Women Teams Qualification A: Round 6 D’Ovidio v. Baker by Jos Jacobs When this match was scheduled on Sunday afternoon, D’Ovidio were leading the field with 109 V.P., 11 ahead of Baker and 12 ahead of the young Dutch team Verbeek. With Verbeek due to have their bye in this round, there might well be a change in the order of the leading teams after this match. Apart from that, it looked a good match too on paper, and so it really proved. On the first board a different auction and better defence led to a substantial swing: Board 15. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ K J 9 8 6 ♥ A K 7 ♦ 3 2 ♣ K Q 7 ♠ 7 5 4 ♥ Q 10 9 ♦ A 9 8 7 6 ♣ A 3 ♠ A Q 10 3 ♥ 6 5 3 ♦ K ♣ J 10 8 4 2   ♠ 2 ♥ J 8 4 2 ♦ Q J 10 5 4 ♣ 9 6 5 Closed Room West North East South Willard Auken Cronier Von Arnim       Pass Pass 1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♦ All Pass       This went just one down, 100 to D’Ovidio. Open Room West North East South Baker D'Ovidio McCallum Gaviard       Pass 1♦ Dble 1♠ 1NT Pass Pass Dble Pass Pass Redble Pass 2♦ Dble All Pass     West led a low trump to East’s king, and a heart came next. A trump went to the queen and ace, and a spade went to East’s ♠10. Another heart was won by dummy, and from there declarer was in trouble. As she could not get back to hand she eventually went three down for a loss of 800 and 12 IMPs to Baker. Two boards later, Sabine Auken had an optimistic view, also because of a systemic problem: Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ K Q 10 5 4 ♥ Q 10 9 8 ♦ A 8 5 ♣ K ♠ 3 ♥ K 7 3 2 ♦ K Q J 9 4 ♣ A 10 3 ♠ J 7 ♥ J ♦ 10 6 3 2 ♣ Q 9 7 6 4 2   ♠ A 9 8 6 2 ♥ A 6 5 4 ♦ 7 ♣ J 8 5 Closed Room West North East South Willard Auken Cronier Von Arnim   1♠ Pass 3♥ Pass 4NT Pass 5♥ Pass 6♠ All Pass   3♥ was explained by Von Arnim as invitational with a singleton somewhere. Auken however thought it was a clear-cut heart splinter and a game-forcing hand, so she launched Blackwood without further ado. On the lead of the ♥J declarer won the ace and played the queen from hand. Still, there were two inescapable losers when Willard took little time to cover the ♣J with her ace and cashed the ♥K next. One down. At the other table both the auction and the play were “not worth mentioning” for a score of 450 to D’Ovidio and 11 IMPs back to them. On the next board, Auken and Von Arnim were again faced with a slam decision, and this time they got it right: Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.   ♠ A K J 9 7 ♥ - ♦ Q 8 7 2 ♣ A K 7 5 ♠ 5 3 2 ♥ Q J 10 5 ♦ 10 9 3 ♣ 9 6 3 ♠ 10 ♥ A K 9 8 7 6 ♦ K J 6 4 ♣ 8 4   ♠ Q 8 6 4 ♥ 4 3 2 ♦ A 5 ♣ Q J 10 2 Closed Room West North East South Willard Auken Cronier Von Arnim     1♥ Pass 3♥ Dble 4♥ 4♠ Pass 5♥ Pass 6♣ Pass 6♠ All Pass   When Auken showed her void by bidding 5♥ over 4♠, Von Arnim had no trouble in going to slam holding the ♦A. In fact, on a heart lead you should even make 7 ♣ but this contract is not really recommendable. 6♠ was easy going on a heart lead, it turned out, as there were no bad breaks there to possibly lead declarer astray. Baker +1430. Open Room West North East South Baker D'Ovidio McCallum Gaviard     1♥ Pass 2♥ 2♠ 3♥ 4♠ Pass Pass 5♥ Dble All Pass       Though the French got much more bidding space when Baker only raised to 2♥, they did not fully exploit it but sold out rather cheaply to 5♥. Down two and a 15-IMP swing to Baker. Two boards later, both teams missed a chance: Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ A Q J 6 5 ♥ J 9 4 3 ♦ A 3 ♣ A K ♠ K 10 8 ♥ A Q 5 ♦ Q 8 6 4 2 ♣ 7 6 ♠ - ♥ 8 7 2 ♦ K J 10 7 ♣ J 10 9 8 4 3   ♠ 9 7 4 3 2 ♥ K 10 6 ♦ 9 5 ♣ Q 5 2 Closed Room West North East South Willard Auken Cronier Von Arnim Pass 1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass       