Spain vs Italy

Open Round 12

Like the day before, the leaders were to play the runners-up on Vugraph. This time, Spain was to be their opponent, and once again most of the swings went to Italy's favour. Still it was an interesting match to watch, with many good bidding and play from both sides.

We join the action on board 3:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Ventin	Lauria	Lantaron
			1NT
Pass	2§	Pass	2©
Pass	2NT	Pass	3¨
Pass	4©	All Pass

Alfredo Versace showed good judgement when he decided not to show his major twosuiter over his RHO's 1NT opening. He got his reward when his opponents reached 4©, a reasonable enough contract which went one down. Italy +50.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Torres	Bocchi	Frances	Duboin
			1¨
1©	1ª	Pass	3NT
Pass	4NT	All Pass

In the Closed Room, due to the 1¨ opening by Duboin and the 1© overcall by Torres, the Italians ended up in an easy quantitative 4NT instead of in 4© in the 4-4 fit. That looked like a good result for Italy. And good it was: Italy +460 and 11 IMPs to lead 13-0. On the next board we saw another good bidding judgement by Versace who this time did enter the bidding with a twosuiter at the three level.

TORRES Juan Ignacio, Spain

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Torres	Bocchi	Frances	Duboin
Pass	1ª	Pass	3NT
Dble	4§	Pass	4¨
Pass	4ª	All Pass

The Italians in the closed room reached 4ª in an uncontested auction and Bocchi duly made eleven tricks.

More entertainment from the open room

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Ventin	Lauria	Lantaron
Pass	1ª	Pass	2NT
3ª	4ª	4NT	Pass
5§	Dble	All Pass

Versace's 3ª showed a twosuiter hearts and a minor, enabling Lauria to compete at the five level.
Ventin brilliantly led the ¨K against 5§ doubled and in the auditorium all the Spanish ladies jumped up and cried ' si, si, si' from excitement. When Ventin tried to cash his ªA first, they fell back again into their chairs. Versace ruffed and could have escaped for down one if he simply played the trump ace. Alfredo, who wanted to make his contract, tried all the finesses. South came in with the ©K and gave his partner the ruff. NS +500. Still 4 IMPs to the Italians, who led 17-0 now.

We skip 5 and rush to 6:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Ventin	Lauria	Lantaron
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
2ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
3§	Dble	3¨	Pass
3ª	Pass	4¨	Pass
4NT	Pass	5§	Pass
6¨	All Pass

2§ was strong and 3§ a relay which, according to VuGraph commentator Guido Ferraro, had already been described by Benito Garozzo in 1975. It showed a side suit, 3¨ asked for it and 3ª showed diamonds. When Versace heard zero key cards he settled for 6¨. Another 12 IMPs to Italy as the slam was missed at the other table..

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Torres	Bocchi	Frances	Duboin
		Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1¨	Pass
1©	Pass	1NT	Pass
2ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
3¨	Pass	3NT	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Eleven tricks, Spain +650.

On the next one, Spain struck back:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Ventin	Lauria	Lantaron
			Pass
1ª	1NT	Dble	All Pass

Here, Ventin invented a new convention: the 'gambling' 1 NT. Of course he was doubled, of course he stood his ground and of course East led the ©K and of course NS scored 180 and of course this convention had been invented in several other matches at the same time, since exactly the same result was booked at at least three other tables.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Torres	Bocchi	Frances	Duboin
			Pass
1ª	2¨	2©	Pass
2ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

FRANCES Antonio, Spain

Bocchi made the more normal overcall of 2¨ after which the Spaniards had no problem in reaching the normal spade game. Spain another +620 and 13 IMPs back. The score stood at 29-13. On nine Spain won some more IMPs when they bid 3NT and made it when the diamonds were 4-4 and the §K well placed. Both these conditions had to be met with. This 3NT was 'missed' at the other table.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Ventin	Lauria	Lantaron
	1§	Pass	1ª
Pass	1NT	Pass	2§
Pass	2©	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Ten tricks in the end when East did not bother to cash his 4th diamond after winning the ªA. Spain +430.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Torres	Bocchi	Frances	Duboin
	1§	Pass	1©
Pass	1NT	Pass	3§
All Pass

A perfectly safe contract: Italy +150 but 7 IMPs more to Spain, down 20-31 now.

