Round Robin, final round

By Jos Jacobs

In section A of the Round Robins, the leaders Allegra had to play Herkules in the last round. The Italians had scored 85 V.P. from 4 matches and were 14 V.P. ahead of Modalfa, whereas Herkules were in 3rd position with 61 V.P., 10 behind the Dutch who had recovered remarkably well from their heavy defeat against Allegra in the morning match. So only a big win would do the Swedes any good, even more so as the Dutch looked favourites to beat Denmark in their last match and thus secure qualification without any help from their friends.

Herkules had the good start they needed when the Italians overbid badly on the first board:

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Nystrom	Buratti	Bertheau
	1¨	Pass	1©
1ª	2§	Pass	2¨
Pass	2©	All Pass

The Swedish relay system coped effectively with all the traps of this hand. The final contract of 2© was safe, even against the 5-1 trump break. Herkules +140.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	D'Avossa	Sundelin	Ferraro
	1§	Pass	2¨
Pass	2©	Pass	2ª
Dble	Redble	Pass	3¨
Pass	3ª	Pass	4©
Pass	5¨	All Pass

On misfit hands, bidding carefully often produces better results than overstretching. This certainly was one of those cases: 5¨ had no chance and quickly went down two. Herkules another +100 and the first 6 IMPs of the many they would need.

A larger amount of those much-needed IMPs came in for them a few boards later:

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Nystrom	Buratti	Bertheau
Pass	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	3©	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Without any clue from the auction (2© had been a relay and 3© showed shortness in the suit and a maximum hand), Lanzarotti led a heart to the ten and declarer’s queen. Bertheau now played back the ©9. When this held, he could even afford the diamond safety-play, ducking in dummy when his ¨10 was covered with the jack. West switched to the §Q which was allowed to hold, and next played a spade to partner’s ace. Buratti’s spade return settled the issue for nine tricks, Herkules +600.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	D'Avossa	Sundelin	Ferraro
Pass	1¨	Pass	1©
Pass	2¨	Pass	3§
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Here, North had become the declarer and Sundelin made the good lead of the ª7 rather than a club. Three rounds of spades put dummy on lead with the ªQ. D’Avossa next cashed the diamonds, but when they did not break the contract was doomed. He continued with a heart to the nine, but Sylvan could take the king and simply cash two more winners for down one. Herkules +100 and 12 more IMPs.

The next board might have been another Swedish gain, it seems:

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Nystrom	Buratti	Bertheau
	Pass	1©	2©
Pass	2NT	3©	4¨
Pass	5¨	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

West led a heart to the jack and East continued the suit. A third heart was ruffed by South with the jack, and from here there are 11 tricks on a complete cross-ruff. Bertheau however put his money on the spade finesse after seeing the trump break, which would have worked had he taken the ruffing finesse. His line of taking the finesse through East could easily have been successful as well, as the bidding seemed to mark East with quite a number of the missing high cards, in spite of West’s double. Not this time, however: 200 to Allegra.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	D'Avossa	Sundelin	Ferraro
	Pass	1©	3§
Dble	4¨	4©	5§
Dble	Pass	Pass	Redble
Pass	5¨	6§	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

This should have been a profitable save as 5¨ can be made, as we saw. It cost the Swedes another 300, which amounted to 11 IMPs to Allegra.

The next board was a push, but both sides would at one table consider it a good board for themselves, I assume:

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Nystrom	Buratti	Bertheau
		Pass	Pass
1§	1©	Dble	1NT
Pass	3§	Dble	Pass
3©	Pass	Pass	4§
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

Buratti led his §Q, but it did not help. Bertheau could not lose more than two spades and a trump. Herkules +510.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	D'Avossa	Sundelin	Ferraro
		Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	2§	Dble
2©	Pass	4©	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

A perfectly straightforward auction to a perfectly straightforward contract. Alas, either opponent could make his presence felt and that was 500 to Allegra. No swing.

