Austria v England – Women Round 8

By Barry Rigal

The commentators admired the general level of bridge on vugraph. Both teams played pretty well, but there were nonetheless a number of small technical points arising.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª 9 8 2 © 8 7 ¨ A Q 6 § A J 10 7 5
ª A K 7 3 © 10 6 3 2 ¨ J 7 4 § 8 4		ª 4 © Q J 9 5 ¨ K 10 9 5 2 § Q 9 2
	ª Q J 10 6 5 © A K 4 ¨ 8 3 § K 6 3

Both teams played 4ª by South after North had opened the bidding. A weak no trump, should that be your poison, would get North to be declarer and facilitate proceedings. A 1¨ call, Iris Grumm’s choice, gets West off to a heart lead, letting declarer guess the club queen after finding West with long spades. But Rhona Goldenfield opened 1§ and Jovanka Smederevac overcalled 1¨, getting West off to the lead off the four of diamonds. Michelle Brunner won the ace of diamonds, played three rounds of hearts ruffing in dummy, then played on trumps. Susan Kriftner could force declarer, first with a diamond then, after ducking the second trump, with a heart, and declarer could not avoid being tapped out for down one even after finding the §Q.

Note that if declarer puts in the §Q at trick one, on the diamond return she cannot ruff a heart as the same position will be reached. She needs to take a club finesse at trick two – a highly unlikely play(but that doesn’t work, as West plays a second club when in with the first trump and still has a diamond entry to partner’s hand to get a ruff when in with the second trump. Eds).

Maybe it is better to duck the first diamond altogether. Now the defence cannot arrange the force, though admittedly if clubs were four-one this line might look very silly!

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª J 8 © A 5 ¨ 10 4 3 § A K 10 7 5 2
ª K 4 2 © 7 ¨ A 6 5 2 § J 9 8 4 3		ª A 6 © K Q 9 6 3 2 ¨ K J 9 8 § 6
	ª Q 10 9 7 5 3 © J 10 8 4 ¨ Q 7 § Q

Austria picked up a small swing here, beating 3ª by only two tricks against 3© making the other way. But Terry Weigkricht had the chance to persuade declarer to do the wrong thing. On the §Q lead and a spade shift, Nicola Smith won the ªK to lead a heart to the queen a low heart back, dropping the ace. If Weigkricht had dropped the ©8 under the queen, declarer might have followed up with the ©K to pin a doubleton ©J8 or ©108. Since South had shown six spades and North six clubs, there was no real clue as to the red-suit shapes in N/S.

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

Since my first two deals have featured the importance of an eight, it is only appropriate that the third deal should do the same.

Nicola Smith, England

Brunner/Goldenfiled played a quiet 2ª by North, making ten tricks on the ©7 lead. At the other table, Heather Dhondy led the ¨K against 4ª from the South seat. It was tempting for Smith to overtake and switch to a club, but this defence cannot ever be necessary. If you have two heart tricks you will always get a club and a diamond trick also. But you need to set up a club trick only if you have one heart trick only. The danger with encouraging diamonds is that partner may play a low diamond next, leaving you on lead instead of her. To prevent this, best is to overtake the ¨K with the ace and return a low diamond. Yes, partner may try to give you a diamond ruff, I suppose, but this still looks the best defence to me.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª A J 4 2 © Q 10 8 ¨ 10 5 4 2 § J 2
ª Q 7 © A 9 7 5 ¨ A J 8 7 § K 10 7		ª 9 6 5 3 © 6 4 2 ¨ K 3 § Q 9 5 3
	ª K 10 8 © K J 3 ¨ Q 9 6 § A 8 6 4

Heather Dhondy declared 1NT as West here on a diamond lead. She ran it to her hand, of course, and found the neat play of the ten of clubs. It was not clear to North to cover this and Terry Weigkricht won the ace to continue diamonds, letting declarer unscramble her seven tricks in some comfort.

Note that if Weigkricht ducks the two clubs she will have sufficient information, after North’s diamond discard on the third round to take the third club and switch to a low spade. After three rounds of spades and a heart switch, declarer has seven winners but cannot unscramble them.

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

Iris Grumm neatly found a way to bring home an unlikely 2ª contract by North. In the Closed Room, declarer had won the heart lead and led a club to the king to take a diamond finesse, letting Smederevac win and underlead in a clubs for a spade switch, for down one. In the Open room, Grumm won the heart lead and led the ¨10 from hand! If Smith had taken this to play a trump, declarer might have guessed diamonds to land her contract. Instead, Smith found the better defence of letting this run to Dhondy’s queen. Back came a second heart (yes, a trump shift works), and declarer ruffed, played ace of diamonds and ruffed a diamond, ruffed a heart, and led the fourth diamond, ruffed and over-ruffed. That gave her six tricks and the ªA and §K were eight winners. In fact, the defence had to be quite precise to hold declarer to her contract.