15th World Bridge Series (XVII)

by Phillip Alder

First today, here is one bidding question.

With neither side vulnerable, you pick up:

‰ A 10 2 Š A 4 ‹ A K J 6 3 2 Œ K 2

The bidding starts like this:

West North East South Partner Opener You Responder Pass Pass 1Œ Dble Pass 1Š Pass ??

What would you rebid?

We are looking at the McConnell Cup world women's team championship, played in Orlando, Florida, two months ago. The second 84- semifinal was a multinational battle between:

Nicola Smith-Yvonne Wiseman (England), Paula Leslie (Scotland)-Solvi Remen (Norway) and Kathrine Bertheau-Jessica Larsson (Sweden)

Aperol: Tatiana Dikhnova-Anna Gulevich, Victoria Gromova-Tatiana Ponomareva (Russia) and Catherine d'Ovidio- (France)

With seven boards to be played, Smith led by 198 international match points to 185. After a push came:

1 North Dlr: South ‰ Q 9 5 Vul: Both Š Q 9 6 5 4 ‹ Q Œ 8 7 6 4 West East ‰ 7 3 2 ‰ A J 10 Š A J 7 2 Š – ‹ K 3 ‹ A J 9 8 7 5 2 Œ K J 5 3 Œ A 10 2 South ‰ K 8 6 4 Š K 10 8 3 ‹ 10 6 4 Œ Q 9 Open Room: West North East South Ponomareva Leslie Gromova Remen Pass 1Œ (a) Pass 2‹ (b) Pass 2NT Pass 3‹ Pass 3Š Pass 3‰ Pass 3NT Pass 4Œ Pass 4Š Pass 4NT (c) Pass 5Š (d) Pass 6‹ All Pass (a) Balanced 12-14 points (perhaps with five diamonds), or 4=4=1=4 and 11-15 points, or any 16- plus points (b) Four-plus diamonds, forcing to game opposite a balanced 12-14 (c) Roman Key Card Blackwood (d) Two key cards without the diamond queen

Closed Room: West North East South Wiseman d'Ovidio Smith Willard Pass 1Œ Pass 1‹ Pass 1NT Pass 2‹ (a) Pass 2Š Pass 3‹ Pass 3Š Pass 3NT All Pass (a) Artificial game-force

Smith was put off by what sounded like four strong hearts in her partner's hand. Gromova was more optimistic, pushing into an acceptable slam, especially given the state of the match. Six diamonds just needed the suit to play without loss, or, on a non-spade lead, for clubs to be worth four tricks. Gromova received a trump lead, but did lose a club trick. Wiseman got a club-seven lead from North, second-highest from a weak suit. Now declarer could have taken all of the tricks, but she played dummy's club ten at trick one, so ended with twelve. Plus 1370 and minus 690 gave Aperol 12 imps. The margin was 1. This was Board 80:

2 North Dlr: West ‰ 9 8 5 2 Vul: None Š Q 10 9 5 4 2 ‹ A 6 Œ A West East ‰ Q 7 3 ‰ A 6 4 Š A 6 3 Š J 7 ‹ 9 7 3 ‹ K Q 10 5 4 Œ Q 7 5 2 Œ J 8 3 South ‰ K J 10 Š K 8 ‹ J 8 2 Œ K 10 9 6 4

Both Norths opened one heart and ended in three hearts after an uncontested auction, and each East led a high diamond honor. Leslie took the first trick, cashed the club ace and played a heart to the king. West won with her ace and returned a diamond to her partner. East shifted to a low spade, but declarer put up dummy's king, discarded two spades on the club king and diamond jack, then lost a heart to East's jack. Leslie had made her contract, losing only one spade, two hearts and one diamond. D'Ovidio played a heart to the king at trick two. West won and returned a heart, ducked to East's jack. Now, when East shifted to a spade, declarer misguessed, so went a quick down one, losing two spades, two hearts and one diamond. That gave Smith 5 imps and the lead by 6. On Board 81, Wiseman made four diamonds exactly. In the Open Room, Leslie bought it in two hearts. She could have made the contract, but misguessed to go down two. Still, Smith gained another imp. Two of the last three boards were flat. This was Board 83:

3 North Dlr: South ‰ K Q 8 4 Vul: None Š K 5 2 ‹ 5 Œ A Q 10 8 3 West East ‰ 7 3 ‰ A 10 2 Š Q J 9 8 Š A 4 ‹ 10 9 4 ‹ A K J 6 3 2 Œ J 9 5 4 Œ K 2 South ‰ J 9 6 5 Š 10 7 6 3 ‹ Q 8 7 Œ 7 6 Open Room: West North East South Ponomareva Leslie Gromova Remen Pass Pass 1Œ Dble 1‹ (a) Pass 1‰ 2‹ Pass Pass 2Š 3‹ All Pass (a) Hearts

Closed Room: West North East South Wiseman d'Ovidio Smith Willard Pass Pass 1Œ Dble Pass 1Š Pass 3NT All Pass

Remen's very weak response kept her opponents out of a reasonable-looking three notrump. However, in the Closed Room, after a club lead and the bad diamond split, Smith went down one. (I like her three-notrump bid. It looks normal to rebid three diamonds, but just the diamond queen in partner's hand will make three notrump a favorite. Even if partner has a Yarborough, a club lead and the diamond queen dropping would see three notrump through.) Three diamonds made with an overtrick, Gromova losing one spade, one diamond and one club. However, the 5 imps gained were not quite enough. Smith was through to the final by 204 imps to 202.

To be continued

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