Italy v USA1 (Bermuda Bowl)

Little IMPs Mean A Lot

The late Everett Dirksen, noted politician from the American state of Illinois, once commented on the U.S. government budget to this effect: "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon it adds up to real money."

As it played out, that was the Italian approach to their match with USA1 in the fifth set of the Bermuda Bowl - 5 IMPs here, 4 IMPs there, and pretty soon you’re taking the lead. It didn’t happen exactly that way on Friday, but Italy did have eight single-digit swings to tighten up a match had been 31 IMPs in the Americans’ favour at the start. This deal produced 4 IMPs for the Italians.

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

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Rodwell	Fantoni	Meckstroth
			1♦
1♥	1♠	2♣	2♦
All Pass

Claudio Nunes started with the ♣K, overtaken by Fulvio Fantoni, who cashed the ♣Q then played the ♥K, followed by a heart to the ace and a heart ruff. The third round of clubs was ruffed by Jeff Meckstroth with the ♦8 and overruffed by the jack. That was it for the defense, but it was one down and Plus 50 for Italy.

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Bocchi	Nickell	Duboin
			1♦
1♥	Dble	2♣	2♦
Pass	Pass	2♥	Pass
3♣	All Pass

Giorgio Duboin started with the ♦A before switching to the ♠K. A spade to the ace was followed by a spade ruff, and when the ♦K lived the Italians were plus at this table as well.

Little by little, Italy was cutting into the Americans’ lead, and it was down to 10 IMPs when this deal came along.

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

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Bocchi	Nickell	Duboin
		1♠	Pass
2♠	All Pass

Giorgio Duboin started with the ♠Q, not a good sign for declarer. Nick Nickell won in dummy and played a diamond to the ace then a low diamond. Norberto Bocchi won the trick and played the ♣J to dummy’s queen. Now a spade to hand allowed Nickell to ruff his last diamond. He lost one club, one diamond, two hearts and two spades, for one off.

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Rodwell	Fantoni	Meckstroth
		1♠	Pass
2NT	Pass	3♦	Pass
4♠	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

The Fantoni/Nunes system is unique and difficult to understand, but 1♠ in their methods is forcing because it can be a good hand. The 2NT by Nunes showed 6+ high-card points and spade support. Nunes’ acceptance of the game try seems optimistic in the extreme, and it was costly.

Meckstroth knew what to do when 4♠ came back to him. He started with the ♠Q, taken by the ace in dummy. Fantoni played a diamond to the ten, jack and king. Meckstroth played the ♣A - it would have been better for him to get out with his singleton heart - followed by a low club to the king. Now Fantoni could cash the ♠K and the ♦A, ruff a diamond and discard a losing heart on the ♣Q. It was still two down doubled, however, and USA1 had a useful swing of 9 IMPs. Italy got 5 IMPs back on the next deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Bocchi	Nickell	Duboin
			Pass
1♠	Dble	Pass	2♥
All Pass

The defense was card for card the same at both tables: top two spades, ♠10 ruffed by East, diamond to the ace, spade ruffed with the ♥J. That was eight tricks to Duboin – Plus 110. Unfortunately for USA1, the auction was different in the Open Room.

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Rodwell	Fantoni	Meckstroth
			Pass
2♠	Dble	Pass	3♥
All Pass

Nunes’ 2♠ opener showed 9-12 with five or more spades. No red-blooded player would pass with the North hand, although he certainly would with a peek at the hand record. Meckstroth was one down and Italy had another small swing.

This deal could have been a big swing for USA1, but wasn’t.

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

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Bocchi	Nickell	Duboin
		1♣	1♠
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♥
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Nickell started with the ♥K, won by Bocchi with the ace. He played the ♠A and a spade to the ten, but he could not keep the Americans from taking three hearts and two clubs from there for Minus 200.

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Rodwell	Fantoni	Meckstroth
		1NT	All Pass

Fantoni bought it with his 1NT opening, and it looked as though he might go two down, perhaps three.

