Italy - Russia (Bermuda Bowl Quarterfinal 5)

The Fifth Cavalry - by Phillip Alder

Six European teams qualified for the Bermuda Bowl and all made it into the quarterfinals. Italy was expected by some to defeat Russia without too much difficulty, but the match had been very close. Russia led by 5.5 IMPs after two sessions, was down by 9.5 at halftime, and gained 5 in the fourth session to trail by only 4.5 with 32 boards to play.

The fifth session started with four flat boards. Then came:

Board 5. Dealer North. North-South vul.
	♠ Q 9 8 7 4 2 ♥ J 6 4 2 ♦ J 2 ♣ A
♠ K ♥ K Q 10 8 7 5 ♦ Q 3 ♣ K Q 7 5		♠ 10 5 3 ♥ A 3 ♦ A 10 9 7 4 ♣ 6 4 3
	♠ A J 6 ♥ 9 ♦ K 8 6 5 ♣ J 10 9 8 2

(a) 6 hearts and 4 in a minor

The difference, obviously, was that Fulvio Fantoni (North) doubled with his four trumps.

In both rooms the defense tapped declarer in spades and took the contract down three.

Sitting in the Closed Room, I had wondered if North's double might have persuaded Georgi Matushko (West) to lead the heart ten from his hand on the first round. But he did not.

Minus 150 and plus 500 gave Italy 8 IMPs.

An overtrick IMP to Russia was followed by...

Board 7. Dealer South. Both vul.
	♠ K J 4 ♥ K Q J 5 ♦ J 2 ♣ A J 5 4
♠ A 8 5 2 ♥ 6 2 ♦ Q 8 6 5 3 ♣ 8 3		♠ 10 9 6 3 ♥ 10 9 4 3 ♦ 10 7 ♣ Q 9 6
	♠ Q 7 ♥ A 8 7 ♦ A K 9 4 ♣ K 10 7 2

(a) 16-plus points
(b) 8-plus balanced
(c) Inquiry
(d) No five-card minor
(e) Natural
(f) Control-bid
(g) Pick a slam

(a) 14-plus points and 4-clubs or any 15-plus balanced
(b) 10-plus balanced
(c) 15-plus balanced
(d) 13-plus, asking
(e) 2=3=4=4 and 15-16 points
(f) Setting trumps
(g) Control-bid
(h) No spade control and an odd number of key cards

Six clubs basically requires bringing in the trump suit without loss. What is the best play and the percentage chance of success?

It should be clear that the best play is to cash the ace first (in case West has a singleton eight or nine), then to lead the jack from the dummy. Using suitplay.exe, I discovered that the percentage is just over 45.2.

And Dubinin did exactly that to gain 13 IMPs and to put Russia ahead by 1.5. But then the tide turned.

Board 8. Dealer West. None vul.
	♠ A J 8 5 ♥ A Q 8 ♦ A 5 3 2 ♣ 5 3
♠ 9 7 4 ♥ J 6 ♦ 10 9 7 ♣ K 9 8 7 6		♠ K 10 2 ♥ 10 9 7 5 ♦ 8 6 4 ♣ A Q 4
	♠ Q 6 3 ♥ K 4 3 2 ♦ K Q J ♣ J 10 2

(a) 14-plus points and 4-clubs or any 15-plus balanced
(b) 4-plus hearts, 0-11 points

In the Open Room, Antonio Sementa (East) led the heart five. North won in the dummy and ran the spade queen. East took his king and accurately shifted to clubs to take the contract down two.

At the other table, East led a diamond. North took dummy's three honors, played a heart to his ace, and cashed the diamond ace, East discarding the club four. Declarer took the heart queen, played a heart to dummy's ace (getting the bad news), and ran the spade queen. East won with the king and cashed his heart, but he had only two club winners to take, then had to lead a spade to North.

Plus 100 and plus 400 gave Italy 11 IMPs.

Board 9. Dealer North. East-West vul.
	♠ 3 ♥ 9 6 5 4 3 2 ♦ J 10 5 ♣ 9 4 3
♠ A 9 8 7 2 ♥ K 7 ♦ A 3 ♣ K J 6 2		♠ K J 10 4 ♥ A Q J 10 ♦ K 6 2 ♣ Q 8
	♠ Q 6 5 ♥ 8 ♦ Q 9 8 7 4 ♣ A 10 7 5

(a) Typically 4-4 in the majors
(b) Control-bid
(c) Roman Key Card Blackwood
(d) Two key cards without the spade queen

In the Open Room, after North preempted with an emaciated hand, West transferred and invited a slam. It is surprising that East passed with four-card spade support.

