France vs England (Schools Round 11)

Matches between old rivals France and England are always hotly contested in any sport and bridge is no exception. Going into their fifth round clash in the Schools Series, England lay second and France fifth but, with only 6 VPs between the two teams, this was a vital match for both in the hunt for a spot at the next Schools World Championship.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ K J 6 5 ♥ 3 ♦ A J 5 ♣ K 8 6 4 2
♠ A 10 9 7 4 3 2 ♥ K 9 5 4 ♦ – ♣ A 10		♠ – ♥ A Q J 8 7 6 ♦ Q 8 7 4 3 2 ♣ 7
	♠ Q 8 ♥ 10 2 ♦ K 10 9 6 ♣ Q J 9 5 3

I have no doubt that a 2NT overcall is the technically correct action with the East hand, but I don’t mind 4♥ as a tactical effort to put pressure on the opposition. In response, Tom Rainforth did not see a clear way to explore seven so made the practical raise to 6♥, ending the auction. Ed Jones played it very sloppily after a club lead to dummy’s ace. He ruffed the second club then set about a grand crossruff. Unfortunately, the third round of spades saw Alexandre Kilani over-ruff and, had he returned his remaining trump, that would have beaten the contract. Instead, Kilani played back the ♦K, crashing the ace, though that initself didn’t matter, and Jones survived with a lucky +980.

Nicolas Lhuissier preferred the more classical 2NT overcall and Aymeric Lebatteaux first cuebid 4♣ then jumped to 5NT over the 4♥ response. Lhuissier’s 6♠ response rather committed Lebatteaux to the grand slam. Again the lead was the queen of clubs to dummy’s ace. Lhuissier ruffed a low spade, crossed to the king of hearts and ruffed a second spade. Next he drew the remaining trump, ruffed a diamond, played ace and ruffed a spade, and thirteen tricks for +1510 and a well- deserved 11 IMPs to France.

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
	♠ K Q 8 3 ♥ 5 ♦ 6 5 3 ♣ Q 7 6 5 3
♠ A 10 5 2 ♥ 7 2 ♦ 10 9 8 ♣ K J 10 9		♠ 4 ♥ K Q J 8 6 4 ♦ A K Q 7 ♣ A 4
	♠ J 9 7 6 ♥ A 10 9 3 ♦ J 4 2 ♣ 8 2

West	North	East	South
Rainforth	Franceschetti	Jones	Kilani
			Pass
Pass	Pass	2♣	Pass
2♦	Pass	3♥	Pass
4♣	Pass	4NT	Pass
5♦	Pass	6♥	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Lebbatteaux	B. Paske	Lhuissier	T. Paske
			Pass
Pass	Pass	2♣	Pass
2♦	Pass	4♥	All Pass

I don’t know why Lhuissier felt that he had to rebid 4♥ – even if 2♦ was a negative, there are still hands which make 6♥ good. Jones, I believe, had to rebid 3♥ because 2♥ would have shown only an eight/nine playing trick type. He presumably understood 4♣ as a cuebid and bid the small slam after checking on key cards.

Slam is not bad – if hearts behave there are all sorts of chances in the minors – and the fast auction may well attract a costly opening lead. Here, however, there were two unavoidable trump losers so the even diamond split was of no benefit to Jones who was one down for –100 and another 13 IMPs to France.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ 10 3 ♥ A 7 4 3 2 ♦ 5 3 ♣ Q 8 6 4
♠ K 8 7 ♥ Q 8 5 ♦ 7 2 ♣ A K 7 5 3		♠ J 9 5 2 ♥ K 10 9 ♦ A K Q J ♣ 10 2
	♠ A Q 6 4 ♥ J 6 ♦ 10 9 8 6 4 ♣ J 9

West	North	East	South
Rainforth	Franceschetti	Jones	Kilani
	Pass	1NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Lebbatteaux	B. Paske	Lhuissier	T. Paske
	Pass	1♦	Pass
2♣	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

With diamonds opened on his right, it seemed natural for Tom Paske to lead a low spade. This solved all declarer’s problem as it ran to the ten and jack. Lhuissier ducked a club at trick two and Paske tried a desperate jack of hearts. All that did was to speed up the play and Lhuissier came to ten tricks for +630.

