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OPEN TEAMS S-FINAL - 1ST & 2ND Italy v Norway
Clash of the Titans
by Brent Manley
Italy and Norway entered the semi-final round of the Open series as two of the favorites for the championship. The Italians have an enviable record in international competition, and Norway’s squad included three members of the Bermuda Bowl winners from Shanghai last year.
The day ended with Norway looking at a significant deficit, and the tone was set on the first deal of the match.
| Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul. |
| | ♠ 5 2
♥ K J 8 6 3
♦ A 8 5
♣ 10 8 2 |
♠ 7 4
♥ Q 9
♦ K Q J 7 3
♣ K 9 7 3 |  |
♠ A K Q 10 9 3
♥ A 7 2
♦ 2
♣ J 5 4 | | | ♠ J 8 6
♥ 10 5 4
♦ 10 9 6 4
♣ A Q 6 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Versace | Helness | Lauria | Helgemo
|
| | Pass | 1♠ | Pass
|
| 2♦ | Pass | 2♠ | Pass
|
| 2NT | Pass | 3♥ | Pass
|
| 4♠ | All Pass
| | |
Geir Helgemo started with the ♣Q, the only lead to defeat the contract because it takes the entry to the diamond suit out at trick one. It was all for naught as it turned out. Lorenzo Lauria put up dummy’s king, pulled trumps and led his singleton diamond. Now Tor Helness must win the first diamond and return a club. If Lauria ducks, Helgemo wins the ace and puts Lauria back in his hand with a third club. If Lauria plays the ♣J, Helgemo can win or duck – either play works. Declarer ends up losing at least one club, one diamond and two hearts.
Unfortunately for Norway, Helness ducked the ♦K and the ♦Q. That was 10 tricks for Italy and plus 420.
At the other table, Norway arrived at a contract that was doomed on the opening lead.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Groetheim | Fantoni | Tundal | Nunes
|
| | Pass | 1♠ | Pass
|
| 2♦ | Pass | 3NT | All Pass
|
Claudio Nunes started with a low heart to the queen and king. Ulf Tundal ducked two times and ran his six spade winners, but that was it. Two down for minus 100 and 11 IMPs for Italy to start the day.
Two boards later, more bad news for Norway.
| Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ A 7 3
♥ Q 2
♦ A K Q 10 8 5
♣ J 10 |
♠ 6 2
♥ K 10 7 6 4
♦ 4 3 2
♣ Q 9 8 | |
♠ J 9 8 5 4
♥ J 9 5 3
♦ J
♣ A 7 4 | | | ♠ K Q 10
♥ A 8
♦ 9 7 6
♣ K 6 5 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Versace | Helness | Lauria | Helgemo
|
| | | | 1♣
|
| Pass | 2♦ | Pass | 3♦
|
| Pass | 3♠ | Pass | 4♣
|
| Pass | 4NT | Pass | 5♦
|
| Pass | 6♦ | All Pass
| |
This optimistic contract had a chance if Lauria did not find the heart lead. If Helness guessed well in clubs, he could set up the suit and scramble home with 12 tricks. Lauria gave him no chance, however, starting with the ♥5 and Helness could do nothing but duck, hoping Lauria had led from the king. Not this time. One down and minus 50.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Groetheim | Fantoni | Tundal | Nunes
|
| | | | 1NT
|
| Pass | 2♣ | Pass | 2♦
|
| Pass | 3♦ | Pass | 3NT
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Glenn Groetheim naturally started with a heart and Nunes had 11 easy tricks for plus 460. It was 22-0 Italy.
Another 4 IMPs went to the Italians when a 1♠ overcall by Helness was nailed for minus 800 (his teammates went plus 660 at the other table), then there was this deal.
| Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul. |
| | ♠ A 6 4
♥ 9 6 3 2
♦ A 10 8
♣ J 10 8 |
♠ 8 7 3
♥ J 10 7 4
♦ K 9 6
♣ A 4 2 | |
♠ J 9
♥ A Q 8 5
♦ J 7 5 2
♣ 9 7 6 | | | ♠ K Q 10 5 2
♥ K
♦ Q 4 3
♣ K Q 5 3 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Versace | Helness | Lauria | Helgemo
|
| | | | 1♠
|
| Pass | 2♠ | All Pass
| |
Alfredo Versace led a trump. Helgemo won and played two more rounds, then started on clubs. Versace won the second round and exited with a heart to Lauria’s ace. Helgemo ruffed the ♥Q, played a club to dummy’s 10 and then a diamond to his queen and Versace’s king. The defense still had a diamond coming, but Helgemo was plus 140.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Groetheim | Fantoni | Tundal | Nunes
|
| | | | 1♠
|
| Pass | 2NT | Pass | 3♦
|
| Pass | 4♠ | All Pass
| |
Nunes also got a spade lead, and he also pulled trumps and played on clubs and received a heart return. He had a different plan for the diamond suit, however. He won the third round of clubs in hand and played the ♦Q to the king and ace. He ruffed a heart to hand and played the ♦3 to the 8, good enough to establish the 10 as his game-going trick. Plus 620 and 10 more IMPs to Italy.
