| 47th European Bridge Team Championships | Page 2 | Bulletin 2 - Monday, 21 June 2004 |
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The Big Match While the Editor exercised his prerogative to watch Italy v France, Brian Senior looked in on our hosts, who faced Belgium. Italy is the hottest of favourites – would they be fast out of the blocks – and Sweden are expected to book a Bermuda Bowl spot.
Five Clubs needed several good things to happen, but the great shuffler had decreed otherwise. South led the five of clubs and declarer won with the ace and played the king of spades. South took the ace and switched to the jack of diamonds, covered by the queen, king and ace. Declarer tried to cash the queen of spades, but North ruffed, played a diamond to South’s ten and scored another ruff. There was still a heart to come, so that was three down and -150.
In the French system Two diamonds would have been game forcing, so West was free to pass Two Spades. Despite being three tricks lower, there was no way to cope with the lie of the cards and the contract had to go one down, -50, but three early IMPs for France.
South’s opening bid persuaded North to take a fifth heart, and with the queen of clubs onside eleven tricks were easy.
Some pairs have ways of showing two suited hands at a low level – but it made no difference to Giorgio Duboin who was not afraid to show his second suit at the five level. East’s double gave Italy 5 IMPs, and the lead.
South’s overcall put the question to East. 3NT was a possibility, but risked missing a spade fit. When Versace could only bid diamonds in response to the double Lauria must have feared the worse, but there was nowhere to go. He need not have worried. The opening lead of the queen of hearts was covered by the king and ace and declarer won the next heart in hand and played a diamond to the ten. The rest was easy, +130.
This hopeless contract was three down on a heart lead, -300 and 10 IMPs to Italy, now ahead 15-3. Sweden appeared to have a great result on this board when Sundelin/Sylvan bid to 3NT on the East/West cards and were allowed to make it when South led a spade. A club towards the queen produced four club tricks and nine in all for +600. However, this was the auction in the other room:
Magnus Lindkvist led the ©Q to the king and ace and Olivier Neve won the heart return with the jack. He played a diamond to the ten and had just two trumps to lose for +710 and 3 IMPs to Belgium. Even a club lead does not beat the contract – unless declarer judges to finesse, fearing that he has two heart losers – as the club loser can go on the third spade.
North looked no further than the unbid suit and South took the ace of clubs and returned the suit. Declarer won and must have been please to see the jack of clubs appear on the next round of the suit. He cashed his club winners and played a heart to the king. When that held he ducked a diamond to South’s queen, won the diamond return and cashed the other top diamond. When he played the queen of spades South covered, surrendering a couple of overtricks, +460.
North led the seven of spades to the king and ace. That removed an important entry from declarer’s hand, and when declarer not unnaturally played a diamond to the king and a club to the nine and jack the contract was doomed. The contract can be made, but only by the computer! Another eleven for Italy, and 26-3.
3Nt would have been easily defeated, so in a sense North/South did well to avoid that contract. However, Four Spades on the 5-2 fit was impossible and declarer finished two down. As you can see, Five Diamonds is very good, unbeatable as the cards lie. Perhaps South should rebid his suit, although the soft values might be regarded as a pointer the other way. Could the Italian pair do better?
Two Hearts was game forcing with spades and East’s double showed a doubleton heart honour. We would be moving in to deep waters to investigate what might happen if South passed rather than bid Two Spades, so maybe this hand is just too difficult. No swing. As half time approached France struck a significant blow:
Not only did Versace open, but he also gave a lot of thought to making another move. Maybe you are beginning to realize why Italy keep on winning – they almost never give their opponents an easy ride. East led the five of diamonds and West took the king and switched to a spade for the jack, queen and ace. Declarer tried a club to the king and East won and played back a spade. Declarer won and cashed a top heart, discovering the 5-0 split. He abandoned trumps, playing a club, and the defenders could not prevent declarer making his two small trumps for +80.
East hit the jackpot to the tune of +800 and 13 IMPs. Time to dropn in to the other match again:
The Belgians stopped in 3© at the other table, chalking up a painless +170. Against Fredin, Neve led the ¨2, Polish style. Fredin could have made his contract by rising with the ace of diamonds and playing on trumps immediately, but it looked like a free finesse and he duly put in the queen, losing to the king. Philippe Conraets switched to a spade to the ace and now a second diamond doomed declarer to defeat. When he played on hearts the third round of diamonds created a trump promotion for down one and 6 IMPs to Belgium when the same swing could have gone in the other direction. France picked up a swing in similar fashion on that deal and then had the effrontery to take the lead:
Declarer won the club lead in dummy and ran the queen of hearts to West, who won and played a second club. Declarer won in hand, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a spade, cashed the ace of diamonds and ruffed a diamond. When the king appeared he claimed, +1370.
Declarer made ten tricks, but France had 12 IMPs to lead 34-30.
When South protected Ron Tacchi, watching on Bridgebase, hazarded a shrewd guess that he must be showing hearts. Given the small number of points in the South hand we think we may be on to a good thing by offering a prize to anyone who protects on less during the course of the Championships. Duboin was rewarded when his partner had enough to go to game. East led a trump and West won and played ace and another diamond. Declarer won in dummy and played the queen of hearts to West, who exited with the two of clubs. Declarer went up with the ace, ruffed a club, drew the outstanding trump, crossed to dummy with a diamond and played the queen of clubs. When the king popped up he ruffed and took the spade finesse, +420.
South’s protection here was no less impressive than that
of his Italian counterpart.
East still has to play and if he discards a diamond declarer can discard a spade on West’s club continuation, ruff a diamond and claim. On the other hand if East discards a spade then declarer must ruff the club queen and advance the jack of spades. Very neat, but at this point declarer claimed! Nothing was said, but during the next hand East/West queried this. In due course a ruling was delivered, split results, -50 for France and -420 for Italy, which meant Italy had gained 10 IMPs.
In the other room Fredin was declarer as South after a 1NT opening from West. Neve cashed a top trump and switched to the two of clubs. Fredin won the §A and played the queen of hearts to Neve’s king. He continued with a second club to the jack and ruff and Fredin drew the last trump then played a spade to the queen, cashed the ªA and ruffed a spade. A diamond to the king and a second spade ruff was followed by a second diamond up and that was ten tricks.
A rock solid auction from the Italians to a contract that could not be touched, +550.
In Belgium v Sweden, both Easts played in 3NT after South had overcalled in spades and West made a negative double. Labaere led the queen of spades, hoping that his side would get in before declarer had nine tricks. He was to be disappointed, of course; +400. Peter Fredin found the spectacular lead of the king of hearts and, of course, continued hearts when that was ducked. Of course, any heart would have done the job, but the king added a tiny extra chance in case declarer had a singleton honour. That was done one for –50 and 10 IMPs to Sweden. The official score was 50-36 to Italy, but counting the ruling the result in Victory points was 18-10. Take my word for it, no one will stop Italy. |
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