Vugraph Deals #145
The world’s premier international bridge events, the Bermuda Bowl, the Venice Cup, the d’Orsi Trophy and the Wuhan Cup are usually contested every two years. The last time that all of the world’s top teams met was in Wuhan, China in 2019, but then along came COVID. It was therefore with much anticipation that almost 100 teams travelled to Salsomaggiore in northern Italy in the Spring of 2022 to participate in the first post-Pandemic World Championship.
As usual, we begin with a couple of problems for you to consider. We will see how your choices turned out later. Firstly, with just your side vulnerable, you are North holding:
What do you bid?
Next, again with only your side vulnerable, you are sitting North with:
What action, if any, do you take?
While you consider those, we kick off with the action from Round 2 of the Bermuda Bowl, and a match featuring two of the strongest European teams, Switzerland and Italy. The first swing of the encounter was produced by a combination of systemic methods and Italian aggression at both tables.
Alfredo Versace’s 2♥ overcall of East’s strong no-trump opening showed hearts and a minor. Michel Klukowski’s 2NT was Lebensohl, suggesting that he was intending just to compete to 3♣. When Versace then took a second bid at adverse vulnerability at the three-level, Lorenzo Lauria was faced with the first of this week’s bidding problems. Despite holding only a single honour card in a fairly shapeless hand, Lauria took his partner seriously and jumped to game. Well judged!
There was little to the play. Versace won the spade lead, crossed to dummy with the ♥A, and successfully took the diamond finesse. Cashing the ♥K broke the defenders’ trumps, and a diamond ruff with dummy’s remaining heart established that suit. Declarer lost just one trick in each major: N/S +650.
It was difficult for East/West, with their combined 23 HCP, to fine the cheap save in 4♠ (-300). At the other table, though, the Italians also bid game:
East also opened 1NT in the replay, but methods dictated that Sjoert Brink start with 2♦, showing diamonds and a major. Where Klukowski had settled for competing in his minor at the three-level, Agustin Madala jumped to 3NT on his 8-count, despite holding no stop in diamonds or either major. Clearly, North could not even contemplate bidding, and one can hardly blame Brink for not taking a second bid after this development.
Brink correctly began the defence by cashing the ♦A, and he was thus able to continue with a low diamond at trick two, bringing down declarer’s king. Duboin could cash his club winners but that was it, the defenders had the rest of the tricks as soon as they regained the lead. N/S +150 but still 11 IMPs and first blood to ITALY.
Board 23 was a bidding challenge for the N/S pairs.
Lauria’s 1NT response was a game-forcing relay and Versace bid out his shape, first with 2♠ then 3♣. Lauria showed diamond support and Versace now bid 3♠ (a control, or perhaps just denying anything else to say). When Lauria then cue-bid his heart control, was it clear which suit was agreed? I suspect they knew, but I leave you to draw your own conclusions as to exactly what South’s 3♠ and 4♠ bids said about his hand.
Versace won the heart lead in dummy and played a trump, finessing to West’s jack. Klukowski’s heart continuation forced declarer to ruff, guaranteeing a trick for East’s ♠K. Playing safely for ten tricks, Versace, crossed to the ♦A and ruffed dummy’s last heart. He then cashed the ♠A and, when West showed out, he conceded two trump tricks: N/S +620.
The former world champion Dutch ex-pats now playing under the white cross of Switzerland began with two natural bids. Sjoert Brink’s jump to 2NT then showed 15+ HCP with four-card spade support. Drijver’s 3♣ was a game-forcing relay, and 3♠ showed short hearts. 3NT confirmed serious slam interest and 4♣ showed a control. Blackwood discovered that there was a key-card missing for spades but, when Drijver offered an alternative strain with his 6♦ bid, Brink was happy to accept the suggestion.
Madala knew that his opponents were missing a key-card and, of course, it might have been the ♠A, so his ♠J lead was probably the best chance the defence had to beat the contract. As it happened, of course, that picked up the spade suit for declarer and thus Brink was soon claiming all 13 tricks. N/S +1390 and 13 IMPs to SWITZERLAND.
