Israel vs USA 1

2nd Segment

Israel needed to regroup after the first session and get some points on the board. However the early deals presented few opportunities.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Liran	Grue	Varshavsky	Mignocchi
Pass	1©	Pass	1NT
Pass	2¨	All Pass

Two Diamonds was a marginally worse resting place than 1NT and East found a trump lead to the two, nine and king. Declarer now tried a low club but East went in with the king of clubs to play another diamond. East took the jack and ace and switched to a spade. Declarer had run out of ammunition and was two down, -200.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Campbell	Vax	Wooldridge	Amit
Pass	1©	1ª	Dbl
2©*	Pass	2ª	All Pass

In the long run overcalling on a four card suit is a losing policy but it takes many years to find this out. Still, there are players who would overcall on the East cards - but they would be playing pairs and not be vulnerable. West's Two Heart bid was also questionable, but did no harm this time.
South led his singleton heart and North won and returned the three of hearts. Soutyh ruffed and played a club to North's ace, ruffed the next heart and played back a club. Declarer still had to lose a diamond and the ace of spades, but he played North for the jack of spades to escape for one down, -100 but 7 IMPs for Israel - their biggest swing of the match so far.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Liran	Grue	Varshavsky	Mignocchi
	Pass	1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

With an awkward hand to evaluate facing a strong no-trump West took the aggressive view - normal enough for a team that was hoping to score points - and that led to a game that was quickly down. South led the jack of clubs, North put up the ace and returned the suit. That gave the defenders the first six tricks and when East failed to realise that he could squeeze North in the red suits he lost an extra trick to go two down, -100.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Campbell	Vax	Wooldridge	Amit
	Pass	1NT	All Pass

This time West was happy to pass and the defence started in the same way with six rounds of clubs. However this time declarer made no mistake and made seven tricks, +90 and 5 IMPs to the USA.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Liran	Grue	Varshavsky	Mignocchi
Pass	1§	2¨	2©
Pass	4¨	Pass	4ª
Pass	4NT	Pass	5§
Pass	5¨	Pass	5©
Pass	6©	All Pass

North would have been happier to splinter if his ace and been in one of his side suits, but it worked like a charm as South had the perfect cards to move towards a slam that was easy to make thanks to the 2-2 trump split. With careful play, declarer can even score an overtrick by squeezing West in the black suits, but South was happy to settle for +980.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Campbell	Vax	Wooldridge	Amit
Pass	1§	2¨	Dbl
3¨	4¨	Pass	5¨
Pass	6©	All Pass

You do not see many auctions where the trump suit is only agreed at the six level (although it has even happened in the case of a grand slam before now!) and this time declarer did bring off the squeeze to gain a hard earned IMP.
Neither team in the play off for third place bid this slam, so both pairs deserve a lot of credit for getting there.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Liran	Grue	Varshavsky	Mignocchi
	Pass	1¨	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	All Pass

Facing essentially a weak no-trump should West make a try for game? Its a close decision and when East made ten tricks West, knowing how aggressively the North Americans bid, must have had a sinking feeling.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Campbell	Vax	Wooldridge	Amit
	Pass	1¨	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
3§	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Right he was as West showed an invitational 4-6. Yes, the defenders might have been able cash five spades, and the clubs might have been 3-1 in such a way that declarer could not pick them up, but bidding and making close games when you are vulnerable is winning bridge. 10 IMPs to USA I, who took the lead in the set 16-11.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Liran	Grue	Varshavsky	Mignocchi
			1ª
Pass	3NT*	4§	Dbl
All Pass

When East came into the auction South though he had enough to double for penalties. The sight of dummy combined with declarer's ability to ruff the opening lead soon showed him the error of his ways. Declarer got the hearts right and lost only two clubs and a diamond to record +510.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Campbell	Vax	Wooldridge	Amit
			1ª
2¨	3¨	3©	3ª
4©	4ª	5©	Pass
Pass	Dbl	All Pass

