The Italian Job On The Usa
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday January 17, 2002
In the 2001 Bermuda Bowl quarter-final match between Italy and USA1, the scores were almost level after Board 64. By Board 70, Italy was leading 161-137. This was board 71:
(Directions changed for convenience)
West North East South
Soloway Duboin Hamman Bocchi
Lauria M'stroth Versace Rodwell
2S Dble Pass 3NT
Pass Pass Pass --
Soloway started with the spade 7, a reasonable choice, but fatal this time. Bocchi won the 10 with the jack, finessed against East for the club queen and set up a diamond for nine tricks and +600.
At the other table Lauria started with the diamond 6. The king lost
to the ace and back came the spade 10. Rodwell put in the jack, losing
to the queen. Lauria brought back another diamond, taken by the queen. Praying that West had
started with J-x-x in diamonds, Rodwell led a third diamond. Versace won and led his last spade, giving Lauria two more spade tricks to defeat the contract. +100 and +12 Imps to Italy.
Then came:
(Directions changed for convenience)
Both Bocchi-Duboin and Meckstroth-Rodwell had lengthy artificial relay auctions on the North-South cards. The Italians reached 6 hearts, the Americans stopped in 4 hearts.
Duboin received the SJ lead. He won, cashed the heart ace and led another heart. With the friendly position in both majors, 12 tricks were easy +1430. At the other table the lead was the heart 9, ducked to the ten. Meckstroth, cashed the club king, the spade ace and ruffed a spade. Next came the heart queen, pinning the jack for 13 tricks and +710 but 12 Imps to Italy. In 9 boards, Italy had racked up 49 Imps to nil.
Problem for tomorrow
South dealer; both vulnerable
West North East South
-- -- -- 1H
2D 2H ?
What should East call with:
' QJ754
? 108
? K3
? KJ106
Daffynition: 'Relay system': A modern method of reaching the wrong contract in which only one player gets the blame.
© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald