china smeg  v   indonesia    -    bb  Round 17

by Phillip Alder

When this match was shown on Vu-Graph, China was lying sixth, but only three victory points ahead of ninth. In contrast, Indonesia was twelfth, ten victory points behind eighth.

Indonesia sent Robert Tobing and Taufik Asbi into the Open Room to play North-South against Zhuang Zejun and Shi Haojun. In the Closed Room, Julius George and Jemmy Bojoh were East-West against Sun Shaolin and Wang Xiaojing.

This was the opening deal:

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

West	North	East	South
Shi	Tobing	Zhuang	Asbi
	Pass	1♣	Pass
1♦	Pass	3♦	Pass
5♦	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Bojoh	Sun	George	Wang
	Pass	1♦	Pass
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

There was surprising inactivity by North-South in the open room. Both could have justified making a takeout double. And note that four of a major is makable with a winning spade guess. In contrast, West's leap to game was extremely optimistic. Five diamonds lost the obvious three tricks.

In the closed room, the Indonesians frequently open one diamond when 4-5 in the minors. West could have made a pre-emptive raise to three diamonds (two diamonds would have been a perverted raise), but preferred one notrump. East, not standing on ceremony, raised to game.

North unimaginatively led fourth-highest from his longest and strongest. After five hearts, a spade shift produced four more tricks there, meaning three notrump was made by the defenders.

Minus 50 and plus 250 gave China SMEG 5 IMPs.

Indonesia scored an overtrick IMP on the second board; then:

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ Q J 9 6 ♥ Q 4 3 ♦ K 8 3 2 ♣ Q 3
♠ K 7 5 ♥ A 2 ♦ 10 5 ♣ A J 10 7 5 2		♠ A 8 3 2 ♥ K 9 8 7 6 ♦ 9 ♣ K 9 8
	♠ 10 4 ♥ J 10 5 ♦ A Q J 7 6 4 ♣ 6 4

West	North	East	South
Shi	Tobing	Zhuang	Asbi
			3♦
Pass	4♦	Dble	Pass
6♣	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Bojoh	Sun	George	Wang
			3♦
Pass	4♦	Dble	Pass
5♣	All Pass

Neither South had a weak two-diamond opening available – hence the upgrades to three diamonds.

Shi's decision to bid six clubs looks correct. When partner comes in at the four-level vulnerable, he would normally have a stronger hand than he actually held.

Five clubs made six without a sweat – or even one bead of perspiration.

Six clubs, though, was not quite so simple – until you look at the North-South hands. The defense began with two rounds of diamonds. This would have been very clever defense if South had held a singleton club queen, because it made declarer think that the trumps were 3-1.

After long thought, Shi played a heart to his ace, a heart to dummy's king, and ruffed a heart with his club seven. When that passed off peacefully, West played a club to dummy's nine and cashed the club king, claiming when the queen dropped.

That was 13 IMPs to China SMEG.

After two flat boards came:

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	♠ A 5 ♥ A Q 7 ♦ A J 8 3 ♣ J 8 5 4
♠ 8 4 ♥ J 10 8 2 ♦ K 10 2 ♣ 9 7 3 2		♠ Q 7 6 ♥ K 9 6 5 3 ♦ Q 9 6 ♣ Q 10
	♠ K J 10 9 3 2 ♥ 4 ♦ 7 5 4 ♣ A K 6

West	North	East	South
Shi	Tobing	Zhuang	Asbi
		Pass	1♠
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♠
Pass	4♦	Pass	4♥
Pass	5♥	Dble	6♠
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Bojoh	Sun	George	Wang
		Pass	1♠
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♠
Pass	4♦	Pass	4♥
Pass	4♠	All Pass

It is interesting that both Norths could respond with a natural and game-forcing two notrump (although Tobing was showing 13-15 and could have bid three notrump to announce 16-18; presumably he wished to save space). Both Souths felt obliged to show their second-round heart control despite a minimum opening bid. Although, if four diamonds denied any club control, four hearts had the advantage of also promising a club control. Maybe Sun thought four spades confirmed no club control and that his partner was required to move with one. In the open room, Asbi's jump to six spades looks optimistic.

In the closed room, West led a low club: four, ten, ace. Declarer drew trumps in three rounds with aid of a winning finesse, then ducked a diamond. East returned his club queen, so South claimed, saying that he would win and play a club to dummy's eight – 12 tricks.

There was much more at stake in the open room. West led the heart jack. Declarer won with dummy's ace, cashed the spade ace, took the trump finesse and, not knowing the lovely club position, played a diamond to dummy's jack, hoping West had the king and queen. But East took dummy's jack with his queen and returned the club ten. South won with his ace and cashed the spade king. Then, with a shrug of the shoulders, he tabled the club king. He perked up considerably when the queen appeared. A club to dummy's eight and the club jack permitted a diamond discard. Six spades bid and made.

Minus 480 and plus 980 have Indonesia 11 IMPs.

Did anything occur to you? When declarer led the low diamond at trick four, West almost certainly missed a chance to defeat the contract. If he had inserted his diamond king, declarer would surely have assumed that he had the king and queen. Probably South would have ruffed a heart, cashed the spade king, and played a diamond to the jack, going down one. This analysis was pointed out by Patrick Huang, commentator par excellence.

There was no swing bigger than 5 IMPs in the rest of the match, which ended with Indonesia winning by 31 IMPs to 26. That gave Indonesia 16 VPs and China SMEG 14.