45th GENERALI European Bridge Championships, Arona, Tenerife, Canary Islands Wednesday, 20 June 2001

Ladies Pairs Final Session 2

After the first session of the European ladies pairs final, the Italian pair, Monica Buratti and Darinka Forti had a lead of about three-quarters of a top. The second session saw that lead begin to shrink right from the off.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.

  ª K J 6 3
© 9 8
¨ K Q 3
§ A 6 5 3
ª Q 7 5
© K 7 6 4
¨ J 9 8 5 4
§ J
Bridge deal ª 8 4
© J 10 5 3 2
¨ A 10
§ Q 9 8 7
  ª A 10 9 2
© A Q
¨ 7 6 2
§ K 10 4 2

West North East South
Fere Buratti Croci Forti
  1¨ Pass 1ª
Pass 2ª Pass 4ª
All Pass      

Marialuis Fere, also of Italy, led her singleton club and Forti won the ace and played on spades. This was the crucial point of the hand, because the contract can be made after a successful trump guess, despite the apparent four outside losers. Forti got the trumps wrong, playing the king then low to her ten. Fere won the queen and returned her remaining trump. Forti won in hand and played a diamond to the king and ace. Back came a heart to the queen and king and Fere again exited passively with a heart. Forti won the second heart and played queen and another diamond. Fere won but then had to give a ruff and discard. Forti took the ruff in dummy, discarding a club from hand, then finessed the ten of clubs; down one for -50.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.

  ª J 8
© A Q J 8 7 3 2
¨ 7 6 5
§ 3
ª A 10 9 4
© 5
¨ K 10 4
§ A K J 4 2
Bridge deal ª K Q 7
© 4
¨ A 9 8 3
§ Q 10 7 6 5
  ª 6 5 3 2
© K 10 9 6
¨ Q J 2
§ 9 8

West North East South
Fere Buratti Croci Forti
    Pass Pass
1§ 2© 3§ 3©
3ª Pass 4ª All Pass

Croci/Fere did very well to bid to the 4-3 major-suit game. There was nothing to the play and Fere chalked up +450 for an excellent score.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.

  ª K Q 5 2
© A Q 9 3
¨ Q J 10
§ 7 2
ª J 8 6 4
© J 8 7 6 5 4
¨ K
§ A 3
Bridge deal ª A 9 7
© 10 2
¨ 7 5 2
§ K 10 9 8 6
  ª 10 3
© K
¨ A 9 8 6 4 3
§ Q J 5 4

West North East South
Fere Buratti Croci Forti
      Pass
Pass 1¨ Pass 2¨
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT
All Pass      

Giovanna Croci led the six of clubs, rather than the more normal looking ten. Buratti put up the queen and the defence won and cleared the clubs. Buratti tried a spade to her king and the ace and Croci cashed the clubs then switched to a diamond. Buratti finessed, losing to the bare king. She had the rest but that was two down; -100.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.

  ª J 9 6 4 3
© 7 6 4
¨ 5
§ K J 9 8
ª K 10 7
© K Q 10
¨ Q 7 4
§ A 6 5 3
Bridge deal ª A Q 5
© A 9 5 2
¨ K J 9
§ Q 7 2
  ª 8 2
© J 8 3
¨ A 10 8 6 3 2
§ 10 4

West North East South
Buratti Stawowy Forti Farwig
1¨ Pass 1© Pass
1NT Pass 3NT All Pass

The Italians bid to the routine game and made what appears to be a routine eleven tricks; +660.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.

  ª J 2
© 7 6 3 2
¨ 9 7 2
§ Q J 7 5
ª K 10 8 7
© 8
¨ A Q J 10 8 5
§ K 6
Bridge deal ª Q 6 4
© Q J 10 9
¨ 6 3
§ 10 9 4 2
  ª A 9 5 3
© A K 5 4
¨ K 4
§ A 8 3

West North East South
Buratti Stawowy Forti Farwig
  Pass Pass 1§
1ª Pass 2ª Pass
3¨ Pass 3ª All Pass


Katrin Farwig, Germany
 

Buratti's canape overcall worked out badly for her side as she reached a delicate 4-3 fit at the three level. Germany's Barbara Stawowy led the queen of clubs and Katrin Farwig won the ace and returned the suit. Buratti won the §K and played her heart to Farwig's king. On the club return, she pitched a diamond. Stawowy won the club and best defence would have been to return a heart - though the ace gets ruffed out, declarer is stuck in hand. However, Stawowy switched to a diamond, trapping her partner's king. Buratti won the diamond ace and played a spade to the queen and ace. She won the diamond return and laid down the king of spades. When the jack fell she could cash the ten and play winning diamonds to get out for one down; -50.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.

