Ladies Pairs Final Session 2

After the first session of the European ladies pairs final, the Italian pair, Monica Buratti and Darinka Forti had a lead of about three-quarters of a top. The second session saw that lead begin to shrink right from the off.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª K J 6 3 © 9 8 ¨ K Q 3 § A 6 5 3
ª Q 7 5 © K 7 6 4 ¨ J 9 8 5 4 § J		ª 8 4 © J 10 5 3 2 ¨ A 10 § Q 9 8 7
	ª A 10 9 2 © A Q ¨ 7 6 2 § K 10 4 2

West	North	East	South
Fere	Buratti	Croci	Forti
	1¨	Pass	1ª
Pass	2ª	Pass	4ª
All Pass

Marialuis Fere, also of Italy, led her singleton club and Forti won the ace and played on spades. This was the crucial point of the hand, because the contract can be made after a successful trump guess, despite the apparent four outside losers. Forti got the trumps wrong, playing the king then low to her ten. Fere won the queen and returned her remaining trump. Forti won in hand and played a diamond to the king and ace. Back came a heart to the queen and king and Fere again exited passively with a heart. Forti won the second heart and played queen and another diamond. Fere won but then had to give a ruff and discard. Forti took the ruff in dummy, discarding a club from hand, then finessed the ten of clubs; down one for -50.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª J 8 © A Q J 8 7 3 2 ¨ 7 6 5 § 3
ª A 10 9 4 © 5 ¨ K 10 4 § A K J 4 2		ª K Q 7 © 4 ¨ A 9 8 3 § Q 10 7 6 5
	ª 6 5 3 2 © K 10 9 6 ¨ Q J 2 § 9 8

West	North	East	South
Fere	Buratti	Croci	Forti
		Pass	Pass
1§	2©	3§	3©
3ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

Croci/Fere did very well to bid to the 4-3 major-suit game. There was nothing to the play and Fere chalked up +450 for an excellent score.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª K Q 5 2 © A Q 9 3 ¨ Q J 10 § 7 2
ª J 8 6 4 © J 8 7 6 5 4 ¨ K § A 3		ª A 9 7 © 10 2 ¨ 7 5 2 § K 10 9 8 6
	ª 10 3 © K ¨ A 9 8 6 4 3 § Q J 5 4

West	North	East	South
Fere	Buratti	Croci	Forti
			Pass
Pass	1¨	Pass	2¨
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Giovanna Croci led the six of clubs, rather than the more normal looking ten. Buratti put up the queen and the defence won and cleared the clubs. Buratti tried a spade to her king and the ace and Croci cashed the clubs then switched to a diamond. Buratti finessed, losing to the bare king. She had the rest but that was two down; -100.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª J 9 6 4 3 © 7 6 4 ¨ 5 § K J 9 8
ª K 10 7 © K Q 10 ¨ Q 7 4 § A 6 5 3		ª A Q 5 © A 9 5 2 ¨ K J 9 § Q 7 2
	ª 8 2 © J 8 3 ¨ A 10 8 6 3 2 § 10 4

West	North	East	South
Buratti	Stawowy	Forti	Farwig
1¨	Pass	1©	Pass
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

The Italians bid to the routine game and made what appears to be a routine eleven tricks; +660.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª J 2 © 7 6 3 2 ¨ 9 7 2 § Q J 7 5
ª K 10 8 7 © 8 ¨ A Q J 10 8 5 § K 6		ª Q 6 4 © Q J 10 9 ¨ 6 3 § 10 9 4 2
	ª A 9 5 3 © A K 5 4 ¨ K 4 § A 8 3

West	North	East	South
Buratti	Stawowy	Forti	Farwig
	Pass	Pass	1§
1ª	Pass	2ª	Pass
3¨	Pass	3ª	All Pass

