Italy vs South Korea Revisited

This was the match that really mattered, and during Italy's 7th Round match many references were made to it, by players, spectators, directors, caddies and even foreigners. At halftime, Italy were leading 1-0 and looking comfortable. The match in fact had a sensational start, with South Korea getting a penalty after three minutes when more than one Italian ran down more than one Korean in the penalty area with the ball nowhere near. When Buffon elegantly stopped the penalty (his specialty) an audible sigh of relief went through the whole of God's own bridge country. Was this an omen, a message of the gods, about what they had in store for us, poor bridge players?

The organisers of these Championships had decided to put the Italy v. Netherlands match in the match schedule in such a way that it would partly coincide with The Real Thing discussed above. How could they know beforehand that Italy, for reasons only known by the FIFA referees, would not win their qualifying group and thus would have to play at 13.30 hrs. instead of a peaceful 8.30 hrs? Rumours were that it was decided NOT to show this match on Vu-Graph because of a strike threat by the Vu-Graph personnel. Well, looking at the long Italian tradition with these "scioperi" this may or may not be true, but the few foreigners who had undertaken the long journey to the Vu-Graph Auditorium thus were deprived of a wonderful match to watch. Below, we are pleased to report a selection from the many beautiful hands that came along.

Right on the first board, Muller-De Wijs made their intentions clear to Bocchi-Duboin:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Jansma	Sementa	Verhees	Versace
	Pass	1NT	Pass
2©	Pass	2ª	All Pass

Here, Sementa-Versace had left their opponents in peace at 2ª for a quiet +140 to the Netherlands.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	De Wijs	Bocchi	Muller
	Pass	1§	Pass
1NT	Pass	2§	Pass
2ª	Dble	Pass	4©
Pass	Pass	4ª	Dble
All Pass

Simon de Wijs did well to make a very aggressive take-out double with his good distribution. From then on, it was very difficult to judge who could make what. Muller, holding no wasted values in spades either, could not believe his partner would be so weak, so he jumped to 4© clearly expecting to make that contract. In a sense he was right, as only the diamond ruff (immediately or, not so difficult, after a spade lead) will set it. When 4© came round to Bocchi, he pondered for a long time before finally deciding to take the save. ªAKQ certainly had little defensive value. To finish the good work, Muller doubled 4ª, which just went one off as there were four top losers. Bauke must have felt a little disappointed after this hand, but the first swing went to the Netherlands: 6-0.

WIJS Simon De, Netherlands

Two boards later, both NS pairs did extremely well in the auction, only to destroy the advantage gained in the play:

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

At both tables South passed and West did NOT open a weak two in diamonds, though this was part of the EW gadgets. North then opened 1NT and, again at both tables, East had to pass, as this too was part of the EW gadgets. South launched a Stayman 2§ and now both Wests came to life with 2¨. North went on to bid 2©, as one would expect, and when East passed again South had to make a decision about the level of the final heart contract. To the surprise of the onlookers, and maybe of many of the other participants at other tables as well, BOTH Souths elected to pass.

So no swing, but very well bid by both teams. In the open room Jansma complimented his screenmate Versace with his inspired pass.

No swing it was, because strangely enough both declarers did not match their partners' fine bidding judgement and went down in what very much looks like a cold contract, certainly on paper. You can either play off the two top spades and ruff the 4th round later, or cash a top spade and play a club to the king and ace to ruff a club in hand later. There is one proviso: take the risk of ending up under the bridges of the river Thames for the remainder of your bridge career by not drawing more than one round op trumps before going for this manoeuvre.

On the next board, a big swing was in the air again when the Dutch reached a game not bid by Italy. If that had something to do with the fact that in the open room the board had been turned 180 degrees we will probably never know:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Verhees	Versace	Jansma	Sementa
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	Pass
4©	All Pass

Against 4©, Versace led the §K and switched to a diamond which Verhees won in dummy with the king. Declarer's next move of course was to drive out the ªA. Sementa won the second round of the suit and returned a club. Declarer ruffed and Versace contributed the king. Declarer's plan of playing a low trump now to the jack failed when North was able to win the queen and play the last club. Verhees had to ruff this and found himself fatally short of trumps now. One down, Italy a lucky escape for +100.

