| 12th World Bridge Championships | Page 5 | Bulletin 8 - Saturday 17 June 2006 |
| |
||
Angelini vs Schwartz By Mark Horton In the round of 64 the first session of the Rosenblum was a match of two halves. (Don’t you just love those sporting cliches?)
Open Room
West led the three of hearts and declarer put in the jack, losing to East’s queen. Back came the four of diamonds and the defenders cashed their red suit winners for one down; +50. Closed Room
West led a spade and declarer was not hard pressed to take ten tricks, simply drawing trumps, testing clubs and playing a heart; +170 and 6 IMPs to Schwartz.
Open Room
Three Hearts showed 5-5 in the majors and was game forcing. Declarer won the diamond lead, unblocked the spades and took all his top tricks, +630. @Room:Closed Room
Would you gentle readers have jumped to Six Hearts? No, I thought not. On a good day, this would no doubt have rolled home, but this day had only just started. West led the nine of spades and declarer unblocked that suit and then cashed his major suit winners. With spades not breaking he needed club tricks and he club tricks and when the club finesse lost his by now blank king of diamonds fell under West’s ace – four down; –400 and 14 IMPs to Angelini.
Open Room
North led a heart and South won with the king and switched to the queen of spades. Declarer won in dummy, played another four rounds of trumps and then a diamond to the king. That was +620. Closed Room
It’s not often the Italians stop out of any game that has a chance. That was 10 IMPs to Schwartz, giving them the lead by 6 IMPs.
Open Room
West led a spade and East won with the king and switched to a heart. When declarer put up the king the defenders won, cashed a heart and played a third round on which declarer discarded a club. He finished two down for –100. Closed Room
West led the four of clubs and declarer took East’s ten with the king and returned the suit. When East switched to the king of spades rather than a low heart declarer ducked. Now a heart switch was essential, but East played a diamond. Declarer finessed and played a club. West won and played a spade and declarer won in hand with the ten, crossed to the ace of spades, cashed a club and took a diamond finesse; +120. The session ended as it had started, with a 6 IMP swing to Schwartz, ahead by 12 IMPs. Like the preceding quarter the second one contained few swings, but most of them went to the trailing team.
Open Room
Would East/west have been better placed if West had bid Three Diamonds directly over his partner’s redouble? (As an aside should East bid Two Spades if North opens a strong notrump?) The favourable location of the heart honours led to an easy ten tricks; +170. Closed Room
You would not expect the Italians to miss this one and so it proved – ten tricks and 10 IMPs.
Open Room
South led the two of hearts and declarer won, cashed his clubs and the spade ace and took the spade finesse for his contract – two down; -200. Knowing of a singleton heart – at most – opposite, perhaps East should have considered an alternative to 3NT? The problem with playing at the highest level nowadays is that the toughest opponents never seem to give you a moment to yourselves. A contested auction always poses more problems – and its hard work getting them all right. Closed Room
West led his trump and declarer put up the jack from dummy and drew trumps. There was nothing to the play, declarer recording eight tricks for –300. A good result for the Butler – but a loss of 11 IMPs. The Italian’s closed the session with another swing earned entirely in the bidding:
Open Room
It’s always annoying to miss a making slam, even more so when the tricks are ‘on top’. Where did things go wrong? Well, the strength of East’s hand is obviously a factor, but for my money West can hardly be badly placed if he simply rebids Three Clubs or possibly Three Diamonds. Closed Room
An easy 10 IMPs for Angelini, ahead now by 13 IMPs. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
| Page 5 |
