italy   v   norway    -    bb  Round 6

Fireworks!

by Mark Horton

You may have been lucky enough to witness some of the fantastic firework displays being staged every night but don’t worry too much if you haven’t as this match between two of the bridge superpowers provided just as much spectacular entertainment.

The spectators were still settling into their seats when the first deal arrived:

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ 10 4 ♥ Q 8 7 4 3 2 ♦ 8 5 4 3 ♣ 9
♠ A 9 8 7 2 ♥ K ♦ 7 ♣ A K Q 10 8 2		♠ K 6 ♥ A 6 5 ♦ A J 10 6 2 ♣ J 5 4
	♠ Q J 5 3 ♥ J 10 9 ♦ K Q 9 ♣ 7 6 3

Open Room

The Norwegians produced a natural auction where East was able to show a real preference for clubs that was enough for West to drive to the excellent grand slam.

North led the three of hearts and declarer won in hand, cashed the ace of clubs, played a diamond to the ace, ruffed a diamond, crossed to the king of spades and ruffed another diamond.

The position in the diamond suit meant there was no need to ruff any spades in dummy, +1440.

Closed Room

It was not surprising to see the Italians match their opponents in the bidding and the play was virtually identical, no swing.

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

Open Room

I was commentating in the VuGraph theatre and when Helness bid an imaginative 4NT (choose your own adjective) I predicted that Helgemo might take him seriously and bid 6♣.

When he did Bocchi may have wondered if they were all playing with the same deck.

On the obvious trump lead declarer rates to make only eight tricks, a small matter of –1100. However, the bidding is over only when the next three players pass, and when South saw fit to remove the double East/West had escaped in a manner that would have made Houdini proud.

East led the queen of diamonds and declarer ruffed and after deep thought played a heart to the ten. When that held he cashed the ace of hearts, ruffed a diamond, cashed the top hearts, discarding a club and a diamond and played a winning heart, ruffed and overruffed. Now he ruffed the ace of diamonds.

I had projected the play this far on VuGraph and pointed out that if West overuffed with the king of spades declarer would be home.

However, there was a counter and of course Helgemo found it.

He simply discarded a club. He ruffed the next heart, overuffed by declarer, who could do no better than play ace of spades and a spade. West could win and force declarer’s last trump with the ace of clubs. That was one down, -200.

Closed Room

East was also willing to venture 4NT at this table. North led a club and declarer won and played a diamond. North took the king and played the nine of diamonds. South ruffed and exited with a trump, +800 and 14 IMPs to Norway.

At more than one table the final contract was 1♠ by West!

The next deal offered the players (and the commentators) no respite:

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

Open Room

When East was able to introduce his club suit at the three level West checked for key cards and then bid the slam, +920.

Closed Room

Although North elected to conceal his heart suit the situation was not very different. However, having received the answer to his enquiry West was unwilling to go on to slam. South led the jack of hearts so declarer was +440, but that cost Italy 10 IMPs.

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

Open Room

If you are a super-star the normal rules simply don’t apply. When, having opened with a Multi, Helgemo went on to 4♠ I was immediately reminded of the legendary Rix Markus, another player who was always happy to keep bidding after preempting.

North led the seven of diamonds and the defence played three rounds of the suit, North ruffing and switching to a club for a fast +500.

Closed Room

Notice that East did not even raise to 3♠.

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

Open Room

2♦ was a transfer to hearts, and 2♥ promised four or more clubs. At the end of the auction the cameraman was able to show both Italians offering an explanation to their respective screen-mates. Unfortunately there was no microphone so we can’t be sure of the precise meaning of the subsequent bids, but it clearly did not impart the fact that there was a fair play for all the tricks, +1010.

How expensive would that prove to be?

Closed Room

When the Norwegians fell well short of the target Italy picked up a badly needed11 IMPs.

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

Open Room

There was some discussion as the best bid on the North cards. You can decide if you prefer a direct 3♠. You might also consider if there is any case for passing the double on the South cards.

West led the queen of clubs and we immediately observed that declarer was unlikely to make a winning guess in spades.

He won in hand and played the jack of diamonds. West took the ace and continued with the jack of clubs. Declarer ducked that, discarding the jack of spades from his hand and won the next club discarding the three of diamonds.

Now came some more serious thinking – declarer could be sure of eleven of East’s cards – seven hearts, three clubs and one diamond – but what were the other two?

For the moment it didn’t matter, as declarer set out to develop a heart trick by playing the king of hearts.

If East wins this he has no good move – a spade is clearly hopeless and if East and South play some ping pong in the heart suit West will be squeezed – but Helness found the only way to set declarer a problem by ducking – earning cheers from the Norwegian supporters.

Declarer came to hand with a spade and played the jack of hearts.

If East wins that he can cash another heart but then the next heart will see West squeezed, so Helness ducked once more.

A great try, but now declarer could simply play a spade to dummy’s ace. When the queen fell he emerged with a couple of overtricks for +660.