Katrin Farwig, Germany

Buratti's canape overcall worked out badly for her side as she reached a delicate 4-3 fit at the three level. Germany's Barbara Stawowy led the queen of clubs and Katrin Farwig won the ace and returned the suit. Buratti won the §K and played her heart to Farwig's king. On the club return, she pitched a diamond. Stawowy won the club and best defence would have been to return a heart - though the ace gets ruffed out, declarer is stuck in hand. However, Stawowy switched to a diamond, trapping her partner's king. Buratti won the diamond ace and played a spade to the queen and ace. She won the diamond return and laid down the king of spades. When the jack fell she could cash the ten and play winning diamonds to get out for one down; -50.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª 7 © A 10 8 7 3 ¨ A J 10 7 2 § A Q
ª K J 10 6 4 © K 6 5 4 ¨ 8 § 7 6 2		ª A Q 9 8 3 2 © Q ¨ K 9 3 § K 9 8
	ª 5 © J 9 2 ¨ Q 6 5 4 § J 10 5 4 3

West	North	East	South
Buratti	Stawowy	Forti	Farwig
		1ª	Pass
4ª	4NT	Pass	5§
Pass	5¨	All Pass

Stawowy showed a two-suited take-out and confirmed the red suits by converting 5§ to 5¨. The 5-2 club break means that 4ª is unbeatable so it was important to save. Stawowy lost a trick in each suit after a spade lead and heart switch; down two for -100.

At this point the Italians had slipped to fifth and next up were the new leaders, Sabine Auken and Daniela Von Arnim of Germany. It was an important round for both pairs but particularly for Buratti/Forti.

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
	ª K 6 5 2 © Q J 9 8 4 ¨ 10 8 § A 3
ª J © A K 7 6 3 2 ¨ Q 7 § J 7 4 2		ª Q 9 8 3 © - ¨ 9 5 4 2 § K 10 9 6 5
	ª A 10 7 4 © 10 5 ¨ A K J 6 3 § Q 8

West	North	East	South
Buratti	Auken	Forti	Von Arnim
			1¨
2©	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

With game by no means guaranteed for North/South, any penalty looked as though it would be good for the Germans. Auken led a diamond and Von Arnim won and cashed a second diamond. Bnow she thought for some time before switching to the eight of clubs. Was it likely that this would be a singleton when Von Arnim had made a reopening double of 2©? Buratti wasn't sure, but she thought that a switch from queen doubleton was even less likely and, when Auken won the ace and returned a club, she finessed to the now bare queen. Von Arnim cashed the ace of spades before playing the jack of diamonds through. Buratti had to lose three trump tricks from here; three down for -800.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª A 7 6 3 © Q 9 5 4 3 ¨ K J 7 § Q
ª K J 4 © K Q 8 6 ¨ 10 5 4 § J 9 5		ª Q 8 © A 10 7 2 ¨ 9 8 6 2 § 8 6 3
	ª 10 9 5 2 © - ¨ A Q 3 § A K 10 7 4 2

West	North	East	South
Buratti	Auken	Forti	Von Arnim
Pass	1©	Pass	2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	2ª
Pass	2NT	Pass	3ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Two Clubs was a game-forcing relay and 2¨ denied a long minor. Two Spades showed clubs and 2Nt was natural. Von Arnim won the diamond lead on table and cashed the queen of clubs before ducking a trump. She won the diamond continuation and cashed the ace of spades and soon had eleven tricks; +450.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª 10 4 3 © 7 6 5 2 ¨ 10 7 3 § K 10 9
ª K 8 2 © J 9 8 4 ¨ Q J § A 7 4 2		ª A 9 © Q 10 ¨ 6 5 4 2 § Q J 8 6 5
	ª Q J 7 6 5 © A K 3 ¨ A K 9 8 § 3

West	North	East	South
Buratti	Auken	Forti	Von Arnim
	Pass	Pass	1§
Pass	1¨	Pass	1ª
Pass	Pass	2§	Dble
3§	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

Another penalty completed a very good round for the Germans and continued the Italian slide. One Club was strong and, though her partner had to be very weak, Von Arnim was not prepared to go quietly. Auken had three-card spade support but her high cards - such as they were - were in the opponents' suit. She converted the second double for penalties. Von Arnim led the king of diamonds then the king of hearts, getting a count signal on each. She continued by cashing the red aces then switching to the queen of spades. Forti won that in hand and passed the jack of clubs to the king. When Auken now returned a heart, declarer made the mistake of ruffing high, thereby creating a second trump loser for herself. That meant two down for -500, though I suspect that -200 was already going to be pretty bad for the Italians.
Auken/Von Arnim stretched their lead and were looking very good for the title.

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