brazil   v   indonesia
bermuda bowl semi final session 5

by Brent Manley

Heading into the fifth set of their Senior Bowl match, Brazil and Indonesia were separated by only 2 IMPs. When the set was done, Indonesia had reason to feel very good about their chances of making the final of the event.

Board 2 was the harbinger of the bad set for the South Americans.

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

West	North	East	South
Branco	Lasut	Vianna	Manoppo
		1♥	Pass
1NT	Pass	2♣	Pass
2♦	All Pass

Against Marcelo Branco’s diamond partial, Henky Lasut started with the ♠5, which went to his partner’s queen. Two more rounds of spades left Eddy Manoppo on lead, and he played a club to his partner’s ace. Branco won the club continuation with the king and played dummy’s ♦3 to the 8, 9 and jack. A heart exit was won in dummy, and declarer cashed the other high heart, ruffed a heart and played the trump ace. The bad split meant two down for minus 100.

West	North	East	South
Sacul	Camacho	Sawiruddin	Fonseca
		1♥	Pass
1NT	2♦	All Pass

Carlos Camacho’s 2♦ bid would not be everyone’s choice because of the flat shape and lack of a sixth diamond, but it might have worked out on a different day. Munawar Sawiruddin led his two high hearts and gave his partner a ruff. The club return was won by the ace, and the ♦Q went to the ace. Denny Sacul played a club to his partner’s queen and discarded a spade on the return of the ♥J. Declarer got a club ruff and his two high trumps, but that was only six tricks. Minus 200 meant 7 IMPs to Indonesia.

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

West	North	East	South
Branco	Lasut	Vianna	Manoppo
			1♣*
1♦	Dble	Pass	1NT
Pass	2♦*	Dble	2♥
Pass	3NT	Pass	4♥
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

Branco started with the ♦K. Manoppo won in hand and advanced the ♥8, ducked by Eduardo Vianna. East won the next round of hearts and played the ♦10 to the jack and queen. Branco gave declarer a ruff-sluff with a third round of diamonds, and he discarded a spade from dummy as he ruffed in hand. Despite the 4-1 trump split, declarer was soon claiming for plus 590.

West	North	East	South
Sacul	Camacho	Sawiruddin	Fonseca
			1♣
1♦	1♥	2♦	Dble
Pass	2♥	All Pass

Christiano Fonseca’s double presumably was meant to show three-card heart support. What it didn’t show was the well-above-average South hand. It seems Fonseca would have done well to give his partner a raise to show that strength. Plus 170 was not a satisfying result – and it was a loss of 9 IMPs.

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

West	North	East	South
Sacul	Camacho	Sawiruddin	Fonseca
	1♠	2♠	Dble
3♥	Pass	4♥	All Pass

Camacho led the ♣A, ruffed in dummy. Sacul played a diamond to the king in his hand, re-entered dummy with the ♠K, cashed the ♦A, and ruffed a diamond with the ♥10. A low heart went to the queen and king, and declarer won the spade return in hand to play another trump to the jack and ace. That was it for the defenders. Plus 450 for Indonesia.

West	North	East	South
Branco	Lasut	Vianna	Manoppo
	1♠	2♠	Dble
3♥	Pass	4♥	Dble
All Pass

Branco must have thought that Manoppo had all the trumps for his double, but that still doesn’t explain his line of play. He ruffed the club opening lead in dummy, played a diamond to his hand, a spade to dummy’s king, but instead of cashing the ♦A, he ruffed a diamond low. Now he ruffed a club, then ruffed another diamond low, felling the queen. He cashed the ♠A and ruffed a club. He cashed the ♦A, pitching a club from hand, but Lasut ruffed and played the ♠J. Dummy was down to three trumps at that point. When Branco ruffed the spade, Manoppo overruffed, cashed his high trump and punched out dummy’s last trump with the ♣10. He took the setting trick with the ♥2. That was minus 100 and 11 IMPs to Indonesia.

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

In the closed room, Camacho and Fonseca pushed East-West to the five level in hearts, and that contract had to fail for minus 50.

West	North	East	South
Branco	Lasut	Vianna	Manoppo
1♥	1♠	Dble	4♠
5♦	Dble	Pass	5♠
Dble	All Pass

The Brazilians were lucky that Manoppo, who had already described the South hand to a tee, decided to bid it again. Branco was not tempted to worse in the minus position he had been in previously, and the result was plus 300 for Brazil and a much-needed 8-IMP gain.