Israel
v Norway
Ladies Series Round 1
The first round of the Ladies teams featured
a match up between two countries, Israel and Norway, either of
whom might well take one of the qualifying places for Bali. My
personal bet was that with several other strong countries represented
here there would not be room for both to make it to the World
Championships.
Norway took a small lead on the first deal
of the match.
Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
|
|
ª K 2
© A 10 6 3
¨ 9 7 2
§ Q 10 8 2 |
ª A J 10 9 7 5 4
© K J 5
¨ -
§ K 9 5 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª Q 6 3
© 9 7 4
¨ J 6 5
§ 7 6 4 3 |
|
ª 8
© Q 8 2
¨ A K Q 10 8 4 3
§ A J |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Wennevold |
Zur-Campanila |
Steenlybaek |
Levit-Porat |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1¨ |
1ª |
Dble |
Pass |
3ª |
4ª |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Naveh |
Heitmann |
Melech |
Langeland |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1¨ |
1ª |
Dble |
Pass |
3¨ |
3ª |
4¨ |
Pass |
4ª |
Pass |
5¨ |
All Pass |
|
Ruth Levit-Porat's jump to 3ª
showed shortage, but not specifically long running diamonds -
though presumably most other hand types could just cuebid 2ª.
Whatever her partner was showing, Migri Zur-Campanila had very
limited values with a probably wasted king of spades and doubled
Ida Wennevold's 4ª.
Levit-Porat still thought for some time before trusting her partner's
judgement and passing. Wennevold ruffed the diamond lead and cashed
the ace of trumps before leading a low club from hand. Levit-Porat
won the jack and played a diamond which declarer ruffed. She exited
with a spade to the king and back came a club to the ace followed
by a low heart switch. Wennevold put in the jack so had just to
lose the ace and a later heart trick; down two for -300.
In the other room, Aase Langeland preferred
to rebid 3¨ and,
when Eva Lund Heitmann raised in competition, made a slam try
of 4ª on the way
to game. Two rounds of spades gave Langeland a discard from hand
and she simply drew trumps then gave up a club; +400 and 3 IMPs
to Norway.
Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
|
|
ª 9 8 5
© A 9 8
¨ 10 7
§ A 10 7 4 2 |
ª K 3 2
© J 7 6 4 3
¨ Q 9 6 4 3
§ - |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª A Q 10 7 6 4
© 10
¨ A 8
§ K J 8 6 |
|
ª J
© K Q 5 2
¨ K J 5 2
§ Q 9 5 3 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Wennevold |
Zur-Campanila |
Steenlybaek |
Levit-Porat |
|
|
1ª |
Dble |
2ª |
2NT(i) |
4ª |
All Pass |
(i) Good/Bad 2NT
West |
North |
East |
South |
Naveh |
Heitmann |
Melech |
Langeland |
|
|
1ª |
Dble |
2ª |
3§ |
4ª |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
The same contract was reached at both tables
but Heitmann raised the stakes a little with a final double. Langeland
led a low club and Hanita Melech ran this to North's ace. A diamond
switch was won with the ace and Melech led a second diamond to
the king. Langeland switched to the king of hearts now and finally
found the trump switch - but far too late, of course. Melech had
the communications to take two club ruffs in dummy and had ten
tricks in all for +590.
Levit-Porat led the king of hearts and switched
to a trump at trick two. Tulla Steenlybaek won that in hand and
played ace and another diamond. Levit-Porat won the ¨K
and led a low heart to the eight and ruff. Declarer ruffed a club
then tried the queen of diamonds. When that got ruffed she could
over-ruff but had only two club ruffs in dummy and eventually
had to concede two club tricks and her contract; down one for
-50 and 12 IMPs to Israel.
Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
|
|
ª Q J 10 9 8
© Q 6
¨ 8 6 4
§ 5 4 3 |
ª K 6 4
© 10 8 7 4 3
¨ 10 3
§ 10 9 2 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª A 5 3
© A J 9 5
¨ A K J
§ K Q 6 |
|
ª 7 2
© K 2
¨ Q 9 7 5 2
§ A J 8 7 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Wennevold |
Zur-Campanila |
Steenlybaek |
Levit-Porat |
|
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Naveh |
Heitmann |
Melech |
Langeland |
|
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
It is easy for South to give the contract
by leading a diamond into the tenace but Levit-Porat avoided that,
leading instead her doubleton spade. Steenlybaek took dummy's
king and played the ten of hearts for the queen and ace, then
a second heart to the king. Levit-Porat continued spades (her
partner had dropped the queen at trick one). Declarer won the
ace of spades and played three rounds of diamonds, ruffing, then
exited with the spade loser. Zur-Campanila won and played a club
on which Steenlybaek put up the king. But Levit-Porat had a complete
count of the hand and ducked to avoid the endplay. Declarer crossed
to dummy to lead a second club up but had to lose two tricks in
the suit for down one; -100.
