Israel - USA I

4th - 5th - 6th Segment Highlights

The fourth session of the final was not played on VuGraph and the only information that appears to have been recorded was for the bidding in the Closed Room. Still, we can report on a couple of exciting deals that saw the start of a comeback by Israel.

In the fourth session Israel came firing on all cylinders and racked up 32 IMPs without reply on the first six deals. This was their most spectacular gain:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Amit	Grue	Vax	Kranyak
		Pass	1ª
2©	3¨	Pass	4©
Dbl	Redbl	Pass	4ª
Pass	5¨	All Pass

When North decided his club control was of no interest to South USA I stopped in game, certainly reasonable but it cost 12 IMPs, as Roll and Schneider bid Six Diamonds in the other room for +1370.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Amit	Grue	Vax	Kranyak
			Pass
Pass	2NT	Pass	3§
Pass	3©	Pass	3ª
Pass	4©	Pass	4NT
Pass	5§	Pass	5¨
Pass	5©	Pass	6©
All Pass

This was a reasonable proposition but when declarer failed to divine the location of the queen of hearts the slam had to go one down. Israel stopped in game and made eleven tricks to pick up 11 IMPs.
After 12 boards Israel were leading 53-14 IMPs on the set, but USA I scored 5, 6 & 5 on three of the last four boards to maintain a healthy lead with just 32 boards to play.

5th Segment

After 64 boards USA 1 held on to a comfortable 174-93 lead. When after a few deals of the fifth set Israel had scored 36 unanswered IMPs, the match had come back to life.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Warzhawsky	Grue	Liran
	2ª	Pass	4ª
All Pass

A promising start for the Israeli North/South pair that scored game, when the defenders did not manage to switch to clubs after cashing two rounds of diamonds - Israel +420.

At the other table, West took the winning view on his cards to show a two-suiter:

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Schneider	Hurd	Roll	Wooldridge
	2ª	Pass	4ª
4NT!	Pass	5§	All Pass

Declarer claimed after only a few tricks - Israel +400 and 13 IMPs on the way back into the match.

In board 2 to 4 Israel collected 6 more IMPs, and then Board No.5 was put on the table:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Warzhawsky	Grue	Liran
	4©	4ª	5©
Dble	All Pass

Full credits to North for his opening bid, that helped South to go on, after the normal 4ª overcall. West was right to double, but when East unluckily selected §A as his opening lead, North collected a huge +850.
In the Open Room North only opened 1©:

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Schneider	Hurd	Roll	Wooldridge
	1©	4ª	All Pass

South couldn¢t bid 5© on this auction, and neither could North. Declarer rapidly scored eleven tricks - Israel +450 and 16 IMPs in again.

And there was more to come, when the American North player was faced with a crucial decision in board 7:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Warzhawsky	Grue	Liran
			1©
2ª	4©	4ª	5©
All Pass

In the Closed Room Israel went one down, when the defence cashed their obvious three tricks - USA +50.
At the other table East/West went on to 5ª:

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Schneider	Hurd	Roll	Wooldridge
			1©
2ª	4©	4ª	5¨
Pass	5©	5ª	All Pass

As South had made the lead-directing bid North duly started with a diamond to the queen. South now underled his ace and North was on lead again with ¨K. The question now was, should he try to cash another diamond trick (and even score the ªQ via a fourth round of diamonds) or should he shift to a club for a ruff. After giving it considerable thought North led a ... club, which was all declarer needed to score 5ª making - Israel +650 and 11 IMPs to cut down their opponents¢s lead trailing by 42 at this stage, USA 1 leading 182-140.

Israel held on to win the fifth segment 55-17, with USA 1 leading 191-148 and an exciting last set still to come.

Having outscored their opponents 108-47 IMPs over the previous two sets, Israel went into the final session in good heart, convinced they could complete what would be one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of World Bridge.
Alas, their dream did not last long as they were comprehensively outbid on two of the opening deals.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Schneider	Grue	Roll	Kranyak
		1¨	Pass
2§	2ª	4ª	Pass
5§	All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Varshavsky	Hurd	Liran
	1¨	Pass	2§ Pass 3ª Pass
3NT	Pass	4¨	Pass
4©	Pass	4ª	Pass
4NT	Pass	6§	All Pass

920 opposite 420 meant 11 IMPs to USA 1.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Schneider	Grue	Roll	Kranyak
			Pass
1ª	Pass	2§	Pass
2©	Pass	2ª	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Varshavsky	Hurd	Liran
			Pass
1ª	Pass	2§	Pass
2©	Pass	2ª	Pass
3¨	Pass	3©	Pass
3NT	Pass	4§	Pass
4¨	Pass	4©	Pass
5§	Pass	5¨	Pass
5©	Pass	5NT	Pass
7ª	All Pass

Both declarers came to thirteen tricks, so 2210 opposite 710 gave USA ! another well-deserved 17 IMPs to decide the match in their favour all too early. The last session saw USA 1 outscoring Israel 71-8 for a final result of 262-156.