Two of the strongest pre-championship favourites had made it into the Finals: LAVAZZA, the six-player squad from Italy, aided by Austrian Maria Erhart, would play STOPPA, the very experienced French team. They would meet in a relatively short match of 32 boards only, and from the pace they ran through the first 16 of them, one might think there only were 24 boards to play. Looking at the halftime score, however, the conclusion could only be that the match already was all over…

So below you will find a rather one-sided report of the one-way traffic that dominated the first half of the match.

On the first board, there was no swing, but it did not look a good omen for the French.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª K J 9 5 © A Q 7 5 2 ¨ Q 9 § J 8
ª Q 8 4 3 © 8 6 3 ¨ A K J 10 7 § 4		ª 7 6 © K 9 ¨ 6 4 2 § Q 10 9 6 3 2
	ª A 10 2 © J 10 4 ¨ 8 5 3 § A K 7 5

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Stretz	Versace	Serf	Cuzzi
	1©	Pass	2§
2¨	Pass	Pass	2©
Pass	2ª	Pass	4©
All Pass

Serf led the ¨2, so after cashing two tricks Stretz could switch to his singleton club, thus ensuring the ruff necessary to beat the contract. STOPPA +50.

At the other table, we saw a completely different picture:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	Stoppa	Lavazza	Avon
	1©	Pass	3NT
Pass	4©	All Pass

Avon's practical bid of 3NT shut out West and also induced East to lead a spade, thus solving one of declarer's problems. Stoppa might have continued the ©A and another, which would have been a successful line, but when he chose to cross to dummy's §A to take the heart finesse, not an irrational line at all, he was unlucky to go one down when Lavazza returned a club after winning her ©K. LAVAZZA +50 and no swing.

On the next board, STOPPA opened his account when the hand distribution proved too much for the Italians at both tables.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª A © Q 6 5 ¨ Q 8 6 5 4 § Q 6 4 3
ª Q 10 7 © 7 ¨ A K J 10 9 § J 10 8 5		ª K J 6 5 © J 10 9 4 2 ¨ 2 § A 9 7
	ª 9 8 4 3 2 © A K 8 3 ¨ 7 3 § K 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Stretz	Versace	Serf	Cuzzi
		Pass	Pass
1¨	Pass	1©	Pass
2§	Pass	2©	2ª
All Pass

Though Monica Cuzzi did well to go only one down, she had not chosen the right moment to balance. STOPPA +100.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	Stoppa	Lavazza	Avon
		Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1©	Pass
1NT	Pass	2§	Pass
2¨	Pass	2©	Pass
2NT	All Pass

Playing strong diamond, Duboin had to open 1§ which could conceal a good diamond holding. When Lavazza enquired further with 2§, there was no safe spot left. On a diamond lead to his jack, Duboin would easily have made his contract had he played spades first, as the ace comes down much more quickly than one would expect. As he could not see through the cards he finessed a club first, won the diamond return, took another club finesse and cashed the §A before tackling the spades. Now the defence had six tricks established. STOPPA another +50 and the first 4 imps of the match.

On board 4, both teams missed a chance, as both 6© and 6NT are cold (but 6ª fails on the heart ruff).

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Stretz	Versace	Serf	Cuzzi
1ª	Pass	2©	Pass
3©	Pass	4§	Pass
4ª	Pass	4NT	Pass
5¨	Pass	5©	All Pass

It looks as if West should have taken over the initiative at any time. All he needs is a reasonable heart suit and two aces. STOPPA +680.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	Stoppa	Lavazza	Avon
1§	Pass	1©	Pass
1ª	Pass	2§	Dble
3ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

Duboin showed 16-18 hcp. with six spades and three hearts, but apparently this message did not reach his partner in time. LAVAZZA +680 when Stoppa led a club rather than a heart.

A routine play to trick 1 created a swing on board 6:

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª A 8 © K J 8 6 4 ¨ 5 3 2 § A 8 3
ª K 5 3 © A 10 9 7 2 ¨ 7 § K 10 6 4		ª Q 10 2 © Q ¨ A J 8 6 4 § J 9 7 2
	ª J 9 7 6 4 © 5 3 ¨ K Q 10 9 § Q 5

At both tables, West was in 3§ and North led a trump. Duboin played low from dummy and Avon inserted the queen. Now Giorgio could win and set up a complete cross-ruff to get to eight tricks. As the defence had to give one spade trick in the end, he just scrambled home.

Stretz inserted dummy's nine on the club lead, but Cuzzi rightly played low. Now she could overruff the third round of hearts and play a spade to partner who could then play §A and another. One down. +110 and +100 meant 5 imps to LAVAZZA to level the match at this stage.

