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USA v Japan Seniors final set 4
by Brent Manley
The Americans started the day with a 43-IMP lead against their Japanese opponents in the fourth of six sets in the Seniors series final. By the time 16 boards had been played, the margin had shrunk to 11 IMPs. Japan’s rally started with the first deal.
| Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul. |
| | ♠ J 6
♥ 10 9
♦ 6
♣ Q J 10 9 5 4 3 2 |
♠ A 10 7 3
♥ A K Q 7 2
♦ 10 4
♣ A 6 |  |
♠ 8 5 2
♥ 8 5
♦ A J 7 5 2
♣ K 8 7 | | | ♠ K Q 9 4
♥ J 6 4 3
♦ K Q 9 8 3
♣ |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Milner | Yamada | Baze | Ohno
|
| | 3♣ | Pass | Pass |
| Dble | Pass | 3♦ | Pass
|
| 3♥ | Pass | 3NT | All Pass
|
Kyoko Ohno started with the ♠K, ducked by Grant Baze. A low spade was continued, and when Baze inserted dummy’s 10, losing to the jack. He could still have made the contract from there, but he drifted one off (the play record was not complete).The auction from the other room was not recorded, but Masayuki Ino played 3NT from the East seat. Matt Granovetter led the ♦K, taken by Ino with the ace. He returned a diamond at trick two, won by Granovetter, who then switched to the ♠9: 10, jack 2. Russ Ekebald played a second round of spades and Granovetter falsecarded with the king. Ino won the ace and promoted dummy’s ♠7 to a winner by playing a third round to his 8 and Granovetter’s queen. Ino played a heart to the ace, cashed the ♠7 and played the ♣A and a club to the king. On the second round of clubs, Granovetter was squeezed in the red suits and Ino had an overtrick for plus 430 and 11 IMPs. USA got 6 IMPs back two deals later when Ekeblad and Granovetter outbid their opponents.
| Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ 9 3
♥ A 8 3
♦ J 10 8 5 2
♣ J 9 4 |
♠ A 8 2
♥ 10 7 5
♦ 3
♣ Q 10 8 6 3 2 | |
♠ 7 6 5
♥ Q 9 2
♦ K 9 6
♣ A K 7 5 | | | ♠ K Q J 10 4
♥ K J 6 4
♦ A Q 7 4
♣ |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Milner | Yamada | Baze | Ohno
|
| | | | 1♠
|
| Pass | 1NT | Pass | 2♥
|
| All Pass
| | | |
When Ohno showed her second suit, Akihiko Yamada thought that was high enough. Reese Milner led his singleton diamond. Baze declined to cover the jack. Ohno played the ♠9 at trick two, taken by Milner with the ace. He played a club to Baze’s king, ruffed by declarer, who cashed the ♠K and the ♠J, pitching a club from dummy. She continued with the ♠Q, pitching another club. Baze ruffed and played the ♣5, which held (declarer discarding a diamond from dummy). Baze played a diamond for Milner to ruff. The club exit was ruffed in dummy. Declarer cashed the ♥A and played a diamond to his ace, ruffed by Milner. Declarer had the ♥K J left for the last two tricks. Plus 140. Granovetter and Ekeblad had a much more successful auction.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Abe | Ekeblad | Ino | Granovetter
|
| | | | 1♣*
|
| Pass | 1♦ | Pass | 1♠
|
| Pass | 2♣* | Pass | 2♥
|
| Pass | 3♦ | Pass | 5♦
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Ino started with the ♣A, ruffed in dummy. Ekeblad played a low spade from dummy at trick two, and Hiroya Abe rose with the ace to tap dummy again with a club. Ekeblad played a heart to the ace and took the diamond finesse. When he cashed the ♦A and Abe discarded, Ekeblad claimed for the loss of a diamond and a spade. Plus 400 was good for 6 IMPs to the Americans.
Japan tacked on 8 IMPs when Ekeblad and Granovetter overbid to 4♥, going two down for minus 200 while Yamada and Ohno stopped in 2♥ and made nine tricks.
On board 8, USA was in danger of another loss, but Granovetter and Ekeblad cooperated on a nice defense to earn 2 IMPs for their side.
| Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul. |
| | ♠ J 7 5 3
♥ 9 8 7
♦ A K 4
♣ 7 4 2 |
♠ Q 10 9
♥ A Q 10
♦ Q 7 6 3
♣ J 10 3 | |
♠ 8 6
♥ 6 4
♦ 10 8 2
♣ A K Q 8 6 5 | | | ♠ A K 4 2
♥ K J 5 3 2
♦ J 9 5
♣ 9 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Milner | Yamada | Baze | Ohno
|
| Pass | Pass | 3♣ | Dble
|
| 4♣ | 4♠ | All Pass
| |
Baze cashed the ♣A at trick one and switched to the ♥6. Milner won the 10, cashed the ace and gave Baze a heart ruff. Milner still had a trump trick coming, so USA scored plus 100.
