China Long Zhu - Pakistan (Venice Cup Round 10)

by Brian Senior

At the end of Day 3, China Long Zhu led the Venice Cup qualification table while Pakistan was in the bottom half of the table. China being my fancy for the title this year, it was time to take a look at their form.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ Q 7 5 ♥ K Q 8 ♦ Q 6 3 2 ♣ A 7 3
♠ 9 8 4 ♥ 9 6 ♦ K J 9 5 ♣ J 9 8 5		♠ J 10 2 ♥ 7 5 4 3 ♦ 10 8 ♣ Q 6 4 2
	♠ A K 6 3 ♥ A J 10 2 ♦ A 7 4 ♣ K 10

For China, Ming Sun opened 1♦, Precision, and her rebid showed 11-13. Hongli Wang simple raised to game. With spades four-four and the diamond onside, Sun soon came to 12 tricks for +490.

Qudsia Dossa also opened 1♦, natural, and rebid 1NT, 11-14, and Najm Abid showed her second suit. Dossa jumped to 4♥ suggesting a maximum with heart support, and Abid closed proceedings with a jump to 6NT.

Six No Trump is sub-par but not terrible, requiring the diamond to be onside plus either spades or diamonds to break three-three, with the extra chance of a squeeze. As the cards lie, it is cold.

Ru Yan led the jack of spades. Dossa won the ace to lead a low diamond towards her queen, Yongling Dong rising with the king and exiting with a spade. Dossa won the spade queen and cashed the ace and queen of diamonds then four rounds of hearts, Yan throwing her remaining spade. Dossa would appear to have missed this card because she continued by cashing the ♦K, ♣K and ♣A and hopefully playing the ♦6 to trick 13. When that lost she was one down for 50 and 11 IMPs to China when it should have been 11 in the opposite direction.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ J 10 ♥ A 6 5 4 ♦ Q 9 ♣ 9 7 6 3 2
♠ Q 8 7 5 2 ♥ K J 9 ♦ A 10 7 3 2 ♣		♠ K 4 3 ♥ Q 7 3 2 ♦ 6 5 4 ♣ 10 8 4
	♠ A 9 6 ♥ 10 8 ♦ K J 8 ♣ A K Q J 5

Wang opened a strong club and Zeenat Azwer made a transfer overcall of 1♥, over which Sun doubled to show values, usually 5-7, and Rubina Agha made a pre-emptive raise to 3♠. Wang bid a hopeful 3NT and played there.

Knowing that declarer had spades covered, Azwer tried a low diamond lead, Wang putting up dummy’s queen. She cashed the clubs then played the king of diamonds. Azwer, who had thrown two diamonds, two spades and a heart on the clubs, won the ace and switched to the king of hearts, ducked, then the ♥J to dummy’s ace. Wang played the jack of spades to the king and ace, cashed the ♦J and played a spade. As Azwer had queen-eight remaining, she had to give declarer the last trick with the nine of spades; +630.

Abid opened a natural 1♣ and Dong made a natural overcall. With her partner supporting clubs and the opposition bidding and supporting spades, Abid seems to have given up on game and merely competed, first with 3♣ then 4♣, where she was allowed to play. After a spade lead, Abid lost one trick in each side suit; +130 but 11 IMPs to China, who led by 22-0 after just two deals.

If the start suggested that this might be a big win for China, it didn’t turn out quite like that. System had a big part to play in this Pakistan gain.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	♠ K J ♥ 7 3 ♦ A J 7 4 3 ♣ J 8 6 2
♠ 10 5 4 3 2 ♥ A Q 8 5 2 ♦ K 6 ♣ 3		♠ Q 9 8 7 ♥ K ♦ 10 5 2 ♣ A K 9 7 4
	♠ A 6 ♥ J 10 9 6 4 ♦ Q 9 8 ♣ Q 10 5

Agha opened a natural 1♣ and raised Azwer’s 1♠ response to 2♠, Azwer going on to game all very straightforward.

To beat 4♠, Sun had to lead the jack of spades to Wang’s ace for a diamond through the king. Unsurprisingly, that proved to be beyond her. She led a heart, the suit her partner had bid. Azwer won the heart king and played two top clubs for a diamond pitch then ruffed a club and led a spade. Sun won the king and returned the ♠J to the ace and there was just one diamond to take; +620.

In the other room, the Precision 2♣ opening did not show up well. Yan opened 2♣ and Dong responded 2♥, constructive but not forcing. A 2♠ rebid would have shown a better hand so Yan passed, and the nine-card spade fit was missed. Dossa tried a low diamond lead, the queen losing to the king. Dong cashed the king of hearts and played ace, king and a third club, ruffing and cashing a top heart. When the hearts proved to be five-two, she was a trick short; 100 and 12 IMPs to Pakistan.

Board 29. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ 10 5 ♥ 10 8 4 ♦ J 10 7 3 2 ♣ 7 3 2
♠ Q 9 3 ♥ A J 7 5 2 ♦ 5 ♣ Q 9 6 5		♠ A K J 8 7 6 ♥ 9 6 ♦ A ♣ A K J 10
	♠ 4 2 ♥ K Q 3 ♦ K Q 9 8 6 4 ♣ 8 4

Both East/West pairs bid confidently to their cold slam. Agha opened 1♠ and made a short-suit game try at her next turn. When Azwer could jump to game, Agha asked for key cards then jumped to 6♠. Yan opened a strong club and heard her partner make a natural positive response. When Dong next raised spades, Yan cuebid and also launched into RKCB when Dong cooperated. Dong showed one key card so Yan checked for the queen of trumps and Dong jumped to slam to show it but nothing else of interest.

There was nothing to the play flat at +1430.

Board 31. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ Q J 10 6 2 ♥ Q ♦ K 7 5 ♣ 10 8 7 2
♠ 5 ♥ A 7 5 3 2 ♦ 10 9 3 ♣ A J 6 3		♠ A K 8 4 ♥ K 9 ♦ Q J 8 4 2 ♣ K 9
	♠ 9 7 3 ♥ J 10 8 6 4 ♦ A 6 ♣ Q 5 4

Abid led the ♠7 and Yan won immediately. She crossed to dummy with the nine of hearts, covered with the ten, then led the three of diamonds to the queen and ace. That might have been a clever play had South held the long spades but on the actual layout it pretty well forced the defence to win the first diamond in the right hand from their perspective, not declarer’s. Abid continued with the nine of spades, ducked, and her third spade, and that was one down for 50.

Wang led the nine of spades, making it a little clearer that she would have the shorter spade holding. Agha ducked so Wang continued with a second spade, which Agha won. She led a low diamond from hand and Wang played low. Sun thought for a long time but finally got it right, ducking her king. Agha had nowhere else to go for tricks so played a second diamond and Wang wasted no time in returning he remaining spade. When Sun won the third diamond she had two spade winners; down one for a flat board.

China won the match by 39-20 IMPs, 19-11 VPs, so after the first two deals, Pakistan had actually won the remaining boards by 20-17.

That last contract can be made if declarer ducks the first two rounds of spades. That could prove dangerous if spades are four-four and the defence can switch effectively to hearts to establish a fifth winner, but on the actual lie it brings home the contract.

Renee Mancuso for USA2 was one declarer to find the winning play against Italy. That held her team’s loss on the board to 1 IMP as the lead in the other room was a heart. USA2 won that match by 16-14 VPs.