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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Berkowitz |
Mooney |
Cohen |
Monsegur |
|
1¨
(1) |
Pass |
2¨
(2) |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
(1) Precision.
(2) Strong raise.
|
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Rizzo |
Garner |
Bianchedi |
Weinstein |
|
1§ |
Pass |
1¨ |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Berkowitz |
Mooney |
Cohen |
Monsegur |
|
|
1§
(1) |
1¨ |
1NT |
2¨ |
2ª |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
(1) Precision.
|
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Rizzo |
Garner |
Bianchedi |
Weinstein |
|
|
1ª |
1NT |
Dble |
Rdble (1) |
Pass |
2¨ |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
(1) Telling partner to
start bidding four-card suits.
|
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Berkowitz |
Mooney |
Cohen |
Monsegur |
|
1NT |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
5§ |
All Pass |
|
|
|
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Rizzo |
Garner |
Bianchedi |
Weinstein |
2© |
Dble |
4© |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Berkowitz |
Mooney |
Cohen |
Monsegur |
|
|
1© |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2§
(1) |
Pass |
2© |
All Pass |
(1) Checkback.
|
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Rizzo |
Garner |
Bianchedi |
Weinstein |
|
|
1© |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2§
(1) |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
(1) Checkback.
|
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Berkowitz |
Mooney |
Cohen |
Monsegur |
|
|
|
1© |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5§ |
All Pass |
|
|
|
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Rizzo |
Garner |
Bianchedi |
Weinstein |
|
|
|
1© |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
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
ª
10
© K 9 8
6 5 4 3
¨ 8 7 6 2
§ 7 |
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Berkowitz |
Mooney |
Cohen |
Monsegur |
|
|
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
4© |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
Mooney had to lose one trick in each suit
for minus 100.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Rizzo |
Garner |
Bianchedi |
Weinstein |
|
|
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
2© |
2NT (1) |
Pass |
Pass |
3© |
All Pass |
|
(1) A source of confusion
at the table.
|
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.
|