La Femme Fatale

By Rich Colker

Things were admittedly going badly for Alfredo Versace of Italy and Chantal Haemmerli of Switzerland, who were suffering a below par game (having averaged well over 60% previously) in Monday morning’s second final session of the Mixed Pairs. But as if that weren’t enough, when they came to Linda and Brian Trent’s table, things got even worse. What happened to the Italian triple world title holder on the second board of the round would be described as cruel were it not so brilliant.

The source of Versace’s angst on this day was his RHO, Linda Trent. Linda, normally a quiet, unassuming intermediate player and teacher of newcomers. She undergoes a radical personality transformation when she dons her dark glasses and suits up to play against the big guns of the bridge world. Just watch Linda in action – and Alfredo in misery.

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

West	North	East	South
Versace	B. Trent	Haemmerli	L. Trent
2♣	Pass	2♦	Pass
2NT	Pass	3♥	Pass
3♠	Pass	4♠	All Pass

Two clubs was strong and artificial, 2♦ negative, and 3♥ transferred to spades after Versace’s natural 2NT rebid. Versace thought long and hard before finally passing 4♠, so perhaps a different auction would have denied interest beyond game. Anyhow, North led the ♦10 and when dummy came down Versace smiled broadly, thanked his partner, and set about making his game.

After winning the ♦K(!) at trick one, Versace ruffed the ♦4 to dummy in order to play a trump toward his hand, hoping to find queen and one onside, inserting the 9 as South followed low. North won the ♠A and led a third diamond as Versace pitched a club from dummy and South ruffed – with the ♠Q! She then shifted to a low club.

Versace won his ace and paused to consider how to continue. Assuming the ♠Q to be a true card (could this unassuming woman in the dark glasses really have ruffed unnecessarily high? Impossible.), North held both outstanding trumps. If Versace drew trumps ending in hand, he could pitch dummy’s last two clubs on his two remaining high diamonds, then knock out the ♥A.

But then the defense could win the first heart, tap dummy with a club, and with the heart suit blocked he would have to win the next heart in hand and lose a club in the ending.

Versace thought he found a solution: he would first cash his high diamonds, pitching dummy’s losing clubs as North followed helplessly and South pitched (having no more trumps!?). Then he could knock out the ♥A, win any return, unblock the hearts, and draw trumps ending in dummy to enjoy his ♥J.

So, having carefully formulated his plan, Versace cashed a high diamond, pitching a club from dummy as North followed and Linda . . . ruffed with the ♠8! She then led a club to her husband’s king to beat declarer two tricks in a cold contract. (If North had earlier unblocked his ♣K under the ace South could have cashed the ♣Q and given North a club ruff to beat the contract three tricks!)

It’s true, the female of the species is deadlier than the male. Move over, Nikita, make room for La Femme Linda.