Set One

By Brian Senior

The Round of 32 in the Rosenblum featured a match between Brazil, under the name of Chagas, and Iceland. CHAGAS would start as favourites, but the Icemen are tough competitors and well capable of springing a surprise.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ 10 9 8 7 ♥ J 8 4 3 2 ♦ 4 ♣ 8 6 3
♠ Q 6 ♥ 10 5 ♦ A J 10 8 6 2 ♣ 9 7 2		♠ K ♥ K 6 ♦ K Q 7 5 ♣ A K Q J 5 4
	♠ A J 5 4 3 2 ♥ A Q 9 7 ♦ 9 3 ♣ 10

West	North	East	South
Branco	Thorvaldsson	Brenner	Magnusson
	Pass	1♣	1♠
Pass	3♠	Dble	4♠
5♦	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

We do not have the auction from the Open Room, but Miguel VillasBoas played 6♠ doubled as South for Brazil and was two down for –300. In the Closed Room, Magnus Magnusson doubled 5♦, hoping perhaps for a non-spade lead, as he had good reason to expect two heart tricks if that suit was led. Alas, Matthias Thorvaldsson led a spade and Magnusson could only take his two ace; +550 and 6 IMPs to CHAGAS.

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

West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Chagas	Haraldsson	VillasBoas
		Pass	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♦	Pass
2♠	Pass	2NT	Pass
3♥	Pass	3NT	Pass
4♥	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Branco	Thorvaldsson	Brenner	Magnusson
		Pass	Pass
1♠	Pass	1NT	Pass
3♥	Pass	4♥	All Pass

Neither the 1♠ nor the 2♣ opening could get close to the heart slam, which is good only because the bulk of East’s strength is in the right minor. Marcelo Branco made the obvious twelve tricks for +480. VillasBoas saved an overtrick at the other table with a pretty ducking play.

Bjarni Einarsson ruffed the club lead and cashed two top hearts then played the ace of spades followed by the queen, discarding from dummy. Most defenders would have grabbed their king of spades and that would have been the end of the hand, but VillasBoas ducked. Einarsson continued by running the ♠J and this time VillasBoas won and returned a spade for Gabriel Chagas to ruff; +450 but 1 IMP to CHAGAS.

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

West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Chagas	Haraldsson	VillasBoas
1♦	Pass	1♠	Pass
1NT	Pass	2♣	Pass
2♦	Pass	2♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Branco	Thorvaldsson	Brenner	Magnusson
1♦	Pass	1♠	Pass
1NT	Pass	2♦	Pass
2♥	Pass	2♠	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Sigurbjorn Haraldsson checked back over the 1NT rebid then settled for a partscore when he found that partner was minimum with only two spades. Perfectly sensible and you would be quite happy to stop at the two level on the combined hands. VillasBoas led the ten of hearts. Haraldsson won and played three more rounds of hearts, pitching two clubs from hand. VillasBoas switched to a low club to Chagas’s jack and he switched to a low spade to the king. VillasBoas returned a spade, ducked by Chagas, and declarer overtook in hand to cash the ace of spades so had a spade and a diamond to lose; +110.

Diego Brenner drove to game, showing his fifth spade then raising to 3NT to give Branco a choice of contracts. It would appear that 3NT has no chance as the cards lie but Thorvaldsson found the imaginative lead of the jack of clubs and Magnusson let this run to declarer’s queen. Branco ran the nine of spades to Magnusson’s king and he cashed out the clubs then played back a spade to dummy’s jack. When Branco now cashed the ace of spades, Magnusson was squeezed in the red suits to give the ninth trick; a tremendous +600 for Branco and 10 IMPs to CHAGAS.

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

West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Chagas	Haraldsson	VillasBoas
	2♥	Pass	3♣
3♠	4♣	4♠	5♣
Dble	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Branco	Thorvaldsson	Brenner	Magnusson
	2♥	Pass	3♣
3♠	4♦	4♠	Pass
Pass	5♣	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

With 4♠ having been bid to make and West holding a lot of high cards, it was natural that 5♣ should be doubled at both tables. However, there were only two losers; flat at +750.

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

West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Chagas	Haraldsson	VillasBoas
		1♣	1♥
Pass	1♠	Pass	2♥
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Branco	Thorvaldsson	Brenner	Magnusson
		1♣	1♥
Pass	1♠	Pass	2♦
Pass	2♠	All Pass

VillasBoas repeated the hearts, presumably because to bid 2♦ would have been more encouraging, so played in 2♥. Einarsson led a spade to the king and ace and Haraldsson switched to the queen of trumps. VillasBoas won in dummy and took a club pitch on the ♠Q then played two rounds of hearts. Einarsson won and switched to the eight of diamonds to the jack and ace and back came a diamond. It appears that the contract should be down two from this point but VillasBoas is credited with seven tricks so that is what we shall give him; -50.

