|
Norway vs Italy
Bermuda Bowl Semi-final
2
Norway led by 37-19 at the end of the first set of their
semi-final with Italy but, after a couple of flat boards to start
set two, the Italians soon set about reducing that lead.
| Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª J 7 3
© Q 5 4 3
¨ Q 8 7 5 2
§ Q |
ª 9 8 5 2
© -
¨ 9 3
§ A J 8 6 5 3 2 |
 |
ª K Q 10 6
© A J 9 6 2
¨ A J 4
§ 9 |
| |
ª A 4
© K 10 8 7
¨ K 10 6
§ K 10 7 4 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
|
|
1§ |
| Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2© |
| Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
Pass |
| 2ª |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
| 4§ |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
|
|
1§ |
| Pass |
1¨ |
1© |
Pass |
| 1ª |
Pass |
3ª |
All Pass |
Norberto Bocchi's 1¨
response allowed Erik Saelensminde to overcall 1© with the East cards in the Closed Room and he
followed up with a strong raise of Boye Brogeland's 1ª response. Brogeland had no reason
to go on to game of course. Bocchi led his club against 3ª and Brogeland won the ace and
crossed to the ace of diamonds. He threw his remaining diamond on
the ace of hearts and proceeded to crossruff his way to nine tricks
for +140.
Helness/Helgemo bypass diamonds on moderate responding
hands and Lorenzo Lauria judged to pass at his first turn when
hearts were bid on his right. Despite his heart length, however,
Lauria balanced with a take-out double when 2© came back around, then cuebid at his next turn.
Alfredo Versace won the club lead and played the §J, which gave Tor Helness a problem and he
considered ruffing in, in case Versace held the §10 and was intending to pass the jack to aid in
establishing the suit. Finally Helness chose to discard a heart and
Versace ruffed in dummy. With Helness in a position to discard a
heart every time that dummy ruffed a club, the timing had to be spot
on from here if Versace was to avoid a fatal over-ruff. He cashed
the ace of hearts and ruffed a heart, then crossed to the ace of
diamonds and ruffed another heart. Only now could he afford to go
after club ruffs. The next five tricks saw alternate club and
diamond ruffs and Versace had a wonderful +620 and Italy +10
IMPs.
| Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
|
| |
ª K Q J 8 5 4 2
© 10
¨ A Q 7
§ K 7 |
ª A 3
© K Q J 6 2
¨ 6 2
§ 10 9 6 5 |
|
ª 10 9 6
© A 9 8 5
¨ K J 5 4
§ 3 2 |
| |
ª 7
© 7 4 3
¨ 10 9 8 3
§ A Q J 8 4 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
| Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| 1© |
Dble |
2© |
3§ |
| 3© |
4ª |
All Pass |
|
What a difference a lead makes! Saelensminde led the ace of
hearts and switched to a low diamond on seeing dummy. Bocchi won and
played on trumps and soon had eleven tricks stacked in front of him;
+650.
Lauria led the three of clubs and Helness could read this
as being from shortage. He won the §J and finessed the queen of diamonds. No luck,
and back came a second club. Helness won this one with the ace and,
after considerable thought, played the §Q to pitch his heart loser. Lauria ruffed the
club and played the ace of hearts and Helness ruffed and played the
ªQ. When Versace won this he
played his last club through. Ruffing high would have meant only one
down but Helness guessed to ruff with the eight and was over-ruffed.
With a diamond still to lose, that was down two for -200 and 13 IMPs
to Italy, who taken the lead in the match.
| Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
|
| |
ª K 10 5
© J 10 8 4
¨ 8 6 2
§ A Q 3 |
ª J 7 4
© K 7
¨ A Q 9 7 4
§ 10 9 4 |
|
ª 8 6 3
© Q 9 3
¨ 10 3
§ K J 8 6 2 |
| |
ª A Q 9 2
© A 6 5 2
¨ K J 5
§ 7
5 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
1© |
| Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
| Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
| 1¨ |
Dble |
Pass |
2© |
| Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
The Italian run continued with a 3 IMP gain for an extra
undertrick. I am not convinced that Helness had to bid all the way
to game when Geir Helgemo admitted to a proper opening bid in
response to the Drury enquiry, but bid it he did and the same
contract was reached at the other table.
Versace led the ten of
clubs to the queen and king and Lauria switched to the ¨3. The ¨J lost to the queen and Versace returned a club.
Helgemo won the ace and passed the jack of hearts to the king. He
ruffed the club continuation, laid down the ace of hearts and played
on spades. One diamond went away on the fourth spade but that was
still down two for -200.
In the other room, the defence began
with a club to the queen and king and the ten of diamonds to the
jack and queen. Brogeland cashed the ¨A now and at this point the play record comes to
an end. How Giorgio Duboin managed to get out for one off is hard to
imagine but that is the result with which he is credited, so -100
and 3 IMPs to Italy.
| Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª A 10 6 3
© 10 5
¨ Q J 2
§ K 8 7 3 |
ª K 9 8 7 4
© 6 3
¨ A 9 8 5
§ J 5 |
|
ª J
© A K J 7 4
¨ K 7 6 4
§ Q 9 2 |
| |
ª Q 5 2
© Q 9 8 2
¨ 10 3
§ A 10 6 4 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
|
1© |
Pass |
| 1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
All Pass |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
|
1© |
Pass |
| 1ª |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
| 2© |
All Pass |
|
|
This was a good board for a piece of Italian system. In the
Closed Room, Brogeland had a close decision over Saelensminde's
2¨ rebid. He could not afford
to pass because 2¨ is almost
unlimited in standard methods, so his choice was between a diamond
raise and giving false preference to hearts. Brogeland chose the
latter option but 2© did not
play well for his side. Duboin's low spade lead ran to the ace and
Bocchi switched to a low club. That collected the defence's two club
tricks and there was still a diamond to come along with two trump
tricks; down one for -100.