The less revealing auction at the other table made it natural for Kilani to lead a diamond. Jones won and ducked a club and Kilani too tried the jack of hearts. Jones won the ♥K and played off the ace and king of clubs. The contract is clearly makeable from here but Jones tried the obscure shot of a low spade off the dummy, losing to the queen, so lost two spades, two clubs and a heart for down one; –100 and 12 IMPs to France, who led by 37-1.

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	♠ 10 8 7 5 3 ♥ J 9 6 ♦ J 9 7 ♣ K 3
♠ J ♥ K Q 10 7 5 4 3 2 ♦ Q 10 8 ♣ 8		♠ 6 4 ♥ 8 ♦ A K 6 3 2 ♣ A Q 7 6 4
	♠ A K Q 9 2 ♥ A ♦ 5 4 ♣ J 10 9 5 2

West	North	East	South
Rainforth	Franceschetti	Jones	Kilani
		1♦	1♠
2♥	2♠	3♣	Dble
4♥	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Lebbatteaux	B. Paske	Lhuissier	T. Paske
		1♦	1♠
4♥	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	4♠	Dble	All Pass

Finally, there was some good news for England. Pierre Franceschetti made an inadequate single raise of his partner’s overcall when a pre-emptive 3♠ looks routine. Kilani might still have viewed to save in 4♠ over 4♥, but he would have been expecting a somewhat different hand for North. Rainforth won the lead of the king of clubs with the ace and pitched his spade loser on the ♣Q. He played a heart next and the bare ace won. A club through promoted a second trump trick for the defence but that was all; +650.

Ben Paske did not take the unilateral decision to bid 4♠ over 4♥ – he had five trumps but was too balanced to feel comfortable when vulnerable – but he had an easy 4♠ bid when brother Tom doubled 4♥ and that ended the auction. There were four minor-suit losers but that was all; –200 but 10 IMPs to England.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ J 9 ♥ K 10 8 ♦ K Q 10 8 5 2 ♣ J 7
♠ 8 5 4 3 ♥ J 4 3 ♦ J 9 3 ♣ Q 6 2		♠ K 7 2 ♥ Q 9 6 5 ♦ 7 ♣ A K 10 9 4
	♠ A Q 10 6 ♥ A 7 2 ♦ A 6 4 ♣ 8 5 3

West	North	East	South
Rainforth	Franceschetti	Jones	Kilani
			1♣
Pass	1♦	Pass	1♠
Pass	3♦	Pass	3♥
Pass	3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Lebbatteaux	B. Paske	Lhuissier	T. Paske
			1♣
Pass	1♦	Dble	Pass
1♠	2♦	Pass	2♠
Pass	3♦	Pass	3NT
All Pass

This one was all about the opening lead. After partner had doubled the 1♦ response, it was very tough for Lebatteaux to find a club lead – he would expect partner to hold the majors – and he duly led a spade to give Paske an easy route to twelve tricks for +690.

At the other table, Jones was on lead with the clubs and could see that there lay the best chance of defeating the contract so he led the ♣10 and the defence took the first five tricks; down one for –100 and 13 IMPs to England

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ Q 6 5 4 3 2 ♥ J 7 ♦ Q 10 2 ♣ A Q
♠ K J ♥ 8 6 ♦ A 9 6 4 ♣ K 10 7 5 2		♠ A 10 9 8 ♥ 10 9 4 2 ♦ 7 5 ♣ 9 6 4
	♠ 7 ♥ A K Q 5 3 ♦ K J 8 3 ♣ J 8 3

