| 36th World Team Championships, Monte Carlo, Monaco | Saturday, 8 November 2003 |
Brazil/Argentina v USA1 Senior Bowl Round 9 After a good fourth day, USA1 had moved to the top of the Senior Bowl standings. In Round 9 they had a potentially tricky encounter with the Brazil/Argentina combined team featuring Gabriel Chagas.
The Americans had a free run and it was understandable when Garey Hayden tried for slam. However, 5© is dangerously high. Pedro Paolo Assumpcao cashed the top clubs then switched to his diamond and Roger Bates could make eleven tricks by ruffing the diamond and drawing trumps; +450 and a push board. But suppose that South continues with a third round of clubs – and Chagas did play high-low to the first two tricks – I believe that there is no way to come to an eleventh trick.
Both Norths declared 4© and both received a spade lead, which they won. Both played a heart to the king at trick two, discovering the bad trump spit. For USA1, Grant Baze continued with a heart to the jack then a diamond up, winning the king when Guillermo Mooney ducked. The ¨Q lost to the ace and Mooney gave his partner a diamond ruff, but there was just one spade trick to come for the defence; +420. Had Mooney managed to win the first diamond and read the position correctly, he could have defeated the contract by giving his partner two ruffs. Chagas saw the danger of conceding two ruffs and played a spade at trick three to cut defensive communications. Hayden won and switched to his diamond to collect a ruff, then gave a ruff and discard. Chagas ruffed in the short hand, led to the ©10, then crossed to a club to ruff a diamond, thereby shortening his trumps to the same length as Hayden’s. Now he could cross to dummy’s second club honour and run the diamonds to trump coup his opponent for +420; another flat board but nicely played.
Both pairs bid competently to the spade slam and both received a heart lead. Bates pitched a club from dummy so made only twelve tricks, Martin Monsegur was playing it from the other side so did not have to give up a trick, of course; 1 IMP to Brazil/Argentina. The score had moved on to 12-0 in favour of the South Americans but the rest of the set was all USA1.
The respective Easts each showed the majors and West quickly bid to game. Both Norths tried 5§ and both Souths converted to 5¨, promptly doubled by West, who led his singleton spade. Assumpcao finessed the ªQ and lost to the king. Bates switched to his club and Hayden won and returned the suit, Assumpcao finessing the eight. Bates cashed the ©K now and Hayden dropped the queen. Bates gave him his spade ruff but that was it; down three for –500. Gaylor Kasle rose with the ªA at trick one and played the ªQ to the king. Mooney switched to a heart for the jack and Monsegur tried to cash the ©A. Kasle crossruffed and came to nine tricks; -300 but 5 IMPs to USA1.
At first glance, Assumpcao did well when he avoided the heart lead which would have given declarer a second heart trick. Instead he led his club for the king and ace and Chagas switched to the ©10. Bates won the ©A and played the §10 to dummy’s ace just in case the jack might appear. He continued by running the ¨9 and Assumpcao won the queen and switched to a spade. Bates had no option but to finesse and soon had nine tricks for +600. What would have happened had Assumpcao been sufficiently inspired as to duck the ¨9? If declarer continues with ¨K and a third round, he can take the spade finesse only once and may have been a trick short – that would have been a fine defensive play. Kasle did lead a heart and Mooney won the queen then played to the king of clubs. Baze won the ace and returned a heart to clear the suit. Declarer could have succeeded by playing for the spades to come in, with some extra chance in diamonds, but he chose to lead a spade to the jack, cashed the queen of clubs, then played the ¨K then finessed on the way back. When that lost he was down one for –100 and 12 IMPs to USA1.
Somebody was overambitious for the Brazilian pair because 7¨
is obviously a dreadful contract. Hayden found the excellent lead
of the jack of hearts, leaving the clubs blocked. Assumpcao finessed
the ©Q then threw
a spade on the ©A
before playing a club to the king and ruffing a spade. When he now
threw his last spade on the §A
Hayden could ruff to defeat the contract; -100.
The USA1 North/South pair bid to 3NT, making exactly on a club lead when declarer established a third spade trick. Chagas/Assumpcao reached 4ª on the four-three fit and the lead was the ten of clubs. The lead went to the jack and queen and Chagas led a spade to the king followed by a diamond to West’s ace. Back came a second diamond to the king and Chagas noted the fall of the queen on his left. He led ace and another spade to East’s queen and won the heart switch with the king. Now he cashed the thirteenth spade and East was squeezed. Had East pitched a club, Chagas would have simply conceded a club to establish his ninth trick, so East correctly pitched a heart instead, while dummy’s §7 also went away. But now Chagas cashed the ace of hearts and led the five of clubs. East could win the §8 but then had to lead away from his nine to give declarer a fourth club trick and ten in all; +420 and 1 well-earned IMP to Brazil/Argentina. |
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