Bridge Club Tofas v Bridge House Barcelona

by Peter Ventura

Time was running quickly for the hosting team, Bridge House Barcelona, since on the first day they scored only 11 VPs in all. Bridge Club Tofas, Turkey, still had some chances to take one of the two top positions.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª A 5 © K ¨ Q J 10 9 8 7 6 § 8 7 3
ª K Q 8 6 4 3 © A 9 6 2 ¨ 4 3 § 10		ª J 10 7 2 © Q J 10 4 ¨ 5 2 § J 9 5
	ª 9 © 8 7 5 3 ¨ A K § A K Q 6 4 2

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Pont	Assael	Graupera
	1¨	Pass	2§
2ª	3¨	3ª	4NT
Pass	5¨	Pass	6¨
All Pass

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lara	Atabey	Fernandez	Kolata
	3¨	Pass	5¨
Dble	All Pass

I do not know where Lara found enough tricks on his hand to double 5¨, but it for sure kept Atabey/Kolata away from the slam which was bid by Pont/Graupera in the other room. Zorlu/Assael were active up to the three-level and it made life a bit harder for N/S to find the slam. Graupera asked for aces and bid the slam when his partner responded 5¨, showing one ace, although it was uncertain whether North had a control in hearts or not. Graupera could tell from his cards – and the fact that E/W bid spades – that North must have some HCPs in hearts and that was worth 7 IMPs for Bridge House Barcelona.

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

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Pont	Assael	Graupera
2¨	Pass	2©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	5ª	Pass
6ª	All Pass

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lara	Atabey	Fernandez	Kolata
			Pass
1©	2NT	4©	5¨
6©	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	7¨	Dble	All Pass

In the Open Room Pont/Assael bid up to 6ª without any interference. 2¨ was Multi and 3© transfer to spades.
I can hardly imagine South to lead ©A if East would have become declarer. The slam is therefore in practice cold with South on lead but… North had a much more attractive lead: his singleton heart. Pont found South with ©A and got his ruff for one down and –100.

Bridge is a wonderful game. Here at one table N/S sat quietly and with exactly the same cards the very same side played the final contract – at the seven-level!!! Well, even though 7¨ was a sacrifice it is an example of how exciting bridge sometimes can be.

2NT showed a two-suiter in the minors and when Lara jumped to 6© over South’s sacrifice. Kolata thought for a while and doubled. 6© will succeed though when South holds A-Q in hearts, so Atabey made the right decision to correct to 7¨.

When Lara led a heart the losing spade could be thrown for only three down; –500 and 12 IMPs to the Spaniards.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª J 7 4 © A 8 ¨ 10 6 5 2 § A 8 5 2
ª K 9 3 2 © J 10 ¨ A K Q 9 § K 9 4		ª A Q 5 © 9 4 3 ¨ 7 4 3 § Q J 7 6
	ª 10 8 6 © K Q 7 6 5 2 ¨ J 8 § 10 3

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Pont	Assael	Graupera
		Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lara	Atabey	Fernandez	Kolata
		Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

After a diamond lead to the king Fernandez could only count to six tricks. Even if spades and diamonds would split 3-3 he was in need of one or more club tricks, so at trick two he tried a club to the jack, which held the trick. Fernandez now played a club to dummy’s king and North’s ace, a line without fantasy. Better would have been to enter the dummy in diamonds and run another club towards the hand. If North plays low, declarer only needs either diamonds or spades to split evenly. Atabey won the club ace then played ©A. When he got a positive signal from his partner he continued in hearts and the defence had an easy way to collect seven tricks; Tofas +150.
In the Open Room Zorlu won the diamond lead with the ace. Since he was pretty sure that the defence would attack the heart suit as soon as they won §A, he let the defenders tumble in darkness as he in tempo played ©J!! North was not on his toes, playing low. Voilà – the heart suit was now blocked when South won the queen. Zorlu’s operation had succeeded and that was worth +430 and 11 IMPs for Tofas.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª K 4 3 © 8 7 6 5 ¨ 10 9 6 § Q J 6
ª A J 8 6 © 10 9 ¨ A J 7 5 3 § K 3		ª 10 7 2 © K 3 ¨ K 8 2 § A 7 5 4 2
	ª Q 9 5 © A Q J 4 2 ¨ Q 4 § 10 9 8

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Pont	Assael	Graupera
		Pass	Pass
1¨	Pass	1NT	All Pass

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Lara	Atabey	Fernandez	Kolata
		Pass	Pass
1¨	Pass	2§	Pass
2¨	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT !	All Pass

Zorlu/Assael performed a sensible auction in the Open Room and they made an overtrick in 1NT; Tofas +120.
At the other table Lara bid as he had seen the bidding box for the first time. 3NT is an ugly contract, but we have seen worse. With a little help from the opponents the contract has a chance. In fact, all declarer needed was for South to lead a heart. Kolata led ©Q and now declarer made his game since ¨Q appeared on the second round the suit was played; +460, when both of the defenders gave up their spades, and 8 IMPs to Barcelona.

Bridge Club Tofas was the strongest team but they managed only to win 53-41 IMPs or 17-13 in VPs.