Declarer got the spade suit right to take 12 tricks.

Matushko thought for a long time over five hearts, but finally bid the slam.

North led the diamond jack and Claudio Nunes (South) played his queen. I wondered if declarer would assume this was a singleton and play South for three spades. However, after winning with his diamond ace, playing a spade to dummy's king, and calling for the jack, time stood still. Eventually, though, West put up his spade ace and went down in his slam.

Plus 690 and plus 100 gave Italy 13 IMPs.

Board 10. Dealer East. Both vul.
	♠ K Q 6 ♥ A 5 2 ♦ J 10 8 6 ♣ K 5 2
♠ 9 5 ♥ 8 6 4 3 ♦ A 5 3 ♣ J 10 9 7		♠ A J 8 ♥ K 10 ♦ K Q 7 4 2 ♣ Q 6 3
	♠ 10 7 4 3 2 ♥ Q J 9 7 ♦ 9 ♣ A 8 4

Dubinin led the spade three. Declarer took North's queen with his ace, cashed the diamond king and played a diamond to the ace to get the bad news when South discarded the club eight.

East ran the club jack to South's ace. South played a spade to North's king, and North returned the diamond jack. East won and led the club queen, which held, then he conceded a diamond. North led a spade, but East won, cashed his long diamond, and gave North the lead in clubs to score his heart king at the end. Declarer took two spades, one heart, four diamonds and one club.

In the other room, Claudio Nunes (South) led the heart queen, ducked to declarer's king. The diamond king and a diamond to the ace were followed by the club jack run to South's ace. After a heart to his ace, North shifted devilishly to the spade six. I thought declarer had a chance to get this right because if North had had the king-ten or queen-ten of spades, he might well have led the ten, hoping for a surrounding play. But East played low, losing to South's ten. Back came a spade, declarer ducking this round and taking the next. He played the club queen, but North won and returned a heart for down two.

Plus 120 and plus 200 gave Italy another 8 IMPs and the lead by 30.5.

After an overtrick IMP to Italy came...

Board 12. Dealer West. North-South vul.
	♠ J 7 6 3 ♥ A 7 3 ♦ 6 ♣ A K Q J 3
♠ 10 ♥ K J 10 9 ♦ J 10 8 3 ♣ 7 6 5 4		♠ K Q 9 4 2 ♥ 8 6 2 ♦ K 9 5 2 ♣ 10
	♠ A 8 5 ♥ Q 5 4 ♦ A Q 7 4 ♣ 9 8 2

(a) 11-15 points with 6-plus clubs, or 5-plus and a 4-card major
(b) Inquiry
(c ) 4=3=1=5

(a) 14-plus points and 4-clubs or any 15-plus balanced
(b) Spades and a minor
(c) Asking for the minor

Against three notrump, West led the heart jack, which ran to South's queen. Dubinin played a club to dummy, then finessed his diamond queen and had ten tricks.

The defense against three diamonds doubled was lethal. After a club to the jack, North shifted to his trump, South playing three rounds of the suit. East took the third round in the dummy and played a spade to his king, but South won with his ace and played another club. Declarer could take only one spade and three diamonds for down five.

Minus 630 and plus 1100 gained Italy 10 IMPs.

The rest of the set was quieter, except that both East-West pairs missed a tough slam on the final deal:

Board 16. Dealer West. East-West vul.
	♠ K 8 ♥ A K Q 10 6 4 3 ♦ 10 7 5 ♣ Q
♠ 4 3 ♥ 5 ♦ A J 4 3 ♣ 8 7 6 5 3 2		♠ A Q J 9 7 6 ♥ 8 ♦ Q 6 ♣ A K 10 4
	♠ 10 5 2 ♥ J 9 7 2 ♦ K 9 8 2 ♣ J 9

(a) Preemptive

(a) 5-plus hearts, 14-plus points (or 11-13 if 4=5+ in the majors)
(b) Four hearts and not a completely hopeless hand (three hearts would have been even weaker)
(c) Diamonds

Four spades made five when, after a heart to the ace and the club-queen shift, declarer played the ace and another spade.

Five hearts doubled went down three, losing two spades, two diamonds and one club.

The net result was 4 IMPs to Italy, who now led by a commanding 44.5 IMPs.