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Greece v Russia
Ladies Series - Round 3
Greece had made a useful start to the Ladies
Championship and were lying fifth at the end of the first day. In
Round 3 they met mid-table Russia in a match full of lively
deals.
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Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª K 7 6
© Q 8 7 4
¨ J 10 4
§ K 9 8 |
ª 4 3
© A 10
¨ A K 7
§ A J 10 7 5 4 |
 |
ª Q J 8 2
© J 9
¨ Q 9 5 3
§ Q 3 2 |
| |
ª A 10 9 5
© K 6 5 3 2
¨ 8 6 2
§
6 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Khonicheva |
Ekonomou |
Gromova |
Kanellopoulou |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 2§ |
Pass |
3§ |
All Pass |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Kaliakmani |
Romanowska |
Mamidaki |
Volina |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1§ |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
| 3§ |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
When Victoria Gromova made a pre-emptive raise of her Precision
2§ opening, Elena Khonicheva
made the winning decision by passing and chalking up +110. In the
other room, Anna Kaliakmani and Lina Mamidaki bid up to 3NT after a
natural 1§ opening. A heart
lead from Victoria Volina meant that the contract hinged on the club
finesse. When that failed the contract was down three for -300 and 9
IMPs to Russia.
On another day, of course, with the clubs coming
in, the swing would have been 11 IMPs to Greece.
Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª 5 4
© K 7 6 4 3 2
¨ Q J 9
§ A 9 |
ª K Q 3
© A Q 10 8
¨ -
§ K J 6 5 4 2 |
|
ª A J 9 8 2
© J 9 5
¨ A 7
§ 10 8 7 |
| |
ª 10 7 6
© -
¨ K 10 8 6 5 4 3 2
§ Q 3 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Khonicheva |
Ekonomou |
Gromova |
Kanellopoulou |
| |
|
Pass |
3¨ |
| Dble |
5¨ |
Dble |
Pass |
| 6§ |
All Pass |
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Kaliakmani |
Romanowska |
Mamidaki |
Volina |
| |
|
Pass |
4¨ |
| Dble |
Pass |
4ª |
Pass |
| Pass |
5¨ |
5ª |
All Pass |
Where Liana Ekonomou was willing to raise the
4¨ opening to game,
Maia Romanowska preferred to go quietly when her partner
opened a level higher - or at least at her first turn.
Romanowska waited for her opponents to choose their game then
saved in 5¨. Mamidaki
took the push to 5ª,
which she made exactly for +650.
Ekonomou's immediate jump
to 5¨ put extra
momentum into the auction and when Gromova made a responsive
double Khonicheva judged to bid the club slam. Looking at the
ace of clubs, there must have been some temptation for
Ekonomou to lead a heart, hoping to give her partner a ruff
either now or when in with the trump. However, she preferred
to lead a diamond. Khonicheva won the ace of diamonds,
throwing a heart from hand, then led a low club for the jack
and ace. A heart looks right now but, after much thought,
Ekonomou played a second diamond and declarer was home; +1370
and 12 IMPs to Russia. In Ekonomou's defence, Kanellopoulou
had played an unhelpful five of diamonds at trick one, when
the two might have suggested interest in hearts. |
|
 Liana Ekonomou,
Greece |
|
Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª A
© 10 6
¨ A K Q 10 7 6
§ 6 5 4 3 |
ª Q J 6 5 3
© 9 8 7 4 2
¨ J
§ J 2 |
|
ª K 9 7 2
© Q J
¨ 5 3
§ A 10 9 8 7 |
| |
ª 10 8 4
© A K 5 3
¨ 9 8 4 2
§ K
Q |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Khonicheva |
Ekonomou |
Gromova |
Kanellopoulou |
| |
1¨ |
Pass |
1© |
| Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
4¨ |
| Pass |
5¨ |
All Pass |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Kaliakmani |
Romanowska |
Mamidaki |
Volina |
| |
1¨ |
Pass |
1© |
| Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
4¨ |
| Pass |
4ª |
Pass |
6¨ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
After two identical auctions as far as 4¨, Romanowska judged to show her spade control
while Ekonomou did not. That allowed Romanowska, who was looking at
controls in both clubs and hearts as well as four-card diamond
support, to jump to slam, whereas Kanellopoulou could do no more and
the slam was missed; 11 IMPs to Russia.
