France v USA1 (Venice Vup)

France came into their Venice Cup semi-final clash with USA1 with both a 16-IMP carryover advantage and a lot of momentum behind them. That momentum continued through the first half of the session as the French built up a very useful lead.

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

West	North	East	South
Willard	Levitina	Cronier	Narasimhan
			Pass
Pass	1♣	Pass	1♠
Pass	3♣	Pass	3NT
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Levin	d’Ovidio	Picus	Gaviard
			Pass
Pass	1♣	Pass	1♠
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Irina Levitina made the normal jump rebid and Hansa Narasimhan took a shot at 3NT, feeling that her useful club holding offset the questionable red-suit stoppers. I agree with her assessment but it didn’t work out well this time, as Sylvie Willard had an automatic heart lead and the defenders took the first five tricks; down one for -50.

Catherine d’Ovidio rebid 2NT, which got her overall strength across but took a risk with the heart situation. Now the five-card heart suit was on declarer’s right, and Sue Picus led a diamond instead. That went to the king and ace andd’Ovidio had eleven tricks for +460 and 11 IMPs to France.

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

West	North	East	South
Willard	Levitina	Cronier	Narasimhan
	1NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Levin	d’Ovidio	Picus	Gaviard
	1♥	2♥	Pass
2♠	All Pass

Levitina opened a slightly off-centre 1NT to get her general strength and hand-type across, and that ended the auction. Benedicte Cronier led the ten of clubs to dummy’s jack, and Levitina played a heart to the ace and a heart back, wincing when Cronier showed out. Willard beat the ♥Q with her king and returned a club, Cronier winning and clearing the suit. Levitina played the queen of spades, ducked, then a diamond to the king and a second spade. Willard won with her ace, cashed the jack of hearts and played a diamond to Cronier’s ace. The clubs were cashed but now Cronier had to give the last trick to dummy’s ♠J; down one for -100.

D’Ovidio opened 1♥ and Picus made a two-suited overcall. Jill Levin bid 2♠ and played there. D’Ovidio found the best lead of a spade. Had North held ♠KQJ, it would have been better for declarer to duck the first spade, and Levin didindeed duck the king then win the continuation of the queen. Now she tried a club to the ten, but Daniele Gaviard won the jack and had the jack of spades to cash, drawing Levin’s last trump. Gaviard switched to a heart for the jack and ace, and Levin ducked the diamond return to Gaviard’s king. A diamond back put declarer in dummy and she played ace andanother club in hope of finding either an even break or an honour dropping. When neither of those possibilities materialised, Levin was two down for -100 and 5 IMPs to France.

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

West	North	East	South
Willard	Levitina	Cronier	Narasimhan
		Pass	1♦
Pass	Pass	1♠	Dble
Rdbl	2♦	Pass	Pass
2♠	3♦	3♥	Pass
4♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Levin	d’Ovidio	Picus	Gaviard
		Pass	1♦
Pass	Pass	Dble	Rdbl
1♠	2♦	2♠	Pass
Pass	3♦	Pass	Pass
3♠	All Pass

I have a marginal preference for Picus’s double over Cronier’s 1♠ overcall - how about you? The overcall got Cronier to the spade game when she was willing to make a forward-going move of 3♥ at her third turn, having already limited herself on the previous round. Four Spades is not a great contract but it improved when Narasimhan led ace and another spade and Cronier went up with the king, dropping the queen. She continued by playing ace then ruffing a diamond followed by the ♣J from hand, losing to the queen. Narasimhan exited with a diamond, so Cronier ruffed and played ace then nine of clubs. Narasimhan won with the ♣K but was endplayed; +620.

The take-out double saw Picus/Levin find the spade fit, but they did not try for game, and just as well once the contract was to be played by West. D’Ovidio led a heart to the queen and king, ducked by Levin, who won the heart continuation and played ace then ruffed a diamond. Next came the jack of spades off the dummy but, when Gaviard played low, Levin went up with the king then returned a second spade, holding her trump losers to just one. She lost two clubs from here for +140 but 10 IMPs to France.

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

West	North	East	South
Willard	Levitina	Cronier	Narasimhan
1♥	Pass	1NT	Pass
3♠	Pass	4♥	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Levin	d’Ovidio	Picus	Gaviard
1♣	Pass	1♦	Pass
1♥	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♥	All Pass

Willard opened 1♥ then showed the big two-suiter with her second-round leap to 3♠. Cronier could not have been too thrilled by this development but had little option but to give preference to 4♥, ending the auction. Levitina tried the ace of diamonds but that was ruffed. Willard played ace and another spade and Narasimhan won with the queen. She cashed the ace of clubs then switched to a trump. Willard won, ruffed a spade and took a club pitch on the king of diamonds. She ruffed herself back to hand, drew trumps and claimed eleven tricks for +450.