Norway final broke into the plus column on the next deal.
| Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul. |
| | ♠ J 7 3
♥ K Q 9 2
♦ K 8 7
♣ Q J 5 |
♠ A 8 6 2
♥ J 8 7 5
♦ J 4 3
♣ 7 4 | |
♠ 10 4
♥ A 10 3
♦ A 10 9 2
♣ 10 9 6 3 | | | ♠ K Q 9 5
♥ 6 4
♦ Q 6 5
♣ A K 8 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Versace | Helness | Lauria | Helgemo
|
| Pass | 1♥ | Pass | 1♠
|
| Pass | 1NT | Pass | 3NT
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Lauria started with the ♣6, and thanks to the fall of East’s ♠10, Helness was not taxed to come to nine tricks for plus 400. 3NT played from the South hand at the other table, and Groetheim found the killing lead.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Groetheim | Fantoni | Tundal | Nunes
|
| Pass | Pass | Pass | 1NT
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| Pass | 2♣ | Pass | 2♠
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| Pass | 3NT | All Pass
| |
Groetheim led the ♦3: 7, 9, queen. Nunes played the ♠K, taken by Groetheim to continue with the ♦J. That gave the defense three diamonds and two aces for plus 50 and 10 badly needed IMPs.
Another swing went Italy’s way two deals later.
| Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul. |
| | ♠ K 10 6 2
♥ 8 6
♦ K J 6 4
♣ Q 8 3 |
♠ 9 3
♥ K 10 2
♦ A 8 7 5
♣ A 9 7 5 | |
♠ A Q 8
♥ Q J 9 4
♦ 3
♣ K J 10 4 2 | | | ♠ J 7 5 4
♥ A 7 5 3
♦ Q 10 9 2
♣ 6 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Versace | Helness | Lauria | Helgemo
|
| | | 1♣ | Pass
|
| 1♦ | Pass | 1♥ | Pass
|
| 2♣ | Pass | 2♦ | Pass
|
| 2♠ | Pass | 3♣ | Pass
|
| 5♣ | All Pass
| | |
Helgemo started with a spade and Lauria had an easy route to 11 tricks. Plus 600.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Groetheim | Fantoni | Tundal | Nunes
|
| | | 1♦* | Pass
|
| 1NT | All Pass
| | |
Perhaps he was limited by system, but Groetheim’s 1NT seems very heavy. In any case, on the spade lead, he rose with the ace to avoid a potentially killing switch to diamonds. He had seven tricks after knocking out the ♥A, but plus 90 was another double-digit loss for Norway.
The score was 52-10 when this deal came along.
| Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul. |
| | ♠ J 8 5
♥ A 2
♦ K 7 4
♣ A K Q J 8 |
♠ K Q 10
♥ K Q J 6 5 3
♦ Q 6
♣ 10 4 | |
♠ 9 7 6 4 3
♥ 10 4
♦ 9 8 3 2
♣ 3 2 | | | ♠ A 2
♥ 9 8 7
♦ A J 10 5
♣ 9 7 6 5 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Versace | Helness | Lauria | Helgemo
|
| | 1♣ | Pass | 2♣
|
| 2♥ | 3♥ | Pass | 4♣
|
| Pass | 4♥ | Pass | 4♠
|
| Pass | 5♣ | All Pass
| |
Helness won the opening lead of the ♥10 with the ace, played two rounds of trumps, then exited with a heart. He ruffed the third round, then played the ♠A and another spade, ruffing the third round in dummy. Helness knew enough about the West hand to know it contained at most two diamonds, so he played a diamond to his king and a second diamond to the 10 – down one.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Groetheim | Fantoni | Tundal | Nunes
|
| | 1♣ | Pass | 1♠*
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| 2♥ | Pass | Pass | Dble
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| Pass | 3NT | All Pass
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Fulvio Fantoni had nine top tricks, and in the process of cashing out, he got the bonus of the doubleton ♦Q. Plus 660 and 13 more IMPs to Italy.
