Germany v France

Some sporting contests are more eagerly awaited than others. England v Australia at cricket, the New York Yankees v the New York Mets at baseball, Oxford v Cambridge in the boat race, Rangers v Celtic, Real Madrid v Barcelona and anyone v Germany at football – you can come up with your own examples I am sure.

In women’s bridge, Germany v France is almost always a classic, so the Editor was one of the several thousand who watched the Round 17 match between the two unfold.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª K 9 3 © A 9 7 6 ¨ 10 2 § A 9 7 6
ª J 5 4 © Q J 10 8 5 3 ¨ 8 7 5 § K		ª A Q 8 7 6 © 4 ¨ K J 9 4 § 10 5 2
	ª 10 2 © K 2 ¨ A Q 6 3 § Q J 8 4 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Gaviard	Nehmert	d'Ovidio	Reim
			1§
Pass	1©	1ª	Pass
2ª	3§	All Pass

Three Clubs was an eminently sensible spot.

West led the four of spades and East won with the queen and switched to her heart. Declarer won in hand with the king and ran the ten of spades. East won and switched to the jack of diamonds. Declarer put in the queen, and when that held she played the queen of clubs for the king and ace. When the ten did not fall under the ace she claimed ten tricks, +130.

You might reach 3NT – but then on a spade lead you would need to get the clubs right.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Lustin	Auken	Bessis
			1§
2©	Dble*	Pass	3§
Pass	3NT	All Pass

North’s double was perhaps risky without four spades, (the alternative is 2NT) and she was virtually forced to try 3NT at her next turn.

Declarer won the heart lead in dummy and advanced the queen of clubs, for the king and ace. She took the club finesse and then used the fourth round of clubs as an entry to her hand for the diamond finesse. Well played for +400 and 7 IMPs to France.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª Q J © 7 5 2 ¨ J 8 2 § J 10 9 6 4
ª K 8 6 4 3 © A Q 6 ¨ A K Q 6 § 2		ª 10 9 2 © J 10 3 ¨ 7 5 3 § A Q 7 5
	ª A 7 5 © K 9 8 4 ¨ 10 9 4 § K 8 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Gaviard	Nehmert	d'Ovidio	Reim
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1ª	Pass	2ª	Pass
4ª	All Pass

North led the jack of clubs and declarer put up the ace and ran the jack of hearts. When that held she repeated the heart finesse and then played a low spade toward the dummy. North won with the jack and played the ten of clubs, but declarer ruffed and played another low spade. She was in control and claimed ten tricks, +620.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Lustin	Auken	Bessis
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1§*	Pass	1¨*	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
2¨*	Pass	2ª	Pass
3©	Pass	3NT	All Pass

1§ Strong
1¨ Negative
2¨ Possible canapé

This was somewhat awkward for the German pair, as One Spade might have been based on a four card suit, and it was possible East might have bid Two Spades on a doubleton.

Catherine d' Ovidio, France

3NT was a more precarious contract.

South led the four of hearts and declarer put up the queen, hoping to confuse the defenders at the position. She played a low spade to North’s jack and her ruse in the heart suit did not bear fruit, as North switched to the jack of clubs. Declarer put up the ace, repeated the heart finesse, and played a spade. When she guessed wrong by playing low from dummy North was able to win and play a heart, setting up a fifth trick for the defence, -100 and 12 IMPs.

That bad result was in part caused by the system, and a few boards later the German pair in the Closed room had to cope with another awkward deal.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª Q J 9 6 5 © Q 10 9 ¨ 8 3 § 9 3 2
ª K 10 3 © K 7 6 5 4 2 ¨ 9 § 10 8 5		ª A 8 7 2 © - ¨ Q J 10 7 § A Q J 7 6
	ª 4 © A J 8 3 ¨ A K 6 5 4 2 § K 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Gaviard	Nehmert	d'Ovidio	Reim
	Pass	1§	1¨
1©	Pass	1ª	Pass
2©	All Pass

Two Hearts was not exactly the best spot, and the defence was perfect. North led the three of diamonds and South won and switched to a spade. Declarer won in hand and took a losing club finesse. South played back a club and declarer won in dummy, ruffed a diamond and played a heart. North won and played a spade for South to ruff. The defenders had a cross ruff for two down, -200.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Lustin	Auken	Bessis
	Pass	1ª	2¨
2©*	Pass	2NT	Pass
3ª	Pass	3NT	Pass
4©	All Pass

East intended 2NT to be natural – and it might well have made on the likely low diamond lead – but West was not sure and decided to play safe by showing her spade support. When East bid 3NT a pass would have been the best option, but West was still in the dark and retreated to hearts.

The early play was the same, but declarer won the spade switch in dummy and ruffed a diamond before taking the club finesse. South won and played a diamond, ruffed by North, who played a spade for South to ruff. North ruffed another diamond and played the jack of spades, South discarding a club. Declarer ruffed and played a club to the ace, but South ruffed and played a diamond for North to ruff. That was six down, -600 and 9 IMPs for France.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª A Q J 7 5 3 © Q 5 4 2 ¨ 5 4 § 9
ª 10 © A 8 3 ¨ A 8 7 § A K Q 7 5 3		ª - © K J 10 9 7 ¨ K 10 9 2 § 10 8 4 2
	ª K 9 8 6 4 2 © 6 ¨ Q J 6 3 § J 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Gaviard	Nehmert	d'Ovidio	Reim
		Pass	2ª
Dble	6ª!	Dble	All Pass

North’s tremendous leap really put it to the French pair, who had no real alternative to taking what was available from Six Spades – it proved to be +500.

One wag on bridgebase suggested that East could make a forcing pass over Six Spades! Being able to see all four hands can so easily cloud your judgement.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Von Arnim	Lustin	Auken	Bessis
		Pass	Pass
1§*	2ª	3¨*	4ª
4NT*	Pass	5§*	Pass
5¨*	Pass	6¨*	Pass
6©	Pass	Pass	6ª
Dble	All Pass

Three Diamonds showed hearts and a positive and 4NT was asking for key cards. As Guido Ferraro would doubtless say – ‘A strong applaud to South for her Six Spade bid.’

West could not bid Five Spades rather than 4NT, as that would have been exclusion Blackwood, and bidding Five Clubs risked East passing when a slam was on.

In a way, this deal summed up the match – good results from the German pair in the Open Room, were matched or bettered by their counterparts in the other room.

It was certainly a well played match, France winning 29-13 IMPs, 16-12 VP. Why 16? One of the French players broke the no smoking regulations and there is a penalty of 2VP.