| 12th World Team Olympiad | Page 2 | Bulletin 11 - Wednesday, 3 November 2004 |
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Rivalry heats up When Italy and the USA last met before Istanbul, it was one of the most memorable matches in world championship history, the Americans coming away with a 1-IMP victory secured on the final deal of the Bermuda Bowl in Monte Carlo. It was a different American team in Monte Carlo, but the rivalry seemed just as intense as the two squads were matched in the round of 16 at the World Bridge Olympiad. Spectators were treated to a seesaw battle as the Italians won the first and third sets, the Americans the second and fourth. Entering the fifth and final set of the match, USA had a lead of 129-104. On the first board of the set, they increased the lead to 30 IMPs.
After Fulvio Fantoni’s natural 2§ opener, Steve Weinstein’s 3§ over the 2¨ inquiry indicated both majors. Bobby Levin preferred diamonds if Weinstein had any of them at all, but Weinstein did not want to put down a dummy void in trumps. Weinstein was limited to seven tricks in his heart contract, but the phrase no double, no trouble was applicable. There was trouble in the open room.
Michael Rosenberg started with a low diamond, and Giorgio Duboin ruffed when Zia played the ace. Rosenberg discarded a club at trick two when Duboin played a spade toward dummy. Declarer went up with the ace and played a second spade, taken by Zia with the king. Zia got out with his singleton club, ducked by declarer to Rosenberg’s king. Zia ruffed the club return, then played the ©A and another heart, leaving declarer with a further spade loser for two down and plus 300 to USA, now up by 30 IMPs. They didn’t score again for eight deals. Italy struck for 11 IMPs on the next deal.
Norberto Bocchi started with the §K and switched to the ª7 at trick two. Rosenberg went up with dummy’s king, pulled trumps, ending in hand, and played the ¨Q. The defenders took two spades and a club from there – plus 110 to USA.
This was not a success for USA. Levin started with the §K, overtaken by Weinstein with the ace to play his singleton diamond. Levin won the ace and gave Weinstein a ruff. A spade went to the ace, and Weinstein ruffed another diamond, overruffed by declarer. The defenders could collect only a club from that point and Italy had plus 670. Was there confusion between Weinstein and Levin as to the nature of Weinstein’s double? If not, it seems a big position for Levin to sit for the double of 2©. Italy earned a game swing on the next deal for another 7-IMP pickup to close to within 12 IMPs. More IMPs came Italy’s way when Bocchi and Duboin took the right view in a competitive auction.
Bocchi’s 4§ bid helped Duboin with his decision to take the save over 4ª, and Zia did well to double rather than bidding 5ª, which has no play. Still it was a 4-IMP loss because Fantoni and Nunes were allowed to play in 4ª, making, in the closed room. Italy took the lead for good on the following board, which should have been a swing to USA.
Levin started with the ª2, which went to the 10 and ace. The play was not challenging with trumps 2-2, so Fantoni duly chalked up plus 620.
The Italian methods required Bocchi to double after the 1© overcall – a bid of 1ª would have indicated no four-card majors, while a transfer bid of 2© would have indicated game-forcing values or at least six spades. Double indicated four or more spades. Bocchi’s double of 4© was obviously based on Duboin’s opening bid, but that may not have been completely clear to Rosenberg indicated by the way he played the doubled contract. Bocchi started with the §A and continued with a club, ruffed in dummy. Rosenberg played a diamond to the king, followed by another diamond. Rosenberg ducked when East played the ¨J. Bocchi switched to a low heart, which went to the 7, 9 and ace. Once the possibility of a 4-0 trump split had been eliminated, it seems safe enough to enter dummy with a trump, planning on ruffing another diamond. If trumps are 2-2, the contract is a virtual lock, and if they are 3-1, there would still be chances depending on who had the remaining trump. Rosenberg, however, played a low spade from hand after winning the trump switch, and that was the end of the contract. Bocchi won the ªK and gave his partner a ruff for down one and a 13-IMP swing to Italy, now ahead by 6 IMPs. Another 10 IMPs went to Italy when Duboin made a state-of-the-match decision in the play that was huge success.
Rosenberg started with a low heart and the defenders quickly cashed four tricks in that suti, Rosenberg exiting with a club at the end. Duboin embarked on a scheme to try to get a count on the opposing hands. He won the §Q in hand at trick five, cashed the top two diamonds, then played off dummy’s three clubs, pitching his last diamond. Zia, meanwhile, had followed to two clubs and discarded two spades. It looked as though Zia started with four spades, making it more likely that he held the ªQ, the card declarer needed to locate to make the contract. On Vugraph, Duboin made a point of picking up his scorecard for a look as a prelude to finessing North rather than South for the ªQ. Estimating that his team was still trailing and believing a swing was need, Duboin made an anti-percentage play to try to turns things around. As you can see, Duboin was right. In the closed room, the defense went exactly the same, and Weinstein played the same way to get the same information. After giving the matter due thought, Weinstein played the ªK and was down one. The Americans earned a slam swing on board 30 to pull to within 11 IMPs with two boards to go, but the next-to-last deal was a routine part score – 2© bid and made at both tables for a push. American partisans had some hope as the final deal unfolded.
Levin and Weinstein got their auction out of the way first.
It was a good auction to the perfect contract . If the Italians failed to bid the grand slam, USA would again edge them out on the final board. Not many would bet against the Italians on this deal, however, and indeed they had no trouble with the bidding.
It was a flat board and a 157-146 victory for Italy. |
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