Indonesia v USA1 – Senior Bowl Round 11

USA1 went into their Round 11 clash with Indonesia just 1 VP behind leaders France. Indonesia were lying fifth and also well in contention for a medal.

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

West	North	East	South
Budirahardia	Baze	Sacul	Kasle
			Pass
1©	1ª	Pass	2§
Dble	2ª	Pass	Pass
Dble	Pass	3©	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Woolsey	Lasut	Robinson	Manoppo
			Pass
1©	1ª	2©	Pass
4©	All Pass

Arwin Budirahardja, Indonesia

There were matches in which North, facing a passed partner, chose a pre-emptive overcall of the 1© opening. At this vulnerability I can certainly relate to a 3ª bid – 2ª is wet in my view – but in our match both Norts contented themselves with a quite 1ª overcall. Steve Robinson raised to 2© now and Kit Woolsey bid game, of course. I was surprised to see Denny Sacul pass and now Arwin Budirahardia twice doubled but the §K looked of dubious value to Sacul and he was not prepared to make an encouraging noise so the game was missed.

Both declarers made ten tricks by winning the club lead and playing two rounds of trumps before trying to ruff their fourth club in the dummy; +170 to Budirahardia but +620 and 10 IMPs to Woolsey and USA1.

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

West	North	East	South
Budirahardia	Baze	Sacul	Kasle
Pass	Pass	1¨	Pass
1©	Pass	2©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Woolsey	Lasut	Robinson	Manoppo
Pass	Pass	1¨	Dble
3¨	All Pass

The Indonesians sometimes respond 1© to a 1¨ opening with less than four hearts as a systemic matter. I don’t know why and I certainly don’t understand why this particular West should have to bid hearts. When Sacul raised to 2©, Budirahardia tried to wriggle out into no trump but was raised to 3NT by Sacul, who was expecting a quite different hand-type for this sequence. After a club lead to the king and ace and a club back, 3NT was completely hopeless, as it deserved to be. Declarer won the third club and played on spades and Gaylor Kasle won the ace to switch to a heart. Budirahardia won on table and led the ¨J for the queen, king and ace and was two down; -200.

At the other table Eddy Manoppo scraped up a take-out double from somewhere and Woolsey made a pre-emptive diamond raise, ending the auction. Though there were two trump losers, the East/West hands fit very well together and Robinson had no difficulty in coming to nine tricks after a heart lead; +110 and 7 IMPs to USA1.

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

West	North	East	South
Budirahardia	Baze	Sacul	Kasle
	1©	Pass	1ª
3§	Pass	3¨	Dble
Pass	Pass	4§	Dble
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Woolsey	Lasut	Robinson	Manoppo
	1©	Pass	1ª
3§	Pass	5§	5¨
All Pass

Both Wests made a weak jump overcall, which looks normal with those club intermediates and facing apassed hand at favourable vulnerability. Robinson in turn pre-empted to 5§ and Manoppo, true to his style, closed his eyes and bid 5¨. When he opened them again he found that he was in just the right spot. The cards lay very kindly so that there were no big decisions in the play and Manoppo soon scored up +600.

Sacul tried a little diversion by responding 3¨ on his three small then running to 4§. The Americans misjudged the situation now and defended 4§ doubled, where the winning club finesse meant that there were only four losers; down one for –100 but 11 IMPs to Indonesia.

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

West	North	East	South
Budirahardia	Baze	Sacul	Kasle
		1¨	Pass
1©	3§	3©	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Woolsey	Lasut	Robinson	Manoppo
		1¨	Pass
3¨	5§	All Pass

	Henky Lasut, Indonesia

Again Budirahardia found a short 1© response to a 1¨ opening and once again he found himself playing a bad contract as a result. Grant Baze led three rounds of clubs against 3© and declarer could not afford to ruff the third round so pitched a diamond from dummy. Kasle ruffed and cashed the king of diamonds then switched to a spade for the king and ace. Budirahardia drew two rounds of trumps then cashed the spades and ruffed the fourth round. He had to give up a heart and a diamond for down two; -200.

As on the earlier hand, Woolsey made a weak raise to 3¨. Henky Lasut guessed to jump to 5§, which seems a bit much to me but is certainly consistent with this Indonesian pair’s style. A diamond was led to the bare king and Lasut played a spade for the king and ace. Back came a trump from Robinson but that did not cause any problems. Lasut won the §J and ruffed a diamond then a spade before drawing trumps. The fall of the diamond honours was good news but there were two hearts to be lost; down one for –50 and 6 IMPs to USA1.

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

West	North	East	South
Budirahardia	Baze	Sacul	Kasle
Pass	1§	1©	Pass
2©	5§	Dble	Rdbl
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Woolsey	Lasut	Robinson	Manoppo
Pass	5§	All Pass

The auction at one table was short and sweet when Lasut opened 5§ and nobody had anything to add to that; +400. Baze preferred to open at the one level but jumped to 5§ at his next turn and Sacul doubled, having every reason to imagine that the contract would usually be going down. Kasle had a huge hand on this auction and redoubled, The two North/South singletons showed up very quickly as Sacul led a top spade and switched to the queen of diamonds. Double disappointment for the defence and eleven tricks for +800 and 9 IMPs to USA1.

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

West	North	East	South
Budirahardia	Baze	Sacul	Kasle
		2©	Dble
Rdbl	Pass	Pass	2NT
Dble	3¨	Dble	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Woolsey	Lasut	Robinson	Manoppo
		2©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3ª	Pass
4©	All Pass

Manoppo did not come in over the weak two bid so Woolsey enquired then bid 4© on hearing that his partner had both a maximum and a good suit. Manoppo cashed a top diamond and switched to a club. The losing heart finesse meant a straightforward one down from here; -50.

Kasle made a slightly ugly take-out double of 2© and Budirahardia redoubled. Baze did not pull to 3¨ immediately but did so when Kasle’s run out to 2NT got doubled. Sacul doubled 3¨ and that ended the auction. Three rounds of spades for a ruff ensured the contract’s demise as there were two aces to come. Sacul switched to a club in response to a suit preference lead after ruffing the third spade so there was no problem for declarer there, but he would no doubt have got the club right anyway on the auction; down one for –200 and 6 IMPs to Indonesia.

USA1 led by 32-18 at half-time but Indonesia had slightly the better of the second half to pull back to 41-46 IMPs – a 16-14 VP win for USA1, who took over the lead by 2 VPs from France, who were defeated 17-13 by Egypt.