A great hand featuring top-class play and defence.

Closed Room

East led the ace of hearts and switched to the six of clubs. Declarer won in dummy perforce and played a diamond to the king. When that held he cross ruffed clubs and hearts and arrived at ten tricks, +620 to lose 1 IMP.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ K 3 2 ♥ 8 6 3 ♦ A K J 6 4 ♣ 9 6
♠ 10 9 6 5 4 ♥ 10 7 5 ♦ 9 3 2 ♣ A J		♠ A Q 7 ♥ A Q 9 4 ♦ Q 8 ♣ K Q 4 3
	♠ J 8 ♥ K J 2 ♦ 10 7 5 ♣ 10 8 7 5 2

Open Room

North led the king of diamonds and South followed with the five (an odd card is described as encouraging and high/low would show an odd number). North cashed the ace of diamonds and South played the ten – presumably intended as a suit preference signal for hearts. However, no doubt thinking South had shown a doubleton diamond, North played a third round of the suit. Declarer ruffed, came to hand with a club, played two rounds of spades via the finesse, came back to hand with a club and played a trump. There were two clubs in dummy to take care of the losing hearts, +420.

For my money South should play the ten on the first round of diamonds and then the seven, trusting that North will then switch to a heart, which is enough to defeat the contract.

Closed Room

South led his partner’s suit and North cashed five diamond tricks before switching to a heart. Declarer was down to AQ in both majors, so he only needed one major-suit finesse to work. It was the spade suit that delivered the seventh trick, +90 but 8 IMPs to Norway.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ A 3 ♥ Q 7 5 3 ♦ Q 8 6 4 ♣ K 9 2
♠ 10 9 6 5 4 2 ♥ J 4 ♦ J 10 ♣ J 8 6		♠ Q 8 7 ♥ A 10 9 ♦ 7 5 3 2 ♣ A 7 5
	♠ K J ♥ K 8 6 2 ♦ A K 9 ♣ Q 10 4 3

Open Room

In the delicate 4-4 fit declarer won the opening lead of the jack of diamonds in hand and played a heart to the queen and ace. East returned the two of diamonds for the nine, ten and queen, and declarer played a heart to the king.

Declarer did not want to play a diamond and see someone ruff and exit with a spade so he rejected any idea of a total elimination and cashed two rounds of spades before cashing the king of diamonds. He exited with a heart and East won and played back a diamond. When declarer got the club right, playing West for the jack, he was +620.

Closed Room

West led the four of spades and declarer went up with dummy’s ace and played a club. Do you blame East for going in with the ace and playing back the queen of spades?

Now declarer had enough minor suit tricks to arrive at the required number, +600.

Would South have got the suit right if East had played low?

We will never know.

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

Open Room

When East/West established that they did not have a heart stop (little did they know) they pressed on to 5♣. That was quickly one down, -100.

Closed Room

West’s practical decision paid a huge dividend.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	♠ A Q 2 ♥ ♦ Q 7 4 3 2 ♣ A K Q J 4
♠ K J 8 7 5 4 ♥ A 6 5 2 ♦ A 9 8 ♣		♠ 6 ♥ K J 10 8 7 3 ♦ K 6 5 ♣ 7 5 2
	♠ 10 9 3 ♥ Q 9 4 ♦ J 10 ♣ 10 9 8 6 3

Open Room

The Multi was getting a good outing in this match (I thought I would mention that as I am currently writing a book about it).

When North doubled (was 4NT a better shot?) South passed without a care in the world.

Declarer ruffed the club lead and after some thought played the king of spades. North won and tried a diamond. Declarer won with dummy’s king of diamonds, ruffed a club and ruffed a spade.

A third club ruff was followed by a spade ruffed with the jack of hearts. Now declarer came to hand with a trump, cashed the ace of diamonds and played a spade to get rid of dummy’s last diamond, the overtrick delivering +690.

Closed Room

South led the jack of diamonds and declarer won in hand and played a spade to the jack and queen. He won the diamond return in dummy, ruffed a spade, ruffed a club and exited with a diamond. North won and played a club. Declarer ruffed in dummy and ruffed a spade with the jack of hearts. South, who had discarded a spade on the third round of diamonds, was now sure of a trump trick, but declarer had the rest, +590 for 3 IMPs to Norway.

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

Open Room

For those of you who are interested in the Italian’s methods the response of 2♣ asks for strength and distribution and if opener shows a maximum hand it becomes game forcing.

Normally 2♣ is bid with these type of hands:
5+♣ 11+ HCP
Balanced hand with or w/o a fit, 12+HCP
Limit 3 card raise in partner's suit
Strong hand with fit in this case they can have longer ♦ or ♥ not very good suit.

East’s vigorous preemption and West’s raise left North/South short of room and they were soon in the doomed slam (should/could East have doubled 5♦?).

However, as I predicted, West took out insurance and saved – four down, -800.

Closed Room

West stood not upon the order of his going but went at once.