At this point in the match Russia led by 44-6 IMPs and seemed to
be heading for a substantial win, however, they were to score only
one more IMP, while Greece picked up a series of swings,
including:
Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
|
| |
ª A Q 9 8 5 4 3
© -
¨ J 8 5
§ 9 7 6 |
ª 6
© A K Q 9
¨ Q 6
§ Q J 10 8 5 4 |
|
ª K 10 7
© 8 7 5 4 3
¨ 4 2
§ A 3 2 |
| |
ª J 2
© J 10 6 2
¨ A K 10 9 7 3
§ K |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Khonicheva |
Ekonomou |
Gromova |
Kanellopoulou |
| |
|
Pass |
1¨ |
| 2§ |
2ª |
3§ |
Pass |
| 3© |
3ª |
4© |
4ª |
| Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
All Pass |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Kaliakmani |
Romanowska |
Mamidaki |
Volina |
| |
|
Pass |
1¨ |
| 2§ |
2ª |
3§ |
Pass |
| Pass |
4ª |
Pass |
Pass |
| 5§ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Doubling on potential double-fit auctions is a dangerous action
as Gromova found out to her cost on this deal. Against 4ª doubled she led a heart and must
have been a little concerned when this got ruffed. Declarer led a
club and Gromova won and switched to a trump, which ran to the
eight. Ekonomou ruffed a club, ruffed a heart back to hand and
cashed the ace of trumps. When West turned up with a singleton
spade, there was no reason to take the diamond finesse, playing her
to hold eleven cards in hearts and clubs. When Ekonomou dropped the
queen she had ten tricks for +790.
Hearts were never mentioned in the other room and Romanowska's
more confident jump to game dissuaded Mamidaki from doubling 4ª. Kaliakmani saved in 5§ and managed to get out for two
down; -500 but 7 IMPs to Greece.
Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
|
| |
ª A K J 5 4 2
© 8
¨ Q J 7 5 3
§ 4 |
ª -
© A Q 10 7 6 3 2
¨ K 10 8
§ K J 2 |
|
ª Q 10 6 3
© 4
¨ 9 6
§ A 10 8 6 5 3 |
| |
ª 9 8 7
© K J 9 5
¨ A 4 2
§ Q 9
7 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Khonicheva |
Ekonomou |
Gromova |
Kanellopoulou |
| 1© |
3§ |
Pass |
3© |
| 4© |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Kaliakmani |
Romanowska |
Mamidaki |
Volina |
| 1© |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
| 2© |
3¨ |
Pass |
3NT |
| Pass |
4ª |
Dble |
All Pass |
 Anna Kaliakmani, Greece |
|
Ekonomou made an exclusion two-suited
overcall then bid her spades at the game level in response to
her partner's cuebid. Looking at an ace and Q10xx trumps,
Gromova did not choose to double this time - some might think
that this was a better opportunity than the previous one, but
she perhaps feared that the ªJ would be on her left. She led her
singleton heart and Khonicheva won and returned a low heart
for her partner to ruff. Unfortunately for the defence, that
allowed declarer to pitch her club loser, telescoping two of
the defensive tricks into one. There was still a diamond and a
spade to come so the contract was still defeated, but only for
-100.