Two boards later a rather unexpected decision by Ventin:

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª 5 3 © A Q 10 8 4 2 ¨ A 9 8 § K 2
ª Q J 10 7 6 4 © 7 5 ¨ 7 3 § 10 8 6		ª A 9 8 © K 9 6 ¨ 10 5 § A J 9 4 3
	ª K 2 © J 3 ¨ K Q J 6 4 2 § Q 7 5

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Ventin	Lauria	Lantaron
			1¨
2ª	3©	4ª	Pass
Pass	5¨	All Pass

One down when the ©K proved wrong. Italy +50.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Torres	Bocchi	Frances	Duboin
			1¨
2ª	3©	4ª	Pass
Pass	Dble

It appears that a double on 4ª is the more normal action. Italy +300 and 8 IMPs. 39-22 now.

Board Fourteen was an interesting wash.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª A Q 8 7 6 5 3 © 7 4 ¨ J 9 § K 6
ª 9 © K Q 10 8 6 5 ¨ A 5 4 § 9 7 3		ª K J 10 4 © J 3 2 ¨ K 8 6 § A J 4
	ª 2 © A 9 ¨ Q 10 7 3 2 § Q 10 8 5 2

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Torres	Bocchi	Frances	Duboin
		1NT	Pass
2¨	2ª	Dble	Pass
2NT	Pass	3§	Pass
3©	Pass	4©	All Pass

In the Closed Room, North never bid higher then 2ª , EW bid 4© and the defence got one trick too many. NS +100.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Ventin	Lauria	Lantaron
		1§	1¨
Dble	4ª	Dble	Pass
4NT	Pass	5©	All Pass

Here, Versace ran out of his partner's double of 4ª whereafter it came to an end in 5©, also for a quiet 100 to Spain. In the VuGraph theatre Guido Ferraro was not quiet at all: 'It's clear that this catastrophe was for 80% Lauria's fault; with this hand he should not double.' One might ask oneself (or him) with which hand you can…

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Ventin	Lauria	Lantaron
			Pass
Pass	1§	Dble	1¨
Dble	3§	3¨	Pass
3©	Pass	4©	All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Torres	Bocchi	Frances	Duboin
			Pass
Pass	1§	Dble	Pass
2©	3§	4©	All Pass

The next hand is a nice double dummy problem. Nowadays it's easy, just let DeepFinesse, a beautiful piece of software that analyses complex bridge problems in one tenth of a second. Everybody bid and made 4©, sometimes even with an illegal overtrick, like Frances-Torres managed in the closed room.

Suppose West plays the hand and North leads a club. South wins the ace and should return an unlikely SPADE to defeat 4©. Hereafter it is just a matter of not letting declarer come in his hand (to play a heart) in combination with the menace of South obtaining a spade ruff.

Lorenzo Lauria, Italy

Easy defence, for the bridge gods that's to say and for DeepFinesse of course, but not for us human beings. Now suppose East is declarer. North might even double now to draw attention to his diamond void. South leads his lowest diamond, North ruffs qith the queen, returns a club to South's ace and ruffs another diamond with the ace. After this, South's §108x over the nine have eloped into the setting trick. The last board of the match settled the Spanish fate:

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª K Q 7 6 5 © K 10 8 ¨ 9 4 § Q J 4
ª A 8 4 © Q 5 3 ¨ 10 8 6 3 2 § K 10		ª J 10 9 © A 4 2 ¨ Q 7 5 § 9 8 5 2
	ª 3 2 © J 9 7 6 ¨ A K J § A 7 6 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Ventin	Lauria	Lantaron
Pass	Pass	Pass	1§
Pass	1ª	Pass	1NT
Pass	2§	Pass	2¨
Pass	2NT	All Pass

Lantaron got a diamond lead to the queen and king and led a heart to the ten. This obviously held the trick as no defender was interested in solving declarer's communication problems. The §Q came next, won by West who returned a diamond. A heart now went to the eight and ace and East cleared the diamonds. Next came a spade, taken by West ho cashed out for five defensive tricks. Just made, Spain +120.

As this board was being played early in the Open Room, the commentators predicted that Bocchi-Duboin would probably bid 3NT. Right they were:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Torres	Bocchi	Frances	Duboin
Pass	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	2©	Pass	2ª
Pass	3NT	All Pass

On the same diamond lead as in the Open Room Duboin had the same communication problem. He solved it neatly by first running the ©9! Of course, this was ducked all round, but now he could easily continue the suit. East took his ace and returned a diamond. Duboin now had an extra time to lead a spade up before he took the losing club finesse. West won and cleared the diamonds, but Duboin had nine tricks: three diamonds, three hearts when the suit broke, two clubs and the stolen spade. Well done, Italy a final +600 for 10 more IMPs to seal another good win. This time it was 55-23 or 22-8 V.P.