Italy vs Denmark

Final Segment 5 (Boards 65-80)

32 boards to go and Italy was in the lead with a 50 IMP margin.

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

West	North	East	South
Schaltz	Lo Presti	Gjaldbaek	Mazzadi
			1©
2©	3©	4©	Pass
4ª	All Pass

West	North	East	South
S. di Bello	J. Houmoller	F. di Bello	B. Houmoller
			1©
3§	3©	4©	5©
Pass	Pass	6ª	All Pass

The auction was fun in the Open Room and we were all disappointed when Mazzadi didn’t continue with 5©. 2© showed spades and a minor. Actually, the key to a good board for the Italians was that Mazzadi didn’t bid 5© over 4©. If he had done so East/West could have revalued their cards enough to bid the slam. Furio di Bello listened to his brother’s 3§ which promised spades and diamonds, though he did well to go on to slam, a slam which requires diamonds to split plus one out of two finesses to succeed. The combined chances to make the contract are decent, not a perfect slam indeed but the only criteria to decide if a slam is good or bad is whether it makes or not – and that made this a good one. This first swing gave Italy 13 IMPs and they were now ahead by 63 IMPs.

What’s your lead sitting East?

ª 9 7 © 10 3 ¨ Q J 9 4 2 § Q 10 9 2

West	North	East	South
		Pass	1©
1NT	2ª	Dble	3ª
4§	4ª	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

1NT is a strong no trump overcall (about 15-16 HCP) but can sometimes be semi-balanced.
Gjaldbaek led a trump.

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

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

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

It is not obvious what to lead but it’s sensible to try to establish some tricks here so a minor-suit lead should have been preferred. After the spade lead Lo Presti didn’t have any problems to make his contract; N/S +590 and that was worth 10 IMPs to Italy when the Houmollers scored +140.

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

West	North	East	South
Schaltz	Lo Presti	Gjaldbaek	Mazzadi
		Pass	1©
4ª	5©	All Pass

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

You have four losers in 4ª but with a little help from the Houmollers declarer made the contract. North led ©K then switched to §Q. Declarer cashed two rounds of trumps then played a club to South’s ten. Now came a helpful heart from Bjorg for a ruff and discard; E/W –790. At the other table Lo Presti/Mazzadi sacrificed nicely in 5©; undoubled and –100 which gave Italy 12 more IMPs.

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

West	North	East	South
Schaltz	Lo Presti	Gjaldbaek	Mazzadi
			Pass
1ª	Pass	4NT	Pass
5¨	Pass	6¨	All Pass

West	North	East	South
S. di Bello	J. Houmoller	F. di Bello	B. Houmoller
			Pass
1ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
3§	Pass	4¨	Pass
4©	Pass	5§	Pass
6ª	Pass	7NT	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Did you ever had a better hand than East’s? I don’t think I have ever had one as good as this. East was surely a bit surprised when his partner opened the bidding. In the Closed Room the di Bello brothers had a bidding misunderstanding – obviously – and Jonas Houmoller dared to double even though he was not on lead. As you can see East’s hand is not only just amazing, East/West’s hands don’t fit together as the declarer will be blocked in hand in a trump contract. As a matter of a fact West’s hand is useless playing in no trump and Furio di Bello had to face that fact at the table; two down, N/S +300.

In the Open Room Schaltz/Gjaldbaek put themselves in 6¨ after a Blackwood sequence (if the di Bellos pay enough they can give the Italians a lesson in Blackwood after the match). 6ª is the right slam to be in, where there is a winning line of discarding two clubs on high diamonds. Lo Presti led the only card that helped declarer to make his contract: ©A!

This last slam swing gave Denmark 15 needed IMPs but when this board was the only swing of the set for the Danes they were way behind Italy in the battle for the gold medals. With only 16 boards to play Italy had enlarged the margin to 93 IMPs.