Declarer could or perhaps should have made ten tricks if he wins the first diamond trick in dummy and runs the ©J. If it holds and trumps are no worse than 4-2, the hand is already over as he can overtake the next heart. If North can win, he cannot effectively play any minor to fatally shorten declarer.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	De Wijs	Bocchi	Muller
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	3§	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	All Pass

1NT was forcing and 2§ showed any strong hand. 3§ was natural and weak, so when after 3© Bocchi could do no more than give preference for spades, there it rested. On a diamond lead the contract was never in danger and Duboin emerged with 11 tricks for +200 or 7 IMPs to Italy to lead 8-6 where they were bound to lose another10 and be down 16-1…

On Board 5 both teams bid and made a normal looking 4ª for a push. On six the spotlights shine on soccer lovers Jansma and Versace:

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

In the Closed Room Giorgio Duboin played 4© after a spade overcall by North. Simon de Wijs led his top clubs and shifted to a diamond. Declarer took the queen, played the ªJ, covered by North and East. Next came a sneaky ©J, suavely ducked by Bauke Muller and by West as well ! Declarer cashed the ©A and gave South his last trump. Later declarer played the rest of the trumps and North was caught in a show-up squeeze: ten tricks.

Proceedings in the Open Room were almost the same. Almost ? Well, Antonio Sementa led a top club, but switched immediately to a diamond for queen and ace of Jan Jansma, who played the ªJ, to the king and ace. Of course Jansma continued with this smart ©J, but Alfredo Versace covered and declarer won the ace. He went on with a heart to the nine and king and Versace pressed in diamonds. Jansma won the king and rattled off all his trumps. Here North was squeezed in no less than three suits and declarer ended up with eleven tricks.

Immediately when the hand was over Jansma began to shout

'Stupid play, stupid defence'.

LAURIA Lorenzo, Italy

Nobody understood what he exactly meant but he explained that, in with the second round of trumps, Versace should have switched to his second spade in order to break communications with dummy. That way South's last trump could still take care of dummy's high spade. 'However, I could avoid that position by playing the ©8 in the second round of trumps and leave the ©9 as an entry.' Sharp analysis, and may be a prove that at the table both calcio lovers had something else on their minds. Still, on the very next board Jansma showed that he had control of himself when he displayed the same timing as Duboin did in the Closed Room:

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

Duboin and Jansma played in 4ª and received the lead of the ¨3. They were pretty sure that this card was a singleton. After all the auction had been revealing: closed North had opened with 3§ and in the Open Room North opened the bidding with 1§ and South had responded with 1NT.

Anyway, both Duboin and Jansma did well to rise with the ¨A at trick one, otherwise they would go down quickly: ¨K, diamond ruff, club to the queen and another diamond ruff. Two high trumps were cashed (one would do as well) and then came a club. North won the jack and returned a trump. At this point, at both tables the ¨8 was played from dummy, ducked by everybody. An elegant ten tricks.

Board 8 to 11 were all pushes, but not for Alfredo Versace, who, just before he had to lead against 4ª on board 9, learned from a monitor that South Korea had equalized and for Jan Jansma who suggested on 11 that if would come down to penalties, the bridge players should stop and watch the soccer match. Versace nodded approvingly and then came 12:

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

In spite of the 32 HCP, slam - six no - is not a great contract. Bocchi-Duboin managed to stay out of it and in fact made eleven tricks in 3NT. This was their auction:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	De Wijs	Bocchi	Muller
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	Pass	3ª	Pass
3NT	All Pass

In the Open Room Jansma-Verhees had a different opinion:

West	North	East	South
Jansma	Sementa	Verhees	Versace
1§	Pass	1©	Pass
2¨ *	Pass	2ª **	Pass
2NT ***	Pass	6NT	All Pass

* game forcing relay
** 11 or more HCP, four card hearts
*** 18-19 HCP, balanced

North led the ©2. Jansma inserted the 10, covered by the jack and king. Declarer entered the table with the ªQ and played a diamond to the ten. North won the king and returned another heart for the ace. Jansma cashed the ©Q as well, pitching a club from his hand. The only thing he had to do was to find the §Q, which in fact he did. Eleven IMPs to The Netherlands.

