The Round 9
matches in the Orbis Bermuda Bowl & Orbis Venice Cup featured a quiet
set of boards (well one of our reporters fell asleep at the table he
was watching!) that suddenly exploded into life at the end.
The featured
match on VuGraph involved USAI and New Zealand. Despite the funereal
pace of play, there was still a fair sized audience when the penultimate
board (remember they start with boards 19 & 20) settled on the table.
| Board
17. Dealer North. Love All |
|
ª |
10 9 |
|
| © |
4 3 2 |
| ¨ |
Q 8 6 5 4 |
| § |
K 5 3 |
| ª |
Q J 4 |
|
ª |
A 8 |
| © |
K J 9 |
© |
A Q 5 |
| ¨ |
7 3 |
¨ |
A K J 10 9 |
| § |
Q 10 9 7 6 |
§ |
A J 8 |
|
ª |
K 7 6 5 3 2 |
|
| © |
10 8 7 6 |
| ¨ |
2 |
| § |
4 2 |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rodwell |
Newell |
Meckstroth |
Reid |
|
|
Pass
|
1§
|
1NT
|
|
2§
|
Pass
|
2ª
|
Pass
|
|
3NT
|
Pass
|
4§
|
Pass
|
|
4¨
|
Pass
|
4©
|
Pass
|
|
4ª
|
Pass
|
5NT
|
Pass
|
|
6§
|
All Pass
|
|
|
|
With South on
lead Six Clubs was not really at risk. East won the opening lead of
the two of diamonds. There was no losing line from this point, and declarer
quickly claimed 12 tricks and +920.
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Crombie |
Hamman |
Cornell |
Soloway |
|
|
Pass
|
2§
|
Pass
|
|
2ª
|
Pass
|
2NT
|
Pass
|
|
3NT
|
Pass
|
4§
|
Pass
|
|
4¨
|
Pass
|
4©
|
Pass
|
|
4ª
|
Pass
|
6¨
|
All Pass
|
|
A complex auction
led to Six Diamonds played from the short side. Everyone could see that
a spade lead would be fatal, and that is what they expected Bob Hamman
to put on the table. They were disappointed, as the opening lead was
the three of clubs. When you have a powerful holding in the opponent's
trump suit, it is usually a good idea to try and talk declarer out of
a finesse, but this was the wrong time. Keep in mind there are inferences
from the bidding that are not as clear as usual, as we are not exactly
sure what information was available to North.
Declarer won
in hand and took a diamond finesse. When that held he returned to hand
with a heart to the jack and repeated the diamond finesse. When South
showed out, he cashed the ace of diamonds, pitching a club from his
hand, and overtook the queen of hearts with the king to take a club
finesse. Declarer could now cash the three aces in dummy in any order
and exit with a spade, not caring who won it. A good recovery, but should
he have been given the chance?
This board
cost Great Britain a mountain of points in their match against Denmark
in the Orbis Venice Cup. In the Open Room, Drøgemüller & Steen-Møller
reached 6NT played by East, and declarer used a heart entry to play
on clubs, thereby securing five club tricks. That meant she could easily
collect the remaining tricks she needed to record +990.
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Dhondy |
Kofoed-Bilde |
McGowan |
Cilleborg |
|
|
Pass
|
2¨
|
Pass
|
|
2©
|
Pass
|
2NT
|
Pass
|
|
3ª
|
Pass
|
3NT
|
Pass
|
|
4§
|
Pass
|
4¨
|
Pass
|
|
4©
|
Pass
|
4ª
|
Pass
|
|
6§
|
Pass
|
7§
|
All Pass
|
|
Three
Spades was a transfer to 3NT, after which West made a slam try in clubs.
North, who is doubtless ready to help a well-known American player with
his opening leads, selected the ten of spades.
Declarer won
with dummy's ace, crossed to hand with the jack of hearts and ran the
ten of clubs. The club suit behaved, but the entry position was such
that declarer was no longer in a position take more than one diamond
finesse.
If declarer
attacks clubs by playing the queen, unblocking the jack from dummy,
then there are enough entries to bring home four diamond tricks.
Is that a better
line than the combination of the ruffing diamond finesse plus the chance
of a singleton or doubleton queen of diamonds, or even ¨Qxx
with South?
Whatever, the
contract had to go one down, and Denmark had 14 IMPs.
| Board
18. Dealer East. NS Game |
|
ª |
K 10 8 6 4 |
|
| © |
10 |
| ¨ |
J 8 6 4 |
| § |
Q 8 2 |
| ª |
Q J |
|
ª |
A 3 |
| © |
A Q J 8 6 |
© |
K 9 7 5 2 |
| ¨ |
A K 9 7 2 |
¨ |
Q 10 5 |
| § |
4 |
§ |
K 9 3 |
|
ª |
9 7 5 2 |
|
| © |
4 3 |
| ¨ |
3 |
| § |
A J 10 7 6 5 |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Steen-Møller |
Walker |
Drøgemüller |
Landy |
|
|
|
1©
|
Pass
|
|
2NT
|
Pass
|
3NT
|
Pass
|
|
4§
|
Pass
|
4ª
|
Pass
|
|
4NT
|
Pass
|
5©
|
Pass
|
|
6©
|
All Pass
|
|
|
|
An efficient
auction to the virtually laydown slam. Denmark +980.
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Dhondy |
Kofoed-Bilde |
McGowan |
Cilleborg |
|
|
|
1©
|
Pass
|
|
2NT
|
Pass
|
4©
|
All Pass
|
|
You can see
how popular it is to use 2NT to show a game forcing raise of partner's
suit, as it was the response made at both tables. East showed a minimum
with her rebid, and West decided to call it a day. She had a recollection
that the jump to Four Hearts denied an ace. She was absolutely right,
but unfortunately that was an agreement she had with another partner!
That was another big swing for the runaway leaders, who had won the
match at the death.
