Brilliancies and Blunders
The second session of the Power Rosenblum final was strange mixture,
with some excellent bridge being interspersed with some howlers.
Perhaps fatigue was beginning to play its part?
Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul. |
|
ª
J
© K 10 9 8 7
¨ A K 6
§ J 4 3 2 |
ª
K 8 5 4
© A Q 2
¨ J 9 4
§ Q 8 5 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
10 9 7 3 2
© 6 4
¨ Q 10 7 5 2
§ A |
|
ª
A Q 6
© J 5 3
¨ 8 3
§ K 10 9 7 6
|
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Manoppo |
Lauria |
Lasut |
|
1© |
1ª |
4© |
4ª |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
Declarer had to lose two trumps, a heart and two diamonds, -300.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Karwur |
Bocchi |
Sacul |
Duboin |
|
1© |
Pass |
2ª* |
Pass |
2NT |
3© |
Pass |
3ª |
4© |
All Pass |
|
Two Spades promised an invitational heart raise and East's delayed
entry into the auction came as a surprise, especially to his partner.
North was left to try and win the board. East cashed the ace of
clubs and switched to a spade. Declarer put up the ace and played
the jack of hearts. West won and switched to a diamond. Declarer
put up the ace and played the jack of clubs. East could ruff, but
that was the last trick for the defence as declarer, knowing East
was 5-2-5-1, had no problem in getting to dummy and picking up the
trumps.
Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul. |
|
ª
10 9
© A 5
¨ K 8 3 2
§ 9 8 5 3 2 |
ª
K Q 7 6
© Q J 10 4 3
¨ A Q 5 4
§ - |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
A J 4 2
© 9 8 6
¨ 9 6
§ A Q 10 4 |
|
ª
8 5 3
© K 7 2
¨ J 10 7
§ K J 7 6 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Manoppo |
Lauria |
Lasut |
|
Pass |
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
4§* |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
To defeat Four Spades the defenders have to find their heart ruff
and that was virtually impossible with South on lead. +420
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Karwur |
Bocchi |
Sacul |
Duboin |
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2§* |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
North led the ten of spades and declarer won in dummy and took
a losing diamond finesse. North played a second spade and declarer
won, cashed the ace of diamonds, ruffed a diamond, cashed the ace
of clubs for a diamond discard and played a heart. North won and
played his last diamond. All South had to do was ruff high and give
North a spade ruff but he ruffed low and declarer could overruff
and play a trump. No swing.
Dealer West |
|
ª
A Q 7 5
© 9 8
¨ A K Q 8 2
§ 3 2 |
ª
8 4 3 2
© A K Q J 4 3
¨ 10
§ J 4 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
J 10
© 7 6
¨ 4 3
§ 9 8 7 6 5 |
|
ª
K 9 6
© 10
¨ J 9 7 6 5
§ A K Q 10 |
For technical reasons a substitute board 23 had to be played. The
original deal was a dull part score, but the redeal proved to be
anything but.
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Manoppo |
Lauria |
Lasut |
|
|
|
1¨ |
1© |
1ª |
2© |
Dble |
3© |
5¨ |
All Pass |
|
West led the king of hearts and declarer claimed twelve tricks.
Could the Italians do any better?
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Karwur |
Bocchi |
Sacul |
Duboin |
|
|
|
1¨ |
1© |
Dble* |
3© |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble* |
Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
4©* |
Pass |
4ª* |
Pass |
5§* |
Pass |
6¨ |
All Pass |
|
Yes they could! The key to the auction was Duboin's decision to
bid Four Hearts. The cue bids that followed made it easy for Bocchi
to jump to the slam.
Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul. |
|
ª
6
© A Q
¨ A 8 7 6 3
§ A J 7 6 4 |
ª
7 5
© 8 7 5
¨ K J 9 5
§ K 8 3 2 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
Q 10 8 4 2
© K 10 4 2
¨ Q 10 4 2
§ - |
|
ª
A K J 9 3
© J 9 6 3
¨ -
§ Q 10 9 5 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Manoppo |
Lauria |
Lasut |
|
|
|
1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
6§ |
All Pass |
|
There is no lead to defeat Six Clubs, but East's choice of a heart
simplified matters. Declarer could win and set about ruffing diamonds.
In due course West scored an overruff but that was all the defence
could manage, +920.
Could the Italians match that?
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Karwur |
Bocchi |
Sacul |
Duboin |
|
|
|
1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
No they could not! Of course 3NT was easy enough but the Indonesians
had 10 IMPs.
Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul. |
|
ª
K J 10 9 8
© Q 10 8
¨ K
§ A K 9 5 |
ª
A 7 5
© A K J 6 3
¨ 2
§ J 10 8 7 |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
3 2
© 9 5 4
¨ 10 8 7 6 5
§ Q 6 4 |
|
ª
Q 6 4
© 7 2
¨ A Q J 9 4 3
§ 3 2 |
Open Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Versace |
Manoppo |
Lauria |
Lasut |
1© |
1ª |
Pass |
2ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
East led the four of hearts and declarer was not hard pressed to
take ten tricks, +170.
Closed Room |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Karwur |
Bocchi |
Sacul |
Duboin |
1© |
1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
East led the four of hearts and West won with the king and switched
to the seven of clubs. Declarer won and advanced the ten of spades.
West ducked and now declarer played the king of diamonds. The commentators
seemed to think declarer had to overtake this, but that isn't true
- you can let it win, cross to dummy via a club ruff and play a
winning diamond - West is helpless. Anyway, Bocchi did overtake
and he played another diamond. West ruffed, declarer over ruffed
and went back to dummy via a club and a club ruff. This was the
position when declarer played the jack of diamonds from dummy:
|
ª
K J 9
© Q 10
¨ -
§ 9 |
ª
A
© A J 6 3
¨ -
§ J |
![Bridge deal](../../../Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) |
ª
3
© 9 5
¨ 10 8 7
§ - |
|
ª
Q
© 2
¨ J 9 4 3
§ - |
While he was waiting for West to play the VuGraph audience saw
Bocchi write the result down on his score-card, +620. When West
eventually ruffed in with the ace of spades, Bocchi discarded the
nine of clubs. West exited with the last club and Bocchi ruffed
in hand. Something had broken his concentration as instead of discarding
the losing heart and claiming he overruffed in dummy and played
a heart. He put his cards on the table but East claimed a trick
with the three of spades.
The director was called and he ruled the contract had made, so
+620.
However, the Appeals Committee later overturned this decision so
Indonesia gained 7 IMPs instead of losing 10. How significant would
that be?
|