35th World Interzonal Team Championships, Paris, France Wednesday, 31 October 2001

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.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
  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
Bridge deal 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.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
  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
Bridge deal 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  

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.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
  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
Bridge deal 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  

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.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
  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
Bridge deal 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    

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.

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
  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
Bridge deal 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    

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.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
  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
Bridge deal 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    

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.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
  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
Bridge deal 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      

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.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
  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
Bridge deal 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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