Back in the match

In the Power Rosenblum seminfinal round, the Swedish Fredin team took it on the chin in the opening set against the Italian Lavazza squad and were down 50-6 entering the second quarter. If they were to get back into the match, they had no time to waste.

The young Swedes did manage to make a match of it, winning the second set 42-13.

They scored a major swing on the first deal, where Lorenzo Lauria-Alfredo Versace opposed Peter Fredin and Magnus Lindkvist in the open room.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª A 10 3 2 © J ¨ A 7 2 § A Q 10 5 2
ª Q © K Q 10 9 8 4 2 ¨ Q 8 3 § 8 6		ª J 9 7 5 4 © 5 3 ¨ 9 6 5 4 § 7 4
	ª K 8 6 © A 7 6 ¨ K J 10 § K J 9 3

In the closed room, Fredrik Nystrom and Peter Bertheau faced Norberto Bocchi and Giorgio Duboin. The Swedes had a long, complicated auction to arrive at the best spot, which was 6§.

In the closed room, Nystrom, South, won the opening heart lead, eliminated hearts, pulled trumps and played a spade, ducking when West played the queen. Duboin had to lead a diamond, finding the ¨Q for declarer, or give a ruff-sluff. That was plus 920 on a well-played deal.

In the open room, the auction went wrong for team Lavazza.

Fredin	Lauria	Lindkvist	Versace
	1§	Pass	2§ (1)
3©	4©	Pass	4ª
Pass	4NT	Pass	5©
Pass	5NT	Pass	7§
All Pass

(1) Game forcing

No matter what Versace did, there was no play for 13 tricks and he was quickly down one. Fredin had just cut 14 IMPs from the deficit.

A few boards later, the Italians had another accident involving a club slam.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª 8 7 5 © K 10 9 8 2 ¨ A K 6 2 § 5
ª A Q © 6 5 4 ¨ Q 8 5 § K 10 7 6 4		ª K J 9 6 2 © A Q J 7 ¨ - § A Q 3 2
	ª 10 4 3 © 3 ¨ J 10 9 7 4 3 § J 9 8

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Lauria	Lindkvist	Versace
		1§ (1)	Pass
1NT	2©	2ª	Pass
3§	Pass	4¨	Pass
4ª	Pass	5¨	Pass
7§	All Pass

(1) Strong and artificial.

Lindkvist might not have been so anxious to try for a grand slam except that he was certain that if a heart finesse was needed it was going to work.

There was no problem in the play and Lindkvist scored up plus 2140 for the well-bid slam. At the other table, Bocchi and Duboin seemed to be heading in the right direction, but……

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Bertheau	Bocchi	Nystrom
		1ª	Pass
2§	Pass	2©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3§	All Pass

The same number of tricks came in, but plus 190 meant Italy had suffered an 18-IMP loss. The Fredin team was making a big comeback.

The Swedes gained another 4 IMPs on this deal, but it was touch and go as each side let opportunities slip.

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª Q J 3 2 © A K J 4 ¨ J 8 4 3 § 2
ª 9 7 6 © Q 5 2 ¨ Q 9 7 § A K 10 9		ª A 8 4 © 9 8 3 ¨ A 5 2 § J 8 7 4
	ª K 10 5 © 10 7 6 ¨ K 10 6 § Q 6 5 3

In the closed room, South (Nystrom) played in 1NT, the defenders getting four club tricks and two aces. It was a seesaw battle in the open room, the Swedes finally prevailing.

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Lauria	Lindkvist	Versace
	1¨	Pass	1NT
All Pass

Fredin started with the ª6 to Lindkvist's ace. A club was returned to the 10, and Fredin cashed the §A before getting out with a spade to Versace's king. Versace then played a heart to dummy's jack, and he was in a position to take four hearts and three spades for his contract. Rather than rely on the hearts to break favorably, however, Versace played a diamond to his 10 and Fredin's queen.

Now Fredin was in a position to defeat the contract by simply returning a diamond to his partner's ace for another club through the South hand. Fredin, however, got out with a spade and, once again, Versace was in a position to make the contract. Still apparently doubting hearts, however, Versace played his ¨K. Lindkvist won the ¨A and completed ended the suspense by playing another club. That was plus 50 and another small gain for Fredin.
The following deal was of interest for what might have been.

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª 9 7 6 © K 10 7 5 4 3 2 ¨ J § 5 3
ª J 10 2 © A 8 ¨ A Q 6 4 3 2 § 4 2		ª A K 5 © 9 ¨ K 9 8 7 5 § K Q 8 6
	ª Q 8 4 3 © Q J 6 ¨ 10 § A J 10 9 7

Closed room:
West	North	East	South
Duboin	Bertheau	Bocchi	Nystrom
			Pass
1¨	2©	Dble	3©
3NT	4©	Dble	All Pass

Bertheau's somewhat eccentric "re-preempt" paid off as the defenders had only five tricks - two spades, a diamond, a heart and a club - to score plus 300. At the other table:

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Lauria	Lindkvist	Versace
			Pass
1¨	3©	4©	Pass
5¨	All Pass

It appeared that Fredin and Lindkvist were headed for a diamond slam. Would they make it? Can you see the only lead to defeat the slam? It seems very possible that Lauria would have found the killing lead against 6¨. After all, he found the only lead to hold declarer to 11 tricks - a spade.

The spade lead removes a vital entry to dummy that declarer needs later to execute a trump squeeze on South. Look what happens on, say, a heart lead.

Declarer wins the ace, pulls trumps with one round and plays a club to dummy's king. South cannot return a spade without giving declarer his 12 trick, so he probably would get out with the §J. Declarer wins in dummy, plays a heart to the ace and ruffs a heart. Then he runs trumps, reaching this position:

	ª 9 7 6 © K10 ¨ --- § ---
ª J 10 2 © --- ¨ 3 2 § ---		ª A K 5 © --- ¨ § 8 6
	ª Q 8 4 © --- ¨ --- § 10 9

Declarer plays his next-to-last trump, discarding the ª5 from dummy and South can fold up his cards and ask partner why he didn't start with a spade. If South discards a spade, declarer cashes dummy's high ones and ruffs a club back to hand to enjoy the ªJ. If declarer discards a club, West plays to dummy's ªA, ruffs a club and returns to dummy with the other spade to enjoy the now-good §8.

Plus 400 for Fredin-Lindkvist added up to another 3 IMPs for their side.