Just before the entrance of the gladiators on to the scene a young Italian showed she can handle the cards as well as anyone.

Board 13,Dealer North,All Vul.
	ª Q 8 5 © Q 8 5 3 ¨ 10 7 5 § 10 7 2
ª A 6 4 © K 9 7 4 ¨ J 9 8 4 § J 3		ª K 9 7 3 2 © A 6 ¨ K 3 § A 8 5 4
	ª J 10 © J 10 2 ¨ A Q 6 2 § K Q 9 6

West	North	East	South
Gentile		Di Lembo
	Pass	1ª	Double
Redouble	2©	Pass	Pass
2ª	Pass	3ª (?)	All Pass

Francesca di Lembo

In view of partner's redouble East decided to make one further move, but as a consequence she ended up in a not completely safe contract, even more so when South found the best lead of a trump. Francesca Di Lembo won the ace in dummy and played a club to the 7, 8 and 9. A trump came back, won by the king, and declarer next played §A and ruffed a club. Now she made the key play of eliminating the hearts by cashing the AK and ruffing a third before she exited with her last club. South, with only diamonds left, had to bring her the ninth trick with the ¨K. Well played indeed!

What does a double by opener mean when the opponents are overcalling 1NT?

Board 14, Dealer East, None Vul.
	ª K 10 5 4 © J 8 ¨ 8 6 5 2 § Q J 10
ª J 9 7 © A Q 10 2 ¨ A 3 § K 7 5 2		ª Q 8 3 © K 9 6 4 ¨ J 9 § A 8 6 4
	ª A 6 2 © 7 5 3 ¨ K Q 10 7 4 § 9 3

West opens a 12-14 NT, Pass, Pass, and South bids 2¨, showing the suit for a change! Now a double would be take-out to most of us, but when West doubled East had other ideas and passed! A spade lead and careful defensive play will beat the contract, but on a club lead Francesca De Lucchi had no problems, putting her and Anna Lisa Rosetta right back on track for qualification.

A few boards later, the same pair produced a spectacular auction:

Board 16, Dealer West, East-West Vul.
	ª 7 2 © 9 7 6 ¨ 8 6 4 § A J 9 7 6
ª Q 3 © 10 8 4 3 ¨ K J 10 § 10 8 5 3		ª A 9 6 5 © K Q J 5 2 ¨ - § K Q 4 2
	ª K J 10 8 4 © A ¨ A Q 9 7 5 3 2 § -

West	North	East	South
	Rosetta		De Lucchi
Pass	Pass	1§	1©
Double	1ª	2©	5¨
Double	All Pass

This might need some explanation. 1§ was strong and 1© showed spades. Double showed some values and 1ª denied any serious spade support. 2© was natural and so was 5¨ (what else could it be?). Rosetta, reading her partner for at least about 6-6, took the right view by passing. She was wrong in a sense as partner happened to be 5-7, but down 300 was O.K. with 4© on.

More curious developments we saw on board 21:

Board 21, Dealer North, North-South Vul.
	ª A 4 © K 10 7 6 4 ¨ 9 6 3 § 10 8 5
ª Q © Q 9 8 5 2 ¨ Q 4 2 § J 7 6 2		ª K J 10 6 3 2 © 3 ¨ 8 7 § A K Q 4
	ª 9 8 7 5 © A J ¨ A K J 10 5 § 9 3

West	North	East	South
	Rosetta		De Lucchi
	Pass	1ª	2¨
Pass	2©	Double	Pass
Pass	3¨	All Pass

Well, double of 2© would not have been everybody's choice, but it worked well. West passed it, but North did not dare to pass as well and retreated into 3¨. This went one down for an about average result, but we think 2© might well have been made.

In the meantime, the Italian ladies had bid and made two nice slams, 6¨ each time, which eluded quite a number of pairs playing here. Then came:

Board 23, Dealer South, All Vul.
	ª 10 3 © A 6 3 ¨ J 10 8 7 6 § Q 10 3
ª A 7 6 © 10 9 5 2 ¨ 9 4 3 2 § J 7		ª Q 5 © K J 8 ¨ K Q 5 § A 9 5 4 2
	ª K J 9 8 4 2 © Q 7 4 ¨ A § K 8 6

West	North	East	South
	Rosetta		De Lucchi
			1ª
Pass	1NT	Double	2ª
All Pass

West led a heart. East won his king and returned the suit to dummy's ace. This way, the defence had established a heart trick for declarer without forcing her to use dummy's only entry to do it herself. The ª10 followed, covered all round, and west exited with a spade. On the run of the trumps, East discarded a diamond and two clubs. In the end, De Lucchi cashed the ¨A, felling the queen, and led a club to the queen (!?) and ace. When East returned a club, she had little trouble, in fact, to go up with the king, felling the doubleton jack which she might have finessed as well. Nicely played for a huge +170.

Things would have been completely different had West elected to lead the §J. That's what Venice Cup holder Wietske van Zwol from the Netherlands did. When her partner, Femke Hoogweg, ducked it, the ruff was assured and declarer held to nine tricks for an enormous m.p. difference.

Overcalling opposite a passed partner is something special, because you do not expect partner to take unwanted action. Sometimes, things can go dramatically wrong, however.

Board 25, Dealer North, East-West Vul.
	ª 9 6 3 2 © K ¨ J 7 2 § Q J 8 6 3
ª A K J 10 © Q 10 9 ¨ 9 8 5 3 § 10 5		ª 8 7 5 4 © 8 5 4 2 ¨ A K 4 § A 4
	ª Q © A J 7 6 3 ¨ Q 10 6 § K 9 7 2

When South opens 1© in third position, an overcall of 1ª seems in order. After that, the spotlight turns on East: what should he do? A raise to 3© showing four-card support and a good hand looks theoretically O.K., but will bring you too high. Maybe, East should open this Culbertson classic after all...

We have always been told to bid the values we have got. Does this rule apply on the last board of the set as well?

Board 26, Dealer East, All Vul.
	ª A Q 2 © Q 9 5 ¨ 7 4 § A K 10 4 3
ª 8 7 6 4 3 © A K 7 4 ¨ A K J 5 § -		ª J 9 5 © 8 6 3 ¨ Q 10 9 3 § Q J 2
	ª K 10 © J 10 2 ¨ 8 6 2 § 9 8 7 6 5

After two passes, West is forced to show the full value of his hand by opening 1ª. North overcalls 1NT, East passes and South at one table surprises the world by bidding 2§ as a natural action to show a suit. Now West can double or bid 2© and North will bid either 2NT or 3§. East then has to double if he wants a good score, as both contracts will go off.