This year with my partner Joaquin Pacareu we played in the 2013 Atlanta NABC as part of the d’Orsi team:
Ernesto d’Orsi – Mauricio Figueiredo – Miguel Villas-Boas – Joao Paulo Campos, Sao Paulo Brasil; Benjamin Robles y Joaquin Pacareu, Santiago Chile.
We signed for a Swiss Team event, and in one of the matchs we had to play against Kit Woolsey & Fred Stewart, this is one of the boards we played:
IMPS, Dealer Norte, E/W Vul
White against red I received the following cards:
 8 7 4 3