Italy vs Denmark

Final Segment 1 (Boards 1-16)

Time for the final! This is what we have been awaiting for the last nine days. The winner in last year’s European Championship, Italy, was again confronting Denmark, the silver medallists then. Would Denmark get their revenge or would Italy again be the strongest team?

Board 1. None Vul. Dealer North.
	ª 5 © 7 5 ¨ J 7 6 4 § A K J 10 8 5
ª K J 10 9 8 6 3 2 © A J 8 ¨ 8 § 9		ª Q 7 4 © K 10 9 4 2 ¨ 10 5 2 § 6 2
	ª A © Q 6 3 ¨ A K Q 9 3 § Q 7 4 3

West	North	East	South
Mazzadi	Schaltz	Lo Presti	Gjaldbaek
	3NT	Pass	4¨
4ª	Dble	All Pass

West	North	East	South
B. Houmoller	S. di Bello	J. Houmoller	F. di Bello
	1§	Pass	1¨
4ª	4NT	5©	6§
6ª	Dble	All Pass

3NT showed a constructive minor and Gjaldbaek’s 4¨ asked for a singleton. Schaltz wanted to bid 4ª but Mazzadi was there first. The double showed a singleton spade but South passed. Mazzadi finessed in hearts through South; -590 to East/West. 6§ or 6¨ can be made if the defence promises to not lead a heart, though it is sensible to believe a spade would be led. The Houmollers were facing that fact and wrongly sacrificed in 6ª; down two for +300 and 13 IMPs for Italy.

Italy gained 1 IMP on the next board but here came another big swing for Italy.

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

West	North	East	South
Mazzadi	Schaltz	Lo Presti	Gjaldbaek
			2©
Dble	5©	6§	All Pass

West	North	East	South
B. Houmoller	S. di Bello	J. Houmoller	F. di Bello
			2©
2ª	4©	5§	Pass
5¨	Pass	5©	Pass
6ª	All Pass

Schaltz put maximum pressure on Lo Presti by bidding 5© over his partner’s 2©, described as natural and ‘wild’. Lo Presti read the situation nicely though, to bid 6§. Mazzadi, for a second imagined his partner to be void in hearts, but finally passed. After South’s pre-emptive opening 6§ is likely not to be made when it seems to be sensible to play North for three clubs, not South. I was therefore very impressed to see Lo Presti play superbly to cash §A when he gained the lead. What a hero! Just made and –1370 for East/West.

Bjorg misunderstood Jonas’ 5§ to be a cuebid with spade support. 6ª was the wrong slam; North/South +200 and 17 IMPs to Lo Presti and Italy.

The Italians had started very focused and were leading by 30 IMPs to 1 after only three boards. Would the Italians just fly away and the final be more or less over after the first segment? The Danes stopped the bleeding temporarily as they now managed to provide six pushes in a row.

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

West	North	East	South
Mazzadi	Schaltz	Lo Presti	Gjaldbaek
		Pass	Pass
1¨	2§	2¨	2NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
B. Houmoller	S. di Bello	J. Houmoller	F. di Bello
		Pass	Pass
Pass	1§	Pass	1©
Pass	2§	Pass	2NT
Pass	3§	All Pass

Stelio di Bello judged this hand well, I think, to go for a partscore. But how can any North player want to play game when partner doesn’t have an opening bid? You can ask Martin Schaltz and the Kotorowicz brothers for instance if you want to know the answer. 3NT by North over South’s 2NT is a speculative bid – of course there’s a slight chance that South will show up with §A, but it is far too aggressive in the long term. As North deserved, 3NT went three down, and the contract was even doubled by the American pair Hurd/Wooldridge in the play-off match, and it was worth 10 IMPs for Italy in the final.

Board 12. N/W Vul. Dealer West.
	ª 7 6 4 © Q 8 5 ¨ 10 8 § A J 10 8 3
ª Q 9 8 5 3 © 9 3 ¨ A K Q 2 § K 7		ª A K 10 2 © 7 6 ¨ J 9 3 § 6 5 4 2
	ª J © A K J 10 4 2 ¨ 7 6 5 4 § Q 9

West	North	East	South
Mazzadi	Schaltz	Lo Presti	Gjaldbaek
1ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
4ª	All Pass

West	North	East	South
B. Houmoller	S. di Bello	J. Houmoller	F. di Bello
1ª	Pass	3§	3©
Pass	4©	4ª	All Pass

In the Open Room 2NT showed a limit raise in spades. Schaltz led a spade and even though a spade is not the most offensive lead the world has ever seen he simply had to guess which lead was the winner. Declarer ran three rounds of trumps and discarded a heart on a high diamond in dummy; just made. In the Closed Room Furio di Bello bid 3© over 3§ (Bergen raise) to ensure his partner to find the right lead. Stelio followed his partner’s arrows, led a spade and got the club switch; N/S +50 and 10 IMPs to Italy. Bridge is an easy game.

What’s your lead from this hand sitting East?

ª 10 © K 9 8 7 5 2 ¨ 9 6 3 2 § 10 8

West	North	East	South
		2©	Pass
4©	5ª	Pass	6ª
All Pass

Board 14. None Vul. Dealer East.
	ª A K J 9 8 7 5 4 © A 6 ¨ A § Q 2
ª 6 © J 10 3 ¨ K 10 8 5 4 § A J 7 5		ª 10 © K 9 8 7 5 2 ¨ 9 6 3 2 § 10 8
	ª Q 3 2 © Q 4 ¨ Q J 7 § K 9 6 4 3

West	North	East	South
Mazzadi	Schaltz	Lo Presti	Gjaldbaek
		2©	Pass
4©	5ª	Pass	6ª
All Pass

West	North	East	South
B. Houmoller	S. di Bello	J. Houmoller	F. di Bello
		2¨	Pass
2©	Dble	Pass	3§
Pass	3©	Pass	3ª
Pass	4©	Pass	4ª
All Pass

Lo Presti didn’t see a reason not to lead a heart and Schaltz scored +980 when ©Q became a trick; 11 IMPs for Denmark. What would Lo Presti have led if Mazzadi had doubled 6ª? Anyway, the point on this deal is to stop declarer getting into dummy twice. Therefore, on another lead than a heart West must not on the first round take the ace of clubs, unless the declarer plays a club to the king.

Lo Presti/Mazzadi bid a couple of sporting game contracts at the end of this set which gave Denmark useful IMPs. The first segment of the final turned out to be a good start for Italy, though, who chased the gold, leading as they did by 60-28 IMPs.