BC Modalfa v. BC Allegra - Round Robin, Round 3

After the first day, BC Modalfa from Amsterdam, the Netherlands with 44 V.P. and BC Allegra from Turin, Italy with 43 V.P. were at the top of the rankings in section A of the Round Robins. As the third-ranked team, BK Herkules from Stockholm, Sweden, at this stage were already 12 V.P. behind the leaders, the match scheduled in Round 3 between Allegra and Modalfa should be an interesting match anyway, both teams no doubt wanting to keep their chances of qualification intact.

After an easy small slam in any minor suit on the first board and a partscore hand on which neither NS pair could possibly find their diamond fit on board 2, there was more action on the next board:

Board 3. Dealer South, EW 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

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Bakkeren	D'Avossa	Bertens	Ferraro
			Pass
1©	2NT	4§	5¨
5NT	Pass	6§	Pass
6©	All Pass

4§ showed a good hand with a heart fit. Ferraro’s choice to show his diamond fit first enabled Bakkeren to explore the possibilities of a grand slam, but Bakkeren would have nothing of that, as you can imagine. When declarer made the normal play of finessing for the ©Q he had 12 tricks easily enough. Modalfa +1430.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Paulissen	Buratti	Nab
			Pass
1©	2NT	4§	5§
5¨	6§	6©	All Pass

Here, after the fit-showing 4§, Nab elected to go for clubs first, giving Lanzarotti all the room he might need to express his hand. When Paulissen raised to 6§ over the 5¨ cuebid, Buratti was in an less comfortable position than his Dutch counterpart. He correctly judged to go to 6© though, so the only problem left was to bring home the beacon. Influenced no doubt by the violent intervention, Lanzarotti elected to play a low heart to the king which led to a swift one down and 17 IMPs to Modalfa.

The difference between the Weak Two and the Multi approach made itself felt on this one:

Board 5 Dealer North, NS Vul.
	ª 6 2 © A J 9 8 7 3 ¨ K J 7 4 § 8
ª K 7 © Q ¨ A Q 6 2 § A J 10 7 6 4		ª 10 9 8 5 © K 6 4 2 ¨ 9 8 5 3 § 9
	ª A Q J 4 3 © 10 5 ¨ 10 § K Q 5 3 2

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Bakkeren	D'Avossa	Bertens	Ferraro
	2©	Pass	4©
5§	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

When Ferraro boldly raised his partner’s weak two to game the pressure was on West. 4NT might have been an alternative, but that would not have worked either; only a double would have hit the jackpot. As it was, Bakkeren went down five on the lead of the ©A and a spade switch. Allegra +1100.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Paulissen	Buratti	Nab
	2¨	Pass	2©
3§	All Pass

Well, here too South might have considered a leap to the four-level, but when he stayed quiet, Lanzarotti had all the time in the world to describe his good hand. Luckily enough for him, Buratti had nothing to contribute so it came to rest at a not too unsafe level. Modalfa +50 but 14 IMPs to Allegra who thus made up most of the deficit.

One board later:

Board 6. Dealer East, EW Vul.
	ª A Q J 10 9 7 5 © 3 ¨ Q 5 4 § 10 5
ª 8 6 2 © Q 8 6 ¨ A 10 § Q J 7 3 2		ª 3 © A 10 7 5 2 ¨ K 8 7 6 2 § K 9
	ª K 4 © K J 9 4 ¨ J 9 3 § A 8 6 4

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Bakkeren	D'Avossa	Bertens	Ferraro
		Pass	1NT
Pass	2©	2ª	Pass
2NT	4ª	All Pass

2ª showed a twosuiter and 2NT was suggesting some fit. On this revealing auction, Bakkeren led the ©A. All would have been well had he found the diamond shift, but when a continued another heart, declarer could no longer go wrong once he called for dummy’s nine. Allegra +420.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Paulissen	Buratti	Nab
		Pass	1§
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Against this unrevealing auction, Buratti knew he had to make an aggressive lead, so out came the ¨8. When Lanzarotti won the ace and returned the 10, the ruff was there for the defence. Buratti had in fact returned the ¨7 for his partner to ruff, but as the ©A could not run away Lanzarotti secured a second undertrick by returning a club. Well done. Allegra +100 and 11 more IMPs to take a lead they were never to lose any more.

