The March of Time
Session 5
The fifth session of the Bermuda Bowl final gave the teams no pause
for breath, as they were confronted by several tricky deals, with
plenty of potential for swings.
Board 4. Dealer West. All
Vul. |
|
ª A K 9 8 7 6 3
© Q J 7
¨ 4 2
§ 5 |
ª J 2
© 10
¨ A K 10 8 7 3
§ 10 7 3 2 |
|
ª Q
© A 6 4 3
¨ J 6 5
§ Q 9 8 6 4 |
|
ª 10 5 4
© K 9 8 5 2
¨ Q 9
§ A K J |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Rodwell |
Lauria |
Meckstroth |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2© |
3¨ |
3© |
4¨ |
4© |
All Pass |
|
|
|
This must be a rare example of an eight card fit proving to be
superior (perhaps we should say luckier?) than a ten card one. Four
Hearts cannot be defeated, as there is no defensive ruff. +620 for
USA 1.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Nickell |
Bocchi |
Freeman |
Duboin |
2¨* |
2ª |
3¨ |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Nickell’s weak two meant that hearts were never in the picture.
East led a diamond, West took the king and ace and switched to the
ten of hearts. East took the ace and delivered the ruff, -100 and
12 IMPs.
Board 6. Dealer East. E/W
Vul. |
|
ª K J 3
© Q 8 3
¨ A K 5
§ K Q 4 3 |
ª 5 2
© A J 7 2
¨ 9 6 4 2
§ A J 7 |
|
ª 7 6 4
© K 6 5 4
¨ Q J 7
§ 10 9 8 |
|
ª A Q 10 9 8
© 10 9
¨ 10 8 3
§ 6 5 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Rodwell |
Lauria |
Meckstroth |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
1§* |
Pass |
1¨* |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2©* |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
On this layout 3NT would have made easily enough, but Four Spades
had chances. When East led a trump declarer eventually discarded
a losing diamond on a club, +420.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Nickell |
Bocchi |
Freeman |
Duboin |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
2¨* |
Pass |
2©* |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
3§* |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
Here East led the queen of diamonds, and declarer won and played
a spade to dummy followed by a club to the king. When that held
he drew trumps ending in dummy. He will get home if he now plays
a club, but when he played a heart West went in with the ace and
played a diamond, establishing a fourth defensive trick. 10 IMPs
for USA 1.
Board 7. Dealer South. All
Vul. |
|
ª K Q 7 5 4 3
© -
¨ 9 8 5
§ K J 7 6 |
ª J 8 6
© K J 7 3
¨ Q 10 3
§ A 10 2 |
|
ª A 10 9
© A Q 9 5 4 2
¨ A J 7 2
§ - |
|
ª 2
© 10 8 6
¨ K 6 4
§ Q 9 8 5 4 3 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Rodwell |
Lauria |
Meckstroth |
|
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
2ª* |
Dble |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
4§* |
Pass |
4¨* |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
|
An easy eleven tricks, +650.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Nickell |
Bocchi |
Freeman |
Duboin |
|
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
1ª |
2© |
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
4ª* |
Pass |
5§* |
Pass |
5© |
Pass |
6© |
All Pass |
|
|
A slam on a finesse through the opening bidder is always a reasonable
proposition, but this time the all important card was wrong. 13
IMPs for Italy, who certainly needed them.
Board 9. Dealer North. E/W
Vul. |
|
ª A 4
© A 9 6
¨ 2
§ A K 10 9 8 7 5 |
ª Q J 7 6 5 2
© 7 5 3
¨ Q 10 4 3
§ - |
|
ª K 8
© K Q 10 8 2
¨ A 9 8 6
§ 4 3 |
|
ª 10 9 3
© J 4
¨ K J 7 5
§ Q J 6 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Rodwell |
Lauria |
Meckstroth |
|
1§* |
1© |
Dble |
1ª |
2§ |
Dble* |
3§ |
4ª |
5§ |
All Pass |
|
East led the king of spades and declarer won with the ace, and
immediately played a diamond. East took the ace and played a spade.
