Round
of 16-1: USA v Italy
by Mark Horton
Bridge history is littered with historic matches between these
two giants. The draw had pitted the holders against a team bent
on securing Zia Mahmood his first world title. It promised to an
exciting struggle.
|
Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
|
| |
ª A 5 3 2
© 10 6
¨ J
§ A 10 9 8 6 2 |
ª Q 10 8 7 4
© A 9 8 2
¨ 7 6
§ Q 7 |
 |
ª J 9
© 7 5 4
¨ Q 10 9 8 5 4 2
§ J |
| |
ª K 6
© K Q J 3
¨ A K 3
§ K 5 4 3 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Levin |
Lauria |
Weinstein |
| |
|
Pass |
1§ |
| 1ª |
2ª* |
Pass |
2NT |
| Pass |
3§ |
3¨ |
3NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Of course you would like to play in a slam on the North/South cards,
but West’s overcall made life more difficult. +690.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Welland |
Bocchi |
Fallenius |
Duboin |
| |
|
3¨ |
3NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
East’s opening bid left South with no real alternative to
3NT. He did not need all the points he possessed to make that bid
and one can sympathise with North’s probably reluctant pass.
No swing.
|
Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
|
| |
ª K J 10 9 8 3
© A K J 7 2
¨ K 8
§ - |
ª 2
© Q 8 6 5 4
¨ 9 7 6
§ K 9 3 2 |
|
ª A 6
© 10
¨ A Q J 5 4
§ A Q 8 6 5 |
| |
ª Q 7 5 4
© 9 3
¨ 10 3 2
§ J 10 7 4 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Levin |
Lauria |
Weinstein |
| Pass |
1ª |
2NT* |
Pass |
| 5§ |
5© |
6§ |
Dble |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Lauria could be reasonably sure that Five Hearts would not make,
but facing the jump to Five Clubs it was surely possible his side
could make a slam. Unluckily the bad club break meant the contract
had to fail, -200.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Welland |
Bocchi |
Fallenius |
Duboin |
| Pass |
1ª |
2NT |
Pass |
| 4§ |
4© |
6§ |
Dble |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Pretty much the same scenario, and the same result.
|
Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
|
| |
ª 7 5
© 7 3
¨ A 4
§ A Q 9 7 6 5 4 |
ª A Q 10 2
© K Q 10
¨ K J 10 8 6
§ K |
|
ª J 9 6 4 3
© J 8
¨ 7 5 3 2
§ 3 2 |
| |
ª K 8
© A 9 6 5 4 2
¨ Q 9
§ J 10 8 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Levin |
Lauria |
Weinstein |
| 1¨ |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨* |
| 2ª |
3§ |
4ª |
5§ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
South did well to bid Five Clubs as declarer would have been a
heavy favourite to make Four Spades thanks to the friendly distribution
and favourable honour card positions in the pointed suits. East
led the three of spades and West took two tricks in that suit and
switched to the king of hearts. When that held he tried the king
of clubs, but declarer could win and set up the hearts for one down,
-50.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Welland |
Bocchi |
Fallenius |
Duboin |
| 1¨ |
2§ |
Pass |
2© |
| Dble |
3§ |
3ª |
All Pass |
When East volunteered a bid it was surprising that West did not
add one for the road. He had no trouble taking ten tricks, reaching
dummy via a heart ruff to pick up the trumps and then with a trump
to play a diamond. +170 meant 3 IMPs to USA.
|
Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª A J 7 6 3
© K 4
¨ K J 10 4
§ A K |
ª Q 10 9 8 4
© Q
¨ Q 7
§ 10 9 8 7 2 |
|
ª K 5 2
© 7 3
¨ A 6 5 2
§ Q 6 5 4 |
| |
ª -
© A J 10 9 8 6 5 2
¨ 9 8 3
§ J 3 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Levin |
Lauria |
Weinstein |
| |
1ª |
Pass |
3© |
| Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
4© |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Three Hearts was invitational but when North accepted with a cue
bid South could do no more. The diamond position meant twelve easy
tricks, +480.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Welland |
Bocchi |
Fallenius |
Duboin |
| |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT* |
| Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
4© |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Yet another flat board in what was clearly going to be a hard fought
encounter.
