The Round of 32: Dumbovich v. Allix by Jos Jacobs On Monday morning, the Open teams had reached the Knock-Out phase of the tournament, in which the top 32 teams were still participating. The winners of Sunday’s Swiss, the Dumbovich team from Hungary, had chosen Allix from France as their opponents for the first 28-board match of the day. After two pushes, both teams missed the same very good opportunity on board 3: Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.   ♠ 9 3 ♥ K 3 ♦ J 4 3 2 ♣ A 10 9 8 4 ♠ K 10 6 ♥ A 9 7 2 ♦ Q 8 7 5 ♣ 6 5 ♠ A Q J 8 7 ♥ Q 10 8 6 5 ♦ A K 9 ♣ -   ♠ 5 4 2 ♥ J 4 ♦ 10 6 ♣ K Q J 7 3 2 West North East South Dumbovich Mauberquez Winkler Allix Frey Szalay Bessis Lakatos       3♣ Pass 5♣ Dble All Pass The bidding was the same at both tables. Any suggestions how to reach 6♥ will be heartily welcomed. No swing. With the score at 2-1to Dumbovich after 8 boards, we were beginning to wonder already if anything would ever happen in this match at all. When board 9 hit the table, we could see that even 7♦ would be makeable, but would anyone bid it? Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.   ♠ 9 ♥ A Q 5 4 3 2 ♦ A Q 8 ♣ A 9 7 ♠ 10 7 4 ♥ J 10 9 8 7 ♦ 7 4 3 ♣ Q 3 ♠ K 6 5 ♥ K 6 ♦ J 10 ♣ K J 10 8 5 2   ♠ A Q J 8 3 2 ♥ - ♦ K 9 6 5 2 ♣ 6 4 Open Room West North East South Dumbovich Mauberquez Winkler Allix   1♥ 2♣ 2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass 3NT All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Frey Szalay Bessis Lakatos   1♥ 2♣ 2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♥ All Pass   At both tables, 2♠ was forcing over 2♣. A double might have worked better here as it suggests interest in diamonds too. If you double and partner rebids his hearts, not at all unlikely, you might run into trouble if 2♠ next is not forcing now. Anyway, at both tables the diamonds got lost, but the final contracts were made. 3NT was easy enough after ducking two rounds of clubs, as the spade finesse was completely safe now. 4♥, on a diamond lead, required a bit more luck but this is what happened. Declarer won the ♦A and played ♥A and another, losing to the king (good news and bad news). He then won the club return and took an immediate spade finesse. When this held and the suit broke 3-3, the ♦K was the entry to dispose of the last club loser. Making 420 earned the Allix team an IMP as well, so they had scored the equaliser to make it 2-2 now. On the very next board, the match finally got underway: Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.   ♠ A 9 6 4 2 ♥ A J 9 ♦ A 9 6 3 ♣ 8 ♠ Q 7 ♥ Q 10 8 7 6 2 ♦ 7 5 2 ♣ 7 2 ♠ J 10 3 ♥ 4 3 ♦ Q J 10 8 4 ♣ Q 9 3   ♠ K 8 5 ♥ K 5 ♦ K ♣ A K J 10 6 5 4 Open Room West North East South Dumbovich Mauberquez Winkler Allix     Pass 1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass 2NT Pass 3♦ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠ Pass 5♠ Pass 6♣ Pass 6♠ All Pass   As you can see, NS at one moment were in a very good slam (6♣), though 6NT is obviously best. Only if clubs are 5-0 you will run into trouble. In 6♠ a 3-2 trump break would be very pleasant, though declarer would be able to cope with some of the 4-1 breaks too. Looking at the auction, it seems that South was very much on the right track when he bid 6♣ over the 5♠ trump quality inquiry, but North understandably corrected once again. However, as trumps did break 3-2, the road to 1430 for Allix was easy. At the other table, we saw a lazy bid by North Closed Room West North East South Frey Szalay Bessis Lakatos     Pass 1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT All Pass   As 3♣ can be rebid on all types of hands, what would have been wrong with 3♦? All 13 tricks were made, but 12 IMPs went to Allix, who suddenly led 14-2. On boards 11 and 12, Dumbovich picked up 2 and 3 IMPs to make the score 7-14 and then came board 13: Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.   ♠ K 10 9 7 3 ♥ K 8 ♦ K 9 4 3 ♣ K 2 ♠ Q 8 4 2 ♥ Q 6 5 3 ♦ 8 5 ♣ A 10 4 ♠ A 5 ♥ A J 9 4 ♦ A Q J 10 ♣ 7 6 5   ♠ J 6 ♥ 10 7 2 ♦ 7 6 2 ♣ Q J 9 8 3 Open Room West North East South Dumbovich Mauberquez Winkler Allix   1♠ 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass 1NT certainly would not have been everybody’s choice holding only one spade stopper, but it paved the way for the Hungarians to reach a hair-raising contract that required very good declarer play as well as a shade of luck. South led the ♣Q. When Dumbovich won this with his ace, the club suit was blocked. Next came a heart to the jack, the ♥A (thank you) and a heart back to hand for the diamond finesse. When this held, declarer knew he would either get four diamond tricks (if the king was tripleton originally) or he would need an endplay, using the ♦K as the exit card to North. So he crossed to his last trump in hand, the carefully preserved ♥6 and took another diamond finesse. When the king did not fall under the ace in the third round of the suit, he led the fourth diamond from dummy, North winning his king. As he was known to have started with five spades, it was a certainty that North would have only one top club to cash before being forced to open up the spades. Very well played for a deserved 620 to Dumbovich. Closed Room West North East South Frey Szalay Bessis Lakatos   1♠ Dble Pass 2♥ All Pass     The Standard Fran ç ais did not work well here. Both the double and the 2♥ bid are straightforward actions, but as each player held a little bit in reserve, the thin but certainly playable game was missed. Declarer even made 11 tricks but had to accept a loss of 9 IMPs. Dumbovich had taken over the lead again at 16-14 now. Different basic approaches caused a big swing on the last board of the segment: Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.   ♠ J ♥ Q 8 7 3 ♦ A 7 ♣ K Q J 8 5 4 ♠ 10 8 5 3 ♥ A ♦ K Q 5 4 3 ♣ 9 7 2 ♠ Q 9 7 2 ♥ K J 10 6 5 ♦ 10 8 2 ♣ 10   ♠ A K 6 4 ♥ 9 4 2 ♦ J 9 6 ♣ A 6 3 Open Room West North East South Dumbovich Mauberquez Winkler Allix     Pass 1♣ 1♦ 1♥ 2♦ Pass Pass Dble Pass 2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass 3♥ Pass 5♣ All Pass   When you are not playing weak NT, you have to open 1♣ and thus offer the opponents the chance to interfere with your bidding. This is what happened in the Open Room. NS found their precarious heart fit, but it never occurred to them that 3NT might have been the right spot. Had South decided to first show his spades over the double, before supporting the hearts, all would have been well, but how was he to know that partner was strong enough to bid again? Declarer lost four heart tricks to go down two. Dumbovich +100. Closed Room West North East South Frey Szalay Bessis Lakatos     Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 3NT All Pass   Here they would have nothing of all this. South opened a weak NT; after that EW could not interfere any more, so the proper game was easily reached. The Hungarians must have been surprised to see that they had won 11 IMPs on the deal to make the score at halftime 26-13 to them. The first board of the second half immediately produced a new leader: Board 15. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ 10 9 4 2 ♥ J 7 6 ♦ 8 7 4 ♣ 9 8 4 ♠ A Q J 3 ♥ 8 5 4 3 ♦ Q 6 5 3 ♣ K ♠ K 8 7 5 ♥ K Q 10 ♦ A 10 ♣ A Q J 2   ♠ 6 ♥ A 9 2 ♦ K J 9 2 ♣ 10 7 6 5 3 Open Room West North East South Szalay Mauberquez Lakatos Allix       Pass Pass Pass 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass 4NT Pass 5♣ Pass 6♠ All Pass     The slam does not look a very good proposition, even less so if North is on lead as happened at this table. When Mauberquez found the lead of the ♦4, declarer ducked in dummy (probably his best practical chance) but Allix won his ♦K and next cashed the ♥A for a very quick down