Italy v Belgium – Open Round 13

Going into this match, Italy were in the lead, having scored 144 out of 150 VPs in their previous six matches, including four 25s. The experienced Belgian team had meanwhile moved quietly into fourth place. This would be a good test of the seriousness of the Belgian challenge.

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

West	North	East	South
Versace	Kaplan	Lauria	Polet
	1§	1¨	1ª
2¨	Pass	Pass	Dble
Rdbl	2ª	Pass	4ª
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Neve	Bocchi	Conraets	Duboin
	1NT	Pass	2©
Pass	2ª	Pass	3NT
Pass	4ª	All Pass

System made a big difference to this first board. Bocchi had an easy time in 4ª played from the North hand on a diamond lead to his queen. He played a spade to the ten, ducked, then a second spade to Olivier Neve’s king. Neve’s club switch speeded the play up considerably as it went to the jack, queen and king. Neve won the next spade and played a second club and Bocchi claimed eleven tricks for +450.

	Guy Polet, Belgium

At the other table Guy Polet was declarer as South and that was much more taxing after a diamond lead through the ace-queen. He rose with the ace and played three rounds of hearts, ruffing, then a spade to the ten and ace. Back came the jack of diamonds for the queen and king and Lauria played back another diamond. Polet ruffed and played a spade to dummy’s nine, ran the jack of clubs then played a club to the king followed by a trump. When Versace won that he had a heart left with which to force declarer so there was a trump for the defence; down one for –50 and 11 IMPs to Italy.

To succeed as the cards lay, declarer needed to be able to run the clubs so as to avoid the necessity of taking a heart ruff, thereby avoiding establishing West’s fourth heart for the late force. That seems impossible after winning at trick one as the ace of diamonds is the only sure entry to dummy and without a first-round club finesse the suit cannot be run. If declarer takes the club finesse at trick two he rates to run into a club ruff. The best chance would seem to be to duck the opening lead as East wins and cannot hurt declarer. Say he switches to a heart, declarer can now afford three rounds of a hearts, then a spade, ducked, and another spade. West wins and plays a diamond to the ace and now comes the club finesse, a club to the king and another spade. Now declarer is OK.

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

West	North	East	South
Versace	Kaplan	Lauria	Polet
			1©
Pass	2§	Pass	3§
Pass	4©	Pass	5¨
Pass	6©	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Neve	Bocchi	Conraets	Duboin
			1©
Pass	2§	Pass	2NT
Pass	4©	All Pass

Six Hearts is a thoroughly bad contract, as it requires a third club winner even after avoiding a diamond lead and bringing in the trumps without loss. It has one merit, however, in that the cards lie such that the slam is cold on the spade lead that was found at both tables; +480 for Italy but +980 to Belgium and 11 IMPs. Clearly someone did too much in the Belgian auction, presumably North, but let us not quarrel with success.

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

West	North	East	South
Versace	Kaplan	Lauria	Polet
		1§	Pass
1NT	Pass	2§	Pass
3§	3¨	4§	4¨
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Neve	Bocchi	Conraets	Duboin
		1§	Pass
1¨	Pass	1©	Pass
2§	2¨	Pass	3§
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Lauria knew that Versace would have clubs for his natural 1NT response and the Italian pair competed up to the four level. That would have been expensive had anyone been able to double, but Kaplan/Polet had not yet finished finding their diamond fit and competed to 4¨. The winning spade finesse meant eleven tricks for +150.
Neve’s 1¨ response was also natural and it kept Bocchi quiet at his first turn. However, it is difficult to keep these Italians quiet for long and Bocchi overcalled at his next turn then tried 3NT when Duboin showed a good diamond raise. This time the spade finesse was good enough for +400 and 6 IMPs to Italy.

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

Both North/Souths bid it 1NT – 3NT and both Easts led a low spade. Declarer played low so West won the ªQ and returned the suit to the ace, then East played the ª10 to dummy’s king. Both declarers now ran the queen of diamonds to the king.

