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Norway vs Italy
Bermuda Bowl Semi-final
2
Norway led by 37-19 at the end of the first set of their semi-final
with Italy but, after a couple of flat boards to start set two,
the Italians soon set about reducing that lead.
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Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
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| |
ª J 7 3
© Q 5 4 3
¨ Q 8 7 5 2
§ Q |
ª 9 8 5 2
© -
¨ 9 3
§ A J 8 6 5 3 2 |
 |
ª K Q 10 6
© A J 9 6 2
¨ A J 4
§ 9 |
| |
ª A 4
© K 10 8 7
¨ K 10 6
§ K 10 7 4 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
|
|
1§ |
| Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2© |
| Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
Pass |
| 2ª |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
| 4§ |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
|
|
1§ |
| Pass |
1¨ |
1© |
Pass |
| 1ª |
Pass |
3ª |
All Pass |
Norberto Bocchi's 1¨ response allowed Erik Saelensminde to overcall
1© with the East cards in the Closed Room and he followed up with
a strong raise of Boye Brogeland's 1ª response. Brogeland had no
reason to go on to game of course. Bocchi led his club against 3ª
and Brogeland won the ace and crossed to the ace of diamonds. He
threw his remaining diamond on the ace of hearts and proceeded to
crossruff his way to nine tricks for +140.
Helness/Helgemo bypass diamonds on moderate responding hands and
Lorenzo Lauria judged to pass at his first turn when hearts were
bid on his right. Despite his heart length, however, Lauria balanced
with a take-out double when 2© came back around, then cuebid at
his next turn. Alfredo Versace won the club lead and played the
§J, which gave Tor Helness a problem and he considered ruffing in,
in case Versace held the §10 and was intending to pass the jack
to aid in establishing the suit. Finally Helness chose to discard
a heart and Versace ruffed in dummy. With Helness in a position
to discard a heart every time that dummy ruffed a club, the timing
had to be spot on from here if Versace was to avoid a fatal over-ruff.
He cashed the ace of hearts and ruffed a heart, then crossed to
the ace of diamonds and ruffed another heart. Only now could he
afford to go after club ruffs. The next five tricks saw alternate
club and diamond ruffs and Versace had a wonderful +620 and Italy
+10 IMPs.
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Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
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| |
ª K Q J 8 5 4 2
© 10
¨ A Q 7
§ K 7 |
ª A 3
© K Q J 6 2
¨ 6 2
§ 10 9 6 5 |
|
ª 10 9 6
© A 9 8 5
¨ K J 5 4
§ 3 2 |
| |
ª 7
© 7 4 3
¨ 10 9 8 3
§ A Q J 8 4 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
| Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| 1© |
Dble |
2© |
3§ |
| 3© |
4ª |
All Pass |
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What a difference a lead makes! Saelensminde led the ace of hearts
and switched to a low diamond on seeing dummy. Bocchi won and played
on trumps and soon had eleven tricks stacked in front of him; +650.
Lauria led the three of clubs and Helness could read this as being
from shortage. He won the §J and finessed the queen of diamonds.
No luck, and back came a second club. Helness won this one with
the ace and, after considerable thought, played the §Q to pitch
his heart loser. Lauria ruffed the club and played the ace of hearts
and Helness ruffed and played the ªQ. When Versace won this he played
his last club through. Ruffing high would have meant only one down
but Helness guessed to ruff with the eight and was over-ruffed.
With a diamond still to lose, that was down two for -200 and 13
IMPs to Italy, who taken the lead in the match.
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Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
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| |
ª K 10 5
© J 10 8 4
¨ 8 6 2
§ A Q 3 |
ª J 7 4
© K 7
¨ A Q 9 7 4
§ 10 9 4 |
|
ª 8 6 3
© Q 9 3
¨ 10 3
§ K J 8 6 2 |
| |
ª A Q 9 2
© A 6 5 2
¨ K J 5
§ 7 5 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
1© |
| Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
| Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
| 1¨ |
Dble |
Pass |
2© |
| Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
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The Italian run continued with a 3 IMP gain for an extra undertrick.
I am not convinced that Helness had to bid all the way to game when
Geir Helgemo admitted to a proper opening bid in response to the
Drury enquiry, but bid it he did and the same contract was reached
at the other table.
Versace led the ten of clubs to the queen and king and Lauria switched
to the ¨3. The ¨J lost to the queen and Versace returned a club.
Helgemo won the ace and passed the jack of hearts to the king. He
ruffed the club continuation, laid down the ace of hearts and played
on spades. One diamond went away on the fourth spade but that was
still down two for -200.
In the other room, the defence began with a club to the queen and
king and the ten of diamonds to the jack and queen. Brogeland cashed
the ¨A now and at this point the play record comes to an end. How
Giorgio Duboin managed to get out for one off is hard to imagine
but that is the result with which he is credited, so -100 and 3
IMPs to Italy.
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Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
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| |
ª A 10 6 3
© 10 5
¨ Q J 2
§ K 8 7 3 |
ª K 9 8 7 4
© 6 3
¨ A 9 8 5
§ J 5 |
|
ª J
© A K J 7 4
¨ K 7 6 4
§ Q 9 2 |
| |
ª Q 5 2
© Q 9 8 2
¨ 10 3
§ A 10 6 4 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
|
1© |
Pass |
| 1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
All Pass |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
|
1© |
Pass |
| 1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
| 2© |
All Pass |
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This was a good board for a piece of Italian system. In the Closed
Room, Brogeland had a close decision over Saelensminde's 2¨ rebid.
