Keeping it close

Halfway through their match with Italy, England trailed but not by a margin sufficient to cause despair among her partisans. The fourth set went to Italy, but again by a small margin. Italy won 32-27 and had a 20-IMP lead going into the last 32 deals.

England started the set with a 1-IMP gain, the difference between 4© made by Gunnar Hallberg and 3NT, just made by Alfredo Versace.

Italy struck back on the next deal, however.

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

Giorgio Duboin started with the ªA, switching to the §Q. When he got in with the ©K, he continued with a club to his partner's king and took his club ruff for down one. That was the easy way, but with trumps 3-1, Colin Simpson could not strip the hand of spades and diamonds and play the §A and another club, which would have seen declarer home.

Whereas the Italians did not get involved in the auction with the North-South cards, it was different story in the other room.

Perhaps Glyn Liggins thought the double fit in diamonds and spades was going to take a lot of tricks, or maybe he figured Joe Fawcett for a stronger hand than he had for the 3ª bid. At any rate, Versace and Lorenzo Lauria were rescued from their hopeless 4© contract and handed plus 500 for an 11-IMP gain. Lauria led the ©A and switched to the ¨K, followed by two more rounds. The §A assured down two, and Liggins had to guess to finesse in spades to avoid minus 800. That was 11 IMPs to Italy.

On the next deal, Versace and Lauria had an excellent auction to a good slam, while Hallberg and Simpson had trouble with an Italian gadget.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª 10 7 6 4 3 © 10 6 4 ¨ 7 4 § Q 3 2
ª A K J 8 © K 8 5 ¨ A K 10 5 3 § J		ª Q 9 5 © A Q J 9 2 ¨ 2 § 9 7 6 4
	ª 2 © 7 3 ¨ Q J 9 8 6 § A K 10 8 5

After a spade lead, declarer can make the slam along double-dummy lines by cashing two hearts, followed by three more spade tricks, pitching a club. The §J can then be played from dummy, and if North rises with the queen to take dummy's trump out, then South will be squeezed in the minors on the run of the hearts. If North ducks, South wins but has no trump to play, so East gets his club ruff for12 tricks. South led the §A, however, so Lauria was not challenged in his quest for 12 tricks. Plus 1430 to Italy.

Had Simpson jumped to 4©, Hallberg might have made a move. As it was, he considered it but eventually settled for game. It was a 13-IMP loss.

Italy gained another 6 IMPs when Fawcett entered the auction on sketchy values, while Duboin took a more conservative view and was glad he did.

Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª K 10 7 4 3 © 9 6 ¨ Q 10 § J 8 5 3
ª A J 9 8 2 © A J 7 5 ¨ 4 § A 7 4		ª 6 © 8 3 ¨ K J 8 7 6 3 § K 9 6 2
	ª Q 5 © K Q 10 4 2 ¨ A 9 5 2 § Q 10

This forlorn contract was doomed from the start. Hallberg might have saved a trick and an IMP by a better guess in diamonds, but it was a minus position no matter what he did and he finished three off for minus 150. At least no one doubled.

The two doubleton queens in the South hand were of dubious value - as was the entire hand -- and indeed they were useless for offense. Fawcett could do no better than two down for minus 100 and another 6 IMPs to Italy, now leading 134-92.

England got 8 IMPs back on the next deal.

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª A 5 © 6 5 ¨ K 8 5 4 3 § 9 6 5 2
ª J 9 8 © J 7 ¨ Q 7 § A K Q J 10 3		ª K 10 4 3 © K Q 10 4 3 2 ¨ 9 2 § 8
	ª Q 7 6 2 © A 9 8 ¨ A J 10 6 § 7 4

Fawcett led the ¨A, switching to a club. Lauria won the §A and cashed a second high club for a diamond pitch. Next he rode the ª8 to Fawcett's queen. A second spade put North in and he tried to cash a diamond, but Lauria ruffed. When he led a heart, Fawcett won the ace and gave his partner a spade ruff for down two and plus 200.

England did better in the bidding and took an extra trick in the play.

Duboin started with the §7, and Simpson played three rounds to discard his diamonds. Duboin ruffed and played a spade to partner's ace. Norberto Bocchi returned a spade, so Duboin could cash the queen when he got in with the ©A, but that was it for the defense, as dummy's ©J could take care of spade if Duboin played his last one. Plus 140 and 8 IMPs to England.

Another 5 IMPs went to England in an unusual way on the following deal.

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª K Q J 7 5 © K 10 7 4 ¨ Q 7 6 4 § --
ª A 6 © A J 9 6 ¨ J § Q J 10 8 5 3		ª 10 4 © Q 5 2 ¨ K 10 9 5 § A 9 7 6
	ª 9 8 3 2 © 8 3 ¨ A 8 3 2 § K 4 2

There were four losers after the lead of the ªQ (Rusinow), and Hallberg was minus 50.

No doubt the negative double does not promise four hearts, but Versace obviously was willing to take his chances in a possible 4-3 fit. It worked out horribly, however.

Liggins led the ªK, which was ducked. Versace won the spade continuation perforce and played a low heart toward the table. Liggins followed low and Versace put up the queen. Versace played another heart from dummy, covering South's 8 with the 9. Liggins won the 10 and exited with the ¨7. Versace went up with the king and when Fawcett returned a diamond, Versace ruffed with the ©J. He got only two more tricks from there, finishing down five for minus 250.

England drew closer on this deal near the end, as Liggins played well to land a vulnerable game.

Board 31. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª J 2 © 5 3 ¨ A 8 6 2 § K 10 8 7 4
ª K 7 3 © 7 2 ¨ J 10 9 3 § A J 9 5		ª Q 9 4 © Q J 9 6 ¨ Q 5 § Q 6 3 2
	ª A 10 8 6 5 © A K 10 8 4 ¨ K 7 4 § ---

Hallberg led the ¨J to dummy's ace. Duboin cashed his two high hearts and played a third round. Hallberg ruffed with the 3, forcing dummy to overruff with the jack. A diamond to the king was next, followed by a fourth round of hearts. Hallberg ruffed with the 7 and cashed the ¨9. Duboin ruffed the ¨10 in hand and dropped Hallberg's ªK with the ace. He still had two more trump tricks to lose, but he had his contract for plus 140.

Liggins and Fawcett, undeterred by the ill-fitting hands, were more ambitious. Liggins justified the bidding by bring home the contract.

Lauria led the §2 to the ace. Liggins won the club return with the king and played the ªJ. Lauria covered with the queen and Liggins won the ace. He returned to hand with a diamond to the ace and played a spade to dummy's 8. There was nothing the Italians could do except cash their club winners. Plus 600 was good for a 9-IMP gain for England, still in the hunt for a gold medal.

Page 5 of 5