chinese taipei   v   south africa    -    bb Round 21

The Final Deals

by Phillip Alder

At the end of the first day in the Bermuda Bowl quarterfinal between Italy and South Africa, the more southerly nation enjoyed a comfortable 54.7 IMP lead. But with two boards to play in the qualifying stage, South Africa would not have been playing.

With these two deals to go, they trailed Chinese Taipei by 11 IMPs, or 13-17 in victory points. They had to gain at least 4 IMPs.

Board 31. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ Q J 8 6 3 ♥ J 10 5 3 ♦ A ♣ A Q 4
♠ K 9 5 4 ♥ Q 8 7 4 2 ♦ 6 ♣ J 10 2		♠ A 10 ♥ A 9 ♦ Q 10 9 8 7 4 ♣ K 8 6
	♠ 7 2 ♥ K 6 ♦ K J 5 3 2 ♣ 9 7 5 3

West	North	East	South
Eber	Shen	Bosenberg	Yeh
			Pass
Pass	1♠	2♦	Pass
Pass	2♥	Pass	2♠
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Yang	Cope	Shih	Holman
			Pass
Pass	1♠	2♦	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

In the open room, Chih-Kuo Shen (North) rebid in his four-card heart suit when two diamonds was passed back to him. Chen Yeh gave preference to spades. Chris Bosenberg (East) led a diamond, declarer winning with his ace and playing a heart toward the king, but he could not get to eight tricks, eventually going down one.

In the closed room, Tim Cope (North) doubled when two diamonds came around, allowing for the possibility that his partner had a penalty double of that contract. And indeed, Glen Holman did pass, turning the takeout double into one for penalties.

South led his spade seven, Juei-Yu Shih (East) taking North's spade jack with his ace and playing the diamond queen, losing to North's ace. A low-spade return was won by declarer's ten, and he continued with the diamond ten. South won and the defense had to come out on top. At first glance it looked as though, after declarer drew trumps and played the ace and another heart, South would have to open up clubs to East's advantage. But drawing trumps squeezed the dummy and East went down one.

Plus 100 and plus 100 gave South Africa a vital 5 IMPs. They had to avoid conceding two IMPs on the final deal.

Board 32. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ 7 6 ♥ K 8 4 3 ♦ A J 10 9 2 ♣ A J
♠ A K 10 ♥ J 10 2 ♦ ♣ K Q 9 8 7 6 3		♠ Q J 9 8 2 ♥ 7 5 ♦ Q 7 4 3 ♣ 10 5
	♠ 5 4 3 ♥ A Q 9 6 ♦ K 8 6 5 ♣ 4 2

West	North	East	South
Eber	Shen	Bosenberg	Yeh
1♣	1♦	1♠	2♦
2♠	3♦	3♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Yang	Cope	Shih	Holman
2♣	2♦	2♠	3♦
4♦	Pass	4♠	5♦
All Pass

In the open room, Bosenberg (East) bought the contract in three spades. Yeh (South) led the diamond five. The contract could have been defeated by a trick, the defenders lost their way, letting declarer get home. (Sadly, the recorder only gave the first trick.)

At the other table, Holman, when his opponents got to four spades, took out insurance, bidding five diamonds. This was surprisingly allowed to escape undoubled by East. Declarer got the trumps right, of course, so he lost two spades and one club to go down one.

Plus 140 and minus 50 gave South Africa 3 IMPs and put them into the quarterfinals. But if Shen and Yeh had defeated three spades, South Africa would have been out and Brazil in. It was that close.