Desperate Measures
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday January 18, 2002
In the 2001 Bermuda Bowl quarter-final between Italy and the USA, Italy won the fifth stanza 59-0 and piled it on again in the final set. This was board 84:
West North East South
4D Pass Pass Dble*
Pass 4S Pass Pass
*For takeout
West's pre-empt with a side 5-card major might have been affected by the state of the match. That may also account for North's conservative 4S bid. North might have bid 5D, suggesting a hand playable in at least two suits. 6S is an easy make. After the SA reveals the trump position, declarer plays to score two ruffs in dummy (one with the SK), 2 hearts, 1 diamond, 3 clubs and 4 trumps in hand, including a club ruff.
Meckstroth-Rodwell bid to the hopeless 7NT. 13 Imps to Italy. Perhaps they were also victims of the state-of-the-match syndrome. 7S is attractive single dummy and fails only because of the bad breaks in every suit.
Bidding for next column:
West North East South
-- -- -- 1H
2D 2H 2S 3S
Pass 4H Pass Pass
Lead: S9
A pre-emptive 3H by North appeals. With a strong heart raise, bid 3D. East should double 2H for takeout. That brings not only the spades into the picture but also the clubs and the diamond tolerance and might have persuaded West to lead a trump.
South captured East's jack, drew trumps in two rounds and played a club. He finally ruffed a club in dummy, finessed the S10 and ruffed the spade loser in dummy. +620.
4H was also reached at the other table. West led a trump and Rodwell had no chance. He could ruff a club in dummy to lead a spade. If East plays an honour, South wins. Now the only entry to dummy to finesse the S10 is via a trump and that would prevent the spade loser being ruffed. Minus 100 and 12 more Imps to Italy.
Italy won 262-146 but lost to Norway in the semi-finals.
Problem for tomorrow:
North dealer; N-S vulnerable
West North East South
-- Pass 1H Pass
?
What would you do as West with:
' 842
? Q965
? 10983
? 85
Bridge jargon: 'state of the match': a phrase used in the post-mortem to excuse your normal losing decisions.
© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald