the table.
Roberto Barbosa led a heart against Godefroy De Tessieres, rather than start with his poor spade suit which had not been supported. That ran to the king and Jose Brum switched to the jack of spades for the queen, king and ace. Barbosa ducked smoothly when De Tessieres took the club finesse so declarer played a heart to the ace and repeated the finesse. This time it lost, of course, and Barbosa returned a spade for dummy’s eight. De Tessieres had ten tricks now for +630.
At the other table East, Guillaume Grenthe was on lead and chose the jack of spades in response to his brother’s overcall. Rossi played low from dummy and won the ace but could no longer make his contract. He took the clubfinesse and Jerome Grenthe cleared the spades then waited to get in with the ♦A. When declarer cashed the clubs then took the heart finesse, he was down two for 200 and 13 IMPs to France.
If South’s spade queen is played to the first trick, West does best to duck. Now declarer must play a diamond rather than take a heart finesse, and can succeed. A losing heart finesse would see a second spade through the ten and the contract would be defeated.
| Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ A 9 7 6
♥ Q 10 5
♦ A 10
♣ Q J 10 2 |
♠ Q J 3 2
♥ 9 4 3
♦ 5 4 2
♣ A 9 6 | |
♠ K 5
♥ J 2
♦ Q J 9 8 3
♣ K 8 5 4 | | | ♠ 10 8 4
♥ A K 8 7 6
♦ K 7 6
♣ 7 3 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Barbosa | O.Bessis | Brum | De Tessiere
|
| | | | Pass
|
| Pass | 1♣ | Pass | 1♥
|
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 2♣(i)
|
| Pass | 2♦(i) | Pass | 2NT
|
| Pass | 4♥ | All Pass
| |
(i) Forcing
| West | North | East | South
|
| J.Grenthe | Rossi | G.Grenthe | Viana
|
| | | | Pass
|
| Pass | 1♣ | Pass | 1♥
|
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 2NT
|
| Pass | 3NT | All Pass
| |
Though there are four top losers, 4♥ was the place to be. Against 3NT, Jerome led a diamond and the defence had the vital tempo to establish East’s suit before declarer could set up his ninth winner in clubs; down one for 50. Barbosa led a trump against 4♥ and De Tessieres won dummy’s queen to play the ♣Q, which ran to West’s ace. It was now too late to defeat the contract but Barbosa did find the spade switch. De Tessieres ducked this to the king and Brum switched to a diamond. Declarer could play three rounds of diamonds, ruffing, draw trumps and set up a club for the tenth trick; +420 and another 10 IMPs to France.
There were no major swings for a while, then came some good news for Brazil.
| Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul. |
| | ♠ A 3 2
♥ K 9 4
♦ J 6
♣ Q J 9 6 4 |
♠ 10 8 6
♥ 10 6
♦ Q 10 5 4 2
♣ K 8 7 | |
♠ K Q 5
♥ 5
♦ A K 9 8 7 3
♣ 5 3 2 | | | ♠ J 9 7 4
♥ A Q J 8 7 3 2
♦
♣ A 10 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Barbosa | O.Bessis | Brum | De Tessiere
|
| | | | 1♥
|
| Pass | 2NT | 3♦ | Pass
|
| 4♦ | 4♥ | 5♦ | 5♥
|
| All Pass
| | | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| J.Grenthe | Rossi | G.Grenthe | Viana
|
| | | | 1♥
|
| Pass | 1NT | 3♦ | 4♦
|
| 5♦ | 6♥ | All Pass
| |
It takes a spade lead to put 5♥ under any pressure at all, but Barbosa led a diamond, normally enough. De Tessieres ruffed, drew trumps and conceded a club; +480.
Over Rossi’s forcing 1NT response, Guillaume made a weak jump overcall and Levy Viana made an aggressive 4♦ cuebid. When Jerome now raised to 5♦, it was clear to Rossi that his partner had a massive distributional hand, probably with a void in diamonds, and he liked his heart support and 10 working HCP sufficiently to try the small slam after all, South could have had more than his actual hand. The opening lead was more critical here, again a spade being required to defeat the slam. When Jerome led a diamond it was +980 and 11 IMPs to Brazil.
| Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul. |
| | ♠ A J 5 3
♥ J
♦ A Q 9 5 2
♣ A 9 4 |
♠ K
♥ Q 9 7 5
♦ 10 8 7 6 4
♣ Q J 2 | |
♠ Q 8 6 4
♥ A 10 8 6 4 3
♦ K J
♣ 7 | | | ♠ 10 9 7 2
♥ K 2
♦ 3
♣ K 10 8 6 5 3 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Barbosa | O.Bessis | Brum | De Tessiere
|
| | 1♦ | 1♥ | 1♠
|
| 3♥ | 4♥ | Dble | 4♠
|
| All Pass | | | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| J.Grenthe | Rossi | G.Grenthe | Viana
|
| | 1♦ | 1♥ | Dble
|
| 3♥ | 4♠ | All Pass
| |
Again the same contract was played but from different sides of the table and again it was the play rather than that fact which created a major swing.
Barbosa led a heart against De Tessieres (South) and Brum won the ace then switched to his club. De Tessiers won the ace and played a second club, winning the king when Brum discarded a heart. Now the ♠10 was covered by king and ace and declarer played the third club. Brum ruffed and played queen and another spade, but that was the end of the defence; +620.
Guillaume led his singleton club against Rossi and that went to the jack and ace. Rossi led his heart and Guillaume won the ace and played a second heart to dummy’s king. Rossi pitched a club on the heart then led the ten of spades to the king and ace then a spade back to dummy’s nine. The four-one trump split was not good news. Rossi led a diamond to the ace then a club to the king, Guillaume pitching a heart. Rossi ruffed a club in hand, Guillaume throwing another heart, then declarer ruffed a diamond, bringing down the king, and played a winning club. Guillaume could ruff and cash the ♠Q then run hearts; down two for 200 and 13 IMPs to France.
| Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ 10 5 3
♥ 8 6 5 4 3
♦ 9 4
♣ 9 8 5 |
♠ K Q J 8 4 2
♥ K Q 9
♦ K Q 5
♣ Q | |
♠ A 7
♥ 10 7
♦ 10 7 3 2
♣ J 10 7 6 4 | | | ♠ 9 6
♥ A J 2
♦ A J 8 6
♣ A K 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Barbosa | O.Bessis | Brum | De Tessiere
|
| | | | 1NT
|
| Dble | 2♦ | Pass | 2♥
|
| 2♠ | Pass | Pass | 3♥
|
| All Pass | | | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| J.Grenthe | Rossi | G.Grenthe | Viana
|
| | | | 1NT
|
| 2♠ | Pass | Pass | 2NT
|
| Dble | Pass | Pass | 3♣
|
| Pass | Pass | Dble | All Pass
|
Barbosa’s double was penalty and 2♦ a transfer. When Barbosa continued with 2♠, De Tessieres looked at his maximum and short spades and competed to 3♥ dangerously high. Fortunately, neither East nor West had a comfortable double, so 3♥ ended the auction. Still, a slightly un-French risk to take. Barbosa led the ♠K and Brum overtook to switch to a low club for the ace and queen. De Tessieres gave up a spade and the defence won and played a third round, ruffed with the ten and over-ruffed. Nowdeclarer played ace and another trump. Barbosa cashed the last heart winner and switched to the ♦K, ducked, then played a spade. De Tessieres ruffed and cashed his winners, down two for 200.
Jerome simply overcalled 2♠ and Viana competed with 2NT, suggesting the minors. When that got doubled he ran to 3♣ and Guillaume doubled that, ending the auction. Jerome led the queen of clubs, the best start for thedefence. Viana won and played the ace of diamonds, Jerome unblocking the king, a nice play. When Viana continued with a low diamond, Guillaume was able to win with his ten and play the ♣J to declarer’s ace. Viana cashed the ace of hearts, which cost him a trick, then ruffed a diamond but, with no entry to hand, could not cash the established jack. Thedefence had the rest of the tricks now and that was down four for 100 and 14 IMPs to France.
| Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ K
♥ A K 9 8 5 4 2
♦ K Q 6
♣ 6 2 |
♠ 10 9 7 5 2
♥ J 3
♦ J 7 2
♣ K 9 7 | |
♠ 8 6 3
♥ 7 6
♦ 10 8
♣ Q J 10 8 5 3 | | | ♠ A Q J 4
♥ Q 10
♦ A 9 5 4 3
♣ A 4 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Barbosa | O.Bessis | Brum | De Tessiere
|
| | | 3♣ | Dble
|
| Pass | 4♣ | Pass | 4♠
|
| Pass | 5♥ | Pass | 6♥
|
| All Pass | | | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| J.Grenthe | Rossi | G.Grenthe | Viana
|
| | | Pass | 1♦
|
| Pass | 1♥ | Pass | 1♠
|
| Pass | 2♣ | Dble | Pass
|
| Pass | 2♥ | Pass | 2NT
|
| Pass | 3♥ | Pass | 4♣
|
| Dble | Pass | Pass | Rdbl
|
| Pass | 4♦ | Pass | 4NT
|
| Pass | 5♥ | Pass | 5NT
|
| Pass | 7♥ | All Pass
| |
Brum’s pre-empt made it very difficult for the French pair and seven was never really in the picture; +1460. Given a free run indeed, what little intervention the French East/West pair made actually saved their opponents’ bidding space, Rossi and Viana had a long successful auction to 7♥. There was nothing to the play; +2210 and 13 IMPs to France.
France won, but only narrowly, by 50-47 IMPs, 16-14 VPs. |
