China Long Zhu - France (Venice Cup Semifinal 3)

by Brian Senior

After 32 deals of their Venice Cup semi-final, France led China Long Zhu by 69.33-50 IMPs. The first eight deals of Set Three saw the French add significantly to their lead.

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

Sylvie Willard’s 1♣ opening was better minor. Ming Sun overcalled 1♦ and benedicte Cronier could make a simple raise to 2♣. Hongli Wang made a competitive double and Willard showed strength then competed with 2♠ over Sun’s 2♥, ending the auction.

Sun led two rounds of diamonds, Willard ruffing. Willard crossed to the king of clubs to take the heart finesse and, when that won, continued with ace of hearts and a heart ruff, a diamond ruff, and the fourth heart, ruffing with the queen. Though Wang could over-ruff, Willard was left with the ♠K10 poised over the jack so had two more tricks for +110.

Yongling Dong opened a strong club and Elisabeth Hugon, facing a passed partner, suggesting that the hand belonged to her opponents, was willing to ignore her four-card heart suit so as to pre-empt with 3♦. Dong reopened with a double and Ru Yan, with no attractive option, judged to leave the double in.

The defence needs to take a little care to defeat 3♦, but Yan led the five of hearts and now everything appeared to be plain sailing. However, Dong won the queen and Hugon followed with the four. The Chinese pair lead third and fifth against suit contracts and the five was consistent with third from J10xx would Yan have led low or the jack from this holding given the auction? Dong switched to ace and another club so Hugon could ruff and, when the queen of diamonds fell under the ace, could draw trumps and knock-out the ace of hearts for nine tricks; +670 and 13 IMPs to France.

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

Wang opened 1♠ as dealer, Bessis did not, but both Norths became declarer in 4♥.

Cronier led the queen of diamonds to dummy’s bare ace and Sun took the spade finesse, the jack losing to the king. Cronier now found the best defence, switching to the two of clubs for the queen, ducked, and a low club continuation to the ace. Sun led a low heart to the nine so Willard won the jack, cashed the king of clubs and returned a diamond. There was still the king of hearts to lose so Sun was two down for 100.

Yan too led the queen of diamonds. Hugon won the ace and ran the nine of spades to the king. Yan found the club switch but here the lines of play diverged, Hugon winning the ace immediately. She cashed the ace of hearts then switched her attention to spades, playing three rounds for a club discard, an excellent decision.

The fifth spade was now played, and West had to ruff to prevent the last club from being discarded. Hugon over-ruffed, ruffed the king of diamonds to get to dummy and led the last heart. That held Dong to one trump trick and there was just a club to be lost; +420 and 11 IMPs to France. Very nicely played.

After eight deals, France had scored 35 IMPs without reply and the lead was over fifty at 104.33-50. Then came a strong Chinese fightback.

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

Sun opened 1♠ and when that came around to Willard she overcalled 4♥. Having passed over 1♠ with 15 HCP including two aces, Cronier felt that she had to make a move and cuebid 4♠, but Willard quickly signed off in 5♥. Sun cashed the two top clubs then switched to a spade. Willard won and, having heard a one-level opening on her left, played hearts from the top; down one for 100.

Hugon opened with a weak 2♠ and Veronique Bessis raised pre-emptively to 3♠. Dong overcalled 4♥ and Yan asked for key cards then passed over the 5♥ response. Hugon led three rounds of clubs. Dong ruffed and, having heard a weak 2♠ opening on her left, crossed to dummy with a diamond, cashed a second diamond and ran the jack of hearts. When that held she ruffed a diamond back to hand and cashed the top hearts; +650 and 13 IMPs to China.

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

Both East/West pairs bid and supported spades. Sun came in with an aggressive double on the North cards and Wang committed her side to game in a minor, Sun naturally choosing clubs. Hugon passed the North hand over 2♠ and Bessis balanced with 2NT as South. Game was never in the picture here and the French pair sold out to 3♠.

Bessis led the queen of hearts against 3♠. Yan ducked but won the heart continuation and led the ♦Q from hand. Hugon won, cashed the king of hearts and played back a diamond, Bessis winning and playing a third round. There was a club to lose at the end for down two; 200.

Cronier led the king of spades against 5♣. Sun won and led a club to the jack, ducked by Willard, and now the queen of hearts, which Cronier won with her ace. She returned a spade, ruffed by Sun, who led a second club to the queen, king and ace. Willard returned a passive club so Sun won, cashed the jack of hearts and crossed to the ace of diamonds to test the hearts. When they split 3-3, she did not need to find the queen of diamonds; +600 and 9 IMPs to China.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	♠ A 9 3 ♥ 9 8 3 ♦ 9 8 ♣ A Q 7 6 3
♠ 8 2 ♥ A 10 5 4 2 ♦ Q 7 2 ♣ K J 9		♠ Q J 10 6 5 ♥ K 7 ♦ 6 4 ♣ 10 8 5 2
	♠ K 7 4 ♥ Q J 6 ♦ A K J 10 5 3 ♣ 4

Two identical auctions saw Wang and Bessis declare 3NT, but on different opening leads.

Simple soul, Dong led her long suit and three rounds set up two extra heart winners. Bessis played three rounds of diamonds so Dong was in to cash the hearts; down one for 50.

Having bid her weakish heart suit and heard her opponents bid confidently up to 3NT, Willard preferred to lead her partner’s suit, the eight of spades. The problem with this is that, while it avoids giving an extra heart trick if declarer has, say, ♥Kxx facing ♥Qxx, a spade lead will not often actually produce the tricks the defence requires to beat the contract as east will rarely have sufficient strength to allow the defence to both establish spades and then get to them. Wang won the spade lead in dummy to take the diamond finesse. That lost and back came a second spade. Wang won, cashed the diamonds and took the club finesse; nine tricks for +400 and 10 IMPs to China.

The second half of the set was almost the mirror image of the first. This time it was China who outscored France by 36-3. giving an overall set score of 38-36 to France and a match score of 107.33-86 for France.