With a hand much more suited to attack rather than defence East pressed on to Five Hearts. South led the ace of spades and declarer ruffed and followed sound technique by attacking the side suit, playing a club to the ace and a club, ducked to South's jack as North discarded a spade. South forced declarer again and with not much hope declarer played the seven of clubs discarding dummy's last spade. North ruffed and had only to exit with a trump to leave declarer with an inescapable diamond loser.
His actual choice of the king of spades allowed declarer to discard a diamond from hand and ruff in dummy. Now he could play the ten of hearts to his jack, ruff a club high, cash the ace of diamonds, ruff a diamond and draw the outstanding trumps. +650 and the sort of missed opportunity Israel simply could not afford.

Session 2. Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.   ª 5 2 © J 6 2 ¨ 8 7 5 § Q J 10 8 7 ª 10 9 3 © A K Q 4 ¨ Q 9 3 § 9 4 3 ª A J 8 © 10 9 8 7 5 3 ¨ 6 4 § A 5   ª K Q 7 6 4 © - ¨ A K J 10 2 § K 6 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Liran	Grue	Varshavsky	Mignocchi
	Pass	Pass	1ª
Pass	Pass	2©	Dbl
3©	4§	4©	5§
5©	Dbl	All Pass

Five Clubs would have gone two down on any sensible defence but West badly misjudged the situation. Five Hearts failed by two tricks, -500 and another poor result for Israel.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Campbell	Vax	Wooldridge	Amit
			1ª
Pass	Pass	2©	3¨
3©	Pass	4©	All Pass

South led the ace of diamonds and switched to the king of spades. Declarer won and cashed the ace of hearts. A 2-1 split would have given him a third round entry to hand in order to play a diamond and set up a discard for his losing club but the 3-0 break doomed him to defeat. One down, -100 but 9 IMPs to USA I.

Session 2. Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.   ª A K 7 6 5 3 © Q 8 5 ¨ A K 4 § 3 ª 4 © J 7 6 4 2 ¨ 5 3 § A Q 10 9 7 ª Q 10 8 2 © 10 9 ¨ Q 10 7 2 § K 5 2   ª J 9 © A K 3 ¨ J 9 8 6 § J 8 6 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Liran	Grue	Varshavsky	Mignocchi
			Pass
Pass	1ª	Pass	1NT
Pass	2¨	Pass	2NT
Pass	3ª	Pass	4ª
Pass	Pass	Dbl	All Pass

There must have been a systemic reason for North's rebid of Two Diamonds. However, the subsequent course of the auction saw East double, and declarer scored +990 when the defence was less than accurate.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Campbell	Vax	Wooldridge	Amit
			Pass
Pass	1ª	Pass	1NT
2§	2ª	2NT	3ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

The defenders started with two rounds of clubs and declarer ruffed and played a spade to dummy's jack. He had an easy ten tricks, +620. Those nine IMPs for the USA left the session score at 38-13 but Israel had one shot left in their locker.

Session 2. Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.   ª 10 4 © 9 6 5 ¨ 7 6 § K 9 8 7 5 2 ª A 8 6 5 © A Q 10 4 3 ¨ 4 § A 10 4 ª Q J 7 © 8 7 ¨ A K Q J 10 5 § Q 3   ª K 9 3 2 © K J 2 ¨ 9 8 3 2 § J 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Liran	Grue	Varshavsky	Mignocchi
1©	Pass	2¨*	Pass
2©	Pass	3¨	Pass
3ª	Pass	4©	Pass
6¨	All Pass

Two Diamonds was game forcing and Three Diamonds presumably promised a good suit but even so, West took a good view when he jumped to slam. The fortunate lie of the cards meant +1370.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Campbell	Vax	Wooldridge	Amit
1©	Pass	2¨	Pass
2ª	Pass	3¨	Pass
3NT	All Pass

North led a club and declarer took South's jack with the ace. He made eleven tricks for +660 to lose 12 IMPs.

After two sessions the writing was on the wall.