Levin opened a strong club then made a two-way 1♥ rebid, hearts or strong balanced. One Spade enquired and 2♥ showed a minimum heart hand. That did not enthuse Picus, who passed. The defence took its three tricks, not managing to lead trumps to prevent a spade ruff, so that was +170 but 7 IMPs to France, who had put on 34 unanswered IMPs to lead by 50-0 at the midpoint of the set.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ J 6 3 ♥ 8 4 3 ♦ Q 10 9 3 2 ♣ 7 5
♠ K 8 7 5 4 ♥ 10 2 ♦ 8 7 6 ♣ K 9 3		♠ A Q ♥ A 9 ♦ K J 5 4 ♣ Q J 6 4 2
	♠ 10 9 2 ♥ K Q J 7 6 5 ♦ A ♣ A 10 8

West	North	East	South
Willard	Levitina	Cronier	Narasimhan
			1♥
Pass	Pass	2NT	Pass
3♥	Pass	3♠	Pass
3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Levin	d’Ovidio	Picus	Gaviard
			1♥
Pass	1NT	2♣	2♥
2♠	Pass	3♠	Pass
4♠	All Pass

I do not like Cronier’s 2NT overcall, whatever range it promised (if this was in range then I don’t like the methods), much preferring double. Willard transferred then bid 3NT and Narasimhan might well have doubled but chose to go quietly, happy to take a plus score. She led a heart honour and the contract was quickly down three for -150.

D’Ovidio found a wafer-thin 1NT response at the other table and Picus, not feeling comfortable with a take-out double when having only a doubleton spade, overcalled 2♣. Levin’s 2♠ presumably guaranteed some sort of a club fit as she had been unable to overcall at her previous turn. Now I was surprised by the spade raise as I would have thought that partner could not have five good spades plus a top club and not have bid over 1♥. Levin liked her double fit sufficiently to go on to 4♠, a very thin contract indeed. D’Ovidio led a heart and now declarer cannot be defeated if she wins with the ace. However, Levin ducked. Gaviard won and could have beaten the contract by switching to clubs, with or without cashing the diamond first. No, she returned a trump. Levin won and cashed the top trumps, then led towards the ♣K. That won so she cashed the king of spades and played on clubs. Gaviard won the third club and played a heart. Levin ruffed and led a diamond towards the king-jack, then stopped to work out what was going on. The bidding would suggest that North should hold the ace, but South’s distribution was known to be 3-6-1-3, and if her singleton was anything other than the ace she might have switched to it at trick two. Finally, Levin trusted that inference rather than the evidence from the bidding and put in the ♦J. Well done; +420 and 11 IMPs to USA1.

Board 13. Dealer North. N/S All.
	♠ 10 4 3 2 ♥ A 9 6 ♦ K 9 2 ♣ 7 5 3
♠ A K Q 8 7 5 ♥ K 7 ♦ Q 7 5 ♣ J 9		♠ 9 ♥ Q 10 2 ♦ J 10 4 ♣ A Q 10 8 4 2
	♠ J 6 ♥ J 8 5 4 3 ♦ A 8 6 3 ♣ K 6

West	North	East	South
Willard	Levitina	Cronier	Narasimhan
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1♠	Pass	2♣	Pass
2♦	Pass	3♣	Pass
3♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Levin	d’Ovidio	Picus	Gaviard
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1♠	Pass	1NT	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Cronier’s 2♣ response would often be Drury but did not promise a spade fit. The 2♦ rebid was a relay and 3♣ showed that actually East had long clubs all along. Willard converted to 3♠ because she still hoped for a raise to game. Not this time. With the club king offside, the defenders had no trouble in coming to the five tricks that were their due.

Levin was close to a strong-club opening but preferred 1♠, then raised to 2NT to show a maximum with very good spades. Picus went on to 3NT, against which Gaviard led a heart. Picus played low from the dummy and now d’Ovidio could have defeated the contract by winning with the ace and switching to diamonds, but why should she do that? D’Ovidio put in the ♥9 and Picus won with her ten. Perhaps a low club from hand is a good play now. If the king is taken the contract is secure, while if the jack holds it isalmost certain that the king is with South, as North would have some trouble in reading the position so that a duck would be very tough to find. Anyway, Picus chose the simpler approach of trying to split the spades, with the club finesse as Plan B. On the king and queen of spades she threw a club and a diamond from hand then, on seeing the four-two spade split, ran the jack of clubs. Gaviard won with the ♣K and the defenders had five tricks available to them. Gaviard continued with a heart, d’Ovidio winning with the ace. Had she next cashed the ten of spades, Gaviard could have saved the day by throwing the jack of hearts, and now a diamond switch would surely be clear. But d’Ovidio was convinced that her partner must have the queen of hearts for this line of defence and just played back her remaining heart. Picus won with the ♥Q and cashed four club winners; +600 and 12 IMPs to USA1. France won the set by 42-26 IMPs and led by 58-26 thanks to the carry-over.