England vs Austria
Women Round 7
By Tony Gordon
With England in second place and the new-look Austrian team hovering
in mid table, England were hoping for a win that would keep them
in touch with leaders Germany, and so it proved.
The first big swing went to England on board 4.
Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
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ª 8
© 9 6
¨ K J 3 2
§ A 8 7 6 5 2 |
ª A 10 7 6 5
© Q 10 8 3
¨ Q 8 5
§ 9 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª K Q J 4 3 2
© A K 4 2
¨ -
§ J 4 3 |
|
ª 9
© J 7 5
¨ A 10 9 7 6 4
§ K Q 10 |
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brunner |
Popp |
Goldenfield |
Semmelrath |
Pass |
Pass |
1ª |
2¨ |
4§ |
4¨ |
6ª |
All Pass |
Michelle Brunner's 4§ splinter showed 8-11, and, as the opponent's
bidding suggested her partner's values would be well-placed, Rhona
Goldenfield jumped to the good slam. There were no problems in the
play and England scored +1430.
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Redermeier |
Dhondy |
Schnitzer |
Smith |
Pass |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5¨ |
Dble |
5© |
All Pass |
A similar situation was reached in the other room where the Austrian's
canapé approach meant that they locked into their shorter
major-suit fit. Alice Redermeier's 2NT showed 7+ with a fit and
a shortage and her subsequent 3© bid showed short clubs. Blackwood
then discovered West's ace, but Susi Schnitzer was unwilling to
gamble on a slam and settled for 5©. +680 to Austria, but 13 IMPs
to England.
Austria's sole gain of any significance came on the next board.
Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
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ª 9 6
© 9 7 6 4
¨ Q J 8 7 4 3
§ 3 |
ª K 7 2
© A 5
¨ A 10 6 2
§ K 10 7 4 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª J 10 8
© Q J 3
¨ K 9
§ A 8 6 5 2 |
|
ª A Q 5 4 3
© K 10 8 2
¨ 5
§ Q J 9 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Redermeier |
Dhondy |
Schnitzer |
Smith |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
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Nine tricks were not a problem and Austria duly scored +400.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brunner |
Popp |
Goldenfield |
Semmelrath |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
All Pass |
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Karin Popp's 2¨ bid was not alerted, but even if it had been there
seems no way for East-West to get into the auction once Goldenfield
had reasonably passed the East hand. After a club to the ace and
a low trump switch, the defence allowed declarer to take a ruffing
club finesse and ruff a spade in dummy, so she was able to come
to eight tricks for +110 and 11 IMPs to Austria.
Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
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ª J 9 8 5 4
© -
¨ Q 6 3
§ A K 10 9 8 |
ª K 7 3
© Q J 8 7 4 2
¨ J 10
§ Q 7 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª 10 6 2
© A K 9 5
¨ K 9 7
§ 6 4 2 |
|
ª A Q
© 10 6 3
¨ A 8 5 4 2
§ J 5 3 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Redermeier |
Dhondy |
Schnitzer |
Smith |
2© |
2ª |
3© |
4ª |
All Pass |
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With spades 3-3 and the §Q onside, 4ª was unbeatable, and Heather
Dhondy duly made her contract for +420 to England.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brunner |
Popp |
Goldenfield |
Semmelrath |
2© |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
North's failure to overcall and Goldenfield's raise to 4© ensured
that England bought the contract in the other room. There were five
potential losers, but the defence failed to switch to spades in
time so Brunner was able to discard one of her spade losers on a
diamond. -50, but 9 IMPs to England who led 24-13 at this point.
Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
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ª 4 3
© J 8 6 2
¨ A 10 5 3
§ A K 6 |
ª A K 9 8 5 2
© Q 10
¨ 6 4
§ Q 4 2 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª 10
© 9 7 5 3
¨ K J 9 8
§ J 8 7 5 |
|
ª Q J 7 6
© A K 4
¨ Q 7 2
§ 10 9 3 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Redermeier |
Dhondy |
Schnitzer |
Smith |
|
|
Pass |
1§ |
2ª |
Dble |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
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Nicola Smith won the low spade lead with her queen and cashed her
top hearts felling West's honours. A club to the king and a diamond
to her queen brought her up to eight tricks, and she continued by
ducking a diamond to East. When Schnitzer exited with the ¨J, the
hand was an open book. Smith won dummy's ¨A, cashed the §A and exited
with a third club in the knowledge that whichever opponent won this
trick would be endplayed. If East won the trick, she could cash
a club and a diamond, but would then have to lead into dummy's heart
tenace. If West won the trick, which is what happened at the table,
she could cash her top spades but that would establish declarer's
ªJ as her ninth trick. +400 to England.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brunner |
Popp |
Goldenfield |
Semmelrath |
|
|
Pass |
1¨ |
1ª |
Dble |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
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In the other room, Karin Semmelrath won the opening low spade lead
with her jack and ran the ¨Q. This was not an auspicious start,
but it was not immediately fatal. Goldenfield won her king and her
club switch went to the nine, queen and ace. Now Semmelrath crossed
to hand with the ©A and finessed the ¨10, which was fatal. Goldenfield
continued diamonds and declarer took her ace and cashed the other
top heart. Two more rounds of hearts endplayed East and guaranteed
a trick for declarer's §10, but that was only her eighth trick,
so she was one down for +50 and 10 IMPs to England.
The next board was a textbook hand.
Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
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ª K 10 9 7 6 5
© J
¨ 9 5
§ Q 10 9 2 |
ª 3
© K Q 9 8 6 4 3
¨ Q 6
§ J 5 3 |
![Bridge deal](../../../graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª A J 8 4
© A 7 5
¨ J
§ A K 7 6 4 |
|
ª Q 2
© 10 2
¨ A K 10 8 7 4 3 2
§ 8 |
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Brunner |
Popp |
Goldenfield |
Semmelrath |
|
|
|
4¨ |
4© |
Pass |
6© |
All Pass |
Brunner's overcall made it easy for the English pair to reach the
heart slam, and Popp led a diamond to her partner's king. Semmelrath
switched to a trump and Brunner won in hand and ruffed the ¨Q. Isolating
the spade menace was the next matter of business, so Brunner drew
trumps with the ©A and then ruffed a spade. A club to the ace and
another spade ruff completed the process, and the run of the trumps
then squeezed North in the black suits for +980 to England.
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Redermeier |
Dhondy |
Schnitzer |
Smith |
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|
|
1¨ |
3© |
3ª |
4© |
5¨ |
All Pass |
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Smith's 1¨ opening proved more effective in the open room where
she was surprisingly allowed to play undoubled in 5¨. After a spade
to the ace, on which Smith dropped the queen, East completed a hand
she will want to forget by trying to cash the §AK. So England scored
+600 for a gain of 17 IMPs.
That result made the score 59-17 in England's favour, and worse
was to come for Austria when some injudicious biding on board 18
was punished to the tune of 1100 for the loss of a further 14 IMPs.
When the smoke had cleared, England had won by
82-17 (25-3 VPs) and were now only 4 VPs behind Germany at the top
of the table.
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