china smeg   v   argentina    -    BB Round 1

Leading the Way

by Brent Manley

In honor of the host nation for the 38th World Bridge Team Championships, China led off the vugraph coverage at the start of play on Sunday in the Bermuda Bowl. Naturally, the team – China SMEG – wanted to make a good showing. They did.

The match against Argentina was close early on. This deal was a push, but it did contain a point of interest.

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

The contract at both tables was 4♥, and at both tables West led the singleton club. In the closed room, Shaolin Sun played low when declarer, Carlos Pellegini, called for dummy’s ♣10. As you can see, the winning line is to overtake the ♣10 and play the ♥Q. Declarer then will lose a club, spade and a diamond. That was not obvious, however, so Pellegrini played the ♥A and a second heart to West’s king. A diamond put East in for a club return. West ruffed, and there was no way to avoid a spade loser – one down.

In the open room, Luis Palazzo also led his club. Pablo Lambardi covered the ♣10 with the jack, and Zejun Zhuang was in the right hand for a trump finesse. He did not take it, however, playing a heart to the ace and a second heart to West’s king. The defenders did not err from there. One down again.

China SMEG gained only half what they might have on the following deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Wang	Ravenna	Sun	Pellegrini
	Pass	2♠	Dble
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♣
All Pass

East’s 2♠ opener described a weakfish hand with spades and a minor. In response to Pellegrini’s takeout double, Pablo Ravenna’s 2NT was a relay to 3♣, typically showing a poor hand. There was nothing Pellegrini could do to avoid two down for minus 200.

West	North	East	South
Palazzo	Shi	Lambardi	Zhuang
	Pass	Pass	1NT
2♣	Pass	2♦	Pass
2♥	All Pass

Luis Palazzo’s 2♣ showed a one-suited hand. He revealed his suit on the next round of bidding.

Shi started with his second-best club, and Palazzo guessed well by playing dummy’s 7, drawing the queen. He won the ♣A and got out of his hand with a low heart. Shi won the trick and ended his side’s chances of defeating the contract by switching to the ♦J, eliminating declarer’s loser in that suit. Palazzo lost three hearts and one trick each in spades and clubs, but finished with plus 110. That was a 3-IMP gain for China, but it would have been 6 IMPs had they dealed two hearts for plus 50.

Halfway through the match, the teams were tied at 4 IMPs. Argentina picked up a game swing on the following deal.

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

In the closed room, West reached 3NT, but the club position and bad break in spades limited declarer to eight tricks for minus 100.

West	North	East	South
Palazzo	Shi	Lambardi	Zhuang
	Pass	1♠	Pass
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Any lead but a low club from the North hand will doom the contract. Unfortunately for China, Shi started with his fourth-best club – the 8. Palazzo considered his play at length before calling for dummy’s low one. Declarer won the ♣J and took a spade finesse, but with no club to return. Zhuang had to pick another suit. His heart switch served only to help declarer develop another trick, and the favourable split in diamonds brought his trick total to nine for a 12-IMP again. Argentina was ahead 16-4.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ K 9 7 6 5 4 3 ♥ Q 5 3 ♦ J 7 2 ♣
♠ 8 2 ♥ J 9 4 ♦ A K Q 8 5 3 ♣ 9 6		♠ A ♥ A K 8 7 ♦ 10 4 ♣ A 10 8 7 5 4
	♠ Q J 10 ♥ 10 6 2 ♦ 9 6 ♣ K Q J 3 2

In the closed room, East-West reached 5♦ for plus 600 (3NT works well, too). In the open room, Palazzo and Lambardi didn’t come close to bidding game.

West	North	East	South
Palazzo	Shi	Lambardi	Zhuang
	2♦	Dble	2♥
3♦	All Pass

The 2♦ opener showed a weak two-bid in a major. Palazzo’s 3♦ seems conservative – no doubt it would have been easier if West had known which major North held. In any case, there was no further bidding, and plus 170 represented a 10-IMP loss. China had closed to within 2 IMPs at 14-16.

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

West	North	East	South
Wang	Ravenna	Sun	Pellegrini
			Pass
1♣	Pass	2♣	Pass
2♠	Pass	3♠	Pass
4♣	Pass	4NT	Pass
5♦	Pass	5NT	Pass
7♠	All Pass

There was nothing to the play, and China had an easy plus 1510.

West	North	East	South
Palazzo	Shi	Lambardi	Zhuang
			Pass
1♠	Pass	2♣	Pass
3♦	Pass	3♥	Pass
4♣	Pass	4NT	Pass
5♦	Pass	5♠	Pass
6♣	All Pass

Palazzo’s 3♦ rebid apparently showed a hand with two strong suits. Lambardi may have regretted his decision to bid 3♥ over 3♦ instead of showing his spade support. Lambardi’s pass of 6♣ was definitely curious considering the known spade fit. The 4-2 club split meant 12 tricks were the limit in clubs, but it would have been an 11-IMP loss anyway. China had surged ahead.

They gained another 11 IMPs on the final deal, again outbidding their opponents, reaching an excellent 3NT in the open room while their counterparts in the closed room languished in a poor 5♣ contract, going off two for minus 100.

The final score was 36-16, a good start for China SMEG.