Sweden vs Italy- the real match

by Jos Jacobs

After yesterday’s warming-up game, this morning the European Champions Cup Final was the main course when Herkules and Parioli met again. They would play four segments of 12 boards between 10.00 hrs. and 19.00 hrs, with a lunch interval and some smaller intervals between segments. It soon became dubious if the allotted time would be enough, as very slow progress was made, even though there did not seem to be very much in the initial boards.

Throughout the day, as we shall see, rather unexpectedly many IMP’s changed hands due to differences in declarer play at each table. This certainly livened up the match for the Rama crowd, who for once could clearly see how much more difficult it is to play well when you cannot see all four hands. Take for example board 5:

Board 5 - N/NS
	ª A K 10 5 4 3 2 © 5 ¨ J 5 2 § J 10
ª Q J © A K Q 3 ¨ A 10 9 8 7 3 § 6		ª 9 6 © J 10 9 ¨ K Q 4 § 8 7 4 3 2
	ª 8 7 © 8 7 6 4 2 ¨ 6 § A K Q 9 5

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Versace	Bertheau	Lauria	Nystrom
	3ª	Pass	4ª
Dble	All Pass

On the lead of the ¨K and a heart switch. Bertheau played carefully to ensure his contract by not drawing trumps immediately. Herkules +790.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Fantoni	Sundelin	Nunes
	3ª	Pass	4ª
Dble	All Pass

Here, East led a trump to the jack and king and declarer played a diamond. East won the queen and persisted with trumps, after which declarer could not avoid making 12 tricks in the black suits. Parioli +1190 and 9 IMP’s from almost nowhere.

In the play-off for the bronze, something happened on the way to the Forum:

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Karaivanov	Westra	Trendafilov	Ramondt
	3ª	Pass	4ª
4NT	Pass	5§	Dble
5¨	All Pass

As you can see, EW can only take 10 tricks in the red suits, so Bulgaria lost 50 points.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Schollaardt	Iporski	Drijver	Kovatchev
	1ª	Pass	1NT
Dble	2ª	3§	Pass
3¨	Pass	3ª	Dble
3NT	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

The 1ª opening worked very well for Plovdiv as it gave the Dutchies every opportunity to go wrong. 3¨ showed a strong hand of course, and 3ª was asking for a stopper. South’s double of 3ª showed no specific interest in a spade lead, so west went on to a confident enough 3 NT. This time, South’s double showed specific interest in a club lead, but in spite of that EW sat it. As we saw before, for NS there are 12 tricks in the black suits for the taking, so we had 2000 on the board and 18 IMP’s for Plovdiv.

After 12 boards, Parioli led by 11 whereas in the play-off Plovdiv were 3 IMP’s up.

For the second segment, Angelini-Sementa were to repolace Fantoni-Nunes and versace-Lauria went to the Closed Room. On the first regular board of the set, the Italians missed a great chance:

Board 13 - N/All
	ª 9 2 © 10 6 5 ¨ 10 9 8 4 2 § K 6 5
ª K Q J 10 6 5 4 3 © J 8 ¨ J 6 § 2		ª A 7 © K Q 3 ¨ 5 3 § A J 10 7 4 3
	ª 8 © A 9 7 4 2 ¨ A K Q 7 § Q 9 8

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Angelini	Bertheau	Sementa	Nystrom
	Pass	2§	2©
4ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	5©	Dble	All Pass

When South elected to double once more, his side was in trouble. Maybe, sitting it is best, as it only costs 170 etra points or 5 IMP’s. When North went to 5© East had an easy double.
When west led the §2, however, for once, Sementa was not at his post when he played the 10 rather than the ace. This cost two undertricks: the two impending club ruffs. So a juicy 1100 changed into a mere 500 and a possible 10-IMP gain would probably turn into a small loss.

And so it proved:

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Lauria	Sundelin	Versace
	Pass	2§	2©
4ª	All Pass

West lost the three obvious tricks and that was it. Herkules +620 and 3 IMP’s

Board 14 - E/-
	ª J 7 4 © K Q 8 6 5 4 ¨ 10 5 § Q 2
ª K 9 8 © 7 3 ¨ 9 7 2 § A K 10 5 3		ª A Q 5 3 © A 9 2 ¨ A Q J 8 3 § 6
	ª 10 6 2 © J 10 ¨ K 6 4 § J 9 8 7 4

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Angelini	Bertheau	Sementa	Nystrom
		1§	Pass
1©	Pass	1ª	Pass
1NT	Pass	2§	Pass
2¨	Pass	2ª	Pass
3§	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Solid Strong Club bidding to a solid contract. Eleven tricks for Parioli, +460.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Lauria	Sundelin	Versace
		1§	Pass
2§	2©	3¨	Pass
4¨	Pass	4©	Pass
5§	Pass	5¨	Pass
6¨	All Pass

1§ was ambiguous and 2§ was a relay denying four-card majors. 3¨ was the strong variety and the rest of the auction was natural, though West’s final raise to slam looks a bit like an inspired shot. Well, slam is sort of on the trump finesse, so not that bad a proposition, but this time it failed on a heart lead. The Italians had gained 11 IMP’s to almost double their lead.

