Italy vs Denmark

Final Segment 2 (Boards 17-32)

Italy won the first session of the final by 58-29 IMPs, giving them an overall lead of 32.67 IMPs. There was a long way to go, but Denmark would like to make some inroads into the deficit during Set 2.

The set began very quietly with a string of flat or near-flat boards, After seven deals the set score was 5-1 to Denmark.

Board 24. None Vul. Dealer West.
	ª 7 4 © 5 ¨ K 6 3 2 § 9 8 7 6 4 3
ª A Q 9 6 © 9 8 4 2 ¨ Q J 8 § K 10		ª K J 10 8 3 © Q J 7 6 ¨ 7 5 4 § J
	ª 5 2 © A K 10 3 ¨ A 10 9 § A Q 5 2

West	North	East	South
Lo Presti	Henriksen	Mazzadi	Marquardsen
1NT	Pass	2©	Pass
3§	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	4§	All Pass

West	North	East	South
B.Houmoller	S di Bello	J.Houmoller	F di Bello
1NT	Pass	2§	Dble
2©	5§	All Pass

Mazzadi transferred to spades and Lo Presti broke the transfer, shwoing his doubleton club along with four spades. Mazzadi’s 3© was a retransfer and Marquardsen balanced with a double, getting his side to 4§. Mazzadi led the ©Q and declarer cashed the ace of clubs then took a spade pitch on the other top heart. He lost a club, a diamond and one spade for +130.

Jonas Houmoller responded with Stayman, hoping for aheart fit before committing himself to spades. When Furio doubled 2§, Stelio just bid the club game. Five Clubs looks to be too high, and is off immediately on a spade lead, of course. However, the lead was once again the ©Q. Stelio won the heart and cashed the second winner to throw a spade, then ruffed aheart and gave up a spade. A spade was returned and he ruffed that, crossed to the ace of clubs and ruffed the last heart then exited with a trump to the king. Bjorg Houmoller had to either give a ruff and discard or open up the diamonds. Nicely played for a fine +400 and 7 IMPs to Italy.

The elimination could not have been completed had East won the defensive spade trick and switched to the §J. Declarer has to ruff two major-suit cards and has only the §A as an entry without breaking up the diamond position.

Board 25. E/W Vul. Dealer North.
	ª 9 8 7 4 © 6 ¨ 7 6 § K Q J 5 4 3
ª A 10 2 © A J 2 ¨ Q J 9 4 § A 9 7		ª K Q J 5 © 10 5 4 3 ¨ K 8 3 § 8 2
	ª 6 3 © K Q 9 8 7 ¨ A 10 5 2 § 10 6

West	North	East	South
Lo Presti	Henriksen	Mazzadi	Marquardsen
	2ª	Pass	Pass
Dble	3§	Dble	Pass
3NT	All Pass

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

Henriksen could open 2ª to show a pre-empt with four plus spades and a five-card or longer minor. Marquardsen passed that and Lo Presti balanced with a double. Now Henriksen thought better of treating that North hand as a two-suiter and retreated to the relative safety of his club suit. When Mazzadi doubled to show general values, Lo Presti bid the no trump game.Lo Presti ducked the opening club lead and continuation but won the third round. He played a diamond to the ace and king and won the diamond return with the queen. Declarer cashed the ©A, ran the spades, and played a diamond to the nine for nine tricks and +600.

Stelio opened with a club pre-empt and Furio psyched a 3ª response. When Stelio raised that to game, Furio had to live with playing 4ª. This was not agreat pleasure for declarer, but the defence did not take all the tricks that they might have done as it took them a while to realise what was going on. Furio got out for down five; a bargain at –250 and 8 IMPs to Italy.

