Tough going

Italy is one of the favored teams in the Bermuda Bowl, and it would not be surprising to see them wearing gold medals at the closing ceremony. Getting through the field in this year’s field will not be easy, however, as demonstrated by Italy’s third-round match against a very tough team from Egypt.

Italy won, but it was a hard fight, as the final score of 18-15 indicates. Egyptians Tarek Sadek and Waleed Al Ahmady played brilliantly on VuGraph, drawing compliments from various commentators.

The Italians’ first significant pickup came on board 7, with Egypt ahead 2-1.

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

	Ashraf Sadek, Egypt

This was the auction in the closed room, where Claudio Nunes and Fulvio Fantoni opposed Sherif Naguib and Ashraf Sadek.

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Naguib	Fantoni	A. Sadek
			1ª
Pass	2ª	Dble	4ª
Dble	All Pass

Nunes led his singleton trump, solving that suit for declarer, but South still had five tricks to lose, ending up minus 500.

In the open room, Alfred Versace’s ultra-sound preempt had the effect of silencing the opponents.

West	North	East	South
T. Sadek	Lauria	Al Ahmady	Versace
			3ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Tarek led a low heart, and the defenders were able to keep declarer out of dummy, so he finished with only seven tricks and minus 300. The fact that he wasn’t doubled made it a 5-IMP gain for Italy.

Two deals later, the Italians forged another gain on good bidding by Lorenzo Lauria and Versace.

Board 11. Dealer North. E-W Vul.
	ª K 5 © Q J 8 6 5 ¨ K J § K Q 9 2
ª Q J 10 6 3 2 © K 10 7 2 ¨ 10 5 § 8		ª A 7 © A 9 4 3 ¨ A 9 8 3 2 § 4 3
	ª 9 8 4 © - ¨ Q 7 6 4 § A J 10 7 6 5

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Naguib	Fantoni	A. Sadek
	1©	Pass	1NT
Pass	2§	Pass	2ª
Dble	2NT	Pass	3§
All Pass

Ashraf’s 2ª indicated that his hand had improved considerably after his partner’s second bid. Even at that, the Egyptians did not get past the three level. East led the ªA, making 11 tricks easy for declarer. Plus 150 was not a very satisfying result. however. The Italians in the open room didn’t miss out.

West	North	East	South
T. Sadek	Lauria	Al Ahmady	Versace
	1©	Pass	1NT
Pass	2§	Pass	2¨
Pass	2©	Pass	4§
Pass	5§	All Pass

In the Italians’ style, the 2§ rebid could be made on a very strong hand and might be artificial. When the 2© bid revealed the 2§ to have been natural, Versace liked his hand a lot, strongly suggesting game with his jump in clubs.

Al Ahmady led a trump, so Lauria had to play well to land the game. He ruffed a heart, played a second trump to his hand and ruffed another heart. Now a diamond to the king and ace left East on lead. He exited with a diamond to Lauria’s jack, and declarer was able to ruff two more hearts, setting up his queen. He pitched a spade on dummy’s ¨Q and claimed, giving up a spade. Note that had hearts not broken 4-4, Lauria would have been able to discard his losing heart on the ¨Q and then lead up to the ªK, hoping the ace was to his right.

Plus 400 was good for a 6-IMP gain, and Italy had increased their lead to 12-2.

Egypt was trailing 17-2 and was in danger of falling even farther behind on board 13, but Tarek and Al Ahmady combined for an excellent defensive effort to earn 9 IMPs for their team.

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

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Naguib	Fantoni	A. Sadek
	5§	Pass	Pass
Dble	Pass	5ª	All Pass

Fantoni did well to finish down one for minus 100. At the other table, Italy was in a position to more than make up for the minus score.

West	North	East	South
T. Sadek	Lauria	Al Ahmady	Versace
	1§	Pass	1¨
Pass	3§	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Tarek started with the ©A. Al Ahmady played the 10, upside down signaling with suit preference implications. When Tarek continued with the ©K, Al Ahmady played the 6, indicating as strongly as his spots allowed that he had spade values.
After due consideration, Tarek switched to the ª9. Al Ahmady won the ªK and returned a low spade. Desperately, Versace put up the queen, but Tarek won the ace and the defenders ended up with the first seven tricks. That was down three for plus 300 to Egypt, now trailing by six at 17-11.

They closed the gap to 2 IMPs on the next board, which required expert play by Tarek to land a shaky contract.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª A Q 4 3 © K ¨ 10 9 4 2 § J 10 9 7
ª K J © J 10 8 ¨ A Q § A Q 8 6 3 2		ª 7 © 9 7 5 4 3 2 ¨ K 6 3 § K 5 4
	ª 10 9 8 6 5 2 © A Q 6 ¨ J 8 7 5 § -

In the closed room, the Italians landed in a no-play 4© in a contested auction after Nunes opened the West hand with a strong 1§. Egypt chalked up plus 50. In the open room:

West	North	East	South
T. Sadek	Lauria	Al Ahmady	Versace
		Pass	2© (1)
3§	All Pass

(1) Weak 2© or a weak 2ª.

On the lie of the cards, North-South can make 4ª, losing only three diamond tricks. No doubt Lauria thought his partner’s suit was hearts.

The issue for Tarek was how to take nine tricks in clubs.

Lauria started with the ©K, ducked all around. He switched to the ¨10, taken in hand by West with the ace. The bad news in trumps was revealed West played the trump ace, and he stopped to consider his options. Finally, he put the ªK on the table (as it happens, the jack would also do, but proper technique is to play the king). North could do no better than to play a second round of trumps, but Tarek won dummy’s §K, played a diamond to hand, ruffed his spade with dummy’s low trump, and discarded a heart on the ¨K. He lost two hearts, one spade and one club for plus 110, a 40-IMP gain.

Italy earned one more IMP on an overtrick, emerging with an 18-15 win against a tenacious opponent.