  ª 7
© A 10 8 7 3
¨ A J 10 7 2
§ A Q
ª K J 10 6 4
© K 6 5 4
¨ 8
§ 7 6 2
Bridge deal ª A Q 9 8 3 2
© Q
¨ K 9 3
§ K 9 8
  ª 5
© J 9 2
¨ Q 6 5 4
§ J 10 5 4 3

West North East South
Buratti Stawowy Forti Farwig
    1ª Pass
4ª 4NT Pass 5§
Pass 5¨ All Pass  

Stawowy showed a two-suited take-out and confirmed the red suits by converting 5§ to 5¨. The 5-2 club break means that 4ª is unbeatable so it was important to save. Stawowy lost a trick in each suit after a spade lead and heart switch; down two for -100.

At this point the Italians had slipped to fifth and next up were the new leaders, Sabine Auken and Daniela Von Arnim of Germany. It was an important round for both pairs but particularly for Buratti/Forti.

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.

  ª K 6 5 2
© Q J 9 8 4
¨ 10 8
§ A 3
ª J
© A K 7 6 3 2
¨ Q 7
§ J 7 4 2
Bridge deal ª Q 9 8 3
© -
¨ 9 5 4 2
§ K 10 9 6 5
  ª A 10 7 4
© 10 5
¨ A K J 6 3
§ Q 8

West North East South
Buratti Auken Forti Von Arnim
      1¨
2© Pass Pass Dble
All Pass      

With game by no means guaranteed for North/South, any penalty looked as though it would be good for the Germans. Auken led a diamond and Von Arnim won and cashed a second diamond. Bnow she thought for some time before switching to the eight of clubs. Was it likely that this would be a singleton when Von Arnim had made a reopening double of 2©? Buratti wasn't sure, but she thought that a switch from queen doubleton was even less likely and, when Auken won the ace and returned a club, she finessed to the now bare queen. Von Arnim cashed the ace of spades before playing the jack of diamonds through. Buratti had to lose three trump tricks from here; three down for -800.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.

  ª A 7 6 3
© Q 9 5 4 3
¨ K J 7
§ Q
ª K J 4
© K Q 8 6
¨ 10 5 4
§ J 9 5
Bridge deal ª Q 8
© A 10 7 2
¨ 9 8 6 2
§ 8 6 3
  ª 10 9 5 2
© -
¨ A Q 3
§ A K 10 7 4 2

West North East South
Buratti Auken Forti Von Arnim
Pass 1© Pass 2§
Pass 2¨ Pass 2ª
Pass 2NT Pass 3ª
Pass 4ª All Pass  

Two Clubs was a game-forcing relay and 2¨ denied a long minor. Two Spades showed clubs and 2Nt was natural. Von Arnim won the diamond lead on table and cashed the queen of clubs before ducking a trump. She won the diamond continuation and cashed the ace of spades and soon had eleven tricks; +450.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.

  ª 10 4 3
© 7 6 5 2
¨ 10 7 3
§ K 10 9
ª K 8 2
© J 9 8 4
¨ Q J
§ A 7 4 2
Bridge deal ª A 9
© Q 10
¨ 6 5 4 2
§ Q J 8 6 5
  ª Q J 7 6 5
© A K 3
¨ A K 9 8
§ 3

West North East South
Buratti Auken Forti Von Arnim
  Pass Pass 1§
Pass 1¨ Pass 1ª
Pass Pass 2§ Dble
3§ Pass Pass Dble
All Pass      

Another penalty completed a very good round for the Germans and continued the Italian slide. One Club was strong and, though her partner had to be very weak, Von Arnim was not prepared to go quietly. Auken had three-card spade support but her high cards - such as they were - were in the opponents' suit. She converted the second double for penalties. Von Arnim led the king of diamonds then the king of hearts, getting a count signal on each. She continued by cashing the red aces then switching to the queen of spades. Forti won that in hand and passed the jack of clubs to the king. When Auken now returned a heart, declarer made the mistake of ruffing high, thereby creating a second trump loser for herself. That meant two down for -500, though I suspect that -200 was already going to be pretty bad for the Italians.
Auken/Von Arnim stretched their lead and were looking very good for the title.


Page 5


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