Entering the final set of the Open Teams round-robin, the team from England captained by Tony Forrester stood in fourth place in Group C. Since only the top three would go on to the A Swiss segment of play, Forrester and company were hopeful of moving up with a good showing over the last 10 boards of the round-robin.

Fortunately for the English team, they had an opportunity to play a team ahead of them. In fact, it was Angelini 2, sitting in first place. The lineups were Forrester-Andrew McIntosh versus Benito Garozzo-Nicola Del Buono at one table and Andrew Robson-David Bakhshi versus Fulvio Fantoni-Claudio Nunes at the other.

Of note was the fact that the top four teams in the group were playing each other: Angelini 2 at No. 1 versus No. 4 Forrester, while No. 2 Reps played No. 3 Catellani.

Both tables started with Board 6, a push that might have been a gain for the Italians.

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

West	North	East	South
McIntosh	Garozzo	Forrester	Del Buono
		1©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	Pass
4©	All Pass

A club or a heart lead leaves declarer with no chance, and Del Buono started with a low club to the 10, 7 and 8. The ©A was next, followed by a low heart from dummy. North won the ©Q, cashed the ©K and got out with a club to East’s ace. Declarer played a low spade from hand, and South won the king, getting out with a club. Declarer ruffed the §K but could not avoid the loss of a diamond. That was minus 100.

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Robson	Fantoni	Bakhshi
		1NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

The 1NT opener was 12-14 (1© promises 14 or more HCP) and landed Fantoni in a cold contract. He did not manage nine tricks, however. Bakhshi led a low club to the 10, 2 and 8. Fantoni started well by playing the ©A, but he erred by playing the ¨Q at trick three. Robson did not cover (renewing Fantoni’s chance to make the contract) and the queen won the trick. At that point, Fantoni could make the contract by playing a low heart to North and, on winning the next trick with the §A, play on spades, getting his extra trick in that suit before South could get the clubs unblocked. He would finish with three hearts, two clubs, two diamonds and two spades.
In reality, Fantoni won the §A and played another round of hearts. Robson was in, cashed the §K and exited with a spade, scuttling the contract.

The following deal was another missed chance for the Italians.

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

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Robson	Fantoni	Bakhshi
			1ª
2©	Dble	3¨	3ª
All Pass

Nunes started with the ©A, switching to a low club at trick two. Bakhski did not think very long before putting up dummy’s king. The ©J was next, and when the 9 appeared from East, Bakhski was soon claiming 10 tricks for plus 170.

West	North	East	South
McIntosh	Garozzo	Forrester	Del Buono
			4ª
Pass	Pass	Pass

McIntosh starter with the ©A, switching to a diamond at trick two. Del Buono ruffed, cashed the ªA and played a heart from hand. McIntosh won and played the ªQ to declarer’s ace. With both of his hearts good, it came down to a guess in the club suit for Del Buono, who played three more rounds of spades and his two heart winners before trying clubs, misguessing by putting in the jack. Minus 100 meant 7 IMPs to Forrester.

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

West	North	East	South
McIntosh	Garozzo	Forrester	Del Buono
	1¨	Dble	Redbl
1©	Pass	Pass	1NT
All Pass

Del Buono’s redouble showed 9-11 high-card points. With diamonds breaking favorably, he did not struggle to take seven tricks for plus 90.

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Robson	Fantoni	Bakhshi
	1¨	Dble	Redbl
1©	Dble	Pass	1NT
Pass	Pass	2©	All Pass

Robson’s double was alerted as showing four hearts or zero or one hearts. The defenders have six tricks, but one of them got away. The opening lead of a heart went to declarer’s hand, and he ran the ª8, ducked by Bakhski. Another spade to the 10 was again ducked (Robson had given the wrong count in the suit), and South’s ace was ruffed out, providing a parking place for one of West’s losing diamonds. That was 110 and 5 IMPs to Italy.

Another 2 IMPs went to Angelini 2 on Board 2, and on Board 3 both sides landed in a poor slam that just happens to make for plus 980.

The deal that settled the issue was the following.

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

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Robson	Fantoni	Bakhshi
3§	Dble	Pass	3¨
Pass	3©	Pass	3ª
Pass	4§	Pass	4¨
Pass	5¨	All Pass

This contract is unbeatable. In fact, it takes a heart lead and spade switch to defeat 6¨. Nunes started with the §Q, ruffed in dummy. Bakhski called for a low heart from dummy at trick two, and Fantoni went up with the ace (it would not have mattered if he had ducked), switching to the ªQ at trick three. Nunes ruffed, but that was it for the defenders. Bakhski ruffed the club continuation, cashed the ¨Q, then ruffed a heart, played a spade to the ace and ruffed another heart. When the ©K came down, declarer could claim his vulnerable game. Had Fantoni played low on the first lead of hearts, Bakhski could later have ruffed out the ace.

At the other table, the deal turned out to be a disaster for the Italians.

West	North	East	South
McIntosh	Garozzo	Forrester	Del Buono
3§	Dble	Pass	3¨
Pass	4§	5§	Dble
All Pass

Del Buono’s double of 5§ is difficult to understand – and it certainly didn’t work out well. Garozzo started with the ªA and McIntosh soon was chalking up plus 950 for making an overtrick.

He ruffed the spade, gave up a diamond, won the heart continuation in hand, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a spade, played a trump to dummy, ruffed another spade, establishing the long spade, on which his losing heart was parked.

The only lead to defeat 6§, as it happens, is a heart, with a heart continuation when in with a diamond, breaking up the inevitable major-suit squeeze on North.

As you can imagine, the results on this deal were many and varied, but the worst no doubt was recorded by a squad in the Senior Teams. The unknown players managed to record minus 1540 at both tables for 6§ doubled, making, and 6¨ doubled, also making. The loss of 3080 was a 22-IMP setback for the unlucky (?) squad. Both slams, as has been noted, can be defeated with heart leads.

Board 4 proved to be a 17-IMP loss for Angelini 2, who lost the match 27-7. It was not enough, however, to knock them out of the A Swiss. They and the Forrester team tied with 111 Victory Points to finish second and third behind the Reps team.