35th World Interzonal Team Championships, Paris, France Thursday, 25 October  2001

Israel vs Australia

Venice Cup - Round 6

The last match on Tuesday featured a relatively quiet set of deals but there was still scope for some good bridge (and bad) in our featured match. The first major swing went to Israel.

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

West North East South
Travis Naveh Havas Melech
    Pass 1NT
2¨ Pass 3© Pass
4§ Pass 4© All Pass

West North East South
Poplilov Clark Campanile Chadwick
    Pass 1¨
1© 2¨ 4© All Pass

Matilda Poplilov's four-card overcall made for a very easy auction for her side. Against 4©, Alida Clark led the ten of spades to Marilyn Chadwick's ace. Chadwick switched to the king of diamonds, ruffed, and Poplilov led the ª9 to the king to lead a club up, putting in the ten. Clark won the §A and played a diamond, ruffed, and Poplilov now cashed the §K for a diamond discard, the king and queen of hearts, then the §J, discarding her last diamond. Though Chadwick could ruff, declarer had the rest; +420.
At the other table, Barbara Travis's 2¨ overcall was either hearts or a heart canapé and she completed the picture at her second turn. Hanuta Melech led a top diamond, forcing dummy to ruff. Liz Havas played a low spade for the ten, king and ace, and back came a second diamond, again ruffed. Now Havas was not where she wanted to be and tried the §J off the table. This ran to the queen and Melech played a third diamond, forcing dummy to ruff for a third time and promoting a trump trick for herself. Havas played the §K to the ace and ruffed then crossed to the king of hearts to attempt to cash the §10. She threw her last diamond while Melech ruffed, and the diamond return forced her last small trump. Declarer cashed the ace of hearts but the spades were blocked and Melech's eight won the last trick for down one; -50 and 10 IMPs to Israel.
We had to wait a long time for the next double-figure swing and when it came it too was in favour of Israel.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
  ª 10 8 6
© A Q 10 7 2
¨ A Q 10 5
§ 10
ª 7
© J 5 4 3
¨ J 6 2
§ K Q J 8 2
Bridge deal ª Q 5 4 3 2
© K 8
¨ K 7 4
§ 9 5 3
  ª A K J 9
© 9 6
¨ 9 8 3
§ A 7 6 4

West North East South
Travis Naveh Havas Melech
      1§
Pass 1© Pass 1ª
Pass 2¨ Pass 2NT
Pass 3NT All Pass  

West North East South
Poplilov Clark Campanile Chadwick
      1NT
Pass 2§ Pass 2¨
Pass 3© Pass 3NT
All Pass      

Poplilov led the king of clubs and continued with the queen and then the jack, Chadwick winning the third round. Chadwick ran the nine of hearts to the king and rose with the ace on the spade return. Now she finessed the queen of diamonds, losing to the king, and back came a second spade. Chadwick won the ªK but could take only one of the two red finesses so had to go down. Had her first diamond finesse been that of the ten, she would have been OK, of course. The contract actually failed by two tricks; -200.
Travis allowed herself to be put off the club lead by the opening bid and instead chose a low diamond. Melech put in the queen, losing to the king, and Travis switched to a club, ducked to the jack. The §K continuation was ducked and Travis now switched to the jack of diamonds. Melech won, crossed to the nine of diamonds and finessed the ©Q. Havas won and led her last club but declarer won that, cashed the ace of spades, led to the ace of hearts and, after cashing the diamond, ran the ten of spades; +600 and 13 IMPs to Israel.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
  ª K Q 6 4
© Q J 9 7
¨ 8 2
§ 8 7 2
ª A 10 7
© 4
¨ Q 9 7 6 4
§ K J 9 3
Bridge deal ª J 8 2
© K 10 6 5
¨ A K 5
§ A 6 5
  ª 9 5 3
© A 8 3 2
¨ J 10 3
§ Q 10 4

West North East South
Travis Naveh Havas Melech
Pass Pass 1NT Pass
3© Pass 4ª All Pass

West North East South
Poplilov Clark Campanile Chadwick
Pass Pass 1§ Pass
1¨ Pass 1NT Pass
3NT All Pass    