The final score in the set was 65-17, and it would have been worse had Versace and Lauria not had a bidding misunderstanding that landed them in 4♥ on a 4-1 fit, minus 400 (Tundal was minus 100 in 3♠ at the other table).
Second set
Down 48 is not an enviable position, but it’s less worrisome in a 96-board match. There is plenty of time to catch up.
Norway started the set with a 1-IMP gain, but another setback came on the second deal.
| Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ K Q 9 8 5
♥ A K 4 3
♦ 9 8
♣ 6 2 |
♠ A 3
♥ Q 7 2
♦ A Q 5
♣ A 10 7 5 4 | |
♠ J 10 7 6
♥ 9 8 5
♦ J 3 2
♣ K Q J | | | ♠ 4 2
♥ J 10 6
♦ K 10 7 6 4
♣ 9 8 3 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Aa | Fantoni | Molberg | Nunes
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 1NT | 2♣* | 2NT | Pass
|
| 3NT | All Pass
| | |
Ignoring the vulnerability, Fantoni boldly entered the auction with a takeout for the majors. Also ignoring the vulnerability, Jorgen Molberg pressed on with 2NT instead of considering a penalty double.
Fantoni started with the ♥A followed by the ♥K and a third heart. That was trick number nine for Terje Aa – plus 400.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Duboin | Helness | Sementa | Helgemo
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 1NT | 2♣* | Dble | Redbl
|
| Pass | 2♠ | Pass | Pass
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| Dble | All Pass
| | |
Antonio Sementa, inspired by the vulnerability to exact a penalty for the interference, started with the ♠J, ducked to North’s queen. Helness played the ♥4 from hand to Giorgio Duboin’s queen. The ♣A was followed by a second club to East, who continued with the ♣J, ruffed. Now a heart to the 10 in dummy was followed by a spade to West’s ace and a fourth round of clubs, ruffed by Helness with the 9 and overruffed by East. The ♦J went to the king and ace and West’s last club knocked out Helness’s last trump. He later scored a diamond trick, but it was three down for minus 800 and 9 IMPs to Italy.
Board 22 could have been a gain for Norway, but an unfortunate opening lead turned it into a loss.
| Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ A J 10 5
♥ J 8 5 3
♦ 8
♣ K 9 5 3 |
♠ 7 6
♥ 9 7
♦ A 10 7 6
♣ A 8 7 6 4 | |
♠ K 9 3 2
♥ K 10 4
♦ 5 4 3 2
♣ Q J | | | ♠ Q 8 4
♥ A Q 6 2
♦ K Q J 9
♣ 10 2 |
Helgemo and Helness stopped in 2♥ by North, making plus 140. Declarer had to lose a trick in each suit. That was not the case at the other table.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Aa | Fantoni | Molberg | Nunes
|
| | | Pass | 1NT
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| Pass | 2♣ | Pass | 2♥
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| Pass | 3♥ | Pass | 4♥
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Aa started with the ♥7, which proved fatal to the defense. Nunes played the ♥8 from dummy, covered by Molberg with the 10. Nunes won with the ♥Q and played a low spade to the 10 and king. The heart return ran around to dummy’s jack, and that was that. Declarer lost a club and a diamond from there, but it was plus 420 and 7 IMPs for Italy. Declarer might still have guessed the heart position had East not played away from the king, but Nunes would need to decide if West had led from two or three to the 9, a holding of K 10 9 by East being irrelevant.
Norway picked up 6 IMPs on the next deal when Italy overbid again to 4♥ and the defenders took all their tricks.
Italy was ahead 90-29 when this interesting deal came along.
| Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ A Q 7
♥ Q 9 6
♦ Q
♣ 10 8 7 6 4 3 |
♠ K J 9 6 5 3
♥ 8 3
♦ J 5 3
♣ A K | |
♠ 10 4
♥ A K 5 4
♦ A 7 6 4 2
♣ J 9 | | | ♠ 8 2
♥ J 10 7 2
♦ K 10 9 8
♣ Q 5 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Duboin | Helness | Sementa | Helgemo
|
| 1♠ | Pass | 2♦ | Pass
|
| 2♠ | Pass | 3♥ | Pass
|
| 3NT | All Pass
| | |
Helness started with a club to the 9, queen and king. Duboin played a diamond to the queen and ace and ran the ♠10, which held. A second spade went to the 9 and queen, and Helness cleared the club suit. The play record from there is missing, but it indicates that Duboin went five down. At the other table, Fantoni had to defend well to hold the swing to 5 IMPs.