West	North	East	South
Rainforth	Franceschetti	Jones	Kilani
1♣	2♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Lebbatteaux	B. Paske	Lhuissier	T. Paske
Pass	1♠	Pass	2♥
Pass	2♠	Pass	3♦
Pass	3NT	All Pass

I hate Franceschetti’s weak jump overcall of 2♠ and think that it achieved just what it deserved – the suit is weak and the hand contains far too many high cards for this action (give me ♠Qxxxxx and out and I would be more willing to consider the bid). Two Spades bought the contract and Franceschetti lost the ♦A and four trump tricks; +110. Of course, even after a 1♠ overcall, life would have been more difficult than at the other table thanks to Rainforth’s thin opening bid.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ K 8 6 3 ♥ A ♦ K Q J 9 6 ♣ A 4 3
♠ A Q J 9 ♥ Q 6 4 3 2 ♦ 4 ♣ 7 6 5		♠ 7 5 2 ♥ K 8 7 5 ♦ A 10 7 ♣ K Q 2
	♠ 10 4 ♥ J 10 9 ♦ 8 5 3 2 ♣ J 10 9 8

Jones declared 4♥ on the lead of the jack of clubs to the ace, Franceschetti switching to the king of diamonds. North had been silent throughout the auction, though that had to some degree been forced upon him by the nature of the bidding, so there was no reason to place him with all the high cards. It seemed normal to play heart through South as, if North held the ace, this would just mean that the spade finesse was that much more likely to succeed. Jones played a heart to the queen at trick two and that was one down for –50.

North had doubled 1♥ at the other table and now he was the player more likely to be short in the suit, making it correct to play the first round of hearts through him to cater to his holding the bare ace. Lebatteaux won the diamond lead with the ace, ruffed a diamond to hand and played a low heart. The bare ace fell on thin air and that was +420 and 10 IMPs to France.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ A K Q 9 7 3 ♥ K 7 ♦ A 10 7 6 2 ♣ –
♠ 8 6 2 ♥ A Q J ♦ K 3 ♣ K J 7 6 2		♠ J 10 ♥ 9 5 4 2 ♦ Q 9 8 5 4 ♣ 8 4
	♠ 5 4 ♥ 10 8 6 3 ♦ J ♣ A Q 10 9 5 3

West	North	East	South
Rainforth	Franceschetti	Jones	Kilani
1NT	Dble	Rdbl	Pass
2♣	4♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Lebbatteaux	B. Paske	Lhuissier	T. Paske
1♣	Dble	All Pass

Lebatteaux’s 1♣ opening was completely normal and Ben Paske had a hand which he felt was too good for a simple overcall so, in time-honoured fashion, he doubled, intending to do quite a bit more bidding as the auction progressed. However, Tom Paske had a fairly obvious pass, particularly of what could have been a weak three-card club suit. Lebatteaux had nowhere to run to so that was that. Ben led the ♠K then switched to ace and another diamond, ruffed. Tom played ace and ten of clubs to declarer’s jack and Lebatteaux tried ace and queen of hearts. Ben won the king and played three rounds of spades, Tom throwing his remaining hearts away as declarer ruffed. Lebatteaux had just the ♣K to come now for down three; –800.

When Rainforth opened a weak no trump and Franceschetti doubled, it looked as though large quantities of English blood might be spilled – something that the French have proved to be fairly good at through much of their history. Jones redoubled as a puppet to 2♣ and Rainforth duly obliged. I am sure that a pass should be forcing now, as the opposition are on the run, but Franceschetti was taking no chances. He had no intention of sitting for a double of 2♣ – the suit he imagined East to hold – so just bid the most likely game.

Against 4♠, Jones led a club. Declarer won the ace, pitching a diamond, played ace and ruffed then a heart up. With the ♥A onside, there were two diamonds and one heart to be lost; +620 but 5 IMPs to England.

France won the match by 42-32 IMPs, 17-13 VPs. England had slipped to fourth in the standings, just ahead of France, but it was very tight in the battle for second and third place.