A well-deserved swing for the Swiss, as this deal was played in spades at 20 of the 24 tables in the BB, with some pairs going down in 6♠ and many stopping out of slam. Our next deal was a classic battle between the major suits:
Klukowski began with a natural, limited 2♣ opening and Piotr Gawrys bid his hearts. Versace overcalled in spades and Klukowski bid a competitive 3♥. With six-card spade support and very few points, everyone would probably jump to 4♠ on the North cards. This week’s second bidding problem then reared its ugly head, when East bid a fifth heart and your partner doubled.
We all know that the five-level belongs to the opponents, but it would be a brave man who defended 5♥-X with this hand after partner had made a two-level overcall in spades. Lorenzo Lauria duly took out the insurance, effectively swapping +100 for a similar minus, as both five-level contracts are off a cashing Ace-King and the ace of trumps. N/S -100
In the other room, the Italians managed to get themselves overboard without being pushed.
Agustin Madala started with an off-shape 1NT and Giorgio Duboin’s jump to 4♣ was a transfer to hearts. Understandably, though, Brink was not prepared to go quietly. After South’s double, Madala’s 4♥ showed at least three-card support and, here too, North essayed 4♠. One assumes that Duboin’s 4NT was RKCB, but quite what the 5♠ response meant is anyone’s guess. It was clearly not a response for which Duboin was prepared, forced as he was to then bid a slam knowing he was off two aces. South doubled and duly collected his three top tricks: N/S +300 and 9 IMPs to SWITZERLAND
I know how much the average player enjoys seeing that experts are as capable of making stupid mistakes as they are. My final deal this week provides that in spades, literally. The 2500+ crowd watching live on BBO VuGraph would have enjoyed this deal as more than one expert found himself covered not in glory, but egg. Having one accident with Blackwood is perhaps unfortunate. Two, though...
When the penultimate board of the match was placed on the table, the Swiss led 33-32.
Madala opened a strong/artificial 2♣, and his 2♥ was then the Kokish convention, forcing 2♠ so that he could show a balanced 24+ with his 2NT rebid. Duboin transferred to spades and Madala broke to 4♣, showing a control with at least three-card spade support. It is unclear whether Duboin’s 4♥ is then a cue-bid or a re-transfer, but I suspect the latter in light of Madala’s 4♠ bid.
Perhaps Duboin should then advance with 5♥, pinpointing the diamond weakness, but he preferred to roll out Blackwood from the weak side. Madala responded 5♠ and Duboin simply forgot something that we all knew many years ago, but in 40 years it has never happened. In a panic at finding three key cards were missing, Duboin hastily passed 5♠. Of course, though, 5♠ shows two or five plus the trump queen. Has it ever come up at the table before? I don’t remember it happening. The Italians were, thus, one of only two pairs in the 24-table Bermuda Bowl field not to reach slam. E/W +510 but, believe it or not, every Italian cloud really does have a silver lining.
The 1♣ opening was Polish (clubs, weak no-trump, or any 17+) and the 1♠ response was a natural positive. Klukowski showed the strong hand with a spade fit, and Gawyrs jumped to show a sixth spade and confirm the suit as trumps. A couple of cue-bids and some advanced Blackwood then propelled the pair to the grand slam.
South led a diamond, removing a crucial entry from dummy. Declarer has one discard on the third round of clubs, so he needs to establish one long heart to take care of the other diamond. After winning with the ♦A, though, Gawrys immediately drew all three of South’s trumps. When he then set about hearts, he had only one outside entry left in dummy. The 4-2 heart break meant that he could no longer both set up the thirteenth heart and get back to dummy to cash it. E/W -50 and a rather bizarre 11 IMPs to ITALY.
Eight pairs (out of 24 in the BB) reached the grand slam, six of them making 13 tricks. If hearts are breaking 5-1, then you will surely go down whatever you do. It cannot cost, therefore, to cash two high hearts and ruff the third round with the ♠J before drawing the third round of trumps. You can then return to dummy with the third high spade, and ruff a fourth round of hearts. The club suit then provides access to the long heart winner, and away go declarer’s diamond losers.
With a mixture of good bridge and good fortune, Italy emerged with victory by 43-34. Doubtless, we will be seeing plenty more of these two teams, and I think it is probably safe to say both will be in contention when we approach the pointy end of the tournament.