Three No Trump was no problem but, not altogether surprisingly, 4ª proved to be impossible. What was going on in the Australian auction? The 3© response showed shortage and Havas believed that it guaranteed four cards in the other major, while Travis did not. One still might query Havas's decision to try 4ª rather than 3NT, but at least it would have had chances had there been a 4-3 trump fit. As it was, 4ª drifted two down for -200 while 3NT made two overtricks for +660 and 13 IMPs to Israel.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
  ª 8 6 3
© K 10 9 6 5
¨ K
§ K 8 7 2
ª Q J 10
© A 8
¨ A Q 10 9 7 6
§ A 5
Bridge deal ª A 9 7 2
© 4 3
¨ 8 4 3 2
§ Q 9 4
  ª K 5 4
© Q J 7 2
¨ J 5
§ J 10 6 3

West North East South
Travis Naveh Havas Melech
  Pass Pass Pass
1¨ 1© Pass 2©
3¨ Pass 5¨ All Pass

West North East South
Poplilov Clark Campanile Chadwick
  Pass Pass Pass
1¨ Pass 1ª Pass
2NT All Pass    

Given a free run, West has a decision to make whether to rebid 3¨ or 2NT, and Poplilov chose the latter, where she played. By dropping the king of diamonds after a heart lead, she came to nine tricks for +150.
The heart interference made it natural for Travis to rebid 3¨ at the other table and now Havas caught up for her failure to bid on the previous round (she was still thinking about the previous deal) by raising to game. Travis won Nurit Naveh's ten of hearts lead and took the losing spade finesse. Back came the ©J followed by a low club. Travis rose with the ace of clubs, crossed to the ace of spades and led a diamond up. If Naveh was expecting declarer to finesse - after all, she had taken the trouble to cross to dummy - she was to be sadly disappointed. Travis went up with the ace and scored up her game; +400 and 6 IMPs to Australia.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
  ª K Q 9 5
© A K 7 5
¨ J 9 7 5
§ 10
ª 10 6 4 2
© J 9 4 3
¨ 8 2
§ 9 3 2
Bridge deal ª A J 8 3
© 10 8 6
¨ 10
§ K Q J 7 4
  ª 7
© Q 2
¨ A K Q 6 4 3
§ A 8 6 5

West North East South
Travis Naveh Havas Melech
      1¨
Pass 1© Dble 3¨
Pass 4¨ Pass 4ª
Pass 4NT Pass 5§
Pass 6¨ All Pass  

West North East South
Poplilov Clark Campanile Chadwick
      1¨
Pass 1© Dble 3¨
Pass 3ª Pass 3NT
Pass 4¨ Pass 4ª
Pass 6¨ All Pass  

Both pairs bid competently to the cold small slam, Melech making an overtrick after a club lead; 1 IMP to Israel.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
  ª 7 6
© 10 9 7 5 2
¨ 6 3 2
§ J 9 3
ª A J 5 2
© Q 8
¨ K 10 9 5 4
§ A Q
Bridge deal ª K 8 4 3
© J 3
¨ A J 8
§ 8 5 4 2
  ª Q 10 9
© A K 6 4
¨ Q 7
§ K 10 7 6

West North East South
Travis Naveh Havas Melech
1¨ Pass 1ª Pass
3ª Pass 4ª All Pass

West North East South
Poplilov Clark Campanile Chadwick
1¨ Pass 1ª Dble
4ª All Pass    

The natural play in 4ª is to take the spade finesse and then to try to guess the diamonds for the overtrick. And that is exactly what happened in one room, where Poplilov actually misguessed the diamonds - normally enough given the take-out double; +620.
Havas had heard no opposition bidding and seen Melech cash the ace and king of hearts then switch to a club, the finesse succeeding. Havas convinced herself that Melech might have come into the auction if she had any more high cards. Accordingly, she played a spade to the ace and another one back to her king. No joy there. Havas exited with a third spade, shaking her head when the queen appeared where she did not want to see it. After winning the club return she led a low diamond to her jack and was one down; -100 and 12 IMPs to Isreal.
The Israelis had played well and were full value for their 63-18 IMP, 24-6 VP win.


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