Israel v Australia

Senior Bowl Round 13

Going into their Round 13 match with Australia, fourth-placed Israel were still very much in contention for a medal in the Senior Bowl. However, with only three rounds to go, they could not afford a loss.

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

West	North	East	South
Haughie	Schwartz	Walsh	Zeligman
			1©
Pass	1ª	Pass	2ª
Pass	3§	Pass	3¨
Dble	3ª	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Romik	Nagy	Levit	Klinger
			1§
1¨	1ª	2©	2ª
Pass	Pass	3©	All Pass

Alan Walsh, Australia

Shalom Zeligman’s 1© opening ensured that his side got a free run in the Closed Room. Having found the spade fit, the Israeli pair tried for game but then stopped in 3ª, against which Alan Walsh led his singleton diamond to the queen and ace. Adrian Schwartz led his heart up and Walsh rose with the ace and made an excellent switch to the §8. It might seem that this could be run to declarer’s queen, but Schwartz had no reason to suspect a seven-one heart split – the play of the jack rated to just show a sequence – so he went up with dummy’s §A with the intention of discarding his clubs on the top hearts. When the ©K was ruffed, Schwartz was somewhat surprised and even more disappointed. He over-ruffed and led a spade to the ten and ace and back came a club to cash the two defensive tricks in that suit. Declarer ruffed the heart continuation and drew trumps but had a diamond to lose for down one; -50.

Ron Klinger’s 1§ opening led to a different type of auction in the Open Room with all four players getting their preferred suit into the game. Klinger supported Zoltan Nagy’s spades but Nagy was then prepared to defend 3© rather than compete at the three level in what could be at most an eight-card fit. And right Nagy proved to be. Klinger led a spade and Yeshayahu Levit won dummy’s ace to pass the ©J to the queen. The defence played two more rounds of spades and declarer ruffed then played a diamond for the king and ace. Passive defence might have resulted in two off from here with declarer having to lead clubs from hand for two losers, but the defence actually played clubs for him and he got out for down one; -100 and 4 IMPs to Australia.

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

West	North	East	South
Haughie	Schwartz	Walsh	Zeligman
2¨	Pass	2ª	Pass
Pass	3§	All Pass

	Ron Klinger, Australia

Bill Haughie opened a Multi and that gave Schwartz two chances to bid his clubs. Hw waited until his second turn, thereby limiting his hand, and was left to play 3§ on the lead of a spade to the nine, jack and ace. Schwartz led ace and another club to the queen and Walsh switched to the king of diamonds to dummy’s ace. Schwartz retruned the ¨J to the queen and now the defence had to find a way to make their club honours separately to defeat the contract. Of course, a diamond lead now would achieve that, but Walsh actually switched to the jack of hearts. No matter, Haughie could see that there was only one heart trick coming to his side and he knew the club position. He rose with the ©A and led a spade for Walsh to ruff and there was still the §J to come; down one for –100.

Pinhas Romik opened a weak 2ª and Nagy had only one chance to compete in clubs. Looking at a ten-count with a moderate suit, Nagy judged to pass and Romik was left to play 2ª on a diamond lead to the king and ace. Klinger switched to his club and received a ruff. A heart switch ensured the defensive trick in that suit and the contract was two down for –200 and 7 IMPs to Australia.

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

West	North	East	South
Haughie	Schwartz	Walsh	Zeligman
	Pass	2©	2ª
4©	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	4ª	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Romik	Nagy	Levit	Klinger
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Dble	2§	3©	Pass
4©	All Pass

Levit passed the East hand, leaving Klinger to open 1NT as South, and Romik found an aggressive double. Nagy removed to 2§ and the Israelis now bid up to the heart game. The heart position was rather unfriendly and there was no way to avoid three trump losers plus a diamond; down one for –50.

Walsh opened 2© as East and Zeligman overcalled 2ª then doubled when Haughie’s 4© raise came back to him. Of course, that would have been the same one down, but it was normal for Schwartz, looking at four-card spade support and no defence, to remove to 4ª. Haughie doubled and there were four top winners for him to cash; -200 and 6 IMPs to Australia.

Midway through he set Australia led by 17-1 IMPs, but Israel came back with two big swings in the second half of the set.

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

West	North	East	South
Haughie	Schwartz	Walsh	Zeligman
			1¨
Pass	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	2©	Pass	2ª
Pass	3§	Pass	3¨
Pass	5§	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Romik	Nagy	Levit	Klinger
			1¨
Pass	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	2©	Dble	Pass
3©	Pass	4©	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Given a free run, Schwartz/Zeligman bid to the club game after ascertaining that there was no heart stopper. Unfortunately, 5§ was no play after the defence had cashed two top hearts and switched to the king of spades. Zeligman lost a spade and two trump tricks for down three; -300.

That didn’t look to be a great result for Israel but it proved to be worth 10 IMPs to them when, at the other table, Levit doubled the fourth-suit bid and Romik became declarer in 4© doubled. This proved to be quite cold; +790.

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

West	North	East	South
Haughie	Schwartz	Walsh	Zeligman
			Pass
1¨	Pass	1©	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Romik	Nagy	Levit	Klinger
			Pass
1¨	Pass	1©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3§	Pass
3ª	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Walsh played 3NT from the East seat on the lead of the queen of hearts, ducked to his king. Walsh returned a heart to the jack and Zeligman switched to a low spade. Walsh ducked that to the queen and back came a second spade to the four, jack and ace. Walsh played a diamond to the queen and ace and now Zeligman switched to a club. Declarer hopped up with the club ace and cashed one diamond in case the ten-nine might be dropping. When that hope did not materialize Walsh crossed to the ten of spades and took the club finesse. Schwartz won and cashed the ace of hearts for down one; -50.

Walsh could have succeeded by cashing the other diamond winner then crossing to the ª10 and throwing North in with the heart to lead into the club tenace.

At the other table, the same contract was reached but from the other side of the table. After a club lead to the ten there was no problem in coming to ten tricks; +400 and 10 IMPs to Israel.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª A J 9 7 © 9 ¨ Q J 10 8 6 § Q 7 4
ª K 10 8 5 3 © Q 6 ¨ A K 5 3 § J 3		ª 4 2 © A K 10 8 5 3 ¨ - § A 8 6 5 2
	ª Q 6 © J 7 4 2 ¨ 9 7 4 2 § K 10 9

West	North	East	South
Haughie	Schwartz	Walsh	Zeligman
1ª	Pass	2©	Pass
2ª	Pass	3§	Pass
3¨	Dble	3©	Pass
4©	Pass	5§	Pass
5¨	Pass	5©	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Romik	Nagy	Levit	Klinger
1ª	Pass	2©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3§	Pass
3©	Pass	4©	All Pass

Romik/Levit stopped safely at 4© and, after a diamond lead, had to lose just a club and a heart for +450. Not unreasonably, the Australians went to the five level in search of a slam. A spade lead would have beaten 5© but it was tough to find and Zeligman too led a diamond. A chance missed, perhaps, for Israel, but not an easy one. The board was flat at +450.

Israel won the first set by 22-17 IMPs. The second half was a much higher scoring affair but the margin stayed exactly the same, Israel coming out on top by 66-61 IMPs, 16-14 VPs.