Turkey v Italy – Open Round 21

by Jos Jacobs

When play started on Tuesday morning, Italy and Sweden were leading the table, 58 VPs and 38 VPs clear of third-placed Turkey. Poland were fourth, 2 VPs behind Turkey, and 8 VPs ahead of The Netherlands. So very definitely the Turkey-Italy match was a big one, well worth watching, but with more at stake for Turkey than for Italy.

Right from the start, it looked as if it would be the old Italian story once again:

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Fantoni	Assael	Nunes
	Pass	1¨	2ª
3NT	All Pass

In a sense, Nafiz Zorlu was right in bidding a sort of gambling 3NT, as the overcaller’s partner might well have had the missing outside entry, the ©A. Justice was done, however, when Fantoni also happened to hold a fourth spade to put the contract down two on the automatic spade lead; Italy +100.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Versace	Pehlivan	Lauria	Uzum
	Pass	1¨	2ª
2NT	3ª	3NT	Pass
4ª	Pass	5§	Pass
5¨	All Pass

Versace showed how to tackle a hand like this. When Lauria could bid 3NT voluntarily, Versace even thought about slam for a moment, but when Lauria could not move over 5¨ the Italians once again had reached the top spot. There were no problems in the play once the ©A was right’ Italy +400 and the first big swing of the match, 11 IMPs.

On Board 2, both sides bid and made a fine slam but then:

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Fantoni	Assael	Nunes
1©	Pass	3©	Pass
4©	All Pass

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Versace	Pehlivan	Lauria	Uzum
1©	Pass	3§	Pass
4©	All Pass

It was the same contract in both rooms, basically bid along the same lines. The play made the difference, this time.

	Claudio Nunes, Italy

In the Open Room, Ozcan Pehlivan, North for Turkey, led a diamond, which enabled Versace to win the king, draw trumps and play a low club to dummy’s nine which held the trick! Now, a spade went on the ¨A and Versace led another club off the board, inserting the ten from hand. North could do no better than play a spade himself now, so Versace had brought home the contract with an overtrick for 650 to Italy.

In the Closed Room, Fantoni led a spade from his doubleton to Nunes’ ace. At his turn, Nunes continued a club from his doubleton, Fantoni winning the §J and the §A before returning a club on which Nunes could over-ruff the dummy. That was another effortless +100 to Italy and 13 more IMPs.
After four boards, it read Italy 24 Turkey 0.

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Fantoni	Assael	Nunes
		Pass	1NT
Pass	2§	Pass	2¨
Pass	3NT	All Pass

When Zorlu led a low club, Nunes had ample time to drive out the ªA and come to the nine tricks required.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Versace	Pehlivan	Lauria	Uzum
		Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Versace struck gold when he led the ©A. He continued to clear the suit, thereby putting the contract down two as Lauria held the entry to cash his remaining heart tricks. Tha meant one down, Italy +50 again and 10 IMPs to lead 34-0 after six boards. It looked all over again.

The action itself was almost all over, as on the next eight boards Turkey just managed 4 IMPs on overtricks, taking the score to 35-4 to Italy. The advantage was, however, that they were playing at lightning speed, so it took them little time to set the house on fire again on this one:

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª J 3 © Q 8 6 4 2 ¨ 8 § K J 7 5 2
ª Q 10 6 © A 5 ¨ Q 5 4 3 2 § 10 9 3		ª A K 9 8 7 2 © K J ¨ 7 § A Q 8 4
	ª 5 4 © 10 9 7 3 ¨ A K J 10 9 6 § 6

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Fantoni	Assael	Nunes
			Pass
Pass	Pass	1ª	2¨
2ª	Pass	4¨	Pass
4©	Pass	4NT	Pass
5¨	Pass	5©	Pass
6ª	All Pass

Well, Assael did have a fair hand, but a slam depending on two finesses both being right is asking too much, generally speaking. This time, the gods were looking down benignly on Turkey and thus had decided to deal both the §K and the §J to North. As a result of this divine inspiration, Turkey chalked up a heavenly +980.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Versace	Pehlivan	Lauria	Uzum
			Pass
Pass	Pass	1ª	2¨
2ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

More down to earth bidding let the Italians stay on firm ground in 4ª this time. Italy scored +480 but that gave a much-needed 11 IMPs to Turkey who trailed by 15-35 now.

The Italian revenge was sweet and swift:

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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Fantoni	Assael	Nunes
1ª	2§	3§	3©
4§	4©	5¨	5©
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

Zorlu led the ©A and continued with his singleton club. Dummy played low, East won the king and returned the §2, ruffed by Zorlu with his ace. He proceeded with the ¨9 to the queen and king. However, when Assael next tried to cash the ¨A, Nunes ruffed, drew the last trump and had the rest. That was down only two, a very profitable save to Italy; Turkey +300. If the defenders get all their tricks, as they might on a spade lead, down five would have been the outcome, which would still have brought Italy 8 IMPs.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Versace	Pehlivan	Lauria	Uzum
1ª	2§	2NT	Pass
4ª	Pass	4NT	Pass
5¨	Pass	5©	Pass
5NT	Pass	6ª	All Pass

The lead was the §A and another club. Versace ruffed the second trick in hand, drew trumps, cashed the ¨A, threw a diamond loser on the §K and played off all his trumps. In the end, North was squeezed in the minors, not being able to hold on to both his top club and the diamond guard.

It should be noted that a diamond lead breaks the squeeze, as North can continue diamonds when in with the §A. Still it was another +1430 for Italy and 15 IMPs more.

And the final knock-out, one board from the end:

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª A J © 4 2 ¨ A 10 8 7 6 5 3 § 7 6
ª Q 8 7 2 © K 9 7 6 ¨ Q 2 § K 5 4		ª 10 9 5 4 3 © A ¨ K 4 § A J 10 9 8
	ª K 6 © Q J 10 8 5 3 ¨ J 9 § Q 3 2

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Fantoni	Assael	Nunes
			2©
Pass	2ª	Dble	2NT
3ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

After this destructive bidding, Fantoni led ¨A other diamond. Now, Nunes could score his ªK separately by ruffing a diamond after Fantoni got the lead with the ªJ when declarer next led trumps. The contract was down one for Italy +100.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Versace	Pehlivan	Lauria	Uzum
			2©
Pass	3¨	Dble	Pass
3©	Pass	4©	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Ozcan Pehlivan, Turkey

Lauria’s 4© cuebid offered a choice of games and Versace was happy to bid 4ª. Against this contract, Pehlivan led the ©4, his partner’s suit, won perforce by dummy’s ace. A low trump went to the jack and Pehlivan now played ¨A and another, but it was too late. Dummy’s king won and on the next round of trumps, the opponents’ remaining honours tumbled. The last hurdle to be taken was to locate the position of the §Q. Versace ruffed the heart return, crossed in trumps, cashed the ©K and ruffed his last heart to find out more about the distribution of the hand. Assuming that it would be South who held the club length, he continued by playing §A, §J from dummy. When this held, yet another game contract had come home on superior declarer play after second best defence; Italy +620 and 12 more IMPs.

The final score thus had become, when the match ended very early, Italy 63 Turkey 15, a tremendous 25-5 VP win for the reigning champions, who so far have been carrying their burden (defending the title) seemingly without any effort at all, certainly in this match.