Seniors final: Szenberg got slammed away by Ace Ventura Facing an insurmountable deficit, Miroglio threw in the towel in the OpenTeams final and it was likely Szenberg would do the same in the Seniors final. 70-11 for Fornaciari after 16 boards was surely embarrassing for the Poles, but they kept it together and fought their way back into the match. Compared to the first session the second was a complete turn-around. All of a sudden, the Poles started to gain IMPs. This was the big swing in the second session Session 2. Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.   ♠ 9 4 3 2 ♥ 10 6 ♦ K 6 3 ♣ 6 5 4 2 ♠ A J 8 7 ♥ A K Q 4 ♦ 10 7 5 2 ♣ Q ♠ K Q 10 6 5 ♥ 8 7 5 2 ♦ Q 8 ♣ 9 7   ♠ - ♥ J 9 3 ♦ A J 9 4 ♣ A K J 10 8 3 West North East South Morelli Antas Abate Kaczanowski   Pass Pass 2♣ Dble Pass 2♠ 2NT 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 4♠ 5♣ Dble All Pass West North East South Szenberg Fornaciari Milaszewski Mariani   Pass Pass 2♣ Dble Pass 2♠ 3♣ Pass Pass 3♥ Pass 4♠ All Pass     South opened a Precision style 2} at both tables. Kaczanowski had the methods to show diamonds by bidding 2NT so Antas, without any defensive values, could see that not much extra was needed in South’s hand for 5} to succeed, anyway it would at worst be a good sacrifice. As you know, the best sacrifices are those that make! Here there was really not much to the play, since no diamond guess was needed; Szenberg +750. When Mariani rebid his club suit at the other table Fornaciari, lacking information about the secondary diamond fit, let EW play in 4[. South led the ace of clubs, but all declarer needed was a club ruff in dummy and 4[ was made despite the 4-0 trump split. That was +620 and a huge 16 IMPs for the Poles. Szenberg won the second session 49 to 2 – what a remarkable comeback! With 16 boards to go, Fornaciari was only 12 IMPs up. However, the Italians dashed the Poles’ hopes immediately. Session 3. Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ 6 4 ♥ K Q 10 8 3 2 ♦ 8 7 6 ♣ 8 7 ♠ K 10 9 8 2 ♥ 9 7 6 ♦ J ♣ K Q J 10 ♠ A Q 7 ♥ A J 5 ♦ A K Q ♣ A 5 3 2   ♠ J 5 3 ♥ 4 ♦ 10 9 5 4 3 2 ♣ 9 6 4 West North East South Szenberg Ricciarelli Milaszewski Baroni   Pass 1♣ Pass 1♠ 2♥ 3♥ Pass 4♠ Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ Pass 5♥ Pass 5NT Pass 6♠ All Pass West North East South Morelli Antas Abate Kaczanowski   2♦* Dble Pass 2NT Pass 4NT Pass 5♣ Pass 5NT Pass 7♣ All Pass     Most of the swings in this match were created in the auction, especially slam auctions, and in fact there was seldom much to the play on these boards. The Italians seemed to have the best tools – or judgement – and slammed out the Poles, so to speak. On this first board Milaszewski’s 1} could be two cards. 3] proved to be an expensive mistake as Milaszewski should double to show three spades in this situation. 4[ showed extra length in spades, the Poles then surprisingly missed the grand as Milaszewski wasn’t sure what he could expect from West’s hand. Morelli/Abate managed to reach the seven level despite North’s Multi opening. The double showed 16+. When West was able to force to game by bidding 2NT, East’s 4NT was a general slam invitation. West signed off in 5} but when he was subsequently asked about club honours he duly bid the grand slam with two of them. As the spade suit behaved well for both declarers, thirteen tricks were easily taken; 9 IMPs to Fornaciari. 7} will be defeated if the clubs break 5-0 while 7[ or 7NT are fair contracts as you can handle four spades in the South hand. Session 3. Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.   ♠ 7 5 4 2 ♥ 10 3 ♦ A 3 ♣ A K J 10 7 ♠ Q 10 8 3 ♥ J 7 ♦ 7 5 4 2 ♣ 6 4 2 ♠ K ♥ 6 5 4 2 ♦ K J 10 8 ♣ 9 8 5 3   ♠ A J 9 6 ♥ A K Q 9 8 ♦ Q 9 6 ♣ Q West North East South Szenberg Ricciarelli Milaszewski Baroni       1♣* Pass 2♣* Pass 2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ Pass 6♠ All Pass       West North East South Morelli Antas Abate Kaczanowski       1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 4♣* Pass 4♠ All Pass   This was one of very few boards that went Szenberg’s way in the last session. After a strong club opening the Italians had a natural auction, then Baroni got slightly overexcited bid a slam. That was a brilliant move, except that a small slam in either clubs, hearts or notrump can make, whereas a spade slam fails because the trumps are of insufficient quality. Antas/Kaczanowski didn’t have any lofty ambitions – 4} was a splinter and they reached 4[. They must have been slightly surprised to win 13 IMPs on a board where they stopped in game when a slam can make in any of three denominations. Just two boards later the next opportunity to bid slam appeared: Session 3. Board 9. Dealer North. East-West Vul.   ♠ Q 7 6 ♥ A J 2 ♦ K 3 ♣ A J 8 6 4 ♠ 10 8 3 ♥ 4 ♦ J 10 9 ♣ Q 10 9 7 5 2 ♠ K J 5 4 2 ♥ Q 8 7 ♦ 8 4 2 ♣ K 3   ♠ A 9 ♥ K 10 9 6 5 3 ♦ A Q 7 6 5 ♣ - West North East South Szenberg Ricciarelli Milaszewski Baroni   1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠ Pass 4NT Pass 5♣ Pass 5♦ Pass 5♠ Pass 6♣ Pass 6♦ Pass 6♥ All Pass   West North East South Morelli Antas Abate Kaczanowski   1NT Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠ Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ Pass 5♠ Pass 7♥ All Pass       Now the Poles wanted to be sure they’d get to a slam and they pushed all the way up to 7]. Their auction was largely natural: 4[ was a cue-bid, 5{ showed 0 or 3 aces. 5[ promised that all key cards were present and asked for the trump queen. Though lacking the trump queen Kaczanowski bid the grand anyway with his extra trump length. The grand is not too bad and will often make, if the hearts break 2-2 or if the queen drops in the first round, but this time a trump guess was needed. The Italians produced an extraordinary auction, leaving out no bid from 3] up to 5{, except for 3NT which presumably would have been to play. 3[ was a cue, 4} was a cue and denied a cue in spades, 4{ was a cue and 4] just waiting. 4[ showed the ace of spades, 4NT two small spades or the queen, and 5} was another cue-bid. 5{ promised the king of diamonds, 5[ and 6} were cue-bids. 6{ asked for the queen of trumps which 6] denied. The play went exactly the same way at both tables. Declarer won the club lead, discarded a losing spade, then cashed the ace of hearts. When the percentage play of a heart to the king didn’t work, Baroni made 12 tricks and Antas an undertrick. Fornaciari gained another swing on Board 11. Session 3. Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.   ♠ Q 9 5 3 ♥ A Q J ♦ A 10 9 6 ♣ Q 6 ♠ A 6 ♥ 9 4 3 ♦ K J 8 7 2 ♣ 9 4 3 ♠ K J 10 2 ♥ 10 8 6 ♦ 5 3 ♣ A 8 5 2   ♠ 8 7 4 ♥ K 7 5 2 ♦ Q 4 ♣ K J 10 7 West North East South Szenberg Ricciarelli Milaszewski Baroni       Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 3NT All Pass       West North East South Morelli Antas Abate Kaczanowski       Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT All Pass       Antas made the right choice when he passed 2NT as game could be defeated in theory. In practice it proved much harder, though. Ricciarelli got a club lead to the queen and he continued with a club to the ten, which held the trick. On the next club East won the ace and switched to a diamond, small, jack, ace. Declarer then played a diamond to the queen and king. It was now or never for Szenberg. The defence needed three more tricks to defeat the contract. North was marked with four spades, so how likely is East to hold the king and jack of spades? When Szenberg played a diamond declarer could win in hand, cash another diamond winner, take the ace and queen of hearts and overtake the jack with the king. When the heart suit split evenly 3NT was just made. Antas did also make nine tricks, but it was yet another disappointing score for the Poles; 6 IMPs to Fornaciari. With only 5 boards to go Szenberg’s chances were minimal. When Ricciarelli found a killing lead on the next board, defeating 3NT, it was all over as that contract just made at the other table,. This swingy Seniors’ final had come to an end: Fornaciari 150, Szenberg 85.

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