The past decade has witnessed a growing interest in bridge among Chinese women. Along with the senior players who picked the thread of the game in late sixties, a generation of young girls was also taking part with promising prospects in bridge. So much so in the recent past the Chinese ladies showed a marked improvement in international bridge competitions.
Looking at the ladies trend of mind towards the game, the Chinese Bridge Association, arranged to engage the services of bridge experts from America and Europe for coaching them to further improve their performance in competitiveness at world level.
The interest of ladies in the game has risen two-fold ever since the Venice Cup was staged in Beijing in 1995. The ladies team's intensive training bore fruit when the Chinese team reached the finals of Venice Cup held in Hammamet in Tunisia in 1997, and was defeated by the United States ladies team.
The time is not far off when the Chinese ladies would soon pose a challenge to the supremacy of ladies from United States and Europe in bridge as they have performed remarkably in athletics in the Summer Olympics 2004 in Athens.
A hand that was played between the American and Chinese ladies team in the Knockout Team Championship in 1956 that reflects a high standard of Chinese approach to the game is given below:
West led club king:
When the dummy was spread the South coolly examined the combination of cards in dummy and herself and saw a distinct possibility of making the contract except for the ace, jack and ten are held by the West. In that case there was no way of making the contract as she had to lose two clubs and two spades trick anyway losing the contract by one trick.
However, assuming only the ace doubleton with the West then she would make the contract. In fact the West held only the ace and small.
After West winning the ace and king of club on which the East signalled high low in clubs. At this point the West gave a good thought whether to continue or to shift to another suit. But seeing the dummy's strength and opening bid by the South there was no chance for her partner holding any honour card. Then she thought there was a remote possibility of jack, ten and a card of spades with the partner. With that assumption she continued with the queen of clubs which was very intelligently ruffed by the partner with the ten of spades for a likely trump promotion with the West. The South was helpless but to over ruff with the king. After ruffing the declarer played a small club towards the queen in dummy. The West went up with the ace of spades and pushed the ten of clubs.
At this juncture a thought of gloom prevailed over the declarer as the East was bound to win a trick with the jack of spades and the contract went down by one trick with exceptionally a tactical defensive move by the opponent sitting West and East.
The American pair was stunned at this maneuver by the defender and showed large heartedness by paying exuberant compliments to the Chinese defenders for super defensive play. That showed, in turn, the Chinese mettle at the game.
While the Chinese pair playing the same hand in North-South position reached the game contract in spade and made the game playing tactfully, when the American defending pair failed to give an uppercut by continuing and playing clubs again at another chance. Ultimately the Chinese ladies team scored a big swing over the American on this deal.
GOLDEN TIPS: The good defensive play is as important as declarer's play in bridge.
Dealer South
North-South Vulnerable:
North
S Q4
H AQ6
D KJ108
C 9742
West
S A5
H 842
D 763
C AKQ106
South
S K98763
H KJ
D AQ5
C J5
East
S J102
H109753
D 942
C 83
The bidding:
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South West North East
Jill Tang Gail Gu
Blanchard Hou Zu Greenberg Ling
1S 2C 2D Pass
2S Pass 3S Pass
4S Pass Pass Pass
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