Bermuda Bowl - Round 12

By Patrick Jourdain (Wales)

It was a packed VuGraph Hall for the match between the hosts and Italy, European and Olympiad champions. Italy established the early lead, helped by great play from Norberto Bocchi on this deal:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Duboin	Multon	Bocchi	Quantin
			Pass
Pass	Pass	2§*	Pass
2©*	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

They say "the old ones are the best", and this proved the case here. The side-screen showed a string of 3NTs failing by at least one trick, the eventual outcome at the other table in this match. (To digress: when the Closed Room falls behind the Open, the audience does not get to see the auction from the Closed Room, and there are no records of the VuGraph match in the Press Room, making life difficult for the journalists. Memo to VuGraph Commentators, please keep the auction slips, and when no longer needed, they should join the other records in the Press Room.)

Abecassis Michel, France

But Bocchi succeeded. How did it happen? The defence have four hearts to cash, a trick outside and at least two chances to make them. It certainly did no harm to declarer that Quantin led a low spade, and Bocchi successfully put up the ten, but that does not solve the main problem: the defence still have four hearts and an outside trick to make. At trick two Bocchi boldly led a low heart off dummy to the queen! The effect was as intended. Quantin won the king and persisted with a high spade. Bocchi won, led a low diamond to the queen, and played ace and another to leave South on lead. A warning bell might have rung when declarer failed to continue the suit he had tackled first, but South had his defence planned and continued with a third spade. Bocchi promptly claimed his game. 12 IMPs to Italy.

In France it is popular to use Two Diamonds as an artificial game-force with ace-showing responses. This method has a snag that the players only start bidding their suits at an awkwardly high level. That proved the key point on Board 15. South, at adverse vulnerability, held: ª Q 2 © A J 10 8 7 ¨ Q 9 8 5 § 6 5

On VuGraph North opened the game-forcing Two Diamonds and South bid Two Spades to show one ace. North now rebid a natural Three Spades. What would you choose to bid on the South cards?

If you bid a simple Four Spades you will not have shown your useful values other than the ace of hearts. Perhaps Four Hearts would be natural. Anyway, Quantin felt compelled to bid Five Spades. This cut out any chance of an appropriate asking bid from Multon, who held:

ª A K J 9 7 3 © Q 3 ¨ None § A K Q J 3

He had no idea whether his side should be in Five, Six or Seven. Having plenty to spare he decided to leap to Seven, hoping to escape a heart lead when partner's values were in diamonds rather than hearts.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª A K J 9 7 3 © Q 3 ¨ - § A K Q J 3
ª 10 5 © K 4 2 ¨ K J 7 6 4 § 10 8 4		ª 8 6 4 © 9 6 5 ¨ A 10 3 2 § 9 7 2
	ª Q 2 © A J 10 8 7 ¨ Q 9 8 5 § 6 5

As you can see the grand slam was on a finesse. This is not terrible odds provided the other table can be guaranteed to be in at least Six (yes, Italy had reached a boring Six Spades). You gain 13 IMPs if the finesse is right and lose 17 IMPs if it is wrong. It was not the day for France. The finesse lost and the match was out of reach. At the end Italy had won by 83-30 or 25-5 in VPs.

P.S. Perhaps I might take the chance to mention the oldest member of the VuGraph audience. This surely must be Albert Benjamin, now a magnificent 92. (I recall the European Championships eight years ago, walking back to a hotel in Menton with Albert, when he told me it would have to be his last major championship due to his great age.) Benjamin Acol combines weak twos in the majors with two strong openings: Two Diamonds being the artificial game force, as with French methods, but with natural responses.

Benjamin Acol was popular early on, then lost some adherents with people saying "Even Albert himself has given it up". But in recent years it has had something of a revival, and may even be the most-used system in British tournament bridge.

Natural responses to Two Diamonds (with the Two Heart relay being used on most occasions) certainly work better on this deal, because of the space saved in the auction. It starts: 2¨-2©-2ª-3ª-4§-4©-4NT etc. Despite the void, North can ask for keycards knowing that when South shows one it is the ace of hearts. An enquiry for the queen of trumps produces the answer "Yes, but no outside king". And North settles for the small slam.