one. Allix +50. Closed Room West North East South Frey Winkler Bessis Dumbovich       Pass 1♦ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♦ Pass 4♠ Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ Pass 5♥ Pass 6♣ Pass 6♠ All Pass Due to the intricacies of their natural system West could open 1♦. Next, he had no choice but to rebid the “suit” after partner’s 2♣ response. This way, however, he managed to steer the slam towards the East hand, which proved a better idea. Dumbovich led the ♣7 to the king in dummy. Declarer’s next move was a heart to the king. When South won the ace and returned the suit, the hand was over. Had South played anything else, declarer would no doubt have taken the successful finesse of the ♥J. Allix another 980 and 14 IMPs to lead by 1 whole IMP now. Allix picked up another 15 Imps on four consecutive small swings to lead by 16 when Dumbovich struck back: Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.   ♠ 8 ♥ J 9 2 ♦ A 10 7 5 ♣ J 9 8 7 2 ♠ A 4 3 2 ♥ A Q 8 ♦ 9 8 2 ♣ 10 5 3 ♠ J 10 9 7 5 ♥ K 10 7 5 3 ♦ - ♣ A Q 4   ♠ K Q 6 ♥ 6 4 ♦ K Q J 6 4 3 ♣ K 6 Open Room West North East South Szalay Mauberquez Lakatos Allix     1♠ 2♦ 3♦ 5♦ Pass Pass 5♠ Pass Pass Dble All Pass       After the ♦K lead, declarer drew trumps playing South for both missing honours and thus easily made his contract. Dumbovich +850. Closed Room West North East South Frey Winkler Bessis Dumbovich     1♠ 2♦ 3♠ 5♦ Pass Pass Dble All Pass     The French apparently could not bid 3♦ over 2♦, showing invitational or better, so Frey had to content himself with 3♠ at his first turn. Though he too knew from partner’s pass over 5♦ that East would hold a promising hand, he hardly could move any further so he doubled. On the lead of the ♠A, followed by the ♥A and a spade (?) one undertrick disappeared, so Dumbovich lost only 100 at this table for a swing of 13 IMPs. They were within 3 IMPs distance now. They gave back the IMPs just won on the next board: Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul.   ♠ J 10 7 3 ♥ 8 7 6 5 ♦ A J 8 ♣ 8 6 ♠ K 9 6 5 ♥ 3 2 ♦ K 9 6 2 ♣ A 9 7 ♠ Q 8 4 2 ♥ 10 4 ♦ Q 10 5 ♣ Q J 10 2   ♠ A ♥ A K Q J 9 ♦ 7 4 3 ♣ K 5 4 3 Open Room West North East South Szalay Mauberquez Lakatos Allix       1♥ Dble 2♥ 2♠ 4♥ All Pass       In view of Szalay’s very light double, declarer played the hand carefully and well. A low spade was ducked by East and won by declarer’s ace. Next came a diamond to the jack. Finding the ♦KQ onside probably was declarer’s best chance, as the ♣A figured to be behind the king anyway. Now what should East do upon winning his ♦Q? From the count signal he knows that West has four diamonds, so a diamond return cannot cost. If he returns a diamond, he would have set up the second trick for the defence before declarer gets a chance to establish a club for a possible diamond discard by ruffing out the ♣A. Understandably, he continued the ♣Q which he was allowed to hold. At this point, a return to diamonds should be even more obvious, as it still cannot cost, but when he continued the ♣J he had presented declarer with his contract. Trumps were drawn, a club ruffed, the second losing diamond went on the ♣K and the last diamond could be ruffed in dummy too. Allix +620. Closed Room West North East South Frey Winkler Bessis Dumbovich       1♥ Pass 3♣ Pass 4♥ All Pass       West led a trump, declarer drew two rounds, cashed the ♠A and led a diamond to the jack and queen as well. At this table too, East continued the ♣Q, but as there had been no take-out double by West ducking the ♣Q was just a trifle less automatic. When Dumbovich in fact covered with the ♣K, he had given away his only chance to make the contract. So 12 IMPs went back to Allix immediately and thus they took a lead they were never to lose again. The final score: 60-42 to Allix.

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