Yesterday's overnight leaders started the day with another maximum,
but then had to play another powerful French team.Both sides
had to make a number of difficult decisions.
Dealer East. Game All |
|
 |
K 4 2 |
|
 |
— |
 |
A Q J 10 7 3 |
 |
Q 10 9 5 |
 |
9 8 |
 |
 |
A J 10 6 5 |
 |
Q 10 9 7 3 |
 |
6 5 |
 |
9 8 |
 |
K 5 2 |
 |
A 6 4 2 |
 |
K 8 3 |
|
 |
Q 7 3 |
|
 |
A K J 8 4 2 |
 |
6 4 |
 |
J 7 |
West |
|
North |
|
East |
|
South |
Voldoire |
|
Stretz |
|
Peyrot |
|
Renoux |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
Pass |
|
3 |
|
Pass |
|
|
Pass |
|
4 |
|
All Pass |
|
3 |
|
West might have doubled 3 and North might have tried 3NT - not that
it would have been a success! - but in reality 4 is the sensible bid.
East led the 3 and West took the ace and switched to the 9. East
took her ace and cashed the K. The king of trumps was the setting
trick.
West |
|
North |
|
East |
|
South |
Stoppa |
|
Maurin |
|
Serf |
|
Kitabgi |
|
|
|
|
|
Pass |
|
1 |
Pass |
|
2 |
|
Pass |
|
2 |
Pass |
|
3 |
|
Pass |
|
3 |
Pass |
|
3 |
|
Dble |
|
Pass |
Pass |
|
4 |
|
All Pass |
|
|
|
Here East made a disciplined pass, giving North-South a free run. If
South had given simple preference with 3 , North might have called it
a day, but that would have been a courageous decision. So, no swing.
Dealer South. Love All |
|
 |
A K J 10 |
|
 |
Q J 8 7 5 |
 |
2 |
 |
J 8 3 |
 |
3 2 |
 |
 |
Q 7 |
 |
9 6 4 |
 |
A K 10 2 |
 |
K 9 7 5 3 |
 |
A 8 4 |
 |
7 6 2 |
 |
A K Q 5 |
|
 |
9 8 6 5 4 |
|
 |
5 |
 |
Q J 10 6 |
 |
10 9 4 |
West |
|
North |
|
East |
|
South |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Dble |
|
Pass |
2 |
|
Pass |
|
3NT |
|
All Pass |
|
Both East's decided the best approach on their hands was to start
with a double, so an identical auction saw them both declare 3NT. Kitabgi
led her partner's suit and that was that. Declarer scored three
hearts, two diamonds and four clubs. +400.
Renoux did much better. She started with a spade, although
her selection of the 9 was a little unusual. North won with the K
and switched to the 7. Declarer got that wrong by going up with the
ace. She now played the 4 for the ten, king and two. She played a
heart and North split his honours, South discarding the 5. Declarer
won and played a heart to the nine and North's queen. South played the
four of clubs on this trick, presumably suggesting she had no interest
in that suit. Although it looks as if North should get it right now,
he continued with the 7 and a relieved declarer claimed nine tricks.
At the point where declarer played a heart towards dummy's nine,
perhaps South could have worked out that the setting tricks had to
come from the spade suit. A discard of the Q might have been a
winner. Of course easy to see when all four hands are on view!
Both teams did well to reach slams on the last two boards, and a
hard fought match ended in a draw. |