Magnusson showed his second suit and, facing what rated to be only a five-card heart suit, Thorvaldsson repeated his spades rather than give preference. To defeat 2♠, the defence needs to find its club ruff, but Brenner started by underleading the ace of diamonds. Thorvaldsson won the jack and played a diamond back to Brenner’s ace. Now he switched to the queen of hearts. Thorvaldsson won in hand, crossed to the king of hearts and played the diamond winners, throwing two clubs from hand. Brenner could ruff the last diamond but there were just two trump tricks and one club to come; +110 and 4 IMPs to ICELAND.

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

West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Chagas	Haraldsson	VillasBoas
			Pass
Pass	Pass	1♦	1♠
1NT	Pass	2♥	Pass
3♦	Pass	4♣	Pass
4♠	Pass	5♣	Pass
5♦	Pass	6♦	Dble
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Branco	Thorvaldsson	Brenner	Magnusson
			Pass
Pass	Pass	1♦	1♠
1NT	2♠	3♥	Pass
3NT	Pass	4♣	Pass
4♦	Pass	6♦	All Pass

Six Diamonds is an excellent contract and both pairs did well to get there. Excellent, perhaps, but it appears to be doomed to failure, as South’s ♦7 prevents declarer from ruffing a heart in dummy. But Magnusson led a trump and now it was easy. Brenner could win the ten, cross to the ♥Q and lead a diamond up. When Thorvaldsson showed out, Brenner won the ace and played on hearts, ruffing the fourth round in dummy; +1370.

Having doubled, VillasBoas then found a different way to let the slam home. He tried to cash the ace of spades and that was ruffed. Haraldsson played ace then queen of diamonds to the king and VillasBoas played a second spade. Declarer won the king, pitching a heart from hand, ruffed a spade then cashed the remaining trumps. The last trump squeezed North out of his club guard, and now the top hearts squeezed South in the black suits; +1540 and 5 IMPs to ICELAND.

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

West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Chagas	Haraldsson	VillasBoas
	2♠	Pass	3♠
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Branco	Thorvaldsson	Brenner	Magnusson
	Pass	Pass	1♦
1♠	Pass	Pass	2♦
All Pass

Thorvaldsson did not like to open with a weak two bid on such a bad suit and with a hand that was playable in two other denominations so passed. Branco’s 1♠ overcall assured that he did not get involved at his next turn so Magnusson was left to play in 2♦. Branco led the jack of clubs, which Magnusson won in hand to play the queen of spades. Brenner won the ace and returned a club to the king. Magnusson ruffed a spade then played the king of diamonds to Branco’s ace, leaving him with no good exit card. Branco tried the king of hearts but Magnusson won that played a heart to the queen and ruffed another spade, Brenner ruffing in with the nine so that he had to over-ruff with the jack. Declarer exited with a heart and Branco won the jack then cashed his two diamond winners. Magnusson had a trump and a heart at the end; eight tricks for +90.

Chagas did open 2♠ and VillasBoas tried an imaginative raise to 3♠, hoping for an indiscretion from his opponents. However, that ended the auction. Haraldsson led a club, which Chagas won in dummy to play a low heart towards his queen. Einarsson went in with the king and switched to the king of spades to pin dummy’s bare queen. The appearance of the ace was from a rather unexpected and disappointing quarter. Haraldsson returned a club to declarer’s king and Chagas played three rounds of hearts, pitching a club when Einarsson ruffed in with the nine. He just had to lose one trump and one club from here; down one for –50 and 4 IMPs to ICELAND.

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

West	North	East	South
Einarsson	Chagas	Haraldsson	VillasBoas
Branco	Thorvaldsson	Brenner	Magnusson
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♥
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Einarsson led a club to his partner’s ace. The heart switch was ducked to the jack and Einarsson returned a low heart to the queen and king. VillasBoas played on clubs, Einarsson ducking twice, the switched his attention to diamonds, cashing two rounds before playing another club, throwing a diamond from hand. Einarsson won the club and led a spade, Haraldsson putting in the queen, so declarer had the rest for +630.

Branco also led a club to the ace but Brenner switched to the ♥Q rather than a low one. That proved to be the killing defence as the heart went to the king and ace, allowing Branco to cash the jack then play a third round to the eight and ten, establishing his seven. Magnusson set up the clubs now but the ♥7 was the setting trick; down one for –100 and 12 IMPs to CHAGAS. The Brazilians had had the better of the first session, culminating in that nice defence from Brenner, and led by 37-13 after 14 deals.