Brazil v Norway

Orbis Bermuda Bowl - Semifinal

Stingy with their IMPs

While the IMPs were flying all around in the Orbis Bermuda Bowl and Orbis Venice Cup semifinals, Brazil and Norway were in a low-scoring match to determine one of the contestants in the final of their event.

In fact, three teams in the two semifinals have more IMPs than Norway and Brazil have earned between them -- and they are all playing the same boards.

After three tough sets, Norway held a 59-55 lead. Brazil won the third set, 19-17, thanks in part to this deal.

Board 4. Dealer West. Game All ª K J © A Q 8 5 ¨ A Q 10 8 4 § 10 6 ª A 4 3 ª Q 9 2 © 6 3 2 © K 9 7 ¨ K J 7 ¨ 9 5 § A Q J 5 § K 8 4 3 2 ª 10 8 7 6 5 © J 10 4 ¨ 6 3 2 § 9 7

West North East South Helgemo Campos Austberg Villas Boas 1NT Dble Rdble 2ª Pass Pass 2NT All Pass

Joao Paulo Campos led the ©A, and Geir Helgemo brought home nine tricks for plus 150.

West North East South Branco Saelesminde Chagas Brogeland 1§ 1© 2§ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Erik Saelensminde started with the ©Q, which Marcelo Branco won with the king.

He immediately led a low heart to dummy's king, and began running clubs. Saelensminde discarded down to the ©A 8 and the ©A 10, and when Branco got off dummy with a heart, Saelensminde overtook with the ace, returning the suit to Boye Brogeland's jack.

Brogeland returned a spade, but Branco played the ace and exited with a spade. Saelensminde had to give Branco his ninth trick in diamonds.

Had Brogeland returned a diamond, Saelensminde would have been endplayed a different way, forced to give up the game-going trick in spades.

The winning defense, not easy to spot, is for North to discard the ©A Q and a only one diamond. He can then put his partner in to cash two hearts. Saelensminde can then take three diamond tricks on the return of that suit. Norway earned a 6-IMP gain with expert defense on this deal.

Board 9. Dealer North. EW Game ª K J © 10 8 6 ¨ A 5 4 3 2 § K J 2 ª A 8 7 3 ª Q 10 9 4 © Q 9 3 2 © K J 7 5 ¨ 8 7 ¨ Q J 10 9 § A 8 4 § Q ª 6 5 2 © A 4 ¨ K 6 § 10 9 7 6 5 3

West North East South Helgemo Campos Austberg Villas Boas 1© Pass 1NT Pass Pass 2© Pass 2© All Pass

North led a trump, and Helgemo was not pressed hard to hold his losers to one heart, two diamonds and a spade. Plus 140 to Norway.

West North East South Branco Saelesminde Chagas Brogeland 1© Pass 1NT Pass Pass 2© Pass 2© Pass Pass 3§ 3© Pass 3© All Pass

Brogeland's bid of 3§ got the Brazilians high enough to be defeated -- and they came through with excellent defense.

Saelensminde led a low club, won in dummy. Branco played a diamond next, and Brogeland played the king, switching to a spade. Had Branco risen with the ace and played a trump immediately, he would have survived because of the blockage in spades. Going up with the ace could have been equally wrong if, for example, Brogeland had been leading away from the ªK J.

So Branco ducked. Saelensminde won the ªK and got out with the jack. Brogeland won the first round of trumps and gave his partner a spade ruff. The ©A was still to come. Plus 100 and 6 IMPs to Norway.

The Scandinavians picked up another 7 IMPs on a board which might have been a 10-IMP loss.

Board 13. Dealer North. Game All ª K Q 10 9 4 © 9 6 ¨ A 10 6 2 § 9 5 ª 3 ª A 8 6 5 © 5 4 3 © K 10 ¨ Q 9 7 5 4 ¨ K J 8 § K J 7 2 § Q 10 8 3 ª J 7 2 © A Q J 8 7 2 ¨ 3 § A 6 4

West North East South Branco Saelesminde Chagas Brogeland Pass 1§ 1© 2§ Dble Pass 2© All Pass

Branco led his singleton spade. Chagas won the ace and gave his partner a ruff. On the diamond return, Brogeland went up with the ace, played a heart to the queen, followed by the ace. He claimed at that point, discarding two losing clubs on the long spades. Erik Austberg and Helgemo put up a different defense in the closed room, and they needed to, since declarer was in game.

West North East South Helgemo Campos Austberg Villas Boas Pass 1§ 1© 3§ Dble Pass 4© All Pass

Helgemo also led his singleton spade, but when Austberg won the ace, he switched to the §10.

When declarer let that trick hold, Austberg gave his partner a ruff. Helgemo got out with a diamond, taken by the ace in dummy.

Declarer played a heart to the 10 and queen and, apparently convinced that East had started with three trumps, played another spade from his hand. Had the cards lay as he envisioned, Miguel Villas Boas would have been able to return to dummy, take a club discard on dummy's fourth spade and repeat the trump finesse.

Unfortunately for Brazil, the surprised Helgemo ruffed the third round of spades to kill the contract. Down one meant 7 IMPs to Norway.

Branco and Chagas cooperated on a nifty defense to earn their side a swing on the following deal.

Board 15. Dealer South. NS Game ª K J 10 8 © Q 10 8 6 2 ¨ Q 4 § A 10 ª A 6 4 3 ª 9 5 © K 9 5 © J 4 3 ¨ J 5 ¨ A 8 7 2 § K Q 9 2 § J 8 6 3 ª Q 7 2 © A 7 ¨ K 10 9 6 3 § 7 5 4

West North East South Helgemo Campos Austberg Villas Boas Pass 1§ 1© 2§ 2© All Pass

Villas Boas made his contract on the nose to score plus 90.

West North East South Branco Saelesminde Chagas Brogeland Pass 1§ 1© Pass 2© All Pass

Branco started the defense with the ª3, taken in dummy with the jack. He then played the §10 from dummy, and Chagas won with the jack.

Chagas returned the ©3, which Brogeland ducked to Branco's king. Branco cashed his ªA and gave Chagas a ruff. Chagas played a club to dummy's ace, and Brogeland returned to hand with the ©A to play a diamond to dummy. Chagas could have defeated the contract the conventional way -- winning the ©A and playing another diamond. Even if Brogeland had guessed to go up with the king, he would still have gone down, losing the ªA, a spade ruff, two club tricks, a heart and the trump ace.

Chagas preferred to be crafty, ducking the ©A. In dummy, Brogeland played the ªK, getting rid of his losing club (Chagas kept up the charade by refusing to ruff). Finally, Brogeland played the diamond from dummy and inserted the 9, losing to Branco's singleton jack. A circuitous route to plus 100, but the result is what counts.