At the other table, West was playing the contract in 3NT.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Abe | Ekeblad | Ino | Granovetter
|
| 1♦ | Pass | 3♣ | Pass
|
| 3NT | All Pass
| | |
Ekeblad started with a low spade. Granovetter won the king and switched to a low heart. There would have been no story if Abe had inserted the 10, but he played the queen. He was up to eight tricks, and he inferred correctly that Granovetter had the ♠A, so he led a club to dummy and a spade toward his queen. Granovetter went in with the ♠A and made the excellent switch to the ♦J, covered by Abe with the queen. Ekeblad won the ♦K and made the great play of a low diamond from his ace, putting Abe to the guess. He guessed wrong, inserting dummy’s 8. Granovetter took the ♦9 and returned a diamond to Ekeblad’s ace for one down. That was a well-earned 4 IMPs for USA.
On board 12, Granovetter fell for a sneaky play by Ino.
| Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 8 6
♥ J 10 5 3
♦ A 7 6 3
♣ 10 9 |
♠ A J 10 7
♥ Q 8 2
♦ K 9 2
♣ K 7 3 | |
♠ 9
♥ K 7 6 4
♦ 8 5 4
♣ Q J 6 5 2 | | | ♠ K 5 4 3 2
♥ A 9
♦ Q J 10
♣ A 8 4 |
| West | North | East | South
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| Milner | Yamada | Baze | Ohno
|
| 1♣ | Pass | 1♥ | 1♠
|
| Dble* | 2♠ | 3♣ | All Pass
|
Milner could not avoid the loss of three diamonds and a heart and a club for one down. At the other table, Ino played in 3♥, which should have gone three down.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Abe | Ekeblad | Ino | Granovetter
|
| 1♣ | Pass | 1♥ | 1♠
|
| 1NT | 2♠ | 3♣ | Pass
|
| 3♥ | All Pass
| | |
Abe didn’t’ like his club holding, so he put the burden of making a three-level contract on his partner.
Granovetter led the ♦Q, covered by the king and ace, and two more diamonds left Granovetter on play. He exited with a low spade, taken by declarer with dummy’s ace. Rather than playing on his anemic heart holding, Ino attempted to score some low trumps. He played the ♠J, covered by the queen, and ruffed, then played a club from hand to dummy’s king, ruffing another spade when the ♣K held. Ino next played the ♣J. Granovetter examined the card at length, finally ducking. He won the next club with the ace and could only play the ♥A and another heart for two down. Had he covered the ♣J with the ace, it would have been three down for plus150. It was only 1 IMP, but the way the match was going, every one counted.
The Japanese team completed a good set on the next to last board with a second double-digit swing.
| Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ 8 4
♥ 8 7 6 5
♦ 6 5 2
♣ K J 7 5 |
♠ 6 5 3
♥ A J 4
♦ A K 10 3
♣ 10 9 3 | |
♠ A
♥ K Q 3 2
♦ Q 9 8 7 4
♣ A Q 6 | | | ♠ K Q J 10 9 7 2
♥ 10 9
♦ J
♣ 8 4 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Milner | Yamada | Baze | Ohno
|
| | | | 3♠
|
| Pass | Pass | Dble | Pass
|
| 4♦ | Pass | 5♦ | All Pass
|
Milner had two chances to get to the proper level, the first being when Baze balanced with a double, forcing to the four level. Milner’s bid of 4♦ did not come close to describing his opening hand. The second chance was when Baze raised him to 5♦. The bid of 5♦ must have indicated a very strong hand, considering Milner might have been very weak for his bid of 4♦. There was nothing to the play and Milner soon was scoring plus 440.
Granovetter made it easier for his opponents to exchange information at the other table.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Abe | Ekeblad | Ino | Granovetter
|
| | | |
2♠ |
| Dble | Pass | 3♠ | Pass
|
| 4♦ | Pass | 4NT | Pass
|
| 5♥ | Pass | 6♦ | All Pass
|
Abe’s double of 2♠ was aggressive, but he did have an opener. Had Granovetter started the bidding one level higher, it would have been a real stretch for Abe to take the same action. In any case, once Abe showed a sign of life, there was no stopping Ino unless he found that his side was off two aces. That was plus 940 and 11 IMPs to Japan, now trailing only 136-125.
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