France - Italy (Venice Cup Quarterfinal 1)

Gourmet Bridge - by Mark Horton

While searching for an inspiring way to introduce the first set of the Venice Cup quarter final between France and Italy I came across a book entitled The Medieval Kitchen, Recipes from France and Italy by Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, & Silvano Serventi. Delving into it the one that caught my eye was Orange Omelette for Harlots and Ruffians!

6 eggs
2 oranges
1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Take the eggs and break them, with oranges, as many as you like; squeeze their juice and add to it the eggs with sugar; then take olive oil and heat it in the pan and add the eggs.

Johannes Bockenheim was cook to Pope Martin V and in the 1430s wrote a brief but highly original cookbook recently edited by Bruno Laurioux (see bibliography). This German, who lived at Rome, wrote as a professional, with telegraphic terseness and little detail; yet he was careful to specify the destined consumer of each recipe, pigeon-holed by social classfrom prostitutes to princesor by nationality: Italian, French, German from any of various provinces, and so forth.

I confess I cannot see why this omelette, which contains no meat and no seasoning other than sugar, should be particularly well suited to debauchees. This omelette can be safely tasted without running the risk of moral turpitude!

Since medieval oranges were bitter, I suggest a blend of oranges and lemons. The sugar and the acidity of the juice prevent the eggs from completely setting, so this is more of a custardy cream that makes an unusual and very pleasant dessert.

So far as the opposing forces in this match are concerned I have no doubt that the gastronomic history of both countries is reflected in their cooking (I was once lucky enough to be entertained by Bénédicte & Philipe Cronier). At any rate they served up a dramatic first course in what may turn out to be an epic encounter.

The match started in dramatic fashion:

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

Open Room

West led her singleton spade (a club is best) and East won with the king and switched to the eight of hearts. Declarer went up with the ace and cashed the top diamonds, discarding her losing hearts, then ruffed a diamond, East discarding a club. A spade went to the jack and ace and dummy’s ace of clubs took the switch to the king of clubs. A club was discarded on the ten of clubs, then declarer ruffed a heart and exited with the jack of clubs, not caring who won her ♠Q7 were poised over East’s ♠104.

+590 not a bad way to get under way.

Closed Room

4♦ Texas transfer

With North as declarer East led the king of clubs and declarer had no chance. She won, discarded two hearts on the diamonds, crossed to the ace of hearts and tried a spade to the nine. East won, cashed two more spades and still had a club to come, +50 and 12 IMPs to France, putting them ahead 20.5-0.

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

Open Room

2♠ 3-9, usually six cards

The weak two did its job here, South feeling obliged to overcall despite the lack of tricks and the modest nature of her stopper.

West led the king of hearts and continued with a low one to South’s queen. She allowed the king of clubs to hold and also the queen (better to win and continue hearts). Declarer played the king of spades and East won and played back a diamond for the king and ace. Now West cashed her hearts. On the first two declarer discarded a spade and a diamond but on the next one she fatally parted with a spade, and now West could simply cash the ace of clubs and exit with a club, claiming the last two tricks and +1100.

Closed Room

2♥ Hearts and a minor

The cards are lying so favourably for declarer that even on a trump lead you can make ten tricks in hearts. North actually led a spade and declarer ruffed a couple of clubs to score +170 and lose 14 IMPs.

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

Open Room

Four Spade needed the opposing cards to be well placed. They were not and declarer could take only eight tricks after South cashed the ace of hearts and then switched to a club, -200.

Closed Room

Declarer made the same eight tricks, dropping South’s king of spades after the defenders had scored a club ruff, +110 handing France 7 IMPs.

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

Open Room

2♠ Transfer to clubs

3NT was very easy South won the club lead with the ace, then ran the nine of diamonds. She arrived at ten tricks, +630.

Closed Room

North’s pass allowed East to apply some pressure and West to raise the ante. If North had found a reopening double South might well have passed, but over Four Diamonds she had little choice (unless you think she could bid a natural 4NT?). East’s heart lead led to a rapid one down, 12 IMPs to France.

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

Open Room

Six Spades has no immediate losers, but the route to twelve tricks is far from easy. On the diamond lead declarer must win in dummy, ruff a diamond, cross to a trump, ruff a diamond, cash the top hearts, cross to a club, ruff a diamond, cross to a club and ruff another club. That is ten tricks and the ♠AK are still intact.

Declarer started by cashing two of dummy’s top spades and now had no hope. She ended up trying the club finesse and finished three down, -300.

Closed Room

2♥ Transfer to spades

East led the three of clubs and the contract was not in danger. Declarer tested the trumps and was soon claiming twelve tricks and a second 14 IMP swing for Italy.

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

Open Room

3NT looks easy enough, but West led the nine of clubs and when dummy’s queen held declarer played the ten of spades. East went in with the ace to play another club and declarer fatally put in the jack. West won and switched to a heart and East took the queen with the king and simply retuned the ten of hearts. In the fullness of time she scored two more heart tricks for one down, +50.

That is so untypical of this particular declarer that I am tempted to believe the jack of clubs was a fingerfehler.

Closed Room

2♣ 11-16 or any 17+

After North’s rebid South discovered her partner was 5/5 in the red suits with 16+ before wisely stopping in 3NT.

East cashed the ace of spades then switched to a club that was allowed to run to declarer’s queen. East took declarer’s exit of the jack of hearts with the king and tried another club, but declarer simply put up the ace and cashed the top spades, soon arriving at eleven tricks, +460 and 11 IMPs.

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

Open Room

2♣ Forcing, artificial

The Italian relay auction saw them stop short of the slam that depended only on the spade suit. Declarer got the trumps right, +680.

Closed Room

South led the ten of hearts and North won with the king and switched to a diamond. Declarer won in dummy and played a spade to the king one down, -100 and Italy had 13 IMPs.

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

Open Room

2NT Spade raise

Four Spades can be defeated if South manages to give North a diamond ruff. She led the ace of clubs then cashed the ace of hearts, North following with the two (would the jack work any better?). When South continued with the queen of hearts the hand was over, -620. That looked good for Italy, but appearances proved to be deceptive.

Closed Room

4♦ Spade fit

The Italian pair had a major accident here, no doubt in part caused by North’s decision to bid Two Hearts. Declarer won the spade lead and ducked a diamond, East winning, cashing the king of spades and switching to a heart. When declarer put in the queen West won and gave her partner a heart ruff for four down, +1100.

At the end of a thrilling session France led 55.5-54.