Romanowska went more slowly, overcalling
1ª then showing her
diamonds on the next round. She insisted in playing in one of
her suits in the face of repeated no trump bids from her
partner, and here it was clear to Mamidaki that there would
not be an embarrassing spade holding on her left. She doubled
and cashed the ace of clubs, ensuring that the contract would
be down two for -500 and 9 IMPs to
Greece. |
|
Board 15. Dealer South. N/S
Vul. |
| |
ª Q 10 9 5 4 2
© K
¨ A Q 4
§ 9 7 2 |
ª 8 7 6
© A 9 7 2
¨ J 5 2
§ A J 4 |
|
ª J 3
© Q J 10 8 5 4 3
¨ -
§ Q 10 8 6 |
| |
ª A K
© 6
¨ K 10 9 8 7 6 3
§ K 5 3 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Khonicheva |
Ekonomou |
Gromova |
Kanellopoulou |
| |
|
|
1¨ |
| Pass |
1ª |
3© |
Pass |
| Pass |
Dble |
Pass |
5¨ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Kaliakmani |
Romanowska |
Mamidaki |
Volina |
| |
|
|
1¨ |
| Pass |
1ª |
3© |
4¨ |
| 5© |
5ª |
Pass |
6ª |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Kanellopoulou showed restraint in not repeating her diamonds
until hearing Ekonomou's competitive double. That worked very well,
as 5¨ was unbeatable.
Khonicheva cashed the ace of hearts and switched hopefully to ace
and another club. The clubs were going away on the spades anyway so
that was the best that Khonicheva could do; +600.
Volina could not resist bidding 4¨ on her own, and one has to have sympathy with
her. Looking at two top diamonds. Romanowska strongly suspected that
her partner would have a spade fit and competed to 5ª over 5©. She was quite correct, as 5© is only on a winning trump view. The Russians
were fated to go minus now and Volina's pushy raise to six cost only
1 IMP. After a heart lead to the ace, Kalikmani cashed the ace of
clubs then switched to a diamond; two down for -200 and 13 IMPs to
Greece.
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Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª 3
© A K 6
¨ K 9 6 4
§ K Q 5 4 3 |
ª Q J 9 8 2
© 4 3 2
¨ J 3 2
§ 10 2 |
|
ª K 10 6 4
© 10 8 5
¨ 8 5
§ J 9 8 7 |
| |
ª A 7 5
© Q J 9 7
¨ A Q 10 7
§ A
6 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Khonicheva |
Ekonomou |
Gromova |
Kanellopoulou |
| Pass |
1§ |
Pass |
1¨ |
| Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3ª |
| Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4§ |
| Pass |
4© |
Pass |
4NT |
| Pass |
5© |
Pass |
6NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Kaliakmani |
Romanowska |
Mamidaki |
Volina |
| Pass |
1¨ |
Pass |
1© |
| Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2ª |
| Pass |
4© |
Pass |
6¨ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Both teams missed a chance when they could not get to the
excellent grand slam. In both auctions, it seems that South still
had room for further exploration at the point where she jumped to
the small slam; 2 IMPs to Greece for +990 against +940.
Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
|
| |
ª K J 9 7 5 4
© -
¨ A K Q 10 4 3
§ 9 |
ª 6
© A K J 7 2
¨ J 7 5
§ J 10 5 4 |
|
ª -
© 9 8 5 4 3
¨ 9 8 6
§ A K Q 8 6 |
| |
ª A Q 10 8 3 2
© Q 10 6
¨ 2
§ 7 3 2 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Khonicheva |
Ekonomou |
Gromova |
Kanellopoulou |
| Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
4ª |
| Pass |
5ª |
Pass |
6ª |
| Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
All Pass |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Kaliakmani |
Romanowska |
Mamidaki |
Volina |
| Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
4ª |
| Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5§ |
| Pass |
5¨ |
Pass |
5ª |
| Pass |
6ª |
All Pass |
|
What is the best way forward after the raise to 4ª? Ekonomou decided to ask for good
trumps by raising to 5ª and
that convinced Gromova that it would be worth making a speculative
double on the basis of a possible bad trump break. Well, I suppose
1-0 is as bad as it gets, but not quite what Victoria had in mind;
+1660 after a club lead.
Romanowska preferred to check on key cards - which would keep her
out of slam off two aces. When she found that her partner held one
key card, she took the slightly cautious view to ask for the queen
of trumps and only bid slam on hearing that it was present. There
was no reason to consider a double here; +1430 but 6 IMPs to
Greece.
And that last deal decided the match, Greece coming through to
snatch a 51-46 IMP victory, 16-14 VPs. |