	Norberto Bocchi, Italy

Conraets defended in simple style, winning the ¨K and leading his last spade to Neve’s eight. Neve switched to a heart and Bocchi rose with the ace and cashed the diamonds. That squeezed Conraets between his club stopper and the ©K and Bocchi had nine tricks for +600.

Upon winning the king of diamonds, Lauria did not cash the defensive spade trick, instead returning a diamond. On the run of the diamonds he unconcernedly gave up the club guard and Alain Kaplan crossed to dummy in clubs to take the heart finesse. That was one down, of course, as Lauria now ‘discovered a fourth spade; –100 and 12 IMPs to Italy. That was very nicely done by Lauria on defence and by Bocchi for reading the play and judging that West would probably not lead away from the ©Q when not being certain that declarer held the ©J.

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

West	North	East	South
Versace	Kaplan	Lauria	Polet
Pass	2¨	Pass	2NT
Pass	3¨	Dble	4ª
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Neve	Bocchi	Conraets	Duboin
Pass	2ª	Pass	2NT
Pass	3NT	Pass	4ª
All Pass

This one was decided by system. The natural weak two bid saw the spade game played by North and Conraets made the normal lead of his singleton heart. Bocchi won the ace and cashed two top spades then passed the ten of hearts; ten tricks for +420.

Kaplan’s multi saw the same contract reached from the other side of the table. Even without the lead-directing double, West might well lead a diamond. With the double it was automatic and ¨K followed by ¨Q and a club switch in response to partner’s playing the two lowest diamonds established the fourth defensive winner for when the heart finesse lost; down one for –50 and 10 more IMPs to Italy.

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

West	North	East	South
Versace	Kaplan	Lauria	Polet
		Pass	Pass
1§	1©	Dble	Pass
1NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Neve	Bocchi	Conraets	Duboin
		Pass	Pass
1§	1©	Pass	1ª
Pass	2©	All Pass

Lauria made a negative double and that silenced Polet so that Kaplan had no reason to bid again over Versace’s 1NT rebid. Kaplan led the queen of hearts and Versace won and played a club to the ace and a second club to the jack then rattled off the clubs. Then he played the ©9 to Kaplan’s king. Back came the jack of diamonds, run to the king, and now Versace had two hearts to cash as Kaplan had thrown too many of those away on the clubs; +150.

Conraets did not find the negative double and Duboin responded with the South hand. Bocchi rebid his hearts and played there, losing two trumps, one diamond and two clubs for +110 and 6 IMPs to Italy.

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

West	North	East	South
Versace	Kaplan	Lauria	Polet
1¨	Pass	1ª	Pass
1NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Neve	Bocchi	Conraets	Duboin
1¨	Pass	1©	Pass
2©	All Pass

Italy had a natural auction to 1NT. With his two four-card suits bid by the opposition, Kaplan decided to try the effect of leading the ten of hearts. Polet put up the king and Versace ducked. He won the ©J continuation with the ace and played the §K from hand, collecting the jack from North. When Polet ducked, Versace switched his attention to hearts, Kaplan winning the queen and leading his remaining club to the ace. Polet switched to the ª8 now but on this lay-out there was no way to get more than three tricks in that suit and Versace claimed the rest for +90.

Conraets decided to try a little diversion and responded in his three-card heart suit, attracting a simple raise from Neve. Nobody had anything to add to that and Duboin led the ¨6 to the ten and king. It looks as though declarer does best to start on trumps now but in practice Conraets led to the king of clubs then a second club to the jack, queen and ace. Bocchi was given a club ruff and he then switched to ace and another spade to the king. The fourth club allowed Bocchi to get a second ruff and there were still two trumps to lose; down two for –100 and 5 IMPs to Italy.

That was almost the end of the scoring. Italy ran out comfortable winners by 59-18 IMPs, 23-7 VPs, and moved still further clear at the top of the standings.