Italy v China - Semi-final Set 3

After two sets in the Open series semi-final match between Italy and China, the match was closer than many might have expected. Italy had a 55-41 lead, but as they are favoured in the event, the margin might have seemed surprising to some observers.

China was playing well, and they started the third segment with a gain.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª - © 6 3 2 ¨ Q 6 4 3 2 § K Q 6 4 2
ª 10 7 2 © Q J 10 ¨ J 10 9 8 7 § A 8		ª K 9 8 4 3 © A 5 4 ¨ A K § J 9 3
	ª A Q J 6 5 © K 9 8 7 ¨ 5 § 10 7 5

West	North	East	South
Shi	Fantoni	Zhuang	Nunes
	Pass	1NT	2§
3NT	All Pass

Haojin Shi’s 3NT bid is optimistic, to say the least. Perhaps he was persuaded by his diamond sequence. When Claudio Nunes started with the ªQ, the thin contract had a chance, but only if the Italians misdefended. Zejun Zhuang took the ªQ with the king and played the suit right back. Nunes won and switched accurately to a low club, ending all chances for nine tricks. Declarer was soon two down for minus 100.

West	North	East	South
Versace	Xin	Lauria	Sun
	Pass	1ª	Pass
2ª	2NT	Pass	3§
Pass	Pass	Dble	Pass
3ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

Considering that he might have led his partner’s suit on the go against 3§ doubled, allowing the contract to make, Alfredo Versace did well to pull the double. Lorenzo Lauria was not pleased to be playing 3ª doubled, and even with a defensive error he was two off for minus 300.

Shaolin Sun started with his singleton diamond: 7, 2, A. Lauria led a club to the ace and played another club, Li Xin won the §Q and returned a diamond to East’s king, ruffed by South. He got out with a third round of clubs, ruffed in dummy. The ¨9 was covered by North, an error, and ruffed by East with the 8. South overruffed with the jack and exited with a heart. Dummy’s ©10 won, and Lauria played a good diamond, discarding a heart. Sun made all five of his trumps. That plus the club trick was good for a 5-IMP gain for China.

The Chinese managed a huge swing three boards later when they ‘right-sided’ a 3NT contract and went into the lead.

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

West	North	East	South
Versace	Xin	Lauria	Sun
1©	2§	2¨	Pass
2ª	Pass	3§	Pass
3©	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Played from the East seat, 3NT had no chance at all. The §8 went to the queen and ace, and the §J was taken by the king at trick two. Lauria played a heart to dummy’s ace and a low diamond to the queen and ace. He followed with the heart finesse, and when it lost the defenders had seven tricks – minus 300. There was a much better auction at the other table.

West	North	East	South
Shi	Fantoni	Zhuang	Nunes
1©	2§	2ª	Pass
2NT	3NT	All Pass

The meaning of the 2ª bid is unclear. Perhaps it was a club cuebid of some sort. In any case, the contract was played from the correct side. Fulvio Fantoni started with the §A, following with the §J to Shi’s queen. Shi played a diamond from hand, taking the queen with the ace. He erred by continuing from dummy with the ¨J instead of return to hand to play his other low one toward the J-10, but when Fantoni won the ¨K, he put the ªQ on the table and Shi was able to establish a third diamond trick for plus 630 and a 14-IMP gain. China had taken the lead 60-56.

The lead grew on the next deal when both North players ignored the vulnerability to enter a strong auction and suffering a four-digit number – but China did one trick better in the play.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª K Q 9 5 3 © Q J 7 5 4 2 ¨ 10 § 3
ª 7 6 2 © A 3 ¨ A 6 5 § K Q J 6 2		ª A J 8 © K 10 9 6 ¨ K Q J 3 2 § A
	ª 10 4 © 8 ¨ 9 8 7 4 § 10 9 8 7 5 4

Most players in the competition, if given the chance, apparently entered the bidding with the shapely North hand – to their partner’s regret on this occasion.

West	North	East	South
Versace	Xin	Lauria	Sun
	Pass	1¨	Pass
2§	2¨	Dble	Pass
Pass	2©	Dble	2ª
Dble	All Pass

Versace got off to the best lead – a trump. Sun put up the king and Lauria won the ace to return a low diamond. A second spade came back, ducked to Lauria’s jack. The ¨K was ruffed in dummy and Sun cashed the ªQ, picking up trumps. Declarer played the §3 to East’s singleton ace, and then pitched hearts from dummy as East played three more diamonds. A heart then went to the ace, and dummy ruffed the club return, but Sun was left with the ©Q J. Lauria could do no more than win the ©K and return one – down four and plus 1100 for Italy.

West	North	East	South
Shi	Fantoni	Zhuang	Nunes
	Pass	1¨	Pass
2§	2¨	Pass	2ª
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

Shi also started with a trump, but Zhuang ducked when Nunes put up the king. In dummy, Nunes played the ©Q, a move that cost an important trick. Shi won the ©A and continued with a spade to the jack. The ªA was followed by the §A, a diamond to the ace and a club, ruffed in dummy. Declarer had only one more trick – the ª9. That was minus 1400 and 7 IMPs to China.

With five boards left, China had a chance for a double-digit swing, but they had to settle for 3 IMPs.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª A Q J 10 9 7 2 © 8 6 3 ¨ Q 7 § K
ª K 4 3 © - ¨ A K J 6 4 § A J 8 7 2		ª 5 © K Q 9 4 2 ¨ 10 9 5 3 § 6 5 4
	ª 8 6 © A J 10 7 5 ¨ 8 2 § Q 10 9 3

West	North	East	South
Versace	Xin	Lauria	Sun
1¨	3ª	4¨	Pass
5¨	All Pass

Versace took a long time to play this contract, and took only eight tricks for his trouble.

The opening lead was a low heart, and Versace put up dummy’s klng, ruffing out the ace. After long thought, he played the ¨A, following with the ªK to North’s ace. The ©8 was next, and again Versace studied a long time before winning with the queen, pitching a spade from hand. Again, Versace took his time before playing a diamond to the jack and North’s queen. The ªQ was ruffed in dummy and a low club played from the East hand. South played the 3 and Versace got it wrong again by inserting the §J. When the miserable deal – for Versace, anyway – was over, declarer was three down for minus 150.

West	North	East	South
Shi	Fantoni	Zhuang	Nunes
1¨	1ª	Dble	Pass
3§	Pass	4¨	Pass
4ª	Pass	5¨	All Pass

Fantoni started with the ©8. Shi played low from dummy and ruffed the ©10. At trick two, he played the ªK from dummy. Fantoni won the ace and accurately continued with the ªQ, forcing dummy to ruff. Shi played a low club to the ace and king, then dropped the doubleton queen offside by playing the top diamonds, but he was short of entries to dummy to lead up to the §J, so he played low from hand, hoping North’s §K had been from an original holding of §K Q doubleton. It was not so, and Shi was one down for minus 50.

Shi can always make the contract if he is looking at all the cards – ruff the opening lead, cash the top diamonds and play a low club from hand. Had North overcalled at the three level as his counterpart did, Shi might have considered the possibility of a singleton club honor with North, but the 1ª bid did not supply enough useful information.

China saw their 4-IMP lead become an 8-IMP deficit on the next deal.

It’s always tough when the bidding heats up and you have to make a decision at a very high level. The most successful players are the ones who get these situations right more often than their opponents. On the following deal, the Chinese got it wrong and paid the price.

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

West	North	East	South
Versace	Xin	Lauria	Sun
	Pass	1§	2¨
Dble	4¨	Dble	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Sun and Xin had a good sacrifice at 5¨, but they went quietly over 4ª -- minus 620.

West	North	East	South
Shi	Fantoni	Zhuang	Nunes
	Pass	1§	1¨
1©	3¨	3ª	5¨
5ª	All Pass

Once Nunes bid 5¨, China was booked for a loss on the board, but it would have been only 4 IMPs if Shi had doubled 5¨ instead of bidding on. There were three inescapable losers, so China lost 12 IMPs to trail 81-73.

The rest of the boards were more or less flat, as was the entire session: China still trailed by 14 IMPs with 48 boards to go.