France v Germany (Venice Cup)

Allez Les Bleues! - by Mark Horton

When day two of the Venice Cup final dawned, France led by 19 IMPs, still far from decisive. The French were playing the final four-handed, a tactic that their opponents have also used successfully in the past. In the fourth set Germany started well, and after six boards they had taken the lead, mainly as a result of this deal:

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Gaviard	Auken	d’Ovideo	von Arnim
	2♣	Pass	2♠*
Pass	3♥*	Pass	4♣*
Pass	4♥*	Pass	4♠*
Pass	5♣	All Pass

Two Spades was a force with club support and Three Hearts showed values in that suit. Four Clubs asked North to cue-bid. Over Four Spades North would have gone on with significant extra values, for example the king of spades, so it was easy for South to make her final pass.

Five Clubs presented no problem; +600. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Alberti	Cronier	Schraverus-Meuer	Willard
	1♣	Pass	1♥
3♦	Pass	Pass	Dble*
Pass	4♣	Pass	4♦*
Pass	4♥*	Pass	4♠*
Pass	4NT*	Pass	5♣*
Pass	6♣	All Pass

The Three Diamond bid took away a significant amount of space, and made life difficult for North/South. The play record does not show an alert for 4NT, but I refuse to believe that it is natural with North holding three low diamonds. Of course, Six Clubs had no play at all; -100 and 12 IMPs for Germany.

However, France quickly moved back in front via a few small swings - and this substantial one:

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ Q 9 4 ♥ K 9 8 7 6 ♦ 10 4 ♣ K J 5
♠ 10 7 6 3 ♥ Q J 3 2 ♦ J 8 5 ♣ 7 2		♠ A K 2 ♥ A 10 5 ♦ A K ♣ A 10 8 6 3
	♠ J 8 5 ♥ 4 ♦ Q 9 7 6 3 2 ♣ Q 9 4

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Gaviard	Auken	d’Ovideo	von Arnim
Pass	Pass	2♣*	Pass
2♦*	Pass	2NT	Pass
3♣*	Pass	3♦*	Pass
3NT	All Pass

South led the six of diamonds, and declarer won in hand and played a club. South put in the nine of clubs and, when that held, continued with the nine of diamonds, trying to conceal the diamond distribution. Declarer won and cashed the ace of clubs. From North’s point of view, if partner had been trying to indicate a possible entry in spades it would have been fatal to unblock in clubs, and when she followed with the jack the hand was over; +400.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Alberti	Cronier	Schraverus-Meuer	Willard
Pass	Pass	2♣*	Pass
2♦*	Pass	2NT	Pass
3♣*	Pass	3♦*	Pass
3♥	Pass	3♠	Pass
3NT	All Pass

South led the six of diamonds and declarer won and tried the two of spades, South winning with the jack and returning another diamond. Declarer won, cashed her top spades and played ace of hearts and a heart to the queen and king. She had only eight tricks; -50 and 10 IMPs for France.

At the end of the session France had increased its lead by 2 IMPs to 21 IMPs - and had held the first German charge. In the penultimate set neither side gave much away. This was perhaps the most interesting of the opportunities to score heavily:

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Willard	Auken	Cronier	von Arnim
		3♥	Dble
Pass	3NT	All Pass

There were no problems in 3NT, and declarer made ten tricks, +630.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Nehmert	Gaviard	Hackett	d’Ovidio
		4♥	Dble
Pass	5♦	All Pass

East led the two of clubs (low from a doubleton) and declarer was soon posting +620, so no swing.

The preemptive action by East gave neither side a chance to get near to Six Diamonds. Played by South it is not too difficult - win the heart lead, play a trump, club to the jack, second trump, club to the king, ace of clubs, ruff a club, ruff a heart, and exit with a diamond to endplay West. Played by North declarer has to view well on a spade lead, rising with dummy’s ace and then taking the double finesse in clubs.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Willard	Auken	Cronier	von Arnim
	1♣*	1♥	2♥*
Pass	2♠	Pass	3♦
Pass	4♠	All Pass

West found the excellent lead of the eight of spades, and declarer won in dummy and played a club. West took the ace and when East discarded declarer was already inclined to think the trumps would not break.