Meckstroth started with his fourth-best spade, ducked in dummy. It probably would have been better for Eric Rodwell to win with the ace and fire one back, giving Fantoni an entry to dummy to take the losing club finesse. Rodwell played the ♠6, however, taken in hand by Fantoni. Declarer played the ♥K to Rodwell’s ace. Rodwell cashed the ♠A and thought about his next play for some time before getting out with the ♣4. Fantoni diagnosed this perfectly - Rodwell was unlikely to be giving Fantoni a shot at the club finesse if it was working. Fantoni went up with the ♣A, asking for another look at Meckstroth’s card when his honour appeared. Now it was possible for Fantoni to make the contract if the Americans weren’t careful. Fantoni cashed his hearts, forcing Rodwell to find two discards. He threw one club on the third heart, and he needed to throw another club on the last one, but he discarded a diamond. Again, Fantoni read the situation just right, exiting with a diamond. Now, whoever won the third round of diamonds was going to have to give Fantoni his seventh trick. Well played for Plus 90 to hold the loss to 3 IMPs. Defense again played a part in a swing for Italy, only this time it was a big one.

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

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Rodwell	Fantoni	Meckstroth
2♦	Pass	Pass	2♠
Pass	4♠	All Pass

Nunes led the ♦Q, ruffed in dummy. Had Meckstroth played a low heart from dummy at trick two, he would have had a shot at the game, but it takes a line of play that is not at all obvious even looking at all the cards and unlikely to be found in any single-dummy setting.

If East plays low on the heart at trick two, West wins the ace and can play the ♠A and another spade, but declarer wins in dummy and plays the ♥J, ruffing when East covers. Now the top two diamonds are cashed for discards of a low club and a low heart. Declarer the plays the ♣2 from hand to dummy’s eight. East wins with the ♣9 but has the choice of returning a club up to dummy’s queen or playing on hearts, establishing declarer’s tenth trick in dummy. There is still a trump left to ruff a diamond to cash the winner. If East splits his heart honours and returns a spade, declarer wins the second round in dummy, ruffs a heart to hand, felling the ace, then cashes the top diamonds and ruffs a diamond, getting off dummy with the ♥J, discarding a club from hand when East covers. East has only hearts and clubs left at that point and must let declarer in dummy with a club or heart return. In practice, Meckstroth played a spade at trick two to his king. Nunes won with the ace and returned the ten to Meckstroth’s queen. Now the ♥10 went to the ace, and a diamond was returned to the ten and ace. Meckstroth played the ♦9, covered by the jack and ruffed in dummy. Meckstroth knew that East held the ♣K (West was limited to 12 high-card points and had already shown up with 11), but there was nothing he could do about it. After long study, he cashed the ♣A and conceded one down. Declarer had a much easier time at the other table.

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Bocchi	Nickell	Duboin
1♦	Pass	1♥	1♠
2♦	3♠	Pass	4♠
All Pass

Freeman started with the ♥A, continuing with a heart to the seven and eight. Duboin ruffed and played the ♠Q to Freeman’s ace, won the spade return in dummy with the jack and called for the ♥J. Duboin had adequate entries to dummy to establish a heart trick to get rid of one of his clubs. That was Plus 620 and 12 IMPs to Italy.

The final swing of the set was another small one, but it put the Italians within 6 IMPs of their American rivals.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ A K 8 5 3 2 ♥ J 9 7 ♦ 8 ♣ 6 5 2
♠ Q 4 ♥ K 8 5 ♦ 9 7 6 2 ♣ A K 8 4		♠ J 10 9 7 ♥ 6 3 2 ♦ A 10 5 3 ♣ J 9
	♠ 6 ♥ A Q 10 4 ♦ K Q J 4 ♣ Q 10 7 3

West	North	East	South
Nunes	Rodwell	Fantoni	Meckstroth
			1♦
Pass	1♠	Pass	2♣
Pass	2♠	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Bocchi	Nickell	Duboin
			1♦
Pass	2♠	All Pass

Both Easts got off to the best start of a low heart, but Rodwell played low from dummy, revealing the location of the jack when Nunes won the king. The top clubs were cashed, East taking a club ruff at trick four. Fantoni then cashed his ♦A and later took the setting trick with the ♠J.

Bocchi played the ♥Q at trick one, so it was not obvious to Nickell to cash the ♦A after he ruffed a club at trick four. Instead, he exited with another heart. Now Bocchi had a parking place for his losing diamond and he was in with eight tricks for Plus 110. The 5-IMP swing pulled Italy as close to USA1 as they had been in the entire match.