Trading places (Sweden v Brazil)

When Sweden and Brazil sat down for their eighth-round match in the Open series of the World Bridge Olympiad, the South Americans were leading Group D by a scant 3 Victory Points (tied with France). When the match was over, the Scandinavians had inched ahead, but by the slimmest of margins.

Brazil earned the first major swing of the match.

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

Peter Bertheau had passed as dealer on Board 1 (no one vulnerable) with the following hand:

ª K J 9 6 5 2
© 9 7 4 2
¨ 7
§ 5 2

West	North	East	South
Villas Boas	Bertheau	Chagas	Nystrom
2ª	Dble	Pass	Pass
Pass

The question, then, was whether he considered the North hand on Board 5 worth an opening at unfavourable vulnerability. As you can see, he did, and the result was not pleasant. Gabriel Chagas had a textbook takeout double, and Miguel Villas Boas took no time converting the double to penalty. That was plus 800 for Brazil, made worse by what happened at the other table.

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Junqueira	Lindkvist	Maia
	Pass	1¨	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2©	Pass
3©	Pass	4©	All Pass

On a good day, Magnus Lindkvist might have brought this one home, but the bad splits doomed the contract. and he finished three down for minus 150 and 14 IMPs to Brazil.

Sweden got 3 IMPs back on the next deal in an unlikely way.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª A J 10 4 3 © 5 3 ¨ A J 10 § 10 9 2
ª K © Q J 10 8 6 ¨ Q 8 7 5 3 2 § A		ª 8 © A K 4 ¨ 9 6 4 § Q 7 6 5 4 3
	ª Q 9 7 6 5 2 © 9 7 2 ¨ K § K J 8

West	North	East	South
Villas Boas	Bertheau	Chagas	Nystrom
		Pass	2ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Villas Boas led the ©Q, and if Chagas had let him hold the trick, the contract could have been defeated: §A, heart to the king, club return for a ruff. Chagas, however, overtook the ©Q with the king and cashed the ace, returning a low club. Fredrik Nystrom made no mistake, playing low and collecting plus 420.

Brazil had another chance to pick up IMPs in the other room, but that chance was not realized either.

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Junqueira	Lindkvist	Maia
		Pass	2ª
4¨	5ª	6¨	All Pass

Peter Fredin’s 4¨, sometimes referred to as Leaping Michaels, showed the two-suited hand. Guilherme Junqueira’s 5ª put pressure on Lindkvist, and he took the push to the diamond slam. Had Junqueira found his red card, the plus for Brazil would have been 800 and a gain of 9 IMPs instead of a loss of 3.

More aggressive bidding produced another small gain for Sweden. But for a good defensive play by Chagas, the gain might have been more.

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

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Junqueira	Lindkvist	Maia
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Dble	2ª	Dble	3ª
3NT	All Pass

Alcio Maia’s 1NT opener did nothing to slow down Fredin and Nystrom, who cruised into the vulnerable notrump game with ease. That was plus 600 for Sweden.

West	North	East	South
Villas Boas	Bertheau	Chagas	Nystrom
	Pass	Pass	1¨
2§	2ª	3©	3ª
3NT	Pass	Pass	4ª
Dble	All Pass

Once the Swedes found the good 4ª save, it was important for Chagas and Villas Boas to exact the maximum penalty – and they did. Chagas started with the §K, switching at trick two to the ©7. Bertheau put up the king and followed with the ªA and another spade. Villas Boas won the ªK and returned a heart to get his ruff, followed by the minor-suit aces for plus 500, the best they could do. Getting the heart ruff held the loss on the board to 3 IMPs. instead of 7.

Sweden was leading by 1 IMP when a slam swing put them ahead for good.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª 8 4 © K Q 9 6 3 2 ¨ K J 7 6 § 8
ª A 10 9 5 2 © J 4 ¨ 10 9 4 § K 3 2		ª K Q J 6 © A 8 7 ¨ 3 § A Q J 9 6
	ª 7 3 © 10 5 ¨ A Q 8 5 2 § 10 7 5 4

West	North	East	South
Villas Boas	Bertheau	Chagas	Nystrom
			Pass
Pass	2©	Dble	Pass
3ª	Pass	4©	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Perhaps Villas Boas thought he had already bid too much with his jump to 3ª, but his 4ª bid seems conservative. It was an easy plus 480. At the other table, South became an unwitting assistant in the Swedes’ auction to the good slam.

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Junqueira	Lindkvist	Maia
			Pass
Pass	1©	Dble	Pass
2ª	Pass	4¨	Dble
Pass	Pass	4©	Pass
4NT	Pass	5§	Pass
6ª	All Pass

Lindkivist’s splinter bid of 4¨ might have been enough by itself to propel the pair into the slam, but the task was made much easier by South’s double, allowing West to pass and East to continue with the 4© cuebid. Reaching slam was then a trivial matter and the Swedes had themselves an 11-IMP gain.

The final swing of the match occurred on this wild deal.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª A 7 5 2 © Q 9 ¨ - § A Q 10 7 6 4 3
ª 10 8 4 © A K 10 5 ¨ K 9 8 6 § J 9		ª K Q J 3 © 3 ¨ Q J 7 5 4 3 2 § 5
	ª 9 6 © J 8 7 6 4 2 ¨ A 10 § K 8 2

The auction was not available from the other room, but Maia and Junqueira bid to 6§ doubled for minus 500. There was even more action on Vugraph.

West	North	East	South
Villas Boas	Bertheau	Chagas	Nystrom
		1¨	1©
2©	3§	5¨	Pass
Pass	6§	6¨	7§
Dble	All Pass

Chagas’ bluff after his shapely but point-starved 1¨ opener worked to perfection, pushing the opponents to a no-play slam. Had Nystrom simply doubled 6¨, the Swedes would have had a 13-IMP gain for plus 300 and plus 500. It’s hard to blame Bertheau for his bidding, considering his control-rich hand and a doubleton honor in the suit his partner had overcalled, and that may have influenced Nystrom, with first-round control of diamonds, to bid one more himself. The result was minus 800 and a 7-IMP loss.

The Swedes prevailed 36-25 anyway, moving them 1 Victory Point ahead of their opponents after eight rounds.