|
Austria vs Germany
Ladies Series - Round 10
Going into Round 10, the Austrian Women were lying second, while
their perennial rivals Germany were eighth, somewhat below
pre-tournament expectations.
|
Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª K 10 2
© K J 7
¨ A J
§ Q 8 7 6 3 |
ª Q 9 5
© A 9 2
¨ 8 7 3
§ J 9 5 4 |
 |
ª J 8 7 4
© Q 10 8 3
¨ Q 6 5
§ A 2 |
| |
ª A 6 3
© 6 5 4
¨ K 10 9 4 2
§ K
10 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rauscheid |
Erhart |
Nehmert |
Smederevac |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Weigkricht |
Auken |
Fischer |
Von Arnim |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
 Doris Fisher, Austria |
|
Two identical auctions
attracted different opening leads from the East players. Pony
Nehmert led her stronger four-card suit, just as we were all
taught to do when we started out at this game. Andrea
Rauscheid won the ace of hearts and returned the nine for the
jack and queen. Nehmert led a third round to Maria Erhart's
king. Erhart played a club and Nehmert went in with the ace to
cash her heart, on which dummy and Rauscheid threw diamonds
and declarer a spade. Nehmert exited passively with a club to
dummy's king. Erhart played a spade to her king and cashed the
queen of clubs, throwing a spade from dummy. When the clubs
did not divide evenly, Erhart played ace then jack of
diamonds, running it when Nehmert played low. A spade to the
ace allowed her to cash the diamonds for
+400. |
Doris Fischer chose to lead a spade. Sabine Auken put in the ten
but ducked when Terry Weigkricht's queen appeared. The spade
continuation was won in hand and Auken cashed the ¨A then ran the jack. When that
held she led a club, but here Fischer ducked and Auken put in the
ten. When that lost to the jack, Weigkricht cleared the spades.
Auken cashed the diamonds then played a heart to the jack. When that
lost to the queen she was two down for -100 and 11 IMPs to
Austria.
Germany struck back immediately.
|
Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
|
| |
ª K 7 6
© K Q 8 6 5 2
¨ 6 4
§ A 3 |
ª A J 10 9 5 2
© A 4
¨ 9 7
§ J 5 4 |
|
ª Q 8
© 9 7 3
¨ K 3 2
§ Q 9 8 7 2 |
| |
ª 4 3
© J 10
¨ A Q J 10 8 5
§ K 10 6 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rauscheid |
Erhart |
Nehmert |
Smederevac |
| 1ª |
2© |
Pass |
3¨ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Weigkricht |
Auken |
Fischer |
Von Arnim |
| 2© |
3© |
Pass |
4© |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
|
Rauscheid judged her hand to be worth a one-level opening
and Erhart made a simple overcall. When Jovanka Smederevac
tried 3¨, that was not
forcing in the Austrian style and Erhart passed. Smederevac
made an overtrick for +130.
Weigkricht preferred to open at the two level, no doubt
partly because she had a two-way bid available to her that
might cause her opponents some problems. Not this time,
however - 2© showed
either a weak two in spades or a weak two-suiter with hearts
and a minor. Auken overcalled at the three level in her
six-card suit and Daniela Von Arnim had an easy raise to game.
With the diamond finesse onside, there was nothing the defence
could do to prevent Auken from coming to ten tricks for +620
and 10 IMPs to Germany. |
|
 Sabine Auken,
Germany |
|
Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª 4 3
© 9 8 2
¨ A K Q 8
§ J 8 5 4 |
ª Q 9 8 7
© J 7 6 4
¨ 10 4 3
§ A Q |
|
ª J 10 6 5 2
© K Q 10
¨ J 2
§ 10 7 6 |
| |
ª A K
© A 5 3
¨ 9 7 6 5
§ K 9 3 2 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rauscheid |
Erhart |
Nehmert |
Smederevac |
| |
|
Pass |
1¨ |
| Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Weigkricht |
Auken |
Fischer |
Von
Arnim |
| |
|
Pass |
1¨ |
| Pass |
3§(i) |
Pass |
3NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| (i) Invitational with the
minors |
Rauscheid led the nine of spades against 1NT, treating her
holding as a sort of interior sequence. That worked beautifully as
it made it easy for Nehmert to preserve her honours, playing an
encouraging two. Smederevac won and played a diamond to dummy then a
club to the king and ace. Rauscheid continued with a low spade and
again Nehmert could duck. Smederevac just cashed out now before
playing a club towards the jack so the defence had the rest;
+90.
The Germans reached the thin game contract but here
Weigkricht led her smallest spade and Fischer put in the ten. Von
Arnim crossed to a diamond to play a club up and Weigkricht won and
played a second low spade. When Fischer put up the jack, the suit
was blocked. Von Arnim cashed the diamonds then played a club up
with no great enthusiasm and suddenly found that she had made her
contract; +400 and 7 IMPs to Germany.
|
Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
|
| |
ª J 10 7
© Q 10 6 4 2
¨ A 5
§ A K 10 |
ª K 8 2
© A 9 5
¨ Q J 9 3
§ J 9 6 |
|
ª A Q 9 5 3
© 7 3
¨ K 8 6 4
§ 5 2 |
| |
ª 6 4
© K J 8
¨ 10 7 2
§ Q 8 7 4 3 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rauscheid |
Erhart |
Nehmert |
Smederevac |
| 1NT |
Dble |
2ª |
3§ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Weigkricht |
Auken |
Fischer |
Von Arnim |
| Pass |
1© |
1ª |
Pass |
| 2ª |
All Pass |
|
|
It was the table at which West passed as dealer where her side
bought the contract, while the table at which Rauscheid dredged up
an 11-13 no trump opening saw the opponents win the
declaration.
Neither declarer was under any great pressure; +110
for Smederevac and +140 for Fischer - 6 IMPs to Austria.
|
Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
|
| |
ª A 7
© A J
¨ 10 9 7 6 5 2
§ 9 5 3 |
ª 6 3
© Q 10 9 7 4
¨ A Q
§ K 10 7 6 |
|
ª Q J 9 5 2
© 6
¨ J 4
§ A Q 8 4 2 |
| |
ª K 10 8 4
© K 8 5 3 2
¨ K 8 3
§
J |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rauscheid |
Erhart |
Nehmert |
Smederevac |
| |
|
1ª |
Pass |
| 2© |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
| 2NT |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
| Pass |
3¨ |
All Pass |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Weigkricht |
Auken |
Fischer |
Von Arnim |
| |
|
2¨ |
Pass |
| 2© |
Pass |
2ª |
All Pass |
Fischer's two-way 2¨
opening - hearts, or spades and a minor, stole the pot when Auken
was unwilling to balance at the three level with a ten-high suit.
Two Spades made exactly for +110 to Austria.
Nehmert opened at
the one level and the Germans had a free run to 3§. Now, however, Erhart balanced with 3¨ and bought the contract. Nehmert
led her singleton heart and later got her ruff to hold the contract
to nine; another +110 and 6 IMPs to Austria.
|
Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
|
| |
ª 5 4
© A K J 3 2
¨ 10 9 6 5
§ 10 6 |
ª 10 9 8 2
© 8 7 5
¨ 8 7
§ A Q 4 3 |
|
ª A K Q 7 6
© 10 6 4
¨ J 4 3
§ K 2 |
| |
ª J 3
© Q 9
¨ A K Q 2
§ J 9 8 7 5 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rauscheid |
Erhart |
Nehmert |
Smederevac |
| Weigkricht |
Auken |
Fischer |
Von Arnim |
| Pass |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
| 2ª |
Pass |
Pass |
2NT |
| Pass |
3¨ |
All Pass |
|
Identical auctions to the same final contract but very different
results. Nehmert cashed the ace and king of spades and Rauscheid
followed with the ten, discouraging, followed by the two. Nehmert
clearly read the two as remainder count, showing an original
three-card holding, because she continued with a third spade. Erhart
ruffed on table and threw a club from hand. She drew the trumps and
cashed five heart tricks to score +130.
Fischer also began with
two top spades but she found the killing switch to king and another
club. Weigkricht won and played a third club and Fischer could
over-ruff with her jack for one down; -100 and 6 IMPs to
Austria.
|
Board 15. Dealer South. N/S
Vul. |
| |
ª 8
© A K J 8
¨ A K 10 7 6 4
§ 9 8 |
ª K 9 6 4 3 2
© 10 7 5
¨ -
§ A 10 4 3 |
|
ª Q 7
© Q 6 4 3
¨ J 9 8 3
§ 7 5 2 |
| |
ª A J 10 5
© 9 2
¨ Q 5 2
§ K Q J 6 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rauscheid |
Erhart |
Nehmert |
Smederevac |
| |
|
|
1ª |
| Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2NT |
| Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Weigkricht |
Auken |
Fischer |
Von Arnim |
| |
|
|
1ª |
| Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
| Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3¨ |
| Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
4¨ |
| Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5§ |
| Pass |
6¨ |
All Pass |
|
I'm not going to translate all the German bids on this one.
Suffice it to say that they comprehensively outbid their opponents,
only to fall foul of the wicked trump situation, having to go one
down for -100 and lose 12 IMPs against the 630 in the other
room.
|
Board 17. Dealer North. None
Vul. |
| |
ª K 10 7 5 3
© K 8
¨ 7
§ A 6 5 3 2 |
ª 9 8 6 4 2
© Q 6 5
¨ K 9
§ Q J 9 |
|
ª J
© A J 9 4
¨ Q J 10 6 5 3 2
§ K |
| |
ª A Q
© 10 7 3 2
¨ A 8 4
§ 10 8 7 4 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rauscheid |
Erhart |
Nehmert |
Smederevac |
| |
2ª |
3¨ |
3ª |
| Pass |
4ª |
Pass |
Pass |
| Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Weigkricht |
Auken |
Fischer |
Von Arnim |
| |
1ª |
2¨ |
Dble |
| Rdbl |
2ª |
3© |
3ª |
| Pass |
Pass |
4¨ |
All Pass |
Erhart's 2ª opening showed
5-5 in spades and a minor. Smederevac's competitive 3ª bid was a bit pushy on a
doubleton spade, and whether Erhart was supposed to go on to game I
cannot say - Maria is a law unto herself anyway, whatever the system
says. Rauscheid could see that 4ª was going to be hard work with a bad trump
split and her almost certain club stopper. She doubled and there the
matter rested. Nehmert led the queen of diamonds to dummy's ace.
Erhart led the eight of clubs to the nine and ace then a spade to
the jack and ace. That jack looked ominous. Erhart gave up a club
and back came a diamond, which she ruffed. She cleared the clubs and
Rauscheid, who was out of diamonds, switched to a low heart for the
king and ace. Nehmert forced declarer once again with a diamond and
Erhart could make only her trumps and the two aces already in the
bag; three down for -500.
The Austrians had the opportunity to
defend against only 3ª at the
other table. Fischer preferred to compete to 4¨. Which it looks as though she might have made,
but the actual result was down one for -50 and 11 IMPs to
Germany.
The final result of the match was 47-46 to Germany, a
15-15 VP draw. |
