On a streak

Entering the third set of the round of 16, USA held an 88-60 lead over Argentina. The Americans did nothing to change the view that they are one of the favorites in the 11th World Team Bridge Olympiad. USA won the set 55-17 on their way to a 184-108 victory that sent them into the quarterfinal round against Austria.

The rout started with the first board.

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

Larry Cohen started with a low club, taken by Mooney in hand with the 10. Cohen ducked when declarer played a club to the jack, and Mooney used the ¨K to get back to his hand to play more clubs. Cohen won the §A and shifted to the ©Q, Mooney ducked the heart, winning the next heart and ran his clubs. He tried the wrong finesse for his ninth tricks, however, playing a spade to the queen. David Berkowitz won and cashed out the hearts for two down.

Steve Garner got the opening lead of the ©Q. Looking at all the cards, the correct play is to win the first trick or duck twice. Garner, as did Mooney, got it wrong, winning the second, but Garner survived anyway.

He led a club to the jack at trick three and a club back to his hand. Bianchedi won the §A and shifted to a spade. Garner went up with the ace, played a diamond to his king and cashed the clubs. Rizzo and Bianchedi discarded well, giving little information to Garner, but after long thought he took the diamond finesse to make his contract for an 11-IMP pickup.

Another 8 IMPs went to the USA when Bianchedi and Rizzo were unable to sort out the auction to find their vulnerable game.

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

Monsegur led the ¨K to the ace, and Cohen ruffed a diamond in hand. He followed with the ª9, taken by South with the king. Another diamond forced Cohen's hand again, and he went to dummy's ªQ and played a heart to his ace and another heart. In with the ©K, South played a fourth round of diamonds, but Cohen ruffed in dummy, discarding a club from his hand, and cashed the ©Q, pitching a spade. He lost two spades and a heart for plus 620.

East-West had too much firepower for Howard Weinstein to survive despite the nine-card diamond fit, and he went off two for minus 300 and a nice gain. East might have considered that if West had enough to double 1NT, they might have enough for a game. Considering the vulnerability, perhaps Bianchedi should have made a stab with a 2© bid.

The South Americans put a dent in the USA lead a couple of boards later, outbidding their opponents to find the right game.

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

How helpful to have an unimpeded auction, and a well-judged one at that. 3NT has no play at all on a heart lead. Monsegur had no difficulty with the club game and duly scored up plus 400.

Garner and Weinstein did not have a free run in the bidding.

With trumps splitting so badly, Weinstein had no chance, going down two for minus 10 and II IMPs to Argentina. USA still led comfortably, however, 116-77.

Argentina was in a position for another small gain, but Bianchedi and Rizzo got too high.

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

Monsegur led a diamond to partner's ace, won the diamond return and gave his partner a diamond ruff. When Mooney got out with a spade, Cohen misguessed, putting up the king. Monsegur won the ªA and switched accurated to a club. Cohen had no choice but to put in the queen. When that lost to the king, North cashed the ªQ for down one.

He Bianchedi and Rizzo been able to apply the brakes, they would have cut further into the USA lead. Garner helped the declarer with an opening lead of a low club, but Rizzo was still doomed. Weinstein won the ªA at trick two and switched to a diamond. North-South collected two diamond tricks and a diamond ruff, but there were two trump tricks coming anyway for down one and a push.

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

The Argentinians went to the 5§ well once too often, and the silly contract went down two after Cohen led the ª9. Mooney won the ace when Berkowitz inserted the ªJ. The §A was ducked, and the §Q taken by the ace. The bad trump split doomed the contract, and when Cohen switched to the ©K, Mooney played low from dummy to try to maintain control. The defenders took four tricks for plus 100.

A heart lead would have scuttled the contract, but that's a tall order for West on the bidding. Rizzo led the ¨10 to Weinstein's queen. Weinstein played a club to the queen and East's ace. Since the diamond could have been from K 10 9 x (x), Bianchedi returned his partner's suit. Weinstein won in dummy with the ¨A and, having noted the fall of the §8 earlier, simply drove out the 10 to get home with four clubs, three diamonds and the major-suit aces. Another 11 IMPs to USA.

USA gained another 6 IMPs when Berkowitz and Cohen were able to stop in 2© on the auction 1§ (strong) - Pass - 2© (weak), while Bianchedi and Bianchedi judged this hand

to be worth a 4© bid after partner opened 1¨. A bad trump split made eight tricks the limit, so USA gained another 5 IMPs to increase their lead to 136-77.

USA gained 6 IMPs in most curious fashion on the following deal.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª Q 4 © A Q J 9 8 7 3 2 ¨ 8 § K 3
ª 9 6 © K 6 5 4 ¨ A K 6 5 3 § 9 8		ª A J 10 5 3 © -- ¨ Q 10 7 4 2 § A 7 4
	ª K 8 7 2 © 10 ¨ J 9 § Q J 10 6 5 2

Mooney had to lose one trick in each suit for minus 100.

Bianchedi intended his 2NT bid as a relay to 3§. He intended to show his diamond suit and a minimum hand by bidding 3¨ (a direct 3¨ would show a better hand). Rizzo, however, thought 2NT was natural, although with four hearts to the king Rizzo must have wondered about his partner's stopper.

The effect was to confuse Garner as well. He had done well in the bidding not to sail into 4©, and he pondered his move over 2NT for a long time before bidding one more time. He lost the same four tricks but emerged with a plus and another gain for his team.

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