| West | North | East | South
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| Aa | Fantoni | Molberg | Nunes
|
| 1♠ | Pass | 2♦ | Pass
|
| 2♠ | Pass | 3NT | Pass
|
| 4♠ | All Pass
| | |
Fantoni started with his singleton diamond, taken in dummy. The ♠10 ran to the queen, and Fantoni pondered his next move for a few moments. Guided by his partner’s helpful play of the ♦10 at trick one, Fantoni made the killing play – a heart. That took an entry from dummy that declarer needed to play up to his ♦J, but that could be done only after the trumps were drawn. Soldiering on, Aa played a spade to his king and Fantoni’s ace. The second heart doomed the contract. Aa’s only hope was that North did not have a third trump, but when Aa played a diamond, Nunes rose with the king and gave his partner a ruff for one down. It was still 5 IMPs to Norway, but it would have been 12 if Aa had made the game.
Board 30 had to have been frustrating for Norway partisans.
| Board 30. Dealer East. None Vul. |
| | ♠ 4 3
♥ K Q J 10
♦ A J 8 6
♣ K 6 3 |
♠ A Q J 8 6
♥ 2
♦ 10 9 5 4
♣ 9 7 4 | |
♠ 9 5
♥ A 9 8 7 4
♦ 7
♣ A J 10 8 2 | | | ♠ K 10 7 2
♥ 6 5 3
♦ K Q 3 2
♣ Q 5 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Duboin | Helness | Sementa | Helgemo
|
| | | 1♥ | Pass
|
| 1♠ | Pass | 2♣ | Pass
|
| 2♠ | All Pass
| | |
Duboin and Sementa stole the deal despite holding only 16 high-card points between them. Helness started with the ♥K to the ace. Duboin passed the ♦7 to North’s 8, and he got out with the ♠4: 5, 2, 6. Duboin ruffed a diamond in dummy, ruffed a heart in hand, played a club to dummy’s ace and ruffed another heart. He could not be prevented from taking two more tricks for plus 110. Norway had a chance to push the board at the other table, but the defense was not up to it.
| West | North | East | South
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| Aa | Fantoni | Molberg | Nunes
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 2♦* | Dble | Redbl | Pass
|
| 2♠ | Pass | Pass | 3NT
|
| All Pass
| | | |
A club lead would have held declarer to five tricks, but that’s strictly double dummy. At the table, Aa started with the ♠Q. on which Molberg unblocked ♠9. In with the ♠K, Nunes played a heart to dummy, ducked by Molberg. He took the second heart and could have assured two down – and a curious push for his side – by returning a spade through declarer’s 10 7 2. Instead, he played the ♣J to the king in dummy. A grateful Nunes claimed immediately for plus 400 and 11 IMPs to Italy.
With one board to go, Italy was ahead 108-34. Norway desperately needed some good news. They got it on the last deal of the second set thanks to some luck and excellent play by Aa.
| Board 32. Dealer West. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ 9 3 2
♥ K 4
♦ A J 9 7 6 4 3
♣ 9 |
♠ 10
♥ Q 8 7 5
♦ 10 5
♣ A Q 8 7 5 3 | |
♠ K Q 8 6 5
♥ A 3 2
♦ K 8
♣ K J 6 | | | ♠ A J 7 4
♥ J 10 9 6
♦ Q 2
♣ 10 4 2 |
| West | North | East | South
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| Aa | Fantoni | Molberg | Nunes
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| Pass | 3♦ | 3♠ | Pass
|
| 4♣ | Pass | 5♣ | All Pass
|
Fantoni led the ♦A and continued the suit at trick two. Aa played a club to his ace at trick three and ran the ♠10 to Nunes’ jack. The ♥J was returned to the queen, king and ace. Aa played the ♣J and then called for the ♠K. Nunes covered, Aa ruffed, returned to dummy with the ♣K and played spades from the top. The fall of the ♠9 from North meant all of Aa’s losing hearts went away and he recorded a well-earned plus 600. At the other table, Helness withheld his diamond preempt for one round, which produced a better result.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Duboin | Helness | Sementa | Helgemo
|
| Pass | Pass | 1♠ | Pass
|
| 1NT | 3♦ | Dble | Pass
|
| 4♦ | Pass | 4♥ | All Pass
|
Helgemo led the ♦Q to his partner’s ace, and the ♦J was returned to Sementa’s king. Sementa played the ♥A and a heart to the jack, queen and king. A low spade went to the king and Helgemo’s ace. The spade return was ruffed in dummy, and Sementa tried dummy’s last heart, hoping for a good split. Helgemo won the ♥9 and played a third spade. The 9 from Helness knocked out declarer’s queen and Helgemo had two more tricks for plus 300 and 14 IMPs to Norway.
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