Lauria/Versace have an artificial
2§ rebid for most 16+ hands
so Lauria's 2¨ rebid was
limited to around 15 HCP. That made it possible for Versace to pass
at a comfortable level. Helgemo led the ten of diamonds and Lauria
won in hand to play the jack of spades to the king and ace. Helness
played a trump and Lauria won the king and continued with three
rounds of hearts for a ruff. Helness did his best by refusing to
over-ruff, but Lauria just ruffed a spade then took another heart
ruff. Helness could over-ruff and see declarer win a heart and a
diamond in hand, or could discard and see declarer make this and
another trump trick via a spade ruff; +90 and 5 IMPs to Italy.
| Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
|
| |
ª 9 6 3
© A 2
¨ 9 5 2
§ Q J 9 8 6 |
ª 7 5 2
© 10 7 6
¨ Q J 4 3
§ 10 4 3 |
|
ª A J 4
© K Q 8 3
¨ A K 8
§ A K 2 |
| |
ª K Q 10 8
© J 9 5 4
¨ 10 7 6
§ 7
5 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
| 2¨ |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
| 3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
The dedication shown by some of the table recorders is
staggering. We know that Saelensminde received the lead of the queen
of spades which he ducked, and a diamond switch - well done, Duboin.
And we know that he ran the diamonds, with everyone throwing a club
on the fourth round, but at this point the record comes to an abrupt
end. As the contract was one down, we can infer that Saelensminde
did not play a heart to the king then duck a heart, but what he did
try is unclear. Anyway, that was 100 to Italy.
Helgemo also led a
spade honour, the king, against Lauria. When the spade was ducked,
he switched to a low heart to the ace. Now Lauria had nine tricks;
+600 and 12 IMPs to Italy, who had run off 43 unanswered IMPs to
take a 25 IMP lead in the match.
| Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
|
| |
ª K J 10 9
© J 5 3
¨ K Q 10 4 2
§ 3 |
ª 4 3
© K 9 7 4
¨ 8 6
§ A K J 10 2 |
|
ª A Q 6 5 2
© A 2
¨ 5
§ 9 8 7 6 4 |
| |
ª 8 7
© Q 10 8 6
¨ A J 9 7 3
§ Q 5 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1§ |
1¨ |
1© |
2ª |
| Pass |
3¨ |
4§ |
4¨ |
| Pass |
Pass |
5§ |
All Pass |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1§ |
1¨ |
1ª |
Dble |
| 2§ |
2¨ |
4¨ |
5¨ |
| 6§ |
All Pass |
|
|
Versace's 1§ opening could
have been as short as a doubleton, and Lauria's 1© showed spades. Helgemo showed a good diamond
raise then competed further at his next turn, and the Italians were
never in a position to contemplate the thin slam. In contrast,
Brogeland promised genuine clubs. Saelensminde showed his spades
then splintered in support of clubs and Brogeland was so impressed
with the strength of his clubs that he gave himself a sixth club
despite his minimum opening. With the spade finesse working and no
bad news in trumps, both declarers made twlve tricks for +420 to
+920; 11 IMPs to Norway.
| Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
|
| |
ª Q 2
© K 9 2
¨ K J 6
§ A 10 8 5 4 |
ª 10 9 5 3
© 8 5 4 3
¨ Q 8 3 2
§ J |
|
ª K J 8 7 6 4
© 10 7
¨ A 9 5
§ K Q |
| |
ª A
© A Q J 6
¨ 10 7 4
§ 9 7 6 3 2 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Versace |
Helness |
Lauria |
Helgemo |
| |
1§ |
1ª |
Dble |
| 2ª |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
| Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
5§ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Brogeland |
Bocchi |
Saelensminde |
Duboin |
| |
1§ |
1ª |
Dble |
| 3ª |
Pass |
4ª |
Dble |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
I like Brogeland's pre-emptive 3ª raise more than Versace's quiet 2ª, but the Italian style is
generally a little less aggressive in this kind of position than
some of we northern Europeans. Saelensminde could not really have
expected to be making 4ª but
he knew of a ten-card fit and figured that he was probably going to
have to bid it in a minute anyway so why not now, putting more
pressure on his left-hand-opponent. Duboin's double closed
proceedings and the defence took the six tricks which was its due;
three down for -500.
Things were a good deal easier for
North/South in the other room and Helness was soon playing the club
game. At first sight, this is dependent on a successful diamond
guess, but there is an extra chance and Helness duly took it. The
lead was a spade to dummy's ace. Helness played a club to the ace
and ruffed the ªQ before
cashing the hearts. Lauria was trapped. If he ruffed in he would be
forced to either open up the diamonds or give a ruff and discard,
while if he did not ruff in Helness would throw him in with a club
anyway; +600 and 3 IMPs to Norway.
| Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
|
| |
ª 7 6 5 2
© 9 7
¨ A K 9 4
§ A J 3 |
ª K 3
© K 8 5 3 2
¨ J 8 7
§ Q 8 5 |
|
ª Q J 9
© A Q J 10 4
¨ 6 3
§ 10 7 2 |
| |
ª A 10 8 4
© 6
¨ Q 10 5 2
§ K 9 6 4 |
We do not, unfortunately, have the bidding
records for this deal, but it resulted in an 8 IMP swing to Norway,
when Helness/Helgemo bid the North/South cards to the thin 4ª, making for +420, while Bocchi's
mini no trump was passed out for +90 in the other room. That left
the match score at 63-61 in favour of Italy after 32
deals. |