|
Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
|
| |
ª A J 10 7 3
© J 8 7 5 2
¨ 9
§ Q 8 |
ª 6 5
© A K
¨ Q J 8 7 3
§ K J 9 5 |
|
ª K Q 2
© Q 10 4
¨ A 5 2
§ A 6 3 2 |
| |
ª 9 8 4
© 9 6 3
¨ K 10 6 4
§ 10 7 4 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Levin |
Lauria |
Weinstein |
| 1¨ |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
| 2¨ |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
| 3© |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
South led the nine of spades to declarer’s king. A heart
to dummy was followed by the queen of diamonds. South won and played
the eight of spades which North allowed to run to the queen. Declarer
could pick up the diamonds, unblock the heart, cross to a club,
cash the master heart and play a club to the king, securing all
the remaining tricks for +490.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Welland |
Bocchi |
Fallenius |
Duboin |
| 1NT |
2§* |
Pass |
2¨* |
| Pass |
2ª |
Dble |
All Pass |
Bocchi did not pick a good moment to get involved. East started
with the ace of clubs and played another to West’s king. After
cashing his hearts West switched to the queen of diamonds. East
took the ace and went back to clubs. Declarer still had to lose
two trumps and a heart, down three, -800 and a loss of 7 IMPs. Sometimes
you can be too enterprising.
|
Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
|
| |
ª A J 10 4 2
© 6 5 3 2
¨ 7 2
§ J 10 |
ª K Q 7
© A Q 8
¨ A 9 8 3
§ 9 7 5 |
|
ª -
© J 10 9 4
¨ Q 5 4
§ A K 8 6 4 3 |
| |
ª 9 8 6 5 3
© K 7
¨ K J 10 6
§ Q 2 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Levin |
Lauria |
Weinstein |
| |
|
1§ |
Pass |
| 1¨ |
1ª |
2§ |
3§* |
| 3NT |
Pass |
Pass |
4ª |
| Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
3NT would have been easy thanks to the club break (and there are
a not unlucky 12 tricks available in clubs) but when South decided
he had enough to take a save West had a solid alternative. East
led the ace of clubs and switched to the jack of hearts, giving
West two tricks in that suit. He played a third heart and declarer
ruffed in dummy and played a spade, putting up the ace when West
followed with the seven. That meant he was four down, -800.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Welland |
Bocchi |
Fallenius |
Duboin |
| |
|
1§ |
Pass |
| 1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
| 2© |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
| 3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
On North’s low spade lead declarer had soon amassed twelve
tricks, +490, but 7 IMPs for Italy, trying the match at 11 all.
|
Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
|
| |
ª A J 9 2
© K 9 7
¨ 5 2
§ K 10 5 3 |
ª 10 5 4
© 5 3
¨ K 10 7 6 3
§ Q J 7 |
|
ª K 8 6 3
© A Q 6 2
¨ 8 4
§ A 4 2 |
| |
ª Q 7
© J 10 8 4
¨ A Q J 9
§ 9 8 6 |
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Levin |
Lauria |
Weinstein |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
1§ |
Dble |
1NT |
| 2¨ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
South must have been confident when he doubled, but the contract
could not be defeated. North led a trump and South put in the jack.
West won, took a heart finesse and played a trump. South won and
played the nine of clubs for the queen and ace. Declarer cashed
the ace of hearts, ruffed a heart and played a spade to the king.
A club to the jack gave him his seventh trick and he was assured
of one more trump trick, +180.
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Welland |
Bocchi |
Fallenius |
Duboin |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
1§ |
Dble |
Pass |
| 1¨ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
| Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
West led a diamond to declarer’s nine. The eight of hearts
went to East’s queen and he returned a diamond taken by the
ace. East ducked the next heart, won the third and exited with a
spade, taken by declarer’s queen. The jack of hearts was cashed
and declarer played a spade to the nine. East won and played back
a spade. Declarer was home, and Italy had another 7 IMPs.
Both teams had made their opponents fight for every IMP, but it
was Italy who had nosed in front.
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