Just before the entrance of the gladiators
on to the scene a young Italian showed she can handle the cards
as well as anyone.
Board
13,Dealer North,All Vul.
|
|
ª Q 8 5
© Q 8 5 3
¨ 10 7 5
§ 10 7 2 |
ª A 6 4
© K 9 7 4
¨ J 9 8 4
§ J 3 |
|
ª K 9 7 3 2
© A 6
¨ K 3
§ A 8 5 4 |
|
ª J 10
© J 10 2
¨ A Q 6 2
§ K Q 9 6 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Gentile |
|
Di Lembo |
|
|
Pass |
1ª |
Double |
Redouble |
2© |
Pass |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
3ª
(?) |
All Pass |
Francesca
di Lembo |
|
In view of partner's redouble
East decided to make one further move, but as a consequence
she ended up in a not completely safe contract, even more so
when South found the best lead of a trump. Francesca Di Lembo
won the ace in dummy and played a club to the 7, 8 and 9. A
trump came back, won by the king, and declarer next played §A
and ruffed a club. Now she made the key play of eliminating
the hearts by cashing the AK and ruffing a third before she
exited with her last club. South, with only diamonds left, had
to bring her the ninth trick with the ¨K.
Well played indeed! |
What does a double by opener mean when the
opponents are overcalling 1NT?
Board 14, Dealer East, None
Vul.
|
|
ª K 10 5 4
© J 8
¨ 8 6 5 2
§ Q J 10 |
ª J 9 7
© A Q 10 2
¨ A 3
§ K 7 5 2 |
|
ª Q 8 3
© K 9 6 4
¨ J 9
§ A 8 6 4 |
|
ª A 6 2
© 7 5 3
¨ K Q 10 7 4
§ 9 3 |
West opens a 12-14 NT, Pass, Pass, and South
bids 2¨, showing
the suit for a change! Now a double would be take-out to most of
us, but when West doubled East had other ideas and passed! A spade
lead and careful defensive play will beat the contract, but on a
club lead Francesca De Lucchi had no problems, putting her and Anna
Lisa Rosetta right back on track for qualification.
A few boards later, the same pair produced
a spectacular auction:
Board 16, Dealer West, East-West
Vul.
|
|
ª 7 2
© 9 7 6
¨ 8 6 4
§ A J 9 7 6 |
ª Q 3
© 10 8 4 3
¨ K J 10
§ 10 8 5 3 |
|
ª A 9 6 5
© K Q J 5 2
¨ -
§ K Q 4 2 |
|
ª K J 10 8 4
© A
¨ A Q 9 7 5 3 2
§ - |
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Rosetta |
|
De Lucchi |
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
1© |
Double |
1ª |
2© |
5¨ |
Double |
All Pass |
|
|
This might need some explanation. 1§
was strong and 1©
showed spades. Double showed some values and 1ª
denied any serious spade support. 2©
was natural and so was 5¨
(what else could it be?). Rosetta, reading her partner for at least
about 6-6, took the right view by passing. She was wrong in a sense
as partner happened to be 5-7, but down 300 was O.K. with 4©
on.
More curious developments we saw on board
21:
Board 21, Dealer North,
North-South Vul.
|
|
ª A 4
© K 10 7 6 4
¨ 9 6 3
§ 10 8 5 |
ª Q
© Q 9 8 5 2
¨ Q 4 2
§ J 7 6 2 |
|
ª K J 10 6 3 2
© 3
¨ 8 7
§ A K Q 4 |
|
ª 9 8 7 5
© A J
¨ A K J 10 5
§ 9 3 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Rosetta |
|
De Lucchi |
|
Pass |
1ª |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Double |
Pass |
Pass |
3¨ |
All Pass |
|
Well, double of 2©
would not have been everybody's choice, but it worked well. West
passed it, but North did not dare to pass as well and retreated
into 3¨. This went
one down for an about average result, but we think 2©
might well have been made.
In the meantime, the Italian ladies had bid
and made two nice slams, 6¨
each time, which eluded quite a number of pairs playing here. Then
came:
Board 23, Dealer South,
All Vul.
|
|
ª 10 3
© A 6 3
¨ J 10 8 7 6
§ Q 10 3 |
ª A 7 6
© 10 9 5 2
¨ 9 4 3 2
§ J 7 |
|
ª Q 5
© K J 8
¨ K Q 5
§ A 9 5 4 2 |
|
ª K J 9 8 4 2
© Q 7 4
¨ A
§ K 8 6 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Rosetta |
|
De Lucchi |
|
|
|
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Double |
2ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
West led a heart. East won his king and returned
the suit to dummy's ace. This way, the defence had established a
heart trick for declarer without forcing her to use dummy's only
entry to do it herself. The ª10
followed, covered all round, and west exited with a spade. On the
run of the trumps, East discarded a diamond and two clubs. In the
end, De Lucchi cashed the ¨A,
felling the queen, and led a club to the queen (!?) and ace. When
East returned a club, she had little trouble, in fact, to go up
with the king, felling the doubleton jack which she might have finessed
as well. Nicely played for a huge +170.
Things would have been completely different
had West elected to lead the §J.
That's what Venice Cup holder Wietske van Zwol from the Netherlands
did. When her partner, Femke Hoogweg, ducked it, the ruff was assured
and declarer held to nine tricks for an enormous m.p. difference.
Overcalling opposite a passed partner is something
special, because you do not expect partner to take unwanted action.
Sometimes, things can go dramatically wrong, however.
Board 25, Dealer North,
East-West Vul.
|
|
ª 9 6 3 2
© K
¨ J 7 2
§ Q J 8 6 3 |
ª A K J 10
© Q 10 9
¨ 9 8 5 3
§ 10 5 |
|
ª 8 7 5 4
© 8 5 4 2
¨ A K 4
§ A 4 |
|
ª Q
© A J 7 6 3
¨ Q 10 6
§ K 9 7 2 |
When South opens 1©
in third position, an overcall of 1ª
seems in order. After that, the spotlight turns on East: what should
he do? A raise to 3©
showing four-card support and a good hand looks theoretically O.K.,
but will bring you too high. Maybe, East should open this Culbertson
classic after all...
We have always been told to bid the values
we have got. Does this rule apply on the last board of the set as
well?
Board 26, Dealer East, All
Vul.
|
|
ª A Q 2
© Q 9 5
¨ 7 4
§ A K 10 4 3 |
ª 8 7 6 4 3
© A K 7 4
¨ A K J 5
§ - |
|
ª J 9 5
© 8 6 3
¨ Q 10 9 3
§ Q J 2 |
|
ª K 10
© J 10 2
¨ 8 6 2
§ 9 8 7 6 5 |
After two passes, West is forced to show the
full value of his hand by opening 1ª.
North overcalls 1NT, East passes and South at one table surprises
the world by bidding 2§
as a natural action to show a suit. Now West can double or bid 2©
and North will bid either 2NT or 3§.
East then has to double if he wants a good score, as both contracts
will go off.
|