Sweden - China Long Zhu (Venice Cup Round 19)

by Brian Senior

With three rounds to go in the Venice Cup qualifying stage, China Long Zhu was one of three teams who could be certain of a place in the knockouts. Sweden, meanwhile, had spent most of the round robin below half-way but had steadily crept into contention and lay tenth, just 3 VPs behind the eighth and final qualifying position.

Sweden self-destructed on the first two boards of the match, making their task that much harder, and the early running was all China.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ K 4 ♥ 10 8 6 4 ♦ A 7 3 ♣ K 8 4 2
♠ Q 9 6 ♥ 7 3 ♦ Q 9 6 ♣ Q J 9 6 5		♠ A J 10 8 5 3 ♥ K 5 ♦ J 8 2 ♣ 10 3
	♠ 7 2 ♥ A Q J 9 2 ♦ K 10 5 4 ♣ A 7

Both Easts opened with a multi 2♦, both Souths overcalled 2♥ and both Norths raised to game. When that got back to the West players, Wenfei Wang went quietly while Sweden’s Sandra Rimstedt saved in 4♠, promptly doubled by Ming Sun.

There was nothing to the play of 4♥ after a spade lead. Kathrin Bertheau took the heart finesse and lost two spades and a diamond; +420.

Sun led a heart against 4♠ doubled. Hongli Wang won and cashed a second heart then switched to the five of diamonds. Rimstedt seems to have been scared of a diamond ruff, because she falsecarded by playing the nine on this trick then dropping the queen under the ace on the diamond return. Wang now switched to ace and another club and Sun won and played a third round. With no entry to hand to take the trump finesse, Rimstedt could ruff this but was then obliged to play ace and another trump, losing a trick to the king for down four; 800 and 9 IMPs to China instead of two had Rimstedt retained the ♦Q.

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

Bertheau opened 1♠ then splintered with 3♥, leaving Catarina Midskog with a tricky piece of hand evaluation. Had Bertheau had strong spades and weak clubs, 5♦ might have been in danger on a club lead, making Midskog’s choice of 3NT the winner, but on the actual deal 6♦ was an easy make despite the wasted heart values. 3NT made 11 tricks after the lead of the queen of hearts; +660.

Life was tough for N/S in the other room also, where Emma Sjoberg could open 1NT as East, 9-12. It is surprising that Hongli did not overcall she could have bid 2♠ to show spades and a minor, at least 5-4 and when she did not Rimstedt jumped to 3♥, to play, so not promising values. Sun had points but no obvious bid so passed, and now Hongli’s previous pass had worked out well, as she had the perfect hand for a take-out double. Sun still had an interesting problem, which she eventually resolved by bidding 3NT. Now Sjoberg doubled, a gamble based on her heart holding. She too led the queen of hearts and Sun wrapped up 11 tricks for +1150 and 10 IMPs to China; 19-0.

On Board 3 at favourable vulnerability you pick up:

Partner opens 1♠ and RHO overcalls 1NT; what would you bid?

Midskog chose 2♥, Sun 2♣, both of which ended the auction. Facing:

2♣ made a comfortable nine tricks while 2♥ was down three; 6 IMPs to China, 25-0.

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

Both Norths opened 1NT, 14-16, and both Souths enquired. Bertheau followed up with 2♠, forcing with five cards, then stressed the suit, and jumped to the small slam when Midskog was able to cuebid. Hongli’s 3♥ rebid showed five spades and four hearts, GF, and Sun showed her club control and that was sufficient to convince Hongli to take control, asking firstly for key cards then for kings. Six Diamonds showed either that king or the other two and 6♥ was a grand slam try. With the two-king option and a promising source of tricks, Sun had a clear jump to seven nicely bid.

The play was easy and both declarers claimed 13 tricks very quickly +1460 to Sweden but +2210 and 13 IMPs to China; 39-0 after just four boards.

The early Chinese blitz was followed by three flat boards, then came some good news for Sweden.

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

Both 1♦ openings were in the context of a strong club system, with Wenfei promising at least two diamonds, Rimstedt none. Yiqian Liu made a negative double, just promising values rather than guaranteeing hearts, and Wenfei made a responsive double over the pre-emptive raise to 3♠. When Midskog now went on to 4♠, neither East nor West were assured of a suitable fit for this level so neither felt that they had anything more to say. Liu led a diamond. Wenfei took two of those then switched to a low heart and now the hearts were established before the defensive club trick; down one for 50.

Sjoberg could bid 1NT, transfer to clubs, and this piece of system made all the difference. Looking at a good hand with four-card club support and a singleton spade, Rimstedt first splintered then went on over 4♠ and the Swedes reached the club game. Hongli cashed the ace of spades then switched to a heart but the contract was cold. Sjoberg won in dummy and led the ten of clubs. Sun won the ace and returned a heart but when the ♣Q showed up on the next round there were 11 tricks for +400 and 8 IMPs to Sweden; 8-39.

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

Liu opened a pretty chunky 3♦ and Wenfei responded 3♥, natural and forcing. I’m not sure what 3♠ meant but traditionally it would show a control and a hand too good to raise to 4♥. If so, Wenfei’s 3NT looks very odd, though perhaps her idea was that it was clear that the partnership was locked into hearts so that 3NT was forcing and looking for a club cuebid?