After West’s initial pass and the Strong Club auction, East cannot possibly be blamed for not leading a diamond. Thus, she missed the only way to beat the contract. Open Room West North East South Baker D'Ovidio McCallum Gaviard 1♦ Dble 3♣ 3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass 4♠ All Pass       When West opened 1♦ showing a suit and East made a fitbid West might well have found the diamond lead. Even in the post-mortem she was kicking herself for leading a club… No swing. After a push in a spade game, on board 22 Auken-Von Arnim overbid to 3NT which luckily for them went only one down, due to a block in hearts. D’Ovidio +6 IMPs. The next board was a more substantial swing for D’Ovidio. On a partscore hand (they were in 1NT in fact, making two overtricks) Auken-Von Arnim had a more serious misunderstanding and ended up in a hopeless slam, down four undoubled! Still, another 11 IMPs for D’Ovidio. A missed game by their opponents gave the French 6 more IMPs and then came: Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.   ♠ 10 8 6 5 4 3 ♥ A J 3 ♦ A ♣ J 10 9 ♠ J 2 ♥ 10 4 2 ♦ 9 6 3 ♣ A K Q 8 6 ♠ A Q 9 7 ♥ K Q 9 8 5 ♦ J 10 2 ♣ 7   ♠ K ♥ 7 6 ♦ K Q 8 7 5 4 ♣ 5 4 3 2 Closed Room West North East South Willard Auken Cronier Von Arnim       3♦ Pass Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥ All Pass     Sylvie Willard played this hand very well until the final stages. Auken led the ♦A and shifted to a spade. Willard correctly went up with dummy’s ace as the diamond losers have to disappear on the clubs first of all. The idea is to lose a spade, a heart and just one diamond. She got an unexpected but well-deserved reward when South followed suit with the ♠K!. Three rounds of clubs (please note the fall of the ♣J109!) and a trump to the king. When this held, she simply continued another trump to Auken, who cashed her last trump before exiting with a spade. Back in her hand, the only thing left was to remember that her clubs were good. Alas, she had forgotten, ruffed a club in dummy and had to lose to the ♠10 in the end. Very disappointing to see a beautiful sequence of plays brutally interrupted just before the fin al hurdle… Open Room West North East South Baker D'Ovidio McCallum Gaviard       Pass Pass Pass 1♥ 2♦ 3♦ 3♠ Dble All Pass Not that it mattered very much, as North at the other table fell from grace, as they say. The contract went down five for –1100 and 15 IMPs to Baker in a match that stood level at the time. Worse things for the French were to come on the last board: Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.   ♠ 8 7 ♥ A 6 3 2 ♦ A 7 3 ♣ 10 7 5 4 ♠ A J 10 5 ♥ 5 4 ♦ J 8 5 4 ♣ K Q 9 ♠ K Q 6 3 2 ♥ Q J 9 8 ♦ 10 2 ♣ A J   ♠ 9 4 ♥ K 10 7 ♦ K Q 9 6 ♣ 8 6 3 2 Closed Room West North East South Willard Auken Cronier Von Arnim Pass Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 4♠ All Pass     After a Drury sequence South made the natural enough lead of the ♦K. Once she continued another diamond, the contract could no longer be made. Baker +50. Open Room West North East South Baker D'Ovidio McCallum Gaviard 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass Once again in this set, the diamond opening did the trick for EW. On board 20, they missed the chance thus created for them, as we saw. This time, however, the 1♦ opening induced South not to lead the suit. On a club lead, declarer could draw trumps, dispose of one diamond loser and claim ten tricks for +420 and another 10 IMPs. So this remarkable match, level with two boards to go, ended with a victory for Baker by 58-33 or 21-9 in V.P. They had taken the lead in the group as well as a consequence of this big win.

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