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Round 21
Open : Italy-USA 2Duboin-Madala and Lauria-Versace
Ladies :Italy-FranceChavarria-Paoluzi and Piscitelli-Saccavini
Seniors : Italy-SwedenMina-Pulga and Comella-Sabbatini
Mixed : Italy-DenmarkCima-Dessì and Baroni-Gandoglia
No tender meeting, as you can see. The open team plays the third consecutive match in BBO, so we will be able to follow them live.In open Versace-Lauria EO against Kranyak-Demuy; Duboin-Madala against Bathurst-Hurd closed. A truly stellar match.After an even board, hand 2 (which costs us 6 MP) is useful in understanding the type of bridge these people play
Wherever the bid goes 2 hearts East, 4 hearts West, one down because the Ace of Clubs is down. Not with us: North in the area against first invents the reopening of double. It is a considerable gamble, because clearly West says 4 hearts with two types of hand: the one he holds with and the one he bars with. If we are in the former case, going to get in the way in the zone against first can be insane. The cons in this situation is therefore a kind of Russian roulette, a game in which our opponents are masters.And the 4 spades with three cards is also part of the game, having the sixth of diamonds: a real raise in the blind. In this 5-diamond hand you almost certainly go two down, while a 4-spade hand is played on the edge of the offside: if there were no 3-3 we would certainly give a bloodbath, but even so less than 500 cannot be paid. But you see the thread of the gamble: if Versace had had one heart less it would have passed, Lorenzo would have doubled and it would have moved about 800 points. And 5 diamonds probably would have been doubled by both, because Alfredo has cards with which he can think of beating him. But Alfredo has too good a fit to let his opponent play 10 tricks; even knowing that there are two defensive tricks the decision could be wrong, if the Ace of hearts does not pass. So he says 5 hearts, takes the double and goes 2 down.The next time the gap widens.
The hand is blatantly in favor of the opponent's system: after the small 2-diamond barrage, calling a slam is an arduous undertaking. Nord raises to 3 diamonds, Lauria says 3 spades and Versace 3NT: the clubs have disappeared.From there opens Bathurst by 1 club, Hurd responds by 1 spade, Madala's intervention to 2 diamonds. After two passes (maybe there was a 3 diamonds disturbance, in first) Hurd reopens against, Bathurst says 2 hearts, East strengthens again with 3 diamonds and West gives the stop to 3NT.East now reopens to 4 spades while we were expecting the 4 clubs, but probably with the one-suited Hurd would not have gone through the 3 diamonds but would have directly said 3 spades, so this bid promises something in clubs, as West says 5 clubs and East raises to six. However, two Aces may be missing, the Q of trump who knows where it is, patience. (This hand has me a bit 'irritated, perhaps of course).At 4 everyone defends with 5 clubs 1 down against 4 spades which is done, we are all in the area, Bathurst contra and Versace are not. Bad start 21-0 for the cowboys.Three even hands lead us to 8 where the grand slam is
The Americans call it like this: 1 North Spade - 2NT South (fit) - 3NT (high and fine spades) - 4NT (Keycard) - 5NT (even keycard and a blank) - 7 spades.Ours: 1 spade - 2NT - 3 spades (which obviously is not minimum ...) - 4NT (keycard) - 5 spades (2 + the Q) - 5NT (investigation) - 6 clubs (K of clubs) - 7 spades.Again against the system at 10, the opening of 2NT prevents the opponents from warning us that the spade stop is missing, 3NT - 3. The Americans know everything, they deviate to 4 diamonds, 1 down only (in the area of course). Two small recoveries of ours finally take us off the ground, something the Americans also mark, it ends 30-6 for theirs.Severe defeat, but our chances are still almost intact because Israel and Denmark do not go beyond the draw against New Zealand and Bulgaria, and USA 1 takes them from Norway which gains a little on the cauldron. We are eighth with 6 VPs over Denmark and 7 over Israel. As a calendar for us, the big stumbling block has been overcome, and two matches await us with teams that are not weak but cut off: New Zealand and Canada.(From Bridge d'Italia Online, Monday 4 April 2022 - Three out four)
(You can read the play analisys of each board of the Italian Team because is available the translation in other language).(Lovera)