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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Hallberg |
Bocchi |
Simpson |
Duboin |
|
|
1© |
Pass |
3ª
(1) |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Liggins |
Lauria |
Fawcett |
|
|
Pass |
1¨ |
1© |
1ª |
2NT |
3ª |
4© |
4ª |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Liggins |
Lauria |
Fawcett |
|
|
|
1¨ |
Dble |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
5© |
Pass |
6© |
All Pass |
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Hallberg |
Bocchi |
Simpson |
Duboin |
|
|
|
2NT (1) |
Dble |
3§ |
3© |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
|
(1) 6-11 HCP, both minors. |
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Hallberg |
Bocchi |
Simpson |
Duboin |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2ª |
All Pass |
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Liggins |
Lauria |
Fawcett |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
2© |
All Pass |
|
|
|
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Liggins |
Lauria |
Fawcett |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1¨ |
2§ |
4¨ |
4© |
All Pass |
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Hallberg |
Bocchi |
Simpson |
Duboin |
|
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
|
|
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Hallberg |
Bocchi |
Simpson |
Duboin |
|
|
|
Pass |
1§ |
1©
(1) |
1NT |
2NT (2) |
3§ |
3ª |
4§ |
All Pass |
(1) Canape. Longer suit
in the hand.
(2) Preemptive raise of spades or diamonds.
|
There were four losers after the lead
of the ªQ (Rusinow), and Hallberg was minus 50.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Liggins |
Lauria |
Fawcett |
|
|
|
Pass |
1§ |
1ª |
Dble |
3ª |
4© |
All Pass |
|
|
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 |
![Bridge deal](../../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
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
§ --- |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Hallberg |
Bocchi |
Simpson |
Duboin |
|
|
|
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
3ª |
All Pass |
|
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.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Liggins |
Lauria |
Fawcett |
|
|
|
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
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.
|