He could not afford to pass because 2¨ is almost unlimited in standard
methods, so his choice was between a diamond raise and giving false
preference to hearts. Brogeland chose the latter option but 2© did
not play well for his side. Duboin's low spade lead ran to the ace
and Bocchi switched to a low club. That collected the defence's
two club tricks and there was still a diamond to come along with
two trump tricks; down one for -100.
Lauria/Versace have an artificial 2§ rebid for most 16+ hands so
Lauria's 2¨ rebid was limited to around 15 HCP. That made it possible
for Versace to pass at a comfortable level. Helgemo led the ten
of diamonds and Lauria won in hand to play the jack of spades to
the king and ace. Helness played a trump and Lauria won the king
and continued with three rounds of hearts for a ruff. Helness did
his best by refusing to over-ruff, but Lauria just ruffed a spade
then took another heart ruff. Helness could over-ruff and see declarer
win a heart and a diamond in hand, or could discard and see declarer
make this and another trump trick via a spade ruff; +90 and 5 IMPs
to Italy.
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Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
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| |
ª 9 6 3
© A 2
¨ 9 5 2
§ Q J 9 8 6 |
ª 7 5 2
© 10 7 6
¨ Q J 4 3
§ 10 4 3 |
|
ª A J 4
© K Q 8 3
¨ A K 8
§ A K 2 |
| |
ª K Q 10 8
© J 9 5 4
¨ 10 7 6
§ 7 5 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
| 2¨ |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
| 3NT |
All Pass |
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The dedication shown by some of the table recorders is staggering.
We know that Saelensminde received the lead of the queen of spades
which he ducked, and a diamond switch - well done, Duboin. And we
know that he ran the diamonds, with everyone throwing a club on
the fourth round, but at this point the record comes to an abrupt
end. As the contract was one down, we can infer that Saelensminde
did not play a heart to the king then duck a heart, but what he
did try is unclear. Anyway, that was 100 to Italy.
Helgemo also led a spade honour, the king, against Lauria. When
the spade was ducked, he switched to a low heart to the ace. Now
Lauria had nine tricks; +600 and 12 IMPs to Italy, who had run off
43 unanswered IMPs to take a 25 IMP lead in the match.
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Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
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| |
ª K J 10 9
© J 5 3
¨ K Q 10 4 2
§ 3 |
ª 4 3
© K 9 7 4
¨ 8 6
§ A K J 10 2 |
|
ª A Q 6 5 2
© A 2
¨ 5
§ 9 8 7 6 4 |
| |
ª 8 7
© Q 10 8 6
¨ A J 9 7 3
§ Q 5 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1§ |
1¨ |
1© |
2ª |
| Pass |
3¨ |
4§ |
4¨ |
| Pass |
Pass |
5§ |
All Pass |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1§ |
1¨ |
1ª |
Dble |
| 2§ |
2¨ |
4¨ |
5¨ |
| 6§ |
All Pass |
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Versace's 1§ opening could have been as short as a doubleton, and
Lauria's 1© showed spades. Helgemo showed a good diamond raise then
competed further at his next turn, and the Italians were never in
a position to contemplate the thin slam. In contrast, Brogeland
promised genuine clubs. Saelensminde showed his spades then splintered
in support of clubs and Brogeland was so impressed with the strength
of his clubs that he gave himself a sixth club despite his minimum
opening. With the spade finesse working and no bad news in trumps,
both declarers made twlve tricks for +420 to +920; 11 IMPs to Norway.
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Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
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| |
ª Q 2
© K 9 2
¨ K J 6
§ A 10 8 5 4 |
ª 10 9 5 3
© 8 5 4 3
¨ Q 8 3 2
§ J |
|
ª K J 8 7 6 4
© 10 7
¨ A 9 5
§ K Q |
| |
ª A
© A Q J 6
¨ 10 7 4
§ 9 7 6 3 2 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
1§ |
1ª |
Dble |
| 2ª |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
| Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
5§ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
1§ |
1ª |
Dble |
| 3ª |
Pass |
4ª |
Dble |
| All Pass |
|
|
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I like Brogeland's pre-emptive 3ª raise more than Versace's quiet
2ª, but the Italian style is generally a little less aggressive
in this kind of position than some of we northern Europeans. Saelensminde
could not really have expected to be making 4ª but he knew of a
ten-card fit and figured that he was probably going to have to bid
it in a minute anyway so why not now, putting more pressure on his
left-hand-opponent. Duboin's double closed proceedings and the defence
took the six tricks which was its due; three down for -500.
Things were a good deal easier for North/South in the other room
and Helness was soon playing the club game. At first sight, this
is dependent on a successful diamond guess, but there is an extra
chance and Helness duly took it. The lead was a spade to dummy's
ace. Helness played a club to the ace and ruffed the ªQ before cashing
the hearts. Lauria was trapped. If he ruffed in he would be forced
to either open up the diamonds or give a ruff and discard, while
if he did not ruff in Helness would throw him in with a club anyway;
+600 and 3 IMPs to Norway.
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Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
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| |
ª 7 6 5 2
© 9 7
¨ A K 9 4
§ A J 3 |
ª K 3
© K 8 5 3 2
¨ J 8 7
§ Q 8 5 |
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ª Q J 9
© A Q J 10 4
¨ 6 3
§ 10 7 2 |
| |
ª A 10 8 4
© 6
¨ Q 10 5 2
§ K 9 6 4 |
We do not, unfortunately, have the bidding records
for this deal, but it resulted in an 8 IMP swing to Norway, when
Helness/Helgemo bid the North/South cards to the thin 4ª,
making for +420, while Bocchi's mini no trump was passed out for
+90 in the other room. That left the match score at 63-61 in favour
of Italy after 32 deals.
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