45th GENERALI European Bridge Championships, Arona, Tenerife, Canary Islands Tuesday, 19 June 2001

Italy v Scotland

Round 1 Open Series
This proved to be nip and tuck encounter with the lead changing hands several times. Scotland gave a good account of themselves and the match was in the balance until the final deal. Here are some of the highlights.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.

  ª 2
© A K Q 7 5 4
¨ A 4
§ K Q 6 3
ª A 8 5 4
© J 6 3
¨ K Q 6 5
§ A 2
Bridge deal ª Q J 9 7 6
© 9 8
¨ J 9 8
§ J 10 4
  ª K 10 3
© 10 2
¨ 10 7 3 2
§ 9 8 7 5

Open Room
West North East South
Whittaker Bocchi Steel Duboin
    Pass Pass
1¨ Dble 1ª Pass
2ª Dble Pass 3§
Pass 4© All Pass  


Bocchi while thinking
  Given the auction, Bocchi was perhaps unlucky to find that his partner's only high card was in spades. East led the queen of spades which was covered by the king and ace. West decided a switch was in order and he selected the three of hearts. Bocchi gave this a long look, clearly considering the winning possibility of playing low and then finding West with §Ax. Eventually he rejected it in favour of a possible §J10. He had to go one down, -100.
Closed Room
West North East South
Ferraro Cuthbertson De Falco Matheson
    Pass Pass
1¨ Dble 1ª Pass
2ª 3© All Pass  

By stopping a level lower, Scotland ensured a swing. Given how little North needs to find in the South hand to make game I think Bocchi was nearer the mark but it was Scotland who collected the IMPs, six of them in this case.

Board 4. Dealer South. All Vul.

  ª 9 5 4 3
© K Q 10 8 4
¨ K 8 3
§ 3
ª J 7 6
© 9
¨ Q 10 7 4 2
§ A J 5 2
Bridge deal ª A K 8
© J 7 6 3 2
¨ A J 6
§ 7 4
  ª Q 10 2
© A 5
¨ 9 5
§ K Q 10 9 8 6

Open Room
West North East South
Whittaker Bocchi Steel Duboin

Closed Room
West North East South
Ferraro Cuthbertson De Falco Matheson

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.

  ª A K Q 10 6 4
© 4
¨ Q 6 3
§ K J 4
ª 8 3
© Q J 10 7 6
¨ K 8 5
§ A 10 8
Bridge deal ª 9 5 2
© 9
¨ A J 4 2
§ Q 9 6 5 2
  ª J 7
© A K 8 5 3 2
¨ 10 9 7
§ 7 3

Open Room
West North East South
Whittaker Bocchi Steel Duboin
    Pass 2¨*
Pass 2NT* Pass 3§*
Pass 3ª Pass 4ª
All Pass      

It was odds on that North was facing a weak two in hearts but he went in search of game. Some pairs managed to make one, with 3NT by North having fair chances, as the defenders are quite likely to attack with two rounds of clubs, giving nine easy tricks.

Here East also led a club and West took the ace and switched to a trump. That worked well enough here, as although declarer could win, cash the king of clubs and ruff a club, East was able to ruff the second round of hearts to hold declarer to nine tricks, -100.

However, if North's shape had been 6-0-4-3, West's failure to switch to diamonds would have been expensive.

 
Willie Whittakker, Scotland

Closed Room
West North East South
Ferraro Cuthbertson De Falco Matheson
    Pass 2©
All Pass      

Once again Scotland stayed low. West led the eight of spades and declarer won in dummy and cashed his top hearts, getting the bad news. He reverted to spades, pitching a diamond on the third round as West ruffed. he switched to a diamond and the defenders played three rounds, declarer ruffing. When South played a club West put up the ace for one down, -100 and a flat board.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.

  ª Q 7
© K Q 7 5 4
¨ K J 9 6 2
§ J
ª K 6 4 3 2
© 6
¨ Q 8 5
§ 7 6 4 2
Bridge deal ª A 10 8 5
© 3 2
¨ A 3
§ 10 9 8 4 3
  ª J 9
© A J 10 9 8
¨ 10 7 4
§ A K Q

Open Room
West North East South
Whittaker Bocchi Steel Duboin
      1©
Pass 3NT Pass 4©
All Pass      

West led the three of spades and the defence took two rounds of the suit and West exited with a club. Declarer won, drew trumps, cashed two clubs pitching diamonds and played a diamond to dummy's nine. +420

Closed Room
West North East South
Ferraro Cuthbertson De Falco Matheson
      1©
Pass 4§* Pass 4©
All Pass      

Play developed along similar lines, but declarer played a diamond to the king. That would have been the winning play in various situations, but was the wrong one this time.
There was a clue in the sense that West did not overcall One Spade, a bid that he might well have made looking at five spades and the ace of diamonds.
That game swing to Italy was soon cancelled out.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.

  ª A
© 10 7 6
¨ A 5
§ A K 10 8 6 5 4
ª Q J 2
© J 9 8 5 3
¨ K Q J
§ Q 2
Bridge deal ª 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
© -
¨ 10 9 7 2
§ J 9
  ª K 3
© A K Q 4 2
¨ 8 6 4 3
§ 7 3

Open Room
West North East South
Whittaker Bocchi Steel Duboin
1© 2§ Pass 2¨
Pass 2© Pass 2NT
Pass 3NT All Pass  

Declarer won the opening diamond lead in dummy and cashed the top clubs, thirteen tricks and +520.

Closed Room
West North East South
Ferraro Cuthbertson De Falco Matheson
1© Dble 2ª 3NT
Pass 4§ Pass 4¨
Pass 4ª Pass 4NT
Pass 6NT All Pass  

Declarer ducked the opening diamond lead, won the continuation, crossed to hand with a heart and played a club. West put up the queen and declarer won with dummy's ace, returned to hand with a heart and played a second club. When West produced the two declarer was not fooled, going up with the king to score +990.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.

  ª K Q J 9 8 7 4
© 9
¨ A K 10
§ 9 7
ª -
© A K 10 8
¨ 9 7 6 5 4 2
§ A 4 2
Bridge deal ª 10 5 3 2
© Q J 6 5 2
¨ -
§ J 10 5 3
  ª A 6
© 7 4 3
¨ Q J 8 3
§ K Q 8 6

Open Room
West North East South
Whittaker Bocchi Steel Duboin
1¨ 4ª Pass Pass
Dble All Pass    

When West doubled East decided to stand his ground. He led the queen of hearts and West did not rise to the occasion in every sense of the word by allowing it to hold. In the cold light of day it is easy to say it is obvious to overtake and play a diamond, but the contract was made at several tables. East played a second heart so declarer could claim eleven tricks, +990.

Closed Room
West North East South
Ferraro Cuthbertson De Falco Matheson
1¨ 4ª Pass Pass
Dble All Pass    

This time East led the jack of hearts - his standard choice from this holding and also from J10 combinations, but with the ten of hearts in his hand West overtook it and returned the two of diamonds. Two ruffs and the ace of clubs later that was one down, +200 and further proof that Italy are a tough team to beat.


Page 2


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