Brazilian Bridge Trials 2012: The Enore Legend

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Enore, the Supreme Being for indigenous peoples of Brazil, was the creator of the world. The Enore Legend tells: Enore, the Supreme Being, cut a log. It carved a human figure and put it on the floor. Then he took a branch and hit the trunk…it became a man. He did the same with another piece of wood and that’s how women appeared. The first couple had first a son and a daughter and later, other children were born. Enore called the children of those first parents and asked what they wanted in the deal that would make the goods of the earth. The eldest chose the bow and arrow, rejecting: 1) firearms, being much heavier, 2) the ox and the horse because littered the floor of the houses. The other son was left with all the rest, dominated the world and their children prospered and ended as one of the best bridge players in the world…

This year in the Open category, 11 teams participated in the 2012 Brazilian Bridge Trials to define the one who would represent that country in the 2012 WMSG to be held in Lille France. Since 1968, 39 of the 44 years up to today, Gabriel Chagas was part of the team representing Brazil in the WBF championships. The year 2012 however will be one of those rare occasions when the team will not count on his presence, as Ernesto d’Orsi’s team, (Ernesto is the current president of CSB: South American Bridge Confederation) defeated Chagas team after 90 boards.

d’Orsi’s team is comprised of: Ernesto d’Orsi, Mauricio Figueiredo, Joao Paulo Campos, Miguel Villas Boas, Marcelo Castello Branco Lima, Roberto Barbosa de Oliveira Bello, the same team will be participating in the  IV Festival Sudamericano Transnacional de Bridge Montevideo 2012 from May to June 3 2012.

This hand is from the first set of the final:

Board 8. Dealer: East, Vul None

 

 J 6
 K Q 7
 10 8 6 4
 10 9 8 4

 3
 A 9 5 2
 J 7 2
 K Q 7 5 3

 

 A 8 7
 8 6 3
 A K Q 5 3
 A J

 

 K Q 10 9 5 4 2
 J 10 4
 9
 6 2

West          North              East           South

Mello R       Campos JP     Brum B       Villas Boas

Pass            Pass                    1             3

Double      Pass                   3NT            The End

 Brum opened 1, his 18 HP hand, Villas Boas preempted with 3 and West Doubled, Brum showed his spade stopper which was enough for Mello

Lead: Q

 Declarer won the trick with his A and claimed 12 tricks. 

 In the other table: 

 West          North              East           South

D’Orsi         Chagas            Figuiredo    Brum P.

Pass            Pass                   2NT            Pass

31            Pass                   32             Pass

43            Pass                  44             Pass

4 5           Pass                 4NT6            Pass

67            The End

1)       Puppett Stayman

2)       No majors ( 5 or 4 cards)

3)       Asks for minors

4)       I have a 5 Cards minor

5)       Which minor do you have?

6)       Diamonds

7)       I can play in clubs if your diamond is not good enough

Figueiredo upgraded his hand (due to his very nice and long diamond) and opened 2NT, d’Orsi asked for majors and his partner showed he didn’t have 4 or 5 cards in any of them. So West decided to investigate the minors. When d’Orsi  heard about his partner diamonds, he decided before closing the diamond slam to give a try to his clubs and Figueiredo with his nice   A J accepted to play in clubs, thinking his partner could have 6 of them.

 Lead:

Ernesto won the lead in his hand, played a little club to A, continued with the J and a little diamond to his J played K y Q. Then a little diamond to the A and when diamonds behaved he claimed 12 tricks.

Perhaps the 6 slam, with a heart lead, was more difficult to play. The issue is that the player that has 4 diamonds is the one that has 4 clubs, and the player who has 2 clubs has only 1 diamond. Although a heart lead removes a comfortable entry, declarer wins with the    A and plays a diamond to the A, he plays another diamond and realizes diamonds are 4-1. He continues unblocking the clubs and plays    A and ruffs a  in dummy. Now he can pitch two losers in the K y Q, goes to the hand plays a high diamond and claim 6.

 All the slams…6, 6NT and 6 are cold…the thing was to find one of them…well done…and TY Ernesto for your kind help with the bidding sequence.