Board 26. All Vul. Dealer East.
	ª Q J 6 5 3 © 9 8 7 ¨ 9 7 3 § 7 4
ª A K 9 7 4 2 © A 10 3 ¨ J 8 4 § 8		ª - © Q 6 5 4 ¨ A K Q 6 5 § K 6 3 2
	ª 10 8 © K J 2 ¨ 10 2 § A Q J 10 9 5

West	North	East	South
Lo Presti	Henriksen	Mazzadi	Marquardsen
		1¨	2§
2ª	Pass	3¨	Pass
4¨	Pass	5¨	All Pass

West	North	East	South
B.Houmoller	S di Bello	J.Houmoller	F di Bello
		1¨	2§
2ª	Pass	3©	Pass
4¨	Pass	5¨	All Pass

Both Easts declared 5¨ after South had overcalled 2§. Furio led the ace of clubs followed by the §Q, ruffed in dummy, and declarer cashed two top spades to throw hearts from hand then ruffed a spade and was over-ruffed. A diamond was returned and now declarer won in hand and ruffed his last low club with the ¨J. A high spade ruff put declarer in hand to cash two top trumps but North’s ¨9 was promoted in the process and there was also a heart to be lost; down two for –200.

Marquardsen also led the ace of clubs but he then found the disastrous switch of the king of hearts, hoping to both establish tricks in the suit and cut declarer off from the long spades. Mazzadi won the ©A and played ¨J and a second diamond to hand then ruffed a club. He played three rounds of spades, ruffing the third one, then drew trumps and claimed eleven tricks; +600 and 13 IMPs to Italy.

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

West	North	East	South
Lo Presti	Henriksen	Mazzadi	Marquardsen
			2©
3¨	All Pass

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

South’s opening bid at both tables showed a weak hand with at least four-four in the majors and both Wests became declarer in 3§ on a heart lead. Both ran this to the queen, crossed to dummy with a club and led a trump. Houmoller went down very quickly by leading the ¨9, and now had two diamond losers by force to go with a club and two hearts; –50.

Lo Presti did better when he led the ¨4 off the dummy. He won the king with the ace and played a second club to North’s ace. Henriksen played a low diamond to dummy’s nine and declarer crossed to hand with a club to play the ¨J. Henriksen won and played a heart through and the fourth round of hearts promoted the ¨8 into the setting trick; down one for –50 and no swing.

Declarer can make the contract in two ways once he has avoided the sloppy play of the ¨9 on the first round. Firstly, he could have put up dummy’s ©K at trick one, forcing South to win and thereby cutting the later communications for the trump promotion. The second chance came when the first diamond went to the king and ace. While the ¨9 is still in dummy to over-ruff North if need be, declarer should play the second heart himself. Again, defensive communications are cut before the right time has been reached to play for the trump promotion.

Board 32. E/W Vul. Dealer West.
	ª Q 5 3 © K J 10 5 ¨ K 9 6 § K 9 7
ª A J 8 2 © A 3 ¨ Q 8 4 3 § 4 3 2		ª K 9 7 6 © 9 4 ¨ 7 5 § A Q J 10 6
	ª 10 4 © Q 8 7 6 2 ¨ A J 10 2 § 8 5

West	North	East	South
Lo Presti	Henriksen	Mazzadi	Marquardsen
1¨	1©	Dble	4©
All Pass

West	North	East	South
B.Houmoller	S di Bello	J.Houmoller	F di Bello
Pass	1§	Pass	1©
Dble	2©	4ª	All Pass

Lo Presti opened the West hand but was then prepared to defend against 4© although he knew there was a four-four spade fit. It was just too much to bid again with his falt 11-count. At the other table Bjorg passed as dealer but then showed spades and diamonds by doubling at her next turn and now Jonas bid 4ª.

Against 4©, Mazzadi led the ¨7 to South’s jack. Henriksen played a heart and Lo Presti won the ace to switch to ace then jack of spades. Mazzadi won the ªQ with his king and cashed the ace of clubs for one off; –50.

A heart lead would have challenged Jonas to get the spades right in 4ª as there would be three side-suit winners established for the defence. But Furio chose to lead the §8 – Stelio had opened 1§, of course, but that did not promise clubs. The club lead went to the king and ace and jonas cashed the top spades then started to run the clubs. There was time to get the heart loser away from the dummy whatever the club break so he came to ten tricks for +420 and 10 IMPs to Denmark.

That was a nice for to finish the set for the Danes, but after 32 boards they trailed by 44-90.67 IMPs.