They play the same system... a different way

by Jean-Paul Meyer

French pairs are known to play 'all of them' 'French Standard'. That is five card majors, strong no trump, and weak twos in the majors. In the first session of the Championship final, Board 14 did not exactly support that premise. Board 14. Dealer East. Love All A Q 10 7 6 3 Q 10 2 J 4 2 J J 2 9 8 4 K 9 8 6 4 J 5 3 9 8 10 7 9 8 6 3 A K 7 5 2 K 5 A 7 A K Q 6 5 3 Q 10 4 Philippe Cronier and Christine Lustin are a new 'association' and they had some misunderstanding. West North East South Cronier Lustin Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 5 All Pass +480 was a poor score, only 39/118 West North East South Mouiel Gaviard Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4NT Pass 6 All Pass Though spades behave, +920 scored 94/118 Catherine Saul-d'Ovidio (her recent marriage justifies the double name!) and Paul Chemla did well on this board and the whole session. West North East South Chemla d'Ovidio-Saul Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 5 Pass 6 Pass 6 All Pass 6 scoring +980 was worth a heavy 109 match points The best was yet to come. Luc Hirchwald and Mrs Chatard from Lyon had studied this sequence: West North East South Hirchwald Chatard Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass West led a diamond and South collected all the tricks for an absolute top, 118. Only 15 of the 60 North-South pairs bid this good slam.

Results	Contents
Teams, Round 1 Teams, Round 2 Teams, Round 3 Teams, Round 4	Unlucky or Misjudged Same System, by Jean-Paul Meyer Up Went the Ace Masterful Maas Honours Even, by Marc Smith Watch Board 10

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