Settling for silver

Down by 61 IMPs going into the final quarter of the Power Rosenblum, the Indonesian team needed a series of miracles if they were to mount a comeback against the powerful Italian Lavazza team. More realistically, the silver medal was in the future for the team known as Munawar (for Munawar Sawiruddin).

Indonesia had a chance for a small gain on the very first board when Alfredo Versace and Lorenzo Lauria overbid to 3ª in the closed room and went down one against Taufik Asbi and Robert Parasian Tobing.

Unfortunately, in the closed room, Eddie Manoppo, clearly tired from many days of playing, mangled the play in 2ª and also went down one for a push.

On this deal, Lavazza earned a small swing when Norberto Bocchi and Giorgio Duboin got to a superior contract and Duboin brought home an overtrick with superior play.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª 2 © K 8 7 5 2 ¨ 8 3 § K Q J 4 3
ª Q 8 © A Q 3 ¨ J 10 6 5 2 § 8 5 2		ª K 10 9 6 5 4 3 © 10 4 ¨ A 4 § 10 6
	ª A J 7 © J 9 6 ¨ K Q 9 7 § A 9 7

In the closed room, Asbi and Tobing played in 3NT with the North-South cards, taking nine tricks for plus 400.

West	North	East	South
Manoppo	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
			1§
Pass	1¨ (1)	1ª	1NT
Pass	2¨ (2)	Pass	2©
Pass	3NT	Pass	4©
All Pass

(1) Hearts
(2) Transfer

Manoppo started with the ªQ, taken by the ace. Duboin played the ©J at trick two, ducked all around. He ended up losing only the red aces for plus 450 and a small gain for Team Lavazza.

A series of mostly flat results followed, but on consecutive boards, the Italians hammered the final nails in the coffin for the Indonesians with deadly opening leads.

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

West	North	East	South
Manoppo	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
			1§
Pass	1¨	Pass	1ª
Pass	2¨	Pass	2NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Bocchi's 1¨ bid showed hearts.

Manoppo led the ¨10 to Duboin's king. Duboin followed with the ©2 to the ace, followed by the ªJ. Manoppo won the ªK and had his last chance to defeat the contract - and only one card would do: the §2. Manoppo, however, played the §10, and there was no way the defenders could take more than three tricks in clubs. Duboin was home with nine tricks and plus 400.

Closed room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Tobing	Lauria	Asbi
			1NT
Pass	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	3¨	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Versace got matters over with quickly, starting with the §2. As long as the defenders didn't cash all their club winners right away, declarer had no chance. Versace could cash out for down one after getting in with the ªK. That was 10 IMPs to Team Lavazza.

The next deal added 10 more IMPs to the Italians' IMP total.

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª 10 8 5 © 10 8 6 4 ¨ J 10 9 § A 10 4
ª Q J 9 3 © K Q 5 ¨ A 3 § K Q J 3		ª 4 2 © A 2 ¨ Q 8 5 2 § 9 8 7 6 2
	ª A K 7 6 © J 9 7 3 ¨ K 7 6 4 § 5

Versace, West, played in 3NT after opening 2¨ to show a balanced 18-20. Tobing led a low heart, taken by Versace with dummy's ace. It didn't help Tobin to switch to the ¨J when he got in with the §A because he could never get in again to play another diamond through the queen. Versace duly ended with nine tricks.

West	North	East	South
Manoppo	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
1§ (1)	Pass	1¨ (2)	Pass
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

(1) Precision.
(2) Negative.

Bocchi didn't fancy his chances with the anemic heart suit, so he went with his honor sequence in diamonds. It was the killer.

Manoppo won in hand and played the §Q, ducked. The §K was next, taken by Bocchi, who kept up the attack on diamonds. The ¨10 was covered by the queen and king, and Duboin made sure Bocchi made no mistakes on defense by cashing the top two spades before playing a third round of diamonds to the 9 - the setting trick.
If there was any starch left in the Indonesians, those two boards took it out of them.

The final score was a convincing 160-70 triumph for the new Power Rosenblum champions.