Some Hands from Verona

The Open and Women's World Championships were held in Verona earlier in June.

The best result by a Junior player was by Eldad Ginossar of Israel, who collected a Bronze Medal for third in the Rosenblum Teams, i.e. the World Open Teams Championship, with a Turkish partner and Israeli team-mates. Here's Eldad in action:

Rosenblum Teams – Round of 64

Dealer East. Both Vul.
	♠ Q 10 5 ♥ Q 8 2 ♦ A 5 2 ♣ Q 9 6 4
♠ A 8 7 2 ♥ 5 3 ♦ 10 8 7 3 ♣ 10 8 7		♠ J 9 6 4 ♥ 9 7 ♦ K Q 9 6 ♣ A J 3
	♠ K 3 ♥ A K J 10 6 4 ♦ J 4 ♣ K 5 2

West	North	East	South
		Pass	1♥
Pass	2♥	Dbl	3♣
Pass	4♥	All Pass

A diamond was led to the queen, and a heart returned. Ginossar drew two rounds of trumps and played ♠K. West won the ace and made a small mistake by not returning another spade. Instead, his diamond return was won by the ace, and a club played to the king. Now Ginossar played all the trumps, leaving East with ♠Jx and ♣AJ in the ending, with one of those cards to be discarded. When East discarded ♣J, Ginossar threw East in with ♣A to concede the last two tricks to dummy's spades.

The lessons at the World Junior Bridge Camp will be held from 13-15 to 14-15 hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and Monday, the other two days being outings. The instructors will be international players: Patrick Jourdain from Wales for the more experienced players, and Klaus Reps from Germany for the less experienced players. Each lesson consists of a talk followed by hands from play. Here's a hand which Patrick played at Verona.

World Seniors Pairs Championship – 1st session

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ 6 ♥ A Q 7 ♦ K 9 8 7 2 ♣ K 10 9 3
♠ A Q 7 4 ♥ 9 8 4 3 2 ♦ Q ♣ Q 8 6		♠ K J 8 5 ♥ 10 5 ♦ A 10 6 5 ♣ A J 5
	♠ 10 9 3 2 ♥ K J 6 ♦ J 4 3 ♣ 7 4 2

West	North	East	South
Tedd	Tokcan	Jourdain	Falay
Pass	1♦	1♠	Pass
3♦	Pass	4♠	All Pass

At Match-point Pairs it is necessary to strain to get into the auction, especially when not vulnerable. Patrick's 1♠ overcall would be the choice of most experts when playing pairs. It's important to have a sensible modern structure for raising overcalls, and Mike Tedd's 3♦ raise showed a good raise to 3♠ with four card support. Patrick could thus jump to game without any worries about a 4-3 fit.

♦3 was led to the queen, king and ace. A diamond ruff was followed by a heart from dummy. North's diamond continuation was ducked to dummy's jack, and ruffed. Another heart was won by South who switched to a trump, won in dummy. A club to the jack was followed by ♦10, ruffed perforce by South and over-ruffed with dummy's last trump. Another heart from dummy allowed ♠8 to make a trick under cover. Plus 420 was worth 91% for E/W. The following hand was well defended by 21 year old Fiona Brown of Australia, who came 4th in the World Mixed Pairs Championship partnered by Hugh McGann of Ireland. Their opponents are 2005 Venice Cup World Champion Daniele Allouche-Gaviard of France and Juan Ventin of Spain.

World Mixed Pairs Championship Final 3rd session

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ 6 2 ♥ Q J 9 2 ♦ A 7 ♣ K 8 6 4 2
♠ K 5 ♥ A ♦ J 10 9 8 6 4 2 ♣ A 7 3		♠ J 10 8 4 ♥ K 10 8 6 ♦ K Q 5 ♣ J 9
	♠ A Q 9 7 3 ♥ 7 5 4 3 ♦ 3 ♣ Q 10 5

West	North	East	South
Ventin	McGann	Allouche	Brown
	Pass	Pass	2♦
3♦	Pass	3NT	All Pass

In third seat at favourable vulnerability, most youth players would have an impulse to bid something. Fiona bid a Multi 2♦, which showed a weak hand and a spade suit, although she might even decide later that she had a heart suit if necessary.

Because partner might have bid 3♥ (pass or correct) with three or more cards in each major, Fiona's partner's most likely suit was clubs, so Fiona found the logical lead of ♣5. Hugh McGann won the king and returned ♣4. Daniele Allouche-Gaviard from France made the good deduction that North had ♦A. Therefore Daniele won the second club to create a blockage, and played a diamond to the king. When declarer played a second diamond, Fiona realised that with ♣J98, declarer would have played ♣8 on the second club, Since North must have ♣8. Fiona discarded the blocking ♣10 on the second round of diamonds 3NT down two was worth 98% of the match-points for North/South. Fiona and Hugh came 4th in the Final, and Daniele and Juan came 8th. An Irish pair produced the following auction in which North must not make assumptions about what cards South has. @Room:World IMP Pairs Championship Final 5th session

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ – ♥ A K J 7 3 ♦ A K 6 4 2 ♣ A K 10
♠ 10 8 7 4 ♥ 9 6 4 2 ♦ 9 5 ♣ J 6 3		♠ K Q 2 ♥ Q 10 8 ♦ J 10 8 7 3 ♣ 9 2
	♠ A J 9 6 5 3 ♥ 5 ♦ Q ♣ Q 8 7 5 4

West	North	East	South
J. Stansby	Garvey	D. Rosenberg	Carroll
			1♠
Pass	2♥	Pass	2♠
Pass	3♦	Pass	3NT
Pass	4♦	Pass	4♥
	Pass	6♣	All Pass

John Carroll's 2♠ rebid showed 10-12 points and six or more spades. Tommy Garvey gently bid out his 5-5 shape, then had to be very careful to consider the 4♥ call from his partner's point of view. South might be thinking that North is 6-6 or 6-5 in the red suits, so the 4♥ call must not be treated by North as desire to play in hearts, but as a forced preference. Hence the natural 6♣ bid, completing the description of North's hand as a 0-5-5-3 shape, allowing the best contract of 6♣ to be found in an unusual way.

Debbie Rosenberg, who won the 1991 World Junior Teams Championship as Debbie Zuckerberg, led a club, won by dummy's ten. A diamond to the queen and a spade ruff led to an easy 12 tricks, for a 14 imp gain against the datum.