Board 16 - W/EW
	ª - © K Q 8 6 4 ¨ 10 9 8 5 § A J 3 2
ª Q J 10 6 2 © 10 9 7 ¨ Q J 6 § K 8		ª A K 7 5 © A ¨ 3 2 § Q 10 9 7 6 4
	ª 9 8 4 3 © J 5 3 2 ¨ A K 7 4 § 5

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Angelini	Bertheau	Sementa	Nystrom
1©	2§	4©	All Pass

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Lauria	Sundelin	Versace
1©	2§	3NT	Pass
4©	All Pass

At both tables in the Final, spades did not enter the scene. In the other match, the suit seems to have been found at both tables, but something went seriously wrong in the play at one of them.

On Rama, the issue was how to play 4©. The lead was the ªA, which is ruffed by declarer. Now, if declarer happens to play a low trump, down comes the ace and up goes declarer’s tail as he cannot possibly go wrong from there any more. On Rama, North started ruffing clubs in dummy and spades in his hand, cashing toe ¨AK in between, but the result of it was that he had shortened himself in both hands and lost control. Down one.

In the Closed Room, Lauria was at the helm and he showed the way, as he so often does. The §9 was led, won byu the ace and a club was ruffed. Next came the ¨AK and another. West won the queen and led another spade, ruffed in hand. Another club was ruffed with the ©J and a heart went to the king and ace. West could sooner or later overruff the last club to be ruffed in dummy. Ten tricks and +620 to Parioli.

After some very quiet partscore boards without any swings at all we saw an Italian disaster at both tables:

Board 21 - N/NS
	ª A K 10 8 © 8 2 ¨ A 7 4 § 9 8 6 5
ª J 5 © A Q 9 7 6 ¨ 9 6 2 § K 7 2		ª 7 6 4 3 © - ¨ Q J 8 3 § A Q J 10 3
	ª Q 9 2 © K J 10 5 4 3 ¨ K 10 5 § 4

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Angelini	Bertheau	Sementa	Nystrom
	1¨	2§	2©
3§	Pass	Pass	3©
All Pass

The only thing that can be said about this auction is that Angelini duid very well NOT to double the final contract as he apparently let it through in the end. Hercules +140. This was the minor disaster.

Over now to the major disaster:

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Lauria	Sundelin	Versace
	1§	Pass	1©
Pass	1ª	Pass	3©
Pass	4©	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

As the 1§-opening had effectively shut out east of the bidding, NS had a free run which they for once used till far beyond any safety limits. West quietly doubled and in the fullness of time the contract wentt three down, 800 to Hercules and a 14-IMP swing to open up the rally again.

The board below was the first hand of the after-lunch Rama show; as usual they start with the two last boards from any set when you are playing on Rama.

Bertheau must have had a blind spot here:

Board 23 - S/All
	ª K 10 3 © K 8 6 3 2 ¨ K 6 5 4 § A
ª A Q J 7 6 5 © Q 7 4 ¨ J § 10 4 3		ª 9 2 © A 5 ¨ Q 10 9 7 3 2 § J 8 7
	ª 8 4 © J 10 9 ¨ A 8 § K Q 9 6 5 2

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Angelini	Bertheau	Sementa	Nystrom
			2§
2ª	Dble	Pass	2NT
Pass	3©	Pass	4©
All Pass

Lead: ª9 to the ace, and ªQ won by declarer. You unblock the §A, ruff the last spade and present the ©J which is taken by East’s ace. He returns a diamond. Now what’s the problem? Bertheau won in hand (right), cashed the ©K (quite effective) and now can afford to play a trump to get the trump queen out of the way. The ¨A will procvide the entry to dummy’s clubs.

When he played a diamond instead, a surprised west could ruff and continue spades, so declarer had to lose two more diamonds for down two and the worst start to the segment possible for Hercules.

After all, the board only cost them 3 IM¨‘s when it also asked too much of Versace’s abilities:

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Sylvan	Lauria	Sundelin	Versace
			1§
1ª	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	3NT	Pass	4©
All Pass

As 2¨ was a transfer to hearts South became the declarer in the same contract and West led the ¨J. A golden rule states that one should avoid top tricks to be ruffed away, so the loigical play, folowing this rule, woiuld be to win the ¨A in hand. After that, you can play a spade, unblock the §A, ruff a spade in hand and run the ©J, postponing the decision about playing low or the king in dummy. When Versace elected to win dummy’s ¨K instead, he already must have placed the ©A in West. Of course, when you play a heart to the king and a heart and this play somes off, the danger of losing an extra trick by means of a diamond ruff is gone.

As it was, East held the ©A and was able to give his partner a second diamond ruff, declarer having offered a first ruff to West when he tried to return to his hand with a diamond to lead spades after winning the lead with the ¨K in dummy and next unblocking the §A. Hercules +100 and only 3 IM¨‘s to the Italians who led 56-33 at halftime.