Bonn Nations Cup. Final for Ladies Teams: Germany-Russia.

Ponomareva opened two spades (natural) in favourable vulnerability. Daniela von Arnim overcalled three spades. Gromova and Auken raised their partners so the bidding finished at four clubs. Gromova led a spade to East’s ace and she played back a diamond to the queen, king and ace. A club to the king was taken by the ace and another diamond was played to the jack. On the next club East discarded a diamond so the distribution was clear.

Declarer already lost two tricks in the black suits and had two losers in hearts. Yet a neat squeeze could have helped her. If she runs her clubs the last five cards are three hearts and the spade jack-ten in dummy while declarer has a trump three hearts and the king of spades. If on the last trump West discards a heart declarer discards a spade and plays on hearts. If she discards a spade declarer parts with a heart and cashes the king of spades and plays a heart.

Instead Von Arnim played a heart to her queen when she was in dummy with the trump queen playing East for a more conservative weak two. West won and had to play back a heart to break the positional squeeze which she did (not hard to find).

To break the squeeze Gromova had to play a spade after the club ace. Maybe if she waits a round she gets a useful signal from partner (diamond ten) after which she can find it.

The difference wasn’t that big as 3 notrump was made at the other table. Russia demolished Germany in the final.