France vs Poland

Ladies Series - Round 14

There are some unfamiliar names in the French Ladies team but they are proving to be as competitive as ever, lying in third pace after 13 rounds. In Round 14 France met middle-of-the-table Poland.

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

West	North	East	South
Sarniak	Fishpool	Grunt	Hugon
Pass	Pass	1NT	Pass
2ª	Pass	3§	Pass
3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Clement	Wojtyra	Dumon	Tomaszewska
Pass	Pass	1NT	2©
2NT	3¨	Dble	3©
4¨	4©	5¨	Pass
Pass	5©	6¨	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Anna Grunt, Poland

In a generally quiet match, this huge swing proved to be decisive. The Poles had a free run to 3NT, with Anna Sarniak asking for her partner's range and bidding game on discovering that she was facing a maximum. Leading her longest suit would have seen Elisabeth Hugon defeat the contract, but it is hard not to agree with her view that god did not deal her such a nice sequence so that she could lead something else. Anna Grunt won the spade lead and cashed her diamonds before leading a club. When spades proved to be 4-4, that was +600 to Poland. Wieslawa Tomaszewska's super-light intervention created a very different scenario at the other table. Her 2© overcall showed at least nine cards in the majors and the double fit convinced Anna Wojtyra to keep on bidding - particularly as all the opposition bidding suggested that her partner was likely to have come in because of extra shape rather than many high-card values. A heart lead would have defeated 5¨, while on a spade lead declarer can take a third round club finesse and get rid of the heart loser to make her contract. Five Hearts doubled simply lost a trick in each suit, the defence not exploring the possibility of a spade ruff; -500 and 15 IMPs to Poland.

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

West	North	East	South
Sarniak	Fishpool	Grunt	Hugon
Clement	Wojtyra	Dumon	Tomaszewska
	1¨	Pass	1ª
Pass	2§	Pass	2¨
All Pass

Identical auctions but different opening leads and different end results. Grunt cashed the ace of clubs then switched to a spade to the king and ace. Catherine Fishpool played king of clubs and ruffed a club then ruffed a spade. Everything seemed to be going quite smoothly but when Fishpool tried to cash the ace of hearts Grunt ruffed it. With declarer set up to cross-ruff, the ace then queen of diamonds might have been the best defence at this point. Grunt actually played a club and Fishpool ruffed with dummy's jack. Fishpool ruffed spade then led a heart on which Grunt discarded her last spade, dummy's king winning. When declarer led a winning spade off the table, Sarniak ruffed in with the nine. Fishpool over-ruffed and Grunt in turn over-ruffed and had the remainder; one down for -100.
Sylvie Dumon led the nine of spades to Anna Wojtyra's ace. Wojtyra led a heart to the king then ran the jack of clubs to the ace. She ruffed the spade return and played king of clubs and ruffed a club then ruffed another spade and ruffed her last club with the jack. She could not be prevented from also making a trick with the king of diamonds; +90 and 5 IMPs to Poland.

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

West	North	East	South
Sarniak	Fishpool	Grunt	Hugon
		Pass	Pass
1§	2ª	Dble	Pass
3§	Pass	3¨	Pass
3©	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Clement	Wojtyra	Dumon	Tomaszewska
		Pass	Pass
1§	2ª	All Pass

Grunt made a negative double while Dumon did not. The Poles declared at both tables but could make neither contract. Against Wojtyra's 2ª, Dumon led a club for the queen and king. Tomaszewska switched to a spade for declarer's ace. Wojtyra drew trumps and led a diamond. Once Dumon ducked the first diamond, declarer could come to only seven tricks; -50.
Fishpool led three rounds of spades against Sarniak. The third round was ruffed and over-ruffed and a heart returned, won in hand with the ace. Sarniak led a diamond to the ten and queen and back came another heart to the jack. Sarniak played a diamond to the ace and a club to the ten. When that held she drew the last trump and tried to split the clubs. She had to lose the last two tricks for down two; -200 and 6 IMPs to France.

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

West	North	East	South
Sarniak	Fishpool	Grunt	Hugon
Pass	1§	Pass	1¨
2ª	3§	3ª	4§
4©	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Clement	Wojtyra	Dumon	Tomaszewska
Pass	1§	Pass	1NT
2§	2NT	3©	All Pass

Neither West felt able to open the 6-4 hand but each came in at their next opportunity. Sarniak showed her spades and Grunt competed. Now Sarniak showed her second suit and Grunt left her to play there. Fishpool led a club and Sarniak ruffed and led a spade to the king and ace. She won the diamond return and drew two rounds of trumps before trying the queen of spades. When everyone followed to the spade she drew the last trump and claimed eleven tricks; +450. Muriel Clement cuebid to show both her suits immediately. Dumon competed with 3© but that was as far as the French pair got; +200 but 6 IMPs to Poland.

Catherine Fishpool, France

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

West	North	East	South
Sarniak	Fishpool	Grunt	Hugon
		1¨	1ª
Pass	3¨	Pass	3ª
Pass	4ª	5§	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Clement	Wojtyra	Dumon	Tomaszewska
		1¨	2¨
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Four Spades made ten tricks without too much difficulty but in the other room Grunt took a solo flight of fancy and could have been badly punished. Hugon led a spade against 5§ doubled and Fishpool won and returned the suit. Hugon switched to a heart now and again Fishpool won and returned the same suit, Grunt ruffing. Declarer cashed the top trumps and played a diamond to the king and ace. She ruffed the heart return and played queen and another diamond; three down for -500 and 2 IMPs to France. Had the defence gone for diamond ruffs, the price would have been 800.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª A Q 10 5 2 © 9 6 ¨ J § A K 9 6 4
ª J © A K 7 5 ¨ A K 10 9 § Q 10 8 2		ª K 8 7 3 © J 10 4 3 2 ¨ Q 4 § 7 5
	ª 9 6 4 © Q 8 ¨ 8 7 6 5 3 2 § J 3

West	North	East	South
Sarniak	Fishpool	Grunt	Hugon
		Pass	Pass
1¨	1ª	Dble	Pass
4©	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Clement	Wojtyra	Dumon	Tomaszewska
		Pass	Pass
1¨	1ª	Pass	Pass
Dble	2§	2©	2ª
3©	4ª	All Pass

Poland declared game contracts at both tables but once again it did not pay to declare. Three rounds of clubs quickly put paid to 4©. When Sarniak chose to discard from dummy at trick three, Hugon could ruff with her low trump. A spade to the ace and a fourth club allowed her to over-ruff with her queen for two down; -200.
The slower auction at the other table gave room for Wojtyra to show her second suit and when she saw a free spade preference from her partner she went on to 4ª - a bit pushy, I would have thought, and so it proved. The defence took its three top tricks then played a diamond, forcing declarer to ruff. There was just too much work to do and the contract drifted one down; -100 and 7 IMPs to France.
The final score was 34-26 for Poland, converting to 16-14 VPs. However, France still retained their third place overall.