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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. |
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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 |
|
|
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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 |
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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.
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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 |
|
|
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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 |
|
|
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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 |
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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.
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