West switched to a heart, covered by the king and ace, and declarer won the heart return and played the king of clubs. East ruffed and declarer overruffed in dummy. She could see there was no genuine way to make the contract, but eventually found a line to give the defenders a chance to go wrong. She played a low diamond from dummy and of course it was virtually impossible for West to go in with the ace. When she played low, East won with the king and tried another heart. Declarer ruffed in dummy, ruffed a diamond, felling West’s queen, and cashed the ace of spades. Now came a winning club and East had no answer. If she ruffed declarer could overruff and cash two diamonds. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Nehmert	Gaviard	Hackett	d’Ovidio
	1♣	1♥	1♠
2♥	Dble	Pass	3♥
Pass	3♠	Pass	4♠
All Pass

West led the six of hearts and East took the king with the ace and returned the jack. Declarer won and made the natural but fatal play of a spade to the king. When she played a club West ducked, allowing her partner to ruff, and now declarer could never make more than nine tricks; -100.

That result brought Germany to within 12 IMPs with just 16 deals to play. In the final set, the French did almost nothing wrong, and the ghosts of Paris were laid to rest. These were the most significant gains for the French team.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Gaviard	Auken	D’Ovideo	von Arnim
	1♠	Pass	1NT
Pass	2♥	Pass	3♥
All Pass

Should North, with such prime cards, raise Three Hearts to game? Ten easy tricks; +170.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Hackett	Cronier	Nehmert	Willard
	1♠	Pass	1NT
Pass	2♥	Pass	4♥
All Pass

A different approach on the South hand gave France 10 IMPs.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Gaviard	Auken	D’Ovideo	von Arnim
Pass	Pass	Pass	1♣*
Pass	1NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

East led the four of clubs, and declarer put up dummy’s ten then played a spade to the queen and king. East switched to the king of hearts, ducked, and then played the queen, taken by dummy’s ace.

Declarer played a club to the king, the jack of clubs, ducked, a diamond to the ace, cashed the club and played a diamond to her king. West had produced the four, eight, nine and queen of diamonds, East the two and five. Hoping to endplay West to lead away from the jack of spades, declarer exited with a heart - and West could cash out for one down; -50. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Hackett	Cronier	Nehmert	Willard
Pass	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Here West led the ten of diamonds and South won with the jack. She played a spade to the queen and king and ducked both the return of the queen of hearts and the king. East switched to the two of spades and declarer put in the ten, losing to the jack. West exited with a heart, declarer winning as East discarded a club. She cashed the ace of diamonds, the ace of spades, and then played a club to the king. She could cash the king of diamonds and then finesse in clubs, for a well played +400 and 10 IMPs.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ A 10 ♥ Q 10 8 5 ♦ K Q 7 5 ♣ J 6 2
♠ Q J 9 8 6 5 4 3 2 ♥ 7 ♦ 8 4 ♣ 9		♠ K 7 ♥ A K J 4 ♦ A J 10 ♣ 10 8 7 3
	♠ - ♥ 9 6 3 2 ♦ 9 6 3 2 ♣ A K Q 5 4

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Gaviard	Auken	D’Ovideo	von Arnim
			Pass
4♠	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	Pass	Rdbl	All Pass

By this time Germany had to press, but this was not the layout to reward South’s reopening double.

Probably South should run to Five Clubs once East redoubles, but it was all academic. North led the queen of diamonds and declarer took her discard on the top hearts and posted +1080. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Hackett	Cronier	Nehmert	Willard
			Pass
4♠	All Pass

Declarer made eleven tricks on a diamond lead - 12 IMPs to France who had won the last set 49-6 to secure a totally deserved first Venice Cup title.