In due course the defenders had to make a heart trick for one down,
+50.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Nickell |
Bocchi |
Freeman |
Duboin |
|
1§* |
1© |
1ª* |
Dble* |
2©* |
Pass |
3§ |
3© |
3ª |
Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
5§ |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Here East led the king of hearts. That meant that declarer had
time to lead towards the king of diamonds to establish a discard
for his losing spade. +400 and 10 more IMPs to aid the Italian’s
cause.
Session 6
Triumph and Disaster
|
|
|
Lorenzo Lauria,
Italy |
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
You'll be a Man, my son!
The last session of day two of the Bermuda Bowl final contained
one of the most dramatic deals in the history of this event. Before
we see it, here is a deal where a contract played much better from
one side than the other.
Board 20. Dealer West. All
Vul. |
|
ª J 8 7 4 2
© 2
¨ A 8 4
§ K J 7 2 |
ª K 10
© K 10 5 3
¨ K Q J 6 2
§ A Q |
|
ª A 6 3
© Q J 4
¨ 10 9 7 3
§ 10 8 4 |
|
ª Q 9 5
© A 9 8 7 6
¨ 5
§ 9 6 5 3 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Rodwell |
Lauria |
Meckstroth |
1¨ |
1ª |
2¨ |
2ª |
Dble* |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
South led the five of spades (the nine avoids some unblocing problems,
but might be difficult to read). Declarer put up the king and attacked
diamonds. North took his ace on the second round and played a spade.
South won with the queen and switched to a club. Declarer was going
nowhere from here, and finished two down, -200.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Hamman |
Bocchi |
Soloway |
Duboin |
1§* |
Pass |
1¨* |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
Played by West, 3NT is almost certain to make, as it can only be
defeated by two impossible leads, the jack of spades or the singleton
heart. North led a low spade and declarer took the queen with the
king and attacked diamonds. North won the third round and played
the jack of spades. Declarer held up the ace, won the next spade
and played a heart. Now he had ten tricks, +630 and 13 IMPs.
Board 22. Dealer East. E/W
Vul. |
|
ª A J 2
© 10 6
¨ A Q J 3 2
§ Q 10 3 |
ª 10 7 6 4
© K J 2
¨ 10 6
§ K 9 6 5 |
|
ª -
© 8 3
¨ K 8 7 5 4
§ A J 8 7 4 2 |
|
ª K Q 9 8 5 3
© A Q 9 7 5 4
¨ 9
§ - |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Rodwell |
Lauria |
Meckstroth |
|
|
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
Declarer ruffed the opening club lead and played ace of hearts
and a heart, claiming twelve tricks. However, that was adjusted
to eleven when West pointed out that if he now played the king of
hearts declarer would undoubtedly ruff high and lose a trump trick.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Hamman |
Bocchi |
Soloway |
Duboin |
|
|
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2§* |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
4© |
Pass |
4ª |
Pass |
5§ |
Pass |
5¨ |
Dble |
Pass |
Pass |
Rdble |
Pass |
5© |
Pass |
6ª |
Dble |
Rdble |
All Pass |
|
|
|
This was a huge opportunity for Italy. West led the ten of diamonds
and declarer won the ace and without cashing a high spade in dummy
played a heart. The commentators were expecting a finesse, but declarer
put up the ace and played a second heart. West won with the jack
and immediately put the king of hearts on the table. Declarer ruffed
with the jack and played the ace of spades. You can imagine how
he felt when East produced the two of clubs, and he conceded one
down, losing twelve IMPs when he could have gained 16.
Board 27. Dealer South. None
Vul. |
|
ª 7
© 10 9 8 4
¨ J 10 8 5
§ A Q 9 4 |
ª A K Q 4
© Q 6
¨ Q 7 6
§ K J 8 7 |
|
ª 9 6
© A K J 5 3 2
¨ 3 2
§ 10 5 2 |
|
ª J 10 8 5 3 2
© 7
¨ A K 9 4
§ 6 3 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Rodwell |
Lauria |
Meckstroth |
|
|
|
2¨* |
Pass |
2ª* |
3© |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
There was no stopping this, +400.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Hamman |
Bocchi |
Soloway |
Duboin |
|
|
|
2ª |
2NT |
Pass |
4¨ |
Dble |
4© |
All Pass |
|
|
There was no making this, -100. 11 IMPs to Italy.
|