39th World Team Championships Page 4 Bulletin 6 - Friday 4 September 2009


Brazil - Argentina (Bermuda Bowl Round 12)

by Brian Senior

When it comes to South American sport, there may be other important rivalries but the big one is Brazil v Argentina. The host nation met their big rivals in Round 12 of the Bermuda Bowl on Wednesday evening with Argentina being in the top eight while Brazil had a lot of work to do if they were to make the knock-outs.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
 ♠ 8 2
K J 4
10 2
♣ Q 10 9 7 5 3

♠ 9 7 6 4
8 7 3
Q J 5
♣ J 6 2
Bridge deal
♠ Q J
9 5 2
A 9 7 6 4 3
♣ A 4
 ♠ A K 10 5 3
A Q 10 6
K 8
♣ K 8

WestNorthEastSouth
LambardiChagasVentinBranco
  1Dble
Pass2♣Pass2♠
Pass3♣All Pass  

WestNorthEastSouth
FigueiredoPellegriniBrennerRavenna
  Pass1♠
Pass1NT2Dble
Pass3♣Pass3NT
All Pass    

Diego Brenner passed as dealer so Pablo Ravenna got to open 1♠ and now it was almost inevitable that his side would get to game, 3NT being the obvious choice.

Brenner led a low diamond to the king, Mauricio Figueiredo dropping the queen. Carlos Pellegrini led a heart to his king then a spade to the queen and ace, cashed two more hearts ending in hand and led a second spade. When the jack appeared, Pellegrini won the king, cashed the last heart and ♠10 and played his low club to the queen. Brenner won the ace and led a low diamond to the jack, receiving a diamond return to give him the rest of the tricks; down one for 100.

Juan Carlos Ventin opened the East hand, leading to a very different auction. Marcelo Castello-Branco doubled and followed up by bidding his spades. However, when Gabriel Chagas could only repeat the clubs, Branco gave up and left him to play 3♣. As the cards lay, with the A and ♣J onside, Chagas had no problem in coming to 11 tricks for +150 and first blood to Brazil, 6 IMPs.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
 ♠ A K 10 7 4 2
A 10 7 4
A 6
♣ 7

♠ Q
J 8 5 2
9 5
♣ A Q 10 6 3 2
Bridge deal
♠ 8 6
K 9 6
Q J 10 7 3
♣ J 5 4
 ♠ J 9 5 3
Q 3
K 8 4 2
♣ K 9 8

WestNorthEastSouth
LambardiChagasVentinBranco
 1♠Pass3♠
4♣45♣Dble
All Pass    

WestNorthEastSouth
FigueiredoPellegriniBrennerRavenna
 1♠Pass2NT
3♣35♣Dble
Pass5Pass5♠
All Pass    

Branco’s 3♠ raise showed 6-9 with four-card support. When he next doubled 5♣, Chagas was willing to trust his judgement and settle for the penalty. Chagas led his three aces then a second diamond. Branco won the king and returned a third round and that promoted a defensive trump trick as Pablo Lambardi ruffed with the ten then played ace and another club. The ♣K was the last trick for the defence; down three for 500.

Pablo Ravenna’s 2NT response also showed four-card spade support with 7+ HCP. When he next doubled 5♣ Pellegrini over-ruled him, making a slam try with 5, Ravenna swiftly signing off in 5♠. Pellegrini won the diamond lead in hand, drew trumps and claimed 11 tricks for +650 and 4 IMPs to Argentina.

Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.
 ♠ K 8 5 4
K J 7 6 3
7 6 4
♣ 4

♠ J 10 9 7 6
10 4
K Q 9 2
♣ K Q
Bridge deal
♠ 3
A 8 2
A J 10 8 3
♣ A 9 6 5
 ♠ A Q 2
Q 9 5
5
♣ J 10 8 7 3 2

WestNorthEastSouth
LambardiChagasVentinBranco
1♠Pass2Pass
3Pass4♣Pass
4Pass4Pass
5♣Pass6All Pass

WestNorthEastSouth
FigueiredoPellegriniBrennerRavenna
PassPass1Pass
2♠Pass2NTPass
3NTPass5All Pass

Slam is playable, if not all that great, on the East/West cards, and is doomed to defeat on the actual lay-out by the bad club break. Ventin went two down after winning the heart lead and trying to cash the king and queen of clubs, suffering a ruff; 100. Figueiredo passed as dealer and now there was little danger of getting to six. Two Spades showed spades and diamonds. Brenner rebid 2NT but then jumped to 5 at his next turn, ending the auction.

The Brazilians had stopped out of slam, but could they make game? Ravenna also led a heart and Brenner ducked the king. Pellegrini switched to his singleton club. Brenner won in dummy and ran the jack of spades to Ravenna’s queen. Ravenna tried to cash the ace of spades and now Brenner had no problem in making the rest for +400 and 11 IMPs to Brazil. Of course, Ravenna could have given his partner a club ruff to beat the contract.

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
 ♠ 8 5 2
10 8 7 5 4
K 8 7 5
♣ 7

♠ 7 6 3
K J 9 3
Q 10 9 3
♣ 9 2
Bridge deal
♠ K J 9
Q 6
A J 6 4
♣ A K 10 4
 ♠ A Q 10 4
A 2
2
♣ Q J 8 6 5 3

WestNorthEastSouth
LambardiChagasVentinBranco
FigueiredoPellegriniBrennerRavenna
 Pass1♣1♠
Dble2♠3NTAll Pass

Identical auctions left the respective South players on lead to 3NT. Ravenna led the queen of clubs. Brenner won the ace and played queen of hearts, ducked, then a second heart to Ravenna’s ace. Ravenna switched to the queen of spades to Brenner’s king and, with no entry to dummy, Brenner played ace and another diamond. When Pellegrini won the king of diamonds, he returned a spade and Ravenna had three of those to cash for one down; 100. Well defended by Ravenna.

Branco led a spade at trick one, Ventin winning the nine and leading the six of hearts to dummy’s jack and picking up four diamond tricks via the repeated finesse. Now he exited with the queen of hearts. Branco could have delayed the inevitable by exiting with a club honour but actually chose a low club, which ran to Ventin’s ten. Three more rounds of clubs put him back in to concede a spade trick at the end. Well played by Ventin for +630 and 12 IMPs to Argentina.

Board 26. Dealer East. All Vul.
 ♠ Q 10 7 4
K 4 3
3 2
♣ Q 10 9 6

♠ A J 9 2
A
A 6
♣ J 8 7 5 3 2
Bridge deal
♠ K 8 6 3
Q 9 8 6 5 2
K J 7
 ♠ 5
J 10 7
Q 10 9 8 5 4
♣ A K 4

WestNorthEastSouth
LambardiChagasVentinBranco
  PassPass
1♣Pass12
PassPassDblePass
2♠Pass3♠Pass
4♠All Pass   

WestNorthEastSouth
FigueiredoPellegriniBrennerRavenna
  1Pass
2♣Pass2Pass
2♠Pass3♠Pass
4Pass4♠All Pass

Brenner opened the East hand, and Ravenna did not think his hand worth a two-level overcall when vulnerable so passed. The Brazilians had an uncontested auction to 4♠. Ventin did not open the East cards. Branco also passed as South but was willing to overcall at his next turn, having limited his hand and seeing the pre-emptive merit of 2 over 1. It did not matter, Lambardi/Ventin also bidding to 4♠ played from the West seat.

Pellegrini led the three of diamonds to the jack, queen and ace. Figueiredo ruffed a club, played a heart to the ace, ruffed a club, ruffed a heart and ruffed a third club. Now he cashed the king of diamonds and ruffed a diamond with the nine. Ravenna’s silence in the auction had paid off in the play, as Figueiredo had no reason to imagine that a diamond ruff to hand was more, rather than less, dangerous than a heart ruff. Pellegrini over-ruffed with the ♠10 and returned a trump, leaving Figueiredo a trick short; 100.

