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Three
rubys in a mountain of rocks
When two teams exchange more than 120 IMPs on twenty boards you
usually wouldn't want to praise the level of bidding and play.
Nevertheless the players in the match between Egypt and Brazil in
round no. 8 came up with three great stories, which might explain
what was going on in this high-scoring encounter.
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Board 5. Dealer North.
N/S Vul.
|
| |
ª J 9
8 6 4
© J
¨ Q J 10
8 5
§ 9 5 |
ª
10
© 10 3
¨ A K 7 4
3
§ K Q J
10 8 |
 |
ª
A 7 5
© A 9 7
6
¨ 9 6 2
§ 7 6 3 |
| |
ª K Q
3 2
© K Q
8 5 4 2
¨ -
§ A 4
2 |
|
In our first board Egypt clearly outbid Brazil and got to game
in both rooms:
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Soliman |
J.Brum |
Hishmat |
Oliveira |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
1©
|
| 2¨ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
| 3§ |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Machado |
Hassan |
P. Brum |
Samir |
| |
2ª |
Pass |
4ª |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
In the Open Room South led a small
heart to partner's jack and declarer's ace. Now declarer
played a club to the king and continued with a second top club
to South's ace. Next South tried ©K
and found out, that declarer unfortunately for him had another
heart stopper. Instead of setting up the spades for his side,
he now "safely" exited in clubs, on which North discarded
a spade. When declarer went on to cash two more clubs, North
erred by keeping his spades and threw two diamonds. This gift
was gratefully accepted by declarer who simply ducked a diamond,
won the spade return and claimed an overtrick - Egypt +430.
At the other table the opening bid of a rather minimumish spade/minor-two
suiter led to North becoming declarer in 4ª.
When East led ©A
the hand was over soon. Declarer just lost a spade, a heart
and a club - Egypt +620, which added up to a total of 1050 and
14 IMPs in the Egyptian goody bag. |
|
Marta Machado, Brazil |
But Brazil struck back tremendously:
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Board 10. Dealer East.
All Vul.
|
| |
ª A Q
10 9 8 2
© 10 4
¨ -
§ J 10
9 6 2 |
ª
K 4 3
© A Q J
7 5
¨ Q 10 8
7 4
§ - |
|
ª
J 7 6
© K 8 3
2
¨ A K J
§ K 8 4 |
| |
ª 5
© 9 6
¨ 9 6 5
3 2
§ A Q
7 5 3 |
|
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Soliman |
J.Brum |
Hishmat |
Oliveira |
| |
|
1NT |
Pass |
| 2¨ |
2ª |
3© |
Pass |
| 4§ |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
| 4© |
All Pass |
|
|
After sniffing at the heart slam with a couple of cue bids, East/West
settled in 4© and declarer must have been quite disappointed, when
he went two down, after an excellent Brazilian defence. South started
with ª5 to partner's queen, who immediately returned a small
spade. South ruffed and knew what he had to do. He switched to ¨9,
North ruffed, played back another small spade, South ruffed, and
completed the defenders' cross ruff by playing another diamond
- Brazil +200.
It is of significant importance that in the other room West became
declarer in a much more ambitious contract:
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Machado |
Hassan |
P. Brum |
Samir |
| |
|
1NT |
Pass |
| 2NT |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
| 3© |
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
| 4ª |
Pass |
5§ |
Dble |
| Rdbl |
Pass |
5¨ |
Pass |
| 5© |
Pass |
6© |
All Pass |
Poor North, who had been talked into leading a club by partner's
double laid down §J and a few seconds later West claimed twelve
tricks - Brazil +1430, which this time added up to 1630 and 17 IMPs
in the other direction.
The match stayed close until the very end, when the final board
proved to be decisive in determining the winner:
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Board 20. Dealer West.
All Vul.
|
| |
ª J
© K 10
8
¨ Q J 3
§ K J
10 9 5 2 |
ª
A K 10 9 8 6 4
© A 4
¨ A 9
§ Q 6 |
 |
ª
2
© Q 7 5
3
¨ K 10 8
7 4 2
§ A 8 |
| |
ª Q 7
5 3
© J 9
6 2
¨ 6 5
§ 7 4
3 |
|
As in almost all the other matches Brazil in the Closed Room reached
4ª:
| Closed Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Machado |
Hassan |
P. Brum |
Samir |
| 1ª |
2§ |
Dble |
Pass |
| 4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
As it was already getting late, declarer didn't care too much
about overtricks in a cold game and came home with eleven tricks
- Brazil +650.
In the Open Room this time it was Egypt's turn to become ambitious
| Open Room |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Soliman |
J.Brum |
Hishmat |
Oliveira |
| 2§ |
3§ |
3¨ |
Pass |
| 3ª |
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
| 4ª |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
| 5§ |
Pass |
5¨ |
Pass |
| 5ª |
Pass |
6ª |
All Pass |
Almost any lead gives declarer a triple squeeze against North,
though he still has to play the hand very carefully. If North for
example starts with ªJ, declarer should win the ace, cash the king
and play another spade. South will return a club, on which West
must not play the queen but small and win with the ace. He then
has to come back to his hand with a heart not a diamond to run all
his trumps and reach the following ending:
| |
ª -
© K
¨ Q J 3
§ K |
ª
4
© 4
¨ A 9
§ Q |
|
ª
-
© Q
¨ K 10 8
7
§ - |
| |
immaterial |
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Whatever North discards on ª4, it's over. He cannot let go
a diamond, so he will have to throw one of his kings, just to get
squeezed again by the promoted queen of hearts or clubs.
As at the table North selected a small heart as his opening lead
it was somewhat easier for West to succeed. He won with ©Q and played
three rounds of spades. South now tried a club to the queen, king
and ace. Declarer got back to hand with a heart and rattled off
all his trumps to squeeze North in the minors - Egypt +1430, which
created differences of 780 and 13 IMPs respectively.
By the way, can you spot the only lead to beat 6ª? Yes, it is the
¨3. Try it out, either declarer takes ¨A and gets cut off dummy's
diamonds after South's club switch or he wins ¨9, unblocks
¨A, play three rounds of spades, but still is unable to enjoy the
diamonds because South has one trump left and will ruff the next
diamond - and once again, declarer will lose a heart in the end.
Egypt won these boards 2:1 and the match 71-50, 19-11 in VPs respectively
.
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