Italy v Norway – Round 8 Juniors Italy had moved into the lead for the first time after the previous round while Norway were also on the way up, lying fifth, making this an important match for both teams. The Norwegians struck first with a small gain on the first board of the match. Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ 8 ♥ A K J 10 8 6 ♦ 6 ♣ A J 10 7 5 ♠ A Q 10 6 3 ♥ 5 4 ♦ A K Q 10 5 ♣ 10 ♠ 9 7 ♥ Q 2 ♦ J 8 4 3 2 ♣ Q 8 4 3   ♠ K J 5 4 2 ♥ 9 7 3 ♦ 9 7 ♣ K 6 2 West North East South Lindqvist di Bello E. Eide Lo Presti   1♥ Pass 2♥ Dble 2♠ Pass 3♣ 3♦ 4♥ 5♦ Pass Pass 5♥ All Pass   West North East South Sbarigia Livgard Boldrini P. Eide   1♥ Pass 1♠ 2♦ 3♣ 5♦ Dble All Pass       Petter Eide showed his spade suit in response to Allan Livgard’s 1♥ opening and Matteo Sbarigia made a simple 2♦ overcall. Livgard showed his second suit and, when Andrea Boldrini leaped to the diamond game, Eide Doubled, ending the auction. There was nothing to the play after the defence had cashed their heart winners; down one for –100. Fabio Lo Presti preferred to raise hearts immediately and Espen Lindqvist doubled. Stelio di Bello could see that his opponents must normally have a spade fit and tried a 2♠ diversion – or, at least, we assume this was non-systemic, as there was no obvious alert at either side of the screen. Lo Presti showed his club feature, Lindqvist raised his eyebrows when given the information that 2♠ was ‘normal’, then bid the diamonds. Di Bello’s 4♥ was easy, as was Erik Eide’s 5♦. Now Lo Presti left the decision to his partner and, after a little thought, di Bello tried a fifth heart. Double dummy, 5♥ can be made, of course, but you would have to be seeing the ball pretty well to succeed. Eide led the ♦2 and Lindqvist won the king then continued with the ace. Di Bello ruffed with the ten, cashed the ♥A, then played a spade to the jack and queen. He thought for a long time on the heart return before getting that right by rising with the king, but there was simply no good reason to get clubs right and he followed up with a club to the king so was down one; -50 and 4 IMPs to Norway. Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ A 8 4 3 ♥ A 9 8 ♦ K Q J ♣ Q 10 6 ♠ J 7 6 ♥ K 10 6 2 ♦ A 7 ♣ 8 4 3 2 ♠ K 2 ♥ Q J 5 4 3 ♦ 8 5 ♣ K J 9 5   ♠ Q 10 9 5 ♥ 7 ♦ 10 9 6 4 3 2 ♣ A 7 West North East South Lindqvist di Bello E. Eide Lo Presti Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass       West North East South Sbarigia Livgard Boldrini P. Eide Pass 1NT Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT Pass 3♦ All Pass       The South hand is an awkward one for most pairs when North opens 1NT. Either we use Styaman and frequently have problems if partner does not have spades, or we give up on the spade fit and simply transfer to a diamond partscore. Those were the two options chosen in this match. Eide settled for the diamond partscore and Livgard chalked up a painless +130, while Lo Presti tried Stayman then congratulated himself on his enterprise by raising to game when the spade fit came to light. Eide led a diamond against 4♠, not the most challenging lead, though only declarer can defeat the game. Lindqvist won the diamond and played one back and di Bello followed the simple line of playing ace and another spade, perhaps not optimum for that combination, but a very practical play for the whole hand, and when the king appeared he had eleven tricks for +650 and 11 IMPs to Italy, ahead by 12-5. Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.   ♠ 9 ♥ A 7 3 ♦ K 10 6 5 2 ♣ A J 10 3 ♠ A Q 5 3 2 ♥ K J 5 ♦ Q J 7 ♣ K 7 ♠ K 8 7 6 ♥ 9 2 ♦ A 8 4 ♣ 9 8 6 4   ♠ J 10 4 ♥ Q 10 8 6 4 ♦ 9 3 ♣ Q 5 2 West North East South Lindqvist di Bello E. Eide Lo Presti   1♦ Pass 1♥ 1♠ 1NT 2♠ All Pass       f West North East South Sbarigia Livgard Boldrini P. Eide   1♦ Pass 1♥ 1♠ Dble 3♥ Pass 3NT Pass 4♠ All Pass This deal saw Norway begin a long string of middle-sized pick-ups as they built up a healthy lead in the match. Again, Italy bid game while Norway stopped in partscore. Di Bello led a low diamond against 2♠ and, when Lo Presti didn’t bother to put up the nine, Lindqvist scooped in his seven. When he later picked the heart position successfully he had ten tricks for +170. The stakes were rather higher at the other table, where Livgard led his trump against 4♠. Declarer can succeed, but it requires him to guess the hearts and, after eliminating everything, exit with the third diamond to force North to lead clubs – of course, North has the option of baring the ♣A to keep an extra diamond winner so that declarer has to also read the ending. This is not very likely, but it is possible. Anyway, Sbarigia drew three rounds of trumps and continued with the three rounds of diamonds to North. Livgard got out with ace and another heart, solving one proble, but now Sbarigia had to play club shimself so was one down; -50 and 6 IMPs to Norway. Norway added a further 25 IMPs over the next six boards then 13 more on Board 12 when di Bello/Lo Presti had a bizarre auction to 5♥ doubled for –800 while the Norwegian N/S defended 3♣ down one on their combined 18-count. Three more IMPs to Norway on the next board made it 52-12 in their favour when finally Italy broke the spell and scored some IMPs of their own. Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.   ♠ A ♥ K 7 5 4 3 ♦ K J 5 ♣ 10 5 3 2 ♠ K J 9 7 ♥ 6 ♦ 10 8 7 4 2 ♣ K J 8 ♠ Q 10 8 ♥ Q J 10 8 ♦ 6 3 ♣ Q 9 6 4   ♠ 6 5 4 3 2 ♥ A 9 2 ♦ A Q 9 ♣ A 7 West North East South Lindqvist di Bello E. Eide Lo Presti     Pass 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass   West North East South Sbarigia Livgard Boldrini P. Eide     Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT All Pass   System had a large part to play in the swing on this deal as Livgard was not strong enough in his style to make a two-over-one response and so languished in 1NT. He managed an overtrick for +120. Di Bello could respond 2♦, transfer to hearts, and Lo Presti jumped to 3♥, inviting game. Di Bello had an easy acceptance of the invitation. The methods had succeeded in putting West on lead, the hand that could never be expected to find a trump lead. Lindqvist actually led a diamond so Lo Presti won in hand with the ace, played ace and another club and won the heart switch with his ace. He crossed to the ♠A to ruff a club, ruffed a spade then ruffed the last club and had ten tricks for +420 and 7 IMPs to Italy. On a trump lead, if declarer wins the ace and plays ace and another club, West needs to unblock the jack so that East can win the second round to play a second trump. That restricts declarer to just one club ruff and would appear to beat the contract. Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.   ♠ A K J 3 ♥ A Q 7 5 ♦ 9 8 ♣ J 10 9 ♠ - ♥ 9 ♦ K J 10 7 6 3 2 ♣ A K 6 5 3 ♠ 10 6 4 2 ♥ 10 8 3 2 ♦ Q 5 4 ♣ Q 4   ♠ Q 9 8 7 5 ♥ K J 6 4 ♦ A ♣ 8 7 2 West North East South Lindqvist di Bello E. Eide Lo Presti       Pass 1♦ Dble Pass 2♦ 3♦ 4♦ 5♦ Pass Pass Dble All Pass   West North East South Sbarigia Livgard Boldrini P. Eide       Pass 1♦ Dble Pass 4♠ 4NT Pass 5♦ Dble All Pass       With 5♥ making on the likely diamond lead, both N/S pairs would have been disappointed to concede –550, but it is not clear that anyone did anything terrible, is it? Anyway, no swing. Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.   ♠ K 7 5 2 ♥ K 7 ♦ 10 8 2 ♣ Q 9 4 3 ♠ J 9 8 4 3 ♥ 10 2 ♦ J 7 5 ♣ A 7 2 ♠ Q 6 ♥ Q J 8 4 ♦ K Q 9 6 3 ♣ J 8   ♠ A 10 ♥ A 9 6 5 3 ♦ A 4 ♣ K 10 6 5 West North East South Lindqvist di Bello E. Eide Lo Presti     1♦ 1♥ Dble Rdbl 1NT Dble All Pass       West North East South Sbarigia Livgard Boldrini P. Eide     Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ 2♦ Pass 3♦ All Pass     Having passed as dealer, Boldrini overcalled 2♦ and was raised to 3♦ in competition. The defence led three rounds of spades and Boldrini ruffed with the nine. He eventually ran into a trump promotion which resulted in a third undertrick and –150. Erik Eide opened the East hand and declared 1NT doubled after di Bello had shown a top heart via his redouble. Lo Presti led the ♥6 to the king and back came the ♥7. He thought for some time before winning the heart and now had to find a switch to beat the contract. After some more consideration, Lo Presti got it right, switching to a low club, and that meant two down for –300 and 4 IMPs to Italy – well defended. Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ A Q 10 3 2 ♥ A ♦ A J 6 ♣ Q J 3 2 ♠ K 9 7 5 4 ♥ 9 8 4 ♦ Q 4 2 ♣ 9 6 ♠ J 8 6 ♥ K Q 10 7 6 2 ♦ K 3 ♣ 10 4   ♠ - ♥ J 5 3 ♦ 10 9 8 7 5 ♣ A K 8 7 5 West North East South Lindqvist di Bello E. Eide Lo Presti Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 3♣ Pass 4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass 4♠ Pass 6♣ All Pass   West North East South Sbarigia Livgard Boldrini P. Eide Pass 1♠ 2♥ Dble Pass 3♥ Pass 4♦ Pass 5♦ All Pass   Boldrini’s overcall made life a little more awkward for his opponents. When Livgard cuebid in response to the negative double, it is unclear why Eide picked his weaker minor suit, but in diamonds game was the limit and the Norwegians scored just +600. Meanwhile, the Italian N/S were given a free run and the deal suited their methods very well. Lo Presti responded 1NT and now di Bello’s 2♣ rebid was either any 16+ or natural. Two Diamonds was game-forcing opposite 16+ and 3♣ confirmed both clubs and a strong hand (2♠ would have been weak with spades and clubs and would not have been forcing). Lo Presti could agree clubs conveniently and, after an exchange of cuebids, di Bello jumped to the excellent club slam. That was +1370 and 13 IMPs to Italy, who had recovered well to lose by only 36-54 IMPs, 11-19 VPs. While the Italians had been rather erratic, sometimes very good, sometimes very bad, Norway had impressed with their play in this match and looked as though they could be a real challenger for at least a medal.

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