The World Senior Teams

By Patrick Jourdain (Wales)

Jose Damiani, the President of the WBF, has been taking a rare opportunity to play, by competing in the World Senior Teams. His partner is Henri Szwarc and their team-mates are Pinhas Romik, Yeshayu Levit, and Nissan Rand. Rand is the only player present from the team successful four years ago in Lille. His crown has been relinquished as the team did not make the semifinals.

Szwarc and Damiani gained a slam swing in an early match with this effort:

ªA K Q J 7 5 3 2 © K J ¨ Q § A 6

ª 6 © 9 6 4 2 ¨ A 8 5 3 § K 10 5 2

At one table the auction was:

2§-2¨-4©-Pass

Two diamonds was a negative. Declarer made 12 tricks.

Szwarc and Damiani show aces after a Two Club opening and this was their auction:

West	East
Damiani	Szwarc
2§	3¨
3©	3NT
4©	5§
6©	Pass

The Three Diamond response showed the ace of diamonds, and West's slow route to Four Spades was more encouraging than a quick one. This encouraged East to cuebid clubs, known as a second round control, and this was the information needed for West to bid the good slam.

North managed to avoid leading hearts, starting with a trump. Damiani ran six rounds, tested the clubs by playing ace, king and a ruff. With a master club still out, he crossed to dummy with the diamond and led a heart, South following low. Reading the defenders' signals accurately, declarer put in the jack, fetching the ace, for a 12 IMP gain.

When the team met your reporter's the result was a 15-15 draw, but Nissan Rand could claim some bad luck on this deal:

Dealer: North. Game All
	ª Q 8 5 3 © J ¨ Q 9 4 § A K Q J 5
ª 4 © A 8 4 3 ¨ K 10 6 § 10 8 6 4 3		ª J 9 2 © K Q 10 7 2 ¨ 5 3 § 9 7 2
	ª A K 10 7 6 © 9 6 5 ¨ A J 8 7 2 § -

West	North	East	South
Rosen	Levit	O'Grady	Rand
	1§	1©	1©
3¨	4©	Pass	Pass
5©	Pass	Pass	6©
All Pass

Rand's 1© was natural and forcing showing five. Bob Rosen's Three Diamonds showed a heart raise. When West was prepared to go the five level Rand took the inference that the opponents held at least nine cards in the suit and partner would therefore have at most a singleton.

On the lead of ace and another heart the first part of the logic was rewarded when declarer could ruff in dummy. If the trumps broke 2-2 there were 12 top tricks, so Rand began with ace, king of spades. When they proved to be 3-1 he was forced to use dummy's queen to draw East's last trump in order to run the clubs. If this suit was breaking declarer would have the five discards needed, but East showed out on the fourth round, and declarer was only able to discard his last heart and three diamonds. Declarer's last chance was the diamond finesse through the overcaller, but that failed as well. At the other table Martin Hoffman and Ross Harper had stopped in Five Spades for Rand's team to lose 13 IMPs instead of gaining the same amount.