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		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 § -		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		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		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		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		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?