Board 9. Dealer North, EW Vul.
	ª Q 10 7 5 2 © 9 4 2 ¨ K 4 2 § Q 7
ª 4 3 © A 8 7 3 ¨ 3 § K J 10 5 4 3		ª K 8 © K J 6 5 ¨ 9 8 7 6 § A 8 6
	ª A J 9 6 © Q 10 ¨ A Q J 10 5 § 9 2

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Bakkeren	D'Avossa	Bertens	Ferraro
	Pass	Pass	1¨
2§	Dble	Redble	2ª
Pass	3ª	4§	All Pass

Double-dummy you can even make Four Clubs by dropping both doubleton queens. Bakkeren went down two, however, when he took both finesses in the rounded suits. Please note that hearts were never mentioned. Allegra +200.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Paulissen	Buratti	Nab
	Pass	Pass	1¨
Pass	1ª	Pass	2ª
2NT	3¨	4©	4ª
All Pass

Lanzarotti’s slow approach worked out well as the double fit easily came into the picture when he showed his twosuiter had the second attempt. On a heart lead to the ace and a club shift, declarer went two down when he for reasons only known to himself refrained from taking an immediate spade finesse. As it was, it did not really matter very much. Allegra another +100 here and 7 IMPs.

Board 12. Dealer West, NS Vul.
	ª A 10 5 3 2 © A 8 6 3 2 ¨ 4 3 § A
ª Q 7 4 © J 5 ¨ K 9 8 6 5 § J 10 9		ª J 9 © K 10 9 4 ¨ Q J 10 2 § 6 5 2
	ª K 8 6 © Q 7 ¨ A 7 § K Q 8 7 4 3

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Bakkeren	D'Avossa	Bertens	Ferraro
Pass	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	3ª
Pass	4§	Pass	4¨
Pass	4©	Pass	4ª
Pass	5§	Pass	6§
Pass	6ª	All Pass

2§ was general relay and 2¨ showed a minimum. Trumps were established and a series of cuebids followed. Well, maybe, slam is not a good contract, but the play was relatively simple after the ¨Q lead. Win the ¨A, unblock the §A, play two rounds of trumps ending in dummy and hope.

With the clubs behaving there are just enough parking places for all the red losers. Well well. Allegra +1430

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Paulissen	Buratti	Nab
Pass	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	2©	Pass	2ª
Pass	3§	Pass	4ª
All Pass

2§ was game forcing and 2ª was a relay. When Paulissen showed a minimum with 3§ and also denied club support in the process, Nab was no longer interested, so the Dutch reached a more normal contract in which 11 tricks were easily made. Modalfa +650 but 13 more IMPs to Allegra who were well in the lead now: 46-18.

Another not unlucky board for the Italians was board 18. Elsewhere in this issue, Pete Ventura has described what happened on this board at the two tables in the Tofas-Barcelona match. Mainly the same thing happened in our match, the Dutch staying in a sensible partscore of 1NT making nine tricks and the Italians reaching the very, very thin game for a 6-IMP gain.

On the final board of the set, for once the Dutch self-restraint paid off:

Board 20. Dealer West, All Vul.
	ª Q 5 © A K 8 ¨ J 10 7 5 3 § J 10 9
ª A 4 3 © J 10 7 4 ¨ A 8 4 2 § 4 3		ª K J 7 © 9 5 3 ¨ K 9 § Q 8 7 6 5
	ª 10 9 8 6 2 © Q 6 2 ¨ Q 6 § A K 2

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Bakkeren	D'Avossa	Bertens	Ferraro
Pass	1¨	Pass	1ª
Pass	1NT	Pass	2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	2NT
All Pass

Once North opened the bidding, his side was destined to end up too high. On the normal heart lead, declarer lacks time to establish his 8th trick even though the club finesse is right. Modalfa +100.

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Lanzarotti	Paulissen	Buratti	Nab
Pass	Pass	Pass	1ª
Pass	1NT	All Pass

Paulissen’s “forcing” 1NT on a passed hand worked well, as opener will only pass with a minimum or less. Making seven tricks presented far less problems, so the Dutch added another +90 to recoup 5 IMPs and save a precious V.P. Allegra had won 65-24 which converted into 23-7 V.P.