IMAGINATIVE DEFENCE

By Andrea Pagani (Italy)

Stelio di Bello of Italy is already a professional player on the Lavazza team. This defence from Round 17, when Italy met France on VuGraph, showed his skill and imagination

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

Furio led the king of clubs against West’s Four Hearts. Stelio overtook wýth the ace and played the two of diamonds at the speed of light. Declarer won the ace, and was tempted into trying to get rid of his losing club by takýng the spade fýnesse. This lost to the king and Stelio continued wýth the queen of diamonds. West won and played the jack of trumps, for the queen, king and ace. South now continued with a small club for an entry to partner’s hand and Furio returned a third diamond for South to ruff! Two down when declarer can make his game by guessing the trump suit accurately.

This great defence was wasted when, at the other table, France was allowed to make Four Spades doubled on the N/S cards.

The Smallest Finesse?

By Martin Schaltz (Denmark)

In yesterday’s Round 23 match on VuGraph between Russia and Italy, a revealing bid by Biondo helped Marina Kelina of Russia to her ninth trick with a special club finesse:

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

Norwegian Team Profile

Thomas Charlsen (25)

is the most experienced player in the team. He has won the European Championships once, and been twice second in the World Championships. Last year he also won the Norwegian team championships. He is working in an insurance company. In the beginning of August he will become a father.

Olav Ellestad (22)

is studying economics in Bergen and plays for the first time on the junior team. Interest outside bridge is studies (!) and movies. He partners Thomas, and if he does something wrong, he gets free lessons from Charlie boy, however, not without noise.

Stig Roar Hakkebo (22)

has been studying economics in Trondheim and will continue his studies in Bodø this fall. He partnered Ronny in the school championships in Vienna two years ago. Besides bridge he likes watching movies and music.

Gunnar Harr (23)

is studying economics in Tromsø, which is also his hometown. He has won the Norwegian Junior Championships twice. He has been fourth in the Europeans Championships and fifth in the Word Championships. He likes listening to music.

Nils Kåre Kvangraven (22)

finished his studies so far this spring, and will work as an auditor in Oslo after the championships. He has been fourth in the European Championships and fifth in the Word Championships. He is an addicted OK-bridge player.

Ronny Jørstad (22)

finished his studies this spring and will work as a real estate broker in his hometown Skien. He partnered Stig Roar in the school championships in Vienna two years ago. Interests are outdoor and social activities.

Coach Arhhur Malinowski (32)

works in the Norwegian Bridge Federation. He is a former participant of the Polish junior team.

NPC Sven Olai Høyland (39)

is an assistant professor in computer science at Bergen College of Engineering. He has won the Norwegian pairs and team championships four times and played twice on the open Norwegian team with moderate results. This is his first time as npc.

In the Closed Room North led the queen of hearts taken by declarer’s king. Furio di Bello wanted to find out whether the king of spades was onside before deciding how to play the clubs.

So he began with a spade to the queen. This lost so he needed four tricks from the club suit and therefore started by playing the ace and king. When North showed out he had only seven tricks and went two off.

In the Open Room the lead was also the queen of hearts but declarer had the extra information from Biondo’s One Club together with the fact that North had chosen a heart lead and not a club.

Kelina won the king of hearts, and played immediately a heart to the ten, which held. Then she tried the jack of clubs from dummy, which was covered by the queen and king. Noting the fall of the eight from North, declarer returned to dummy with a heart and led the four of clubs.

Biondo smoothly played the three. After a small break from Kelina, she decided to let it run. When the four held she had her nine tricks.

I was not surprised that Biondo opened the bidding on his nine points. I was just puzzled that he did not choose to open One Diamond, his better suit!

Dror Lellouche reports from the Schools match between Israel and France that his partner Ron Hoffman made 3NT on this deal without the help of any opposition bidding, in an equally meritorious fashion.

He bid to 3NT (1NT-3NT) on a top heart lead and immediately led to the queen of spades - had it held, he would have safety-played the clubs of course by cashing the ace and leading to the jack.

When South, Delmas of France took the king of spades and returned a diamond, Hoffman ducked and ducked the next diamond as well. He took the third diamond and was faced with a guess as to what to do in the club suit. He correctly determined that the fact that North had long hearts (the play to the first trick had marked him with five cards) and three or more diamonds made him likely to be short in clubs.

So he played a low club to the nine. When that held, he cashed the ace of clubs, finding the bad news, then took the ace of spades, and led a diamond to the ace. This strip-squeezed South into pitching his winning spade, and Hoffman endplayed him with the fourth diamond to lead up to the jack of clubs at trick twelve. Very nicely done!

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