Right after the board Jansma explained that he was not sure about the heart distribution, but somehow felt that his LHO was in possession of the §Q. Right he was. Suppose however that declarer could work out the heart position - after all the lead gave some indication -, then he should have squeezed South. Let's pick up the play were Jansma cashed the ©Q and pitched a club. You now run your three remaining diamonds and you cash your top spades as well. Then you reach this endplay in which you know for sure that clubs are 2-2 and you simple play for the drop the §Q:

	ª J © - ¨ - § Q 7
ª - © - ¨ - § A 10 6		ª - © 4 ¨ - § K J
	ª - © 8 ¨ - § 8 4

The Netherlands gave back these IMPs with some interest on the next board when De Wijs did not make the most straightforward lead. The contract was the same in both rooms.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª J 10 8 4 2 © K Q ¨ Q 5 § K J 8 2
ª A 9 3 © J 5 ¨ A J 10 9 8 7 2 § 6		ª Q 5 © A 10 9 6 3 ¨ K 6 4 3 § 10 5
	ª K 7 6 © 8 7 4 2 ¨ - § A Q 9 7 4 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Jansma	Sementa	Verhees	Versace
	1ª	Pass	2§
2¨	Pass *	3© **	4ª
5¨	Dbl	All Pass

* 3§ would have shown extra's
** hearts and diamonds

Antonio Sementa led the ªJ and the defence duly got their three tricks.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	De Wijs	Bocchi	Muller
	1ª	Pass	3ª
4¨	Pass	5¨	Dble
All Pass

As the bidding suggests shortness in spades with either opponent, a lead of that suit might well be a loss of time, De Wijs must have thought when he put the ©K on the table. Seven diamond and four heart tricks later he found out that for once, leading a top spade would have set the contract in Pappa-Mamma fashion. Italy +750 and 14 IMPs to go back into the lead 22-18.

Not much happened after this board though at the table Versace continuously was alert of what happened in the soccer game which was still going on. On board 16 Alfredo slammed his fist on the table with a big bang when the Koreans scored their golden goal. In fact he was upset that
nobody - except Jansma of course - noticed the defeat of the Italian soccer team: ''Unbelievable, we are Europeans and nobody seems to care about our defeat !"

Slight overbidding and/or misplaying in both rooms by the Italians levelled the score again on the next board, so the last six boards of the match might be considered as "Extra Time," the difference being of course that there would be no more sudden deaths except the one in Daejon.

On the last board to be shown in this report Versace should have been awarded a few Golden Goals for his beautiful play, but the net result was that he lost 2 IMPs, exactly the losing margin for Italy in this high-level encounter. The final score thus became 30-28 to the Netherlands, still counting as 15-15 V.P., but Italy had lost this match as well.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª K 10 8 7 5 © 10 8 7 ¨ 8 7 6 § 4 2
ª 9 4 2 © K Q 3 2 ¨ 10 9 2 § K 9 6		ª Q © 9 6 4 ¨ Q 5 3 § Q 10 8 7 5 3
	ª A J 6 3 © A J 5 ¨ A K J 4 § A J

The normal contract is 4ª by South, the strong hand. How would you play against a trump lead as Jansma did? Draw three rounds of trumps, cash the ¨AK and play §A and another as Versace did. Either defender will have to concede the contract. A very good textbook play but to no real avail when Duboin led a diamond, enabling Muller to emerge with 12 tricks.

Still, after a trump lead there are more 100 % safety plays in 4ª. Draw the drumps and play a diamond from dummy to the jack. If West wins the queen and returns a club for instance, take the ace, eliminate the diamonds, ruffing the fourth one in dummy - when they don't break - and exit with a club. Cashing the ¨A first will do as well, even in the unlikely case when it's ruffed, because sooner or later defenders have to open the hearts. This safety play saves an IMP in fact.