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Nystrom	Buratti	Bertheau
			1NT
Pass	4§	Dble	4©
4NT	Pass	5§	Dble
All Pass

5§ is the right spot for a save. The save itself is right as 4© will be made with South as declarer: East cannot lead his singleton diamond. So par was reached with one down, +100 to Herkules.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	D'Avossa	Sundelin	Ferraro
			1§
1¨	1ª	Pass	2¨
Pass	3©	3ª	4©
4ª	Dble	All Pass

This is not the best spot, though it’s one level lower than 5§. On repeated heart leads declarer will get short in trumps before the clubs are established. When Ferraro returned a low club rather than a heart after winning his first top trump, he had given away a vital tempo and in fact an overtrick too! Herkules another (surprise) +690 and 13 more IMPs to lead by 24 now.

At this point in the match, rumours were that Denmark were leading Modalfa by a margin, big enough to see the Swedes through to the semis if they held on to their current lead. Tension was growing all round…

But half the lead went off on the next board by an ill-timed double:

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Nystrom	Buratti	Bertheau
1©	1ª	3©	4ª
All Pass

Straightforward bidding by both sides here. With nothing to guide him, who can blame declarer for going down after a club lead? Allegra +200.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	D'Avossa	Sundelin	Ferraro
1©	1ª	4©	4ª
Dble	All Pass

Well, on a good day 4ª might go down a lot, but the chances are that partner is void of the suit, in which case the double might be the road map declarer needs. It certainly was this time, as D’Avossa very quickly finessed twice against West’s ªJ to land his contract. Allegra +790 and 14 IMPs back.

On the very next board, careless partscore declarer play gave Herkules 7 more IMPs and then, a few boards later, the Swedes outbid their opponents at both tables:

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Nystrom	Buratti	Bertheau
Pass	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	3§	Pass	3NT
All Pass

2© was relay again and 3§ showed a feature in sort of a minimum hand. Very well bid by the Swedes to an excellent contract with nine top tricks.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	D'Avossa	Sundelin	Ferraro
1ª	2¨	2NT	3ª
Pass	4¨	All Pass

Johan Sylvan’s light opening bid and PO’s constructive raise made it very difficult for the Italians to find their NT game. Guido Ferraro did his best with 3ª, but when D’Avossa could not move the game was lost and Sweden had scored another 7 IMPs to lead by 24 again.

Two boards later, the final margin was reached when the Italians outbid the Swedes, for a change, at both tables:

Board 18. Dealer East, NS Vul.
	ª A 10 3 2 © 10 7 ¨ A 8 7 4 3 § 10 5
ª Q 7 5 4 © J 8 5 4 2 ¨ K § 9 6 4		ª K J 9 © Q 9 6 3 ¨ J 6 5 § A J 8
	ª 8 6 © A K ¨ Q 10 9 2 § K Q 7 3 2

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Nystrom	Buratti	Bertheau
		1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2©	All Pass

A clear success for the weak NT. Game is on for NS as the cards lie, but they did not enter the auction. On the lead of the ©AK and a low club continuation, declarer even managed to make his contract for +110 to Allegra.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	D'Avossa	Sundelin	Ferraro
		1§	Pass
1¨	Pass	1©	Dble
2NT	3ª	Pass	4§
Pass	4¨	All Pass

Once Ferraro could double at the second attempt, D’Avossa could no longer be shut out. 4¨ is a fair contract as you will probably lose a spade, a club and a trump. On the normal heart lead, the favourable breaks in both minors enable declarer to establish clubs quickly without having to lose a trump trick, so 12 tricks were easily made. Allegra another +170 and 7 IMPs back to trail by 17 now.

One more Imp went Herkules’ way on the last board, so the final score of the match became 51-33 to Herkules, a 19-11 win in V.P. As the Dutch had recovered a bit to lose by 12-18 only, the latter had gone through to the semis after all. It would be Computerland AZS (Poland) v. Modalfa (Netherlands) as the two Italian teams had to meet in the other semifinal.