Winners: Alejandro Scanavino/Felipe Ferro (ARG)
(Ana Roth/Fernando Lema, journalists; from IBPA Bulletin 561.14)
OPATIJA 2011
Ana Roth & Fernando Lema, BA
“A Big Bull in an Unknown Rodeo”
(From El Gaucho Martin Fierro)
“I am a bull in my rodeo and a big bull in an unknown rodeo; I always think of myself as very good
and if you want to try me, let others sing and we will see who is less.”
With the words of the great Argentine poet José Hernández, we thus describe the excellent South American performance in the semifinal of the teams against a very powerful Dutch-Romanian team. In a match that will surely make history in Argentine-Uruguayan youth bridge, four junior masters from South America overcame a negative result and won this semifinal. The last set began with Argentina-Uruguay down 25 IMPs and produced a lot of swings. With three boards to play, and with the South American team 7 IMPs behind, Felipe Ferro-Alejandro Scanavino bid and made a grand slam that swung the match in their favour. The remaining boards added more IMPs and the match finished 134-104 in favour of the South Americans. The last set was not for heart patients and board 30 was a luxury not often seen.
Board 30. Dealer East. Neither Vul.
|
|
J 9 5
10 9 5
K J 4|
|
|
|
|
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Agica |
Garcia Da Rosa |
Nistor |
Crusizio |
|
|
1 |
Pass |
|
| 1NT |
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
|
3 |
Pass |
4 |
The End |
Agica began with one no trump in order to later show an invitational hand with spade support. Nistor didn’t think his hand deserved a slam invitation and closed proceedings with four spades. He made all 13 tricks. The bidding in the other room was very different…
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Ferro |
Drijver |
Scanavino |
Wackwitz |
|
|
Paso |
1 |
Paso |
| 31 |
Paso |
3 |
Paso |
| 43 |
Paso |
4 |
Paso |
| 4NT5 | Paso |
5 |
Paso |
|
5 |
Paso |
6 |
Paso |
|
7 |
fin |
1. 3 or 4 spades and an invitational hand
2. Game force
3. Club shortage
4. Heart control, denies diamond control
5. RKCB
6. 3 Key Cards
7. Asks for the trump queen
8. I have it and the king doubleton or king-queen third of hearts.
Once Scanavino confirmed they were going to play game, Ferro began slam exploration. First he informed partner about the club shortage, and when he saw four hearts, he knew that his partner didn’t have club wastage, and that he had heart control but no diamond control. Ferro continued by asking about key cards, promising diamond control. The three-key-card answer was evidently the ace-king of spades and the ace of clubs, so he continued by asking for the queen of spades, telling his partner they had all five key cards. Scanavino confirmed the spade queen and third-round heart control (he had already promised the king). Now Ferro could count to 13 and contracted for the grand slam, not concerned about their combined 25 HP. A jewel.
The lead was a trump; declarer only had to draw trumps and play on hearts…for a well-deserved 1510.