IMP Pairs Final, fourth session
by Marjo Chorus
Right on the first board, runners up Handa-Murai lost a lot ofImps:
| Board: 1. Dlr: North/None |
| | ♠ K 4
♥ A K J 10 9 5
♦ K 4
♣ A K 4 |
♠ 10 8 3
♥ 7 6 3
♦ 10 8 6 2
♣ J 7 6 |  |
♠ 5 2
♥ Q 4 2
♦ J 9 7 5 3
♣ Q 9 5 | | | ♠ A Q J 9 7 6
♥ 8
♦ A Q
♣ 10 8 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Owen | Murai | Sharp | Handa |
| | 1♥ | Pass | 1♠
|
| Pass | 3NT | Pass | 4♦
|
| Pass | 4♥ | Pass | 6♠
|
| All pass
| | | |
The auction proceeds in a jumping style, so the exchange of info is not very precise. Murai thinks for some time over 6♠; in my opinion, he should have gone for the grand. Scoring +980 yielded -2 IMPs. When Agarwal-Bayakhchev and Kralik-Ticha, the nos. 1 and 3, reach the grand, they both score +10 IMPs so Kralik-Ticha have passed Handa-Murai on the first board already. The grand was bid six times.
The hunters are firmly beaten by Leufkens-Verbeek:
| Board: 4. Dlr: West/All |
| | ♠ Q 10 8 6
♥ 10 9 3 2
♦ J 5
♣ A 5 3 |
♠ 5 4
♥ K Q 8 6
♦ 10 9 8 6 4
♣ Q J | |
♠ A 3
♥ A J 7 4
♦ K
♣ K 8 7 6 4 2 | | | ♠ K J 9 7 2
♥ 5
♦ A Q 7 3 2
♣ 10 9 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Verbeek | Murai | Leufkens | Handa |
| Pass | Pass | 1♣ | 1♠
|
| Dble | 2♠ | Dble | Pass
|
| 3♦ | 3♠ | 4♥ | All pass
|
The 3♦ bid by Thijs Verbeek on this beautiful suit convinces Handa that saving in 4♠ against 4♥ is not a good idea. The distribution,however, is very favourable to declarer. The spade lead is taken by the Ace. Two rounds of trumps follow, declarer getting the bad news. Next comes a club to North’s Ace and he returns the ♦J to the King and Ace. Kanda next cashes a spade trick and then hopefully tries the ♦Q. Now, dummy’s diamonds are good so declarer can ruff, cash the ♥J and cross in clubs to draw the last trump and enjoy the diamonds.
It looks like a defensive mistake but as South holds the ♣109 bare, declarer can also ruff the spade return in dummy, cash the ♥Q and cross by overtaking the ♣Q. Draw the last trump and the clubs are good.
A dramatic -12 IMPs to Kanda-Murai. The save in 4♠ is one down on the diamond ruff for -5 IMPs or -7 IMPs doubled as nearly none of the EW pairs was declaring the hand and Leufkens-Verbeek were the only ones to be allowed to play 4♥.
On the next board, their conservative approach costs the Japanese another 9 IMPs:
| Board: 5. Dlr: North/NS |
| | ♠ A 7 6
♥ 10 5
♦ A 10
♣ A Q 9 5 4 3 |
♠ 3 2
♥ K 9 4 3
♦ K J 2
♣ J 10 8 6 | |
♠ K J 9 8 5
♥ Q 8 7 6
♦ Q 8 3
♣ 2 | | | ♠ Q 10 4
♥ A J 2
♦ 9 7 6 5 4
♣ K 7 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Verbeek | Murai | Leufkens | Handa |
| | 1♣ | 1♠ | 1NT |
| Pass | 2♣ | All pass |
|
Nearly every South player rebid 2NT, raised to three by North. Nine tricks are easy so playing in 2♣ and making two overtricks costs Murai-Handa 9 IMPs.
On board 9, the Greeks Giannoulis-Oikonomopoulos take the right decision against the normal 4♥, bid by their Swedish opponents:
| Board: 9. Dlr: North/EW |
| | ♠ A 7 5 2
♥ Q 2
♦ 10 7
♣ A 10 8 3 2 |
♠ Q J 8 6
♥ J 9 5 3
♦ Q 4 2 | |
♠ K 3
♥ A K 10 8 7 4
♦ A 9 6 3 | | | ♠ 10 9 4
♥ 6
♦ K J 8 5
♣ Q J 7 6 5 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Billiet | Giannoulis | Geens | Oikonomopoulos
|
| | Pass | 1♥ |
Pass |
| 3♣* | Dble | 3♥ | 4♣
|
| Pass | 5♣ | 5♥ | All pass
|
* 6-9 pnt with 4crd hearts
When North doubles the conventional 3♣, NS quickly find the good save against the vulnerable 4♥. Five Clubs is down only three. When Geens goes on to 5♥, he finds out that this has no chance: one down and 11 IMPs lost.
Delle Cave-Fellus, 4th in the ranking, have a defensive slip on board 15 which proved expensive as the contract was doubled:
| Board: 15. Dlr: South/NS |
| | ♠ 4 2
♥ Q J 8 7 5 4 2
♦ 4 2
♣ K 6 |
♠ A 9 5 3
♥ A
♦ A 10 9 7
♣ Q 7 5 4 | |
♠ K 10 6
♥ K 9 6 3
♦ Q 8 6
♣ 9 8 3 | | | ♠ Q J 8 7
♥ 10
♦ K J 5 3
♣ A J 10 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Fellus | Kido | Delle Cave | Kaneta
|
| | | | 1♦ |
| Pass | 1♥ | Pass | 1♠
|
| Pass | 2♥ | Pass | Pass
|
| Dble | All pass
| | |
West’s reopening double was converted by East for penalties and that is the right decision. But then: spade lead to the Ace, spade to the King and a club! Declarer puts in the Jack, covered by Queen and King. Over to South with the ♣A and two diamonds go on the ♣10 and ♠J. EW’s diamond trick thus is lost and NS can write +670 and 13 IMPs.
The closing boards of the session did not look very exciting on paper but the final rankings were a big surprise. Antonio Borzi and Andrea Mortarotti, 12th after the 3rd session, score a tremendous +84 IMPs, more than enough to win the final session. They rise to the runner-up position. Jérôme Amiguet and Cédric Margot are second in the final session and thus rise to third place overall.
And the gold? That goes to the Czechs: Frantisek Kralik and Magdalena Ticha whose score in the final session of +36 IMPs saw them clinch the highest honour. Congratulations.
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