Then, the Italians launched an offensive. Here is board 7:

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

At both tables East was in 4ª and both Souths led a top club. When Stoppa gave count with the five, Avon switched to a diamond, so Lavazza's problems had disappeared. She lost two trumps and scored +620.

At the other table, Versace also gave count with the §5, but the Italian pair play reverse count. Holding four trumps, he wanted Cuzzi to continue clubs rather than give away the diamond position. So Cuzzi continued the §K ruffed by Serf. Dummy's hearts were unblocked and two top trumps followed, declarer discovering the bad break. Next came the ©A for a club discard and the last heart, ruffed and overruffed. North cashed his winning trump and had a safe exit now with the §Q, ruffed by declarer who then proceeded to misguess the diamonds for one down. A surprise 12 imps to LAVAZZA.

Three boards later 3NT was reached at both tables, but the outcome was quite different.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Stretz	Versace	Serf	Cuzzi
		1¨	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

North led a straightforward low heart for two undertricks. LAVAZZA +200.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	Stoppa	Lavazza	Avon
		1¨	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

The strong diamond did the job for the Italians here. 1ª showed two controls and the rest was natural. South led a straightforward low club for two overtricks. LAVAZZA +660 and 13 imps.

Then, a serious error at both tables.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª K J 10 9 8 7 © A K 9 6 3 ¨ 3 § 9
ª A 6 3 2 © 8 7 5 ¨ Q 8 6 § 5 4 2		ª 5 © Q ¨ A K 10 7 2 § A K Q J 10 6
	ª Q 4 © J 10 4 2 ¨ J 9 5 4 § 8 7 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Stretz	Versace	Serf	Cuzzi
			Pass
Pass	1ª	2NT	Pass
3¨	3©	3ª	4©
4ª	5©	6§	All Pass

This looks an easy enough contract. You win the spade lead, draw TWO rounds of trumps and check the diamonds. Maybe, the hand with the last trump also holds four diamonds. This routine play cannot cost when diamonds are 3-2, and wins the contract for you if they are 4-1 with the last trump in the same hand as the long diamonds. As this was the case, the contract was cold, but the French declarer still managed to go down as she drew three rounds of trumps…LAVAZZA +50.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	Stoppa	Lavazza	Avon
			Pass
Pass	1ª	2NT	Pass
3¨	3©	5§	All Pass

Far less bidding than at the other table. In fact, Duboin considered bidding the slam on the basis of his ªA, but he eventually passed. Lavazza, in 5§, did not bother to make the routine play of checking the diamonds after two rounds of trumps, but the difference was that she could not go down. LAVAZZA another +400 or 10 imps, instead of an 11-imp loss…

And on the very next board, once again an advantage gained and thrown away:

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª 9 2 © J 7 3 ¨ K 9 3 § A K 10 8 3
ª Q 7 5 3 © 10 5 4 ¨ A J 8 7 6 § 9		ª K 8 6 4 © A 9 6 ¨ 5 2 § Q 5 4 2
	ª A J 10 © K Q 8 2 ¨ Q 10 4 § J 7 6

Both teams in a stretched 3NT. Duboin had overcalled in diamonds as west, Stretz had not. The difference this time was that Duboin (West) decided to lead his own suit, diamonds, after which declarer made her contract by first knocking out the ©A and then taking the club finesse. Serf (East), on the other hand, led a spade as once again the contract was played from the other side of the table. Now declarer should go down if the defenders establish their spades as quickly as possible, but Stretz won the first spade with the queen and returned…a diamond. Curtains.

The score stood at 40-9 to LAVAZZA now, but worse was to happen when Stoppa forgot about a convention on the last board of the set.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª 6 5 © Q 8 5 2 ¨ 10 7 3 § A 5 4 3
ª K 8 4 © A J 9 6 ¨ K J 5 4 § Q J		ª 9 7 2 © K 7 4 3 ¨ A 9 8 6 § 10 6
	ª A Q J 10 3 © 10 ¨ Q 2 § K 9 8 7 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Stretz	Versace	Serf	Cuzzi
1NT	Pass	Pass	2¨
Pass	2©	Pass	2ª
All Pass

2¨ showed one major only, so Versace corrected to 2© as he had no preference. Cuzzi thus had to recorrect, but there were no further problems and one overtrick. LAVAZZA +140.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	Stoppa	Lavazza	Avon
1NT	Pass	Pass	2©
All Pass (?!)

Here, 2© was clearly meant as a transfer to spades, but Stoppa was not connected. The contract went down three for another 7-imp gain to LAVAZZA.

At halftime, the score stood at 51-9. It looked all over, and so it turned out.