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Mixed Teams Round Three
For Round Three I was watching the France-Switzerland encounter, with the Croniers taking on Pana/Mucha, and Levy/Willard playing Horvath/Duong.
I was watching Philippe Cronier, and after a nice defence by the Swiss had earned them 2 IMPs against a pass-out in the other room, the second deal gave both partnerships for team Mouiel a chance to shine.
| Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ 10 8 6 5
♥ A 7
♦ A K J 7 4 3
♣ A |
♠ A 4 3
♥ 10 9 5
♦ Q 8 6
♣ J 8 4 2 |  |
♠ Q J 9
♥ K J 3 2
♦ 9 5
♣ Q 9 7 6 | | | ♠ K 7 2
♥ Q 8 6 4
♦ 10 2
♣ K 10 5 3 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Philippe C | Pana | Benedicte C | Mucha
|
| Duong | Levy | Horvath | Willard
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| Pass | 1♦ | Pass | 1♥
|
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 1NT
|
| Pass | 3♦ | Pass | 3NT
|
| All Pass
| | | |
At both tables West led a low club and saw their partners contribute an encouraging spot card. What should declarer do now? Rita Mucha elected to lead a low diamond to her ten, protecting against a bad diamond break but giving up on a number of legitimate chances. The defenders still have to be careful here, and I thought Philippe Cronier did exceptionally well to play declarer to have followed this sort of approach, and return a diamond. On the run of the diamonds Benedicte pitched a club then a heart, and now Cronier pitched the club jack as his first discard. That now allowed both defenders to let go most of their clubs, and in the six-card ending declarer had to keep three hearts, two spades, and the bare king of clubs. With the spade ace offside there was nothing she could do that would work; down one
In the other room Sylvie Willard also did very well, I thought, by winning the opening lead and playing a spade to her king at once. In this position the best defence is to shift to a heart. Now declarer must go up with the ace and exit with a major. If she does not, the defenders win the heart king and cash both spades then exit with a heart, leaving the lead locked in dummy. In fact the defenders played a club at trick three so declarer won and took the diamond finesse for nine tricks. 10-2 to the French.
The next deal saw Benedicte Cronier refuse to let her husband get his hands on the dummy; right she was.
| Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul. |
| | ♠ K 5
♥ 9
♦ 8 5 4 3
♣ K J 10 9 6 4 |
♠ 3
♥ A K J 7 6 5
♦ A 9 6
♣ Q 7 5 | |
♠ A Q J 10 8 7 6
♥ 4
♦ Q 10 2
♣ 3 2 | | | ♠ 9 4 2
♥ Q 10 8 3 2
♦ K J 7
♣ A 8 |
In one room Katalin Horvath invited to game in spades and accepted her partner’s choice of playing Three No-trumps. On a club lead the defenders took the first six tricks and eventually took one more winner for +300. Benedicte simply jumped to Four Spades and the defenders found the club lead. Declarer ruffed the third club with the jack (passing the first test) and when Mucha pitched a heart, declarer had a real problem. The losing line is to lead spades from hand, since that sets up a trump promotion. Declarer unerringly crossed to dummy with a heart and took the spade finesse, and when the spade king accommodatingly put in an early appearance Benedicte could run the trumps and squeeze South for no less than 11 tricks. 26-2 now.
That optimistic approach to the bidding had worked so well that Benedicte decided to try going to the well again. And yet again she judged her moment perfectly.
| Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 7
♥ K J 6 5 3
♦ A 6 2
♣ 9 8 6 |
♠ A K 6 3
♥ A 9 4
♦ 5 4
♣ K Q J 5 | |
♠ J 10 9 8 5 4 2
♥ –
♦ Q 8 3
♣ 7 3 2 | | | ♠ –
♥ Q 10 8 7 2
♦ K J 10 9 7
♣ A 10 4 |
| West | North | East | South
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| Philippe C | Pana | Benedicte C | Mucha
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| 1NT | Pass | 4♠ | All Pass
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| West | North | East | South
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| Duong | Levy | Horvath | Willard
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| 1NT | Pass | 2♥ | 2♠
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| 3♠ | 4♥ | 4♠ | Pass
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| Pass | 5♥ | 5♠ | All Pass
|
The jump to Four Spades bought the pot – and a spectacularly suitable dummy for +420. In the other room Willard’s Two Spade call showed a two-suiter with hearts and now N/S could push their opponents to the five-level. Another 10 IMPs to the French; 34-2.
| Board 26. Dealer East. All Vul. |
| | ♠ J 10 4
♥ J 9 5 3 2
♦ 4
♣ A Q 10 3 |
♠ 9 8 2
♥ A K Q 10 8
♦ K J 10
♣ J 5 | |
♠ Q 7 6 3
♥ 7 6
♦ A Q 9 7
♣ K 6 4 | | | ♠ A K 5
♥ 4
♦ 8 6 5 3 2
♣ 9 8 7 2 |
Both tables reached Three No-trumps here from the West seat, and both tables led the spade jack. Cronier covered with the queen, and Mucha made the mistake of winning with the king and cashing the ace. Now a club shift would have been too late. Declarer can play low from hand and win the king, then run the diamonds to triple squeeze North. In the six-card ending that player must keep the spade ten, and four hearts thus only one club. When the bad trump break comes to light declarer exits with a club to endplay North to lead hearts into the tenace.
In fact the defenders cashed two spades and shifted to a heart. Philippe won and played a third spade, and now Pana did well when he exited with a diamond. Cronier elected to win in hand and lead a club to his king for his ninth trick.
In the other room Levy was allowed to holds the spade jack. He shifted accurately to the club queen, losing to the king as Willard showed four clubs. Now four rounds of diamonds followed, and Levy could afford to let go one heart, a low spade, and the club ten. Declarer had eight tricks but no endplay, since when he was put on lead with the spade ten, Levy could get out with ace and a low club at the critical moment. That allowed the defenders to cash out for down 200 and 13 IMPs. Well done both pairs; 47-2 for team Mouiel.
That was the end of the excitement in terms of IMPs changing hands, although Levy/Willard continued their excellent set by finding the defence to a game which had also been found by Pana/Mucha, and stealing a board in a partscore on a deal where Philippe had (quite rationally) misguessed an ace-queen combination where he would have brought home a game had he guessed right. The 46 IMPs win for Mouiel converted to a 25-2 win for them.
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