On Vugraph for the second part of the Semifinal Round the audience was to be treated to the Chemla-Chagas match. Here, the score was 26-17 to Chemla at half time, but those who might have been hoping for a close, well-fought match were to be disappointed. Not very much happened, and apart from that it was mostly one way traffic too.

On Vugraph they would start with boards 27 and 28 to enable the Closed Room to finish play on the other boards early enough to make direct comparisons possible. For once, we will follow this same order in the report, as 27 and 28 really were the boards on which it all happened:

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª Q 8 © Q 2 ¨ A K Q J 10 9 § Q 8 3
ª J 9 6 © K J 10 9 3 ¨ 4 § K J 7 5		ª A 10 7 4 3 © A ¨ 5 2 § A 9 6 4 2
	ª K 5 2 © 8 7 6 5 4 ¨ 8 7 6 3 § 10

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Garner	Abecassis	Weinstein	Soulet
			Pass
Pass	1NT	2¨	2©
Pass	Pass	Dble	Pass
2ª	3¨	Pass	Pass
3ª	Pass	Pass	4§
Dble	4¨	All Pass

Two Diamonds showed spades and a minor, but it looks as if Garner was limping on two thoughts here, as he showed no sign of willingness to defend 2© doubled, but also refrained from making a clear game try instead. So everything remained very much in the dark. Even the answer he got from Soulet to his question about Abécassis’ diamond length probably needed for the 3¨bid (maybe five, maybe six, to which Zia as a Vugraph commentator added that his own personal record was in fact eight) did not help very much to clear the fog.

Even in the repechage offered when Soulet came to life with 4§, game was not found by EW, so Chemla’s team lost just 50 on the deal.

In the Closed Room, they made it look very easy:

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Cronier	Chagas	Chemla	Brenner
			Pass
Pass	1NT	2ª	Pass
2NT	Pass	3§	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Spades and, upon request, clubs, so no further problems with a double fit and an outside singleton.
Chemla +420 and 9 IMP’s.

On the next board, the Americans struck back, or at least so it looked:

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª A Q 10 8 © J 7 4 2 ¨ 5 § Q 9 6 3
ª 7 3 2 © K Q 6 3 ¨ J 8 4 2 § J 10		ª 9 © A 10 9 ¨ A K Q 9 6 § A K 5 2
	ª K J 6 5 4 © 8 5 ¨ 10 7 3 § 8 7 4

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Garner	Abecassis	Weinstein	Soulet
Pass	Pass	1¨	Pass
1©	Dble	Redble	2ª
Pass	Pass	Dble	Pass
3¨	Pass	3ª	Pass
5¨	Pass	6¨	All Pass

The French had done their best once again to put their opponents off the track, but this time EW managed to catch the last train. As 5¨ clearly implied adequate trumps and no values in any black suit, Weinstein closed his eyes for a long time before opening them to make the winning bid. Chagas +920.

The Vugraph audience had to wait till the end of the session before they were to know what the French would do, but in this report, we can finish off the matter already now.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Cronier	Chagas	Chemla	Brenner
Pass	Pass	1¨	Pass
1©	Pass	2ª	Pass
3¨	Pass	3©	Pass
4¨	Pass	4NT	Pass
5§	Pass	6¨	All Pass

When NS did not interfere, the 2ª splinter once again made it look almost too easy. Chemla +920 and no swing.

Helped by the intervention, Abécassis could find a nice line to land 3ª:

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª K Q J 10 2 © A 10 9 5 4 ¨ A § A 6
ª A 8 5 3 © 8 3 2 ¨ Q J 8 6 2 § 10		ª 9 6 © K Q J 6 ¨ 10 9 3 § K Q 5 3
	ª 7 4 © 7 ¨ K 7 5 4 § J 9 8 7 4 2

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Garner	Abecassis	Weinstein	Soulet
	1ª	Dble	Pass
2¨	2©	Pass	2ª
3¨	3ª	All Pass

Well, this did not look too good for the French. North had done well not to overbid in hearts, realising they would probably be stacked behind him, but he might as well have ventured a double over 3¨ on which South would have been delighted to pass and collect 500 (five top tricks and two heart ruffs).

Abécassis recovered well by making 3ª in elegant fashion. East led an obvious trump, West winning the ace and continuing trumps. Declarer drew the remainder of the trumps, East discarding a club and a diamond, unblocked the ¨A and then played §A and a club. East does best to return a diamond immediately but he first played the ©K instead. This held the trick, and now the diamond came but is was too late. Dummy’s king won, declarer throwing a heart, a club was ruffed and the ©10 led. East had to win and could only return another heart…Chemla +140.

It would not have helped East very much to return a diamond immediately, as declarer has the same play available of ruffing a club and leading the ©10 to East, the only difference being that it might have been more difficult to find this solution.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Cronier	Chagas	Chemla	Brenner
	1ª	Pass	1NT
Pass	3©	Pass	3NT

When Chemla did not interfere with the opposition bidding (and why should he on a hand like that?), the Brazilians quickly were too high. On a diamond lead, declarer had no play and went one down for another +50 or 5 IMP’s to Chemla.

Another partscore swing to Chemla arose when Chagas apparently bid for the swing on this board:

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª A K 10 7 © Q 9 8 5 ¨ A K 9 6 § 4
ª Q 6 3 2 © 10 6 3 2 ¨ Q 7 5 § J 7		ª J 4 © A K 4 ¨ J 4 3 § A Q 10 3 2
	ª 9 8 5 © J 7 ¨ 10 8 2 § K 9 8 6 5

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Garner	Abecassis	Weinstein	Soulet
		1NT	Pass
Pass	2§	Dble	Pass
Pass	2¨	All Pass

2§ usually shows the majors in France, but when it came back to North with a red card, the seized the opportunity to show diamonds as well. As Soulet had no particular reason to disturb this, they played there fort a quiet +90.

The other room once again was the place to be:

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Cronier	Chagas	Chemla	Brenner
		1NT	Pass
Pass	Pass (!?)

Well, one would like to write something like “the place where it all happened,” but in fact nothing happened at all. Chagas simply passed, no doubt hoping or even more so, expecting that 1NT would go down all by itself. Right he was, had Brenner led the §9 instead of his actual choice, the fourth best §6. When dummy’s §7 held the trick Chemla could continue the suit, establish it and get off play with a low heart to North who had to surrender a trick in any suit at the end. Chemla another useful +90 and 5 more IMP’s.

The issue had been clearly settled by now, Chemla winning the set 26-4 and 52-21 in all to move forward into the final.