Midskog led a low spade to Bertheau’s ace and back came a low spade to her eight. She led a third spade to the queen and king and Wenfei cashed the top diamonds then took the heart finesse. When that lost, Midskog had a spade, two diamonds and a club to cash; down three for 300.

Sjoberg opened 1♦, Precision, and the Swedes bid up to the best game, 4♥. Sun led ace then ten of clubs to declarer’s queen. Rimstedt crossed to the ace of diamonds to lead the ten of spades. Hongli went in with the ace and switched to a trump. Rimstedt won the ace, ruffed a spade and played the ♣K, pitching the last spade loser. Sun could ruff but that was with her trump trick; +620 and 14 IMPs to Sweden, who were coming back strongly at 22-39.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ 10 9 ♥ A J 10 5 3 ♦ A 2 ♣ A Q 7 3
♠ K Q J 8 5 ♥ 9 8 6 ♦ 4 ♣ J 6 5 2		♠ ♥ K Q 7 4 2 ♦ Q 9 7 6 5 ♣ 10 8 4
	♠ A 7 6 4 3 2 ♥ ♦ K J 10 8 3 ♣ K 9

Midskog’s 2♣ rebid looks natural but was in fact either natural or any 15+. Bertheau enquired then rebid her spades and Midskog raised to 4♠, ending the auction. Wenfei led her singleton diamond to the queen and king. Bertheau cashed the ace of trumps, ready to play a second round then claim either ten or eleven tricks, and found that she had four trump losers so was down one for 100.

Sun’s 2♣ rebid was natural and Hongli used FSF then, on finding her partner with both a maximum and diamond values, went on with 4♦. Sun had sufficiently good controls that she was willing to cuebid despite having only a doubleton diamond, but Hongli was only looking for the best game, not slam, so signed off in 5♦, doubled by Sjoberg who could see that everything was breaking badly for declarer.

Rimstedt led her singleton trump, Sjoberg putting in the nine. Hongli won the jack and ducked a spade. Rimstedt won the ♠J and, after considerable thought, returned a low spade for Sjoberg to ruff. Sjoberg exited with a trump to dummy’s bare ace. Hongli pitched a spade on the ace of hearts then played three winning clubs. Sjoberg ruffed. Though that cost the trump trick when Hongli could over-ruff, the trick came back as there were still two losers for down two; 500 and 9 IMPs to Sweden, 31-40.

Just when it appeared that Sweden were getting right back into the match, the wind changed again. China had a couple of small pick-ups then this big one:

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ A Q ♥ K Q J 8 7 4 3 ♦ 5 4 3 2 ♣
♠ 6 3 2 ♥ 6 2 ♦ K J 8 6 ♣ 10 9 8 6		♠ 9 8 5 4 ♥ 5 ♦ 10 9 7 ♣ A K Q 5 4
	♠ K J 10 7 ♥ A 10 9 ♦ A Q ♣ J 7 3 2

Both Souths opened with a 14-16 no trump. Midskog responded 2♣, asking for a four-card heart suit. Liu doubled to show clubs and 2♦ denied hearts. Now Midskog jumped to 4♥, ending the auction. Presumably there is more to this sequence than meets the eye, as Midskog could have got to 4♥ without asking for support. Given that the double of 2♣ improved both the North and South hands, surely someone should have done more?

Sun followed a different route, gambling that the five level would be safe. She used Texas to set hearts then followed up with Exclusion in clubs, getting a 5♠ response to show two key cards but no heart queen. Sun bid 6♥ and there were 12 easy tricks at both tables; +680 for Sweden but +1430 for China and 13 IMPs, stretching the Chinese lead to 58-31.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ K Q 9 3 ♥ Q 6 2 ♦ K J 8 3 ♣ 7 3
♠ ♥ K 10 9 8 5 3 ♦ 5 2 ♣ K 10 9 4 2		♠ 8 7 5 4 2 ♥ 7 ♦ Q 9 6 ♣ A J 8 5
	♠ A J 10 6 ♥ A J 4 ♦ A 10 7 4 ♣ Q 6

For reasons best known to herself, Wenfei did not open the West hand, though she did overcall 2♥ at her next turn. Midskog/Bertheau found the four-four spade fit and bid confidently to the best game.

Wenfei led the ten of clubs to Liu’s ace and back came a heart. Bertheau won the ace and cashed the ace of spades, getting the bad news. She exited with the queen of clubs to Wenfei’s king. Wenfei cashed the king of hearts and gave Liu a heart ruff. Bertheau won the trump return and got the diamonds wrong so was two down for 100.

Rimstedt did open the West hand, with a multi 2♦. Sjoberg responded 2♥, pass or correct and Hongli overcalled 2NT. No doubt Sun would have bid 3♣ to check for a spade fit, but Rimstedt got there ahead of her and she settled for a simple 3NT. Had Rimstedt led clubs, she would have found that there were five of those to cash, but she chose the nine of hearts. That gave a second heart trick and the bidding made it clear which way to play the diamonds. That gave Hongli 10 tricks for +430 and 11 IMPs to China.

The match ended in a 69-31 IMP, 24-6 VP, win to China, putting Sweden in real danger of failing to make the cut.