At the other table West was declarer so Heitmann
had an easy spade lead. Nurit Naveh won in hand and took the diamond
finesse. That lost and back came a spade but she now had a discard
for the spade loser. Naveh won the second spade, cashed the ace
of hearts, then played the diamond winners, throwing her spade
away. When she now exited with a second trump, Langeland had to
win the king but was then endplayed; +620 and 12 IMPs to Israel.
Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
|
|
ª K Q
© K Q 10 6 4 3 2
¨ 8 6
§ 7 3 |
ª 5
© J 8
¨ K Q 10 9 5 4
§ J 6 5 4 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª J 10 6 3
© 9
¨ J 7 3 2
§ K Q 9 2 |
|
ª A 9 8 7 4 2
© A 7 5
¨ A
§ A 10 8 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Wennevold |
Zur-Campanila |
Steenlybaek |
Levit-Porat |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
6© |
All Pass |
|
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Naveh |
Heitmann |
Melech |
Langeland |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1ª |
3¨ |
Pass |
Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5¨ |
Pass |
6© |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Levit-Porat had a pretty good match but I
thought she made a lazy bid on this hand. Having heard her partner
bid hearts three times, including a jump, would it have cost to
bid 5NT rather than 6©?
On the actual deal, Zur-Campanila would have seen the value of
her spade holding and been well placed to bid seven.
In the other room, Naveh's delayed diamond
pre-empt made life more difficult for her opponents and they too
stopped off in six. A pair of +1460s for a push board.
Not everyone had a free run on this deal.
In the match between Poland and Croatia in the Ladies series,
Marina Pilipovic heard the auction: 3¨
- 3© - 5¨
to her. Looking at that South hand, she simply jumped to 7©!
Bridge is such an easy game sometimes, don't you think?
Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
|
|
ª K 10 7
© 9 8 6
¨ Q 10 9 2
§ J 9 3 |
ª A Q
© J 7 4 2
¨ A K 3
§ A Q 6 5 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª J 9 6 5
© A Q
¨ 8 6 5
§ 8 7 4 2 |
|
ª 8 4 3 2
© K 10 5 3
¨ J 7 4
§ K 10 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Wennevold |
Zur-Campanila |
Steenlybaek |
Levit-Porat |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Naveh |
Heitmann |
Melech |
Langeland |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
Heitmann led a heart against Naveh. That
went to the queen and king and back came a second heart to the
ace. Naveh took the club finesse and, when that held, played two
more rounds of the suit. Heitmann won the third club and played
another heart to the jack. Naveh continued with the ace and queen
of spades and came to eleven tricks when the defence lost its
way; +660.
That was only an overtrick or two and it
didn't appear that much damage had been done. However, at the
other table Zur-Campanila led the ten of diamonds to the jack,
ducked. Wennevold won the next diamond and took the heart finesse.
That lost and back came a third diamond. Declarer won and finally
got around to the spades, playing ace then queen as she might
have done at tricks three and four. Zur-Campanila won the second
spade and cashed her diamond winner before exiting with a club
to the king and ace. Now Wennevold had one of those unfortunate
lapses to which we are all prone on occasion, miscounting her
losers and thinking that she could afford to duck a club in case
the ten of spades was not coming down. That meant an embarrassing
one down; -100 and 13 IMPs to Israel.
Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
|
|
ª 4
© A K 10 3
¨ K 10 9 5 4
§ A 6 4 |
ª K J 9 7 5 3
© J 5
¨ 8 3
§ J 3 2 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª Q 8 2
© 9 7 4
¨ Q J 6
§ Q 10 9 7 |
|
ª A 10 6
© Q 8 6 2
¨ A 7 2
§ K 8 5 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Wennevold |
Zur-Campanila |
Steenlybaek |
Levit-Porat |
|
|
Pass |
1§ |
2ª |
3¨ |
3ª |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
Naveh |
Heitmann |
Melech |
Langeland |
|
|
Pass |
1© |
2ª |
4§ |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
4ª |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5§ |
Pass |
6© |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Method had some bearing on the result here,
Langeland's four-card major opening making life much easier for
her side. Four Clubs was a cuebid and Langeland was happy to cooperate,
taking control when Heitmann was able to make a second cuebid
above game; +1430.
Levit-Porat had to start with 1§
and Zur-Campanila bid 3¨
over the weak jump overcall. What was levit-Porat to do? She fancied
3NT with her sure spade stopper and useful diamond holding but
if she didn't bid it now she might not get another chance. There
was no problem in making ten tricks for +630 but that was 13 IMPs
to Norway, who needed them.
I hate that 3¨
bid when a negative double was presumably available. Of course,
double does not necessarily get them to the slam, but at least
they play in hearts and have a chance.
Israel won the match by 48-28 IMPs, 19-11
VPs.
|