The Last Round-Up

By Brian Senior

Going into the last round of the Rosenblum qualifying stage, it appeared that LAVAZZA was coasting through in the top spot in their group. In the final round they met the French team, SOULET, who were also looking to be likely qualifiers but needed to avoid a serious beating in this match. The French team need not have worried as they dominated the match almost from start to finish.

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

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Eisenberg	Bocchi	Allouche
		1NT	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♦	Pass
2♠	3♥	Pass	4♥
Dble	All Pass

Giorgio Duboin enquired over Norberto Bocchi’s weak no trump opening then showed his four-card spade suit. When Eric Eisenberg now overcalled 2♥, it was natural for Daniele Allouche to raise to game, and all that Duboin could do was to double – the club suit, which offers East/West a making game, was never mentioned. Four Hearts had four losers for down one; –200.

Unfortunately, we do not have the auction from the other tables, but Patrick Sussel’s 1♣ opening helped his side to reach 5♣ and Agustin Madala/Guido Ferraro went on to 5♥, doubled for –500 and 7 IMPs to SOULET.

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

West	North	East	South
Soulet	Madala	Sussel	Ferraro
1♦	Pass	1♥	1♠
3♠	Dble	Pass	Pass
Rdbl	Pass	3NT	Pass
4♣	Pass	4♥	All Pass

Philippe Soulet loved his hand when Sussel responded 1♥ and Ferraro overcalled in his void. He splintered then confirmed the void and made one more try in the face of Sussel’s discouraging 3NT call, showing wasted spade values. It doesn’t take much from East to make slam good, but Soulet made a disciplined pass when Sussel signed off in 4♥. He was right in theory as slam is sub-par, but wrong in practice as the favourable lie allowed Sussel to make all thirteen tricks after Ferraro’s low spade lead.

In the other room, Bocchi/Duboin had a deep and meaningful auction to 4♠ on the East/West cards. Duboin thought he had agreed hearts when he cuebid 4♠, Bocchi obviously thought otherwise. The contract was one down for –100 and 13 IMPs to SOULET.

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

West	North	East	South
Soulet	Madala	Sussel	Ferraro
		1♦	Pass
1♠	2NT	3♠	Pass
4♠	All Pass

Seeking a diamond ruff, Madala led a low club against 4♠, but it was not to be. Dummy’s bare queen won the first trick and Soulet was n complete control. He could take the ruffing finesses in both minors and came to twelve tricks for +680.

In the other room Bocchi/Duboin bid aggressively to 6♠, which would have some chances on another day, particularly on a non-heart lead. But today was not another day. With the contract played by East, Eisenberg doubled for a diamond lead, took his ruff and cashed the ace of clubs; down one for –200 and 13 IMPs to SOULET, who were building up a handy lead in the match. It could have been more, of course, had Eisenberg switched to a heart rather than cash the ace of clubs, but he could not know that this would be safe.

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

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Eisenberg	Bocchi	Allouche
Soulet	Madala	Sussel	Ferraro
			Pass
Pass	1♦	Pass	1♥
Pass	2♥	All Pass

Duboin led a low club and Bocchi won the ace and switched to a low heart for the queen and ace. Allouche crossed to the king of clubs to lead a diamond to the king. Bocchi won the ace and played two more rounds of trumps, Duboin pitching a spade. Allouche continued with ace of spades then the ten, covered by the jack, queen and king. Duboin played the ♦Q, on which declarer threw a spade, followed by another diamond, ruffed. Allouche ruffed out the queen of clubs but had no way back to the established winner so that was her last trick; down two for –200.

Against Ferraro, Soulet also led a club to the ace but Sussel returned the suit. Ferraro won the king and led a diamond to the king and ace. Sussel returned a diamond, ruffed, and Ferraro continued with the ♣10, covered and ruffed, then a second diamond ruff. He threw the ten of spades on the ♣J, ruffed, and a diamond was ruffed and over-ruffed. There was just the ♥K to lose from here; +110 and 7 IMPs to LAVAZZA. A nice trump switch from Bocchi at the first table.

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

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Eisenberg	Bocchi	Allouche
		1NT	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♦	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Soulet	Madala	Sussel	Ferraro
		1NT	Pass
2NT	All Pass

Soulet raised to 2NT and Sussel passed, receiving a heart lead from Ferraro. He ran the jack to Madala’s king and won the heart return in hand to lead a low spade to the queen, then ducked a club. Ferraro cleared the hearts and Sussel played a club to the ace then the ♦6 to the jack and ace. He won the spade return with the ace and cashed the clubs; eight tricks for +120.

Duboin also invited, but via 2♣, and Bocchi accepted the invitation. Allouche too led the jack of hearts, ducked to the king. Back came a heart and Bocchi won in dummy to pass the queen of spades. Allouche allowed that to hold so Bocchi switched his attention to clubs, ducking to Allouche’s ten. She cleared the hearts and declarer cashed the clubs, throwing spades from dummy, then led a diamond. Madala won and led a spade through so Bocchi won and conceded the last two tricks to South’s pair of kings; down one for –100 and 6 IMPs to SOULET.

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

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Eisenberg	Bocchi	Allouche
Pass	Pass	1♠	2♥
Pass	Pass	Dble	Pass
2♠	Pass	3♦	Pass
3♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Soulet	Madala	Sussel	Ferraro
Pass	Pass	1♠	3♣(i)
Pass	3♥	Dble	Pass
4♣	All Pass

(i) Red suits

Bocchi liked his hand, understandably enough, and bid 3♦ as a game try when Duboin admitted to some spade support, but Duboin was not interested. Allouche led the top hearts so Bocchi ruffed and played a diamond to the queen then back to the king and ace. Bocchi ruffed the heart return, cashed the top spades, then cashed four rounds of clubs and played a heart to make his ♠J en passant for ten tricks; +170.

Ferraro showed the two-suiter and Sussel doubled the 3♥ preference for take-out. Soulet bid 4♣ and played there. Madala led a diamond and Ferraro played ace and another to Soulet’s queen. Soulet played a club to the ace, cashed the ♠A, then played the ♣K. He conceded a heart to Ferraro, who gave Madala a diamond ruff. Madala played a heart, ruffed in dummy, and Soulet threw another heart on the king of diamonds as Madala ruffed; down one for –50 and 6 IMPs to LAVAZZA.

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

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Eisenberg	Bocchi	Allouche
	1♠	Pass	2♥
Pass	2♠	Pass	3♣
Pass	3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Soulet	Madala	Sussel	Ferraro
	1♠	Pass	2♥
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♣
Pass	3♦	Pass	4♣
Pass	4♠	Pass	6♣
All Pass

The French auction looks normal to me and it ended in a good, if not quite secure, spot. As the cards lay, it was secure, of course, and Eisenberg made nine tricks for +600. The opening lead was the ten of diamonds to the king and Duboin switched to a club, which Eisenberg won with the king to pass the nine of hearts, ensuring a fourth trick in that suit and nine in all, as Duboin now cashed the ♦A.

Madala/Ferraro are not a regular partnership and it showed as they reached a hopeless slam and lost two trump tricks plus the ace of diamonds for down two; –200 and 13 IMPs to SOULET. SOULET came out on top by 57-18 IMPs, converting to a 25-5 VP win. That was just enough to take them to the top of the standings, beating out POPOVA on a split tie, with LAVAZZA 1 VP behind in third place. That didn’t affect LAVAZZA, who had a protected seeding, but improved the situation for the other two teams, at least in theory.