Chagas too led the three of diamonds to the jack, queen and ace. Lambardi played back a diamond immediately to the king in case the suit was seven-one, then played a heart to the ace, ruffed a club, ruffed a heart, ruffed another club and ruffed a heart with the jack. Another club ruff was followed by a heart ruff with the ace. The king of spades was the tenth trick; +620 and 12 IMPs to Argentina.

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
 ♠ K 3
J 6
K Q 8 2
♣ K J 9 7 6

♠ A Q 9 8 4 2
A Q 3 2
5
♣ Q 2
Bridge deal
♠ J 10 7 6 5
K 9 7 4
4
♣ 10 4 3
 
10 8 5
A J 10 9 7 6 3
♣ A 8 5

WestNorthEastSouth
LambardiChagasVentinBranco
   Pass
1♠2♣4♠5
All Pass    

WestNorthEastSouth
FigueiredoPellegriniBrennerRavenna
   1
1♠2♣4♠5♣
5♠DbleAll Pass  

With each side having an 11-card trump fit, it was no surprise to see the auction get to the five level in double-quick time. Ravenna opened the South hand 1 then bid 5♣ in support of his partner’s suit over 4♠. When Figueiredo went on to 5♠, Pellegrini did well to double despite the known double fit in the minors. There was nothing to the play, the defenders coming to the four obvious tricks for 300.

Branco did not open the South hand but, when Chagas overcalled 2♣, introduced his long diamond suit at the five level. Nobody had anything to add and Branco must have been delighted with dummy’s trump support. Lambardo tried to cash the ace of spades but that was ruffed. Branco could have made all the tricks now, courtesy of the favourable club lay-out but, of course, his goal was to find the best chance of making his contract, not worry about overtricks. He drew trumps, took a heart pitch on the king of spades, and exited with a heart. After taking two heart winners, the defence had to open up clubs, greatly increasing the chance of declarer avoiding a loser in the suit. Of course, Branco should have pitched a club on the ♠K to ensure his contract as he realized immediately after the 8 hit the table!

Board 30. Dealer East. None Vul.
 ♠ K J 5 4
A K Q
9 8 2
♣ J 8 3

♠ Q
J 10 6 4 3
Q J 7 6
♣ K 10 4
Bridge deal
♠ 10 6
9 5 2
A 5 3
♣ A Q 7 6 5
 ♠ A 9 8 7 3 2
8 7
K 10 4
♣ 9 2

WestNorthEastSouth
LambardiChagasVentinBranco
  Pass2♠
Pass4♠All Pass  

WestNorthEastSouth
FigueiredoPellegriniBrennerRavenna
  Pass2♠
Pass3Pass4♠
All Pass    

Chagas simply raised the weak two opening to game, while Pellegrini made a game invitation of 3, accepted by Ravenna.

As it turned out, it was all about the opening lead. Figueiredo led the queen of diamonds to the ace and Brenner switched to a low club. The defence played three rounds of clubs, Ravenna ruffing the third round with the eight. He could now draw trumps and pitch a diamond on the third heart for a painless +420.

Lambardi led a heart. Branco won, drew trumps and threw a club on the third heart. Now he led the two of diamonds to the ten and jack, ruffed the second club and crossed to dummy with a trump to run the nine of diamonds, losing to the queen. The normal play in diamonds had resulted in three losers in the suit for one down; v50 and 10 IMPs to Argentina.

And that was the match-winner. Argentina won the match by 44-32 IMPs, 18-12 VPs, and were still in a qualifying position, having got a dangerous opponent out of the way. For Brazil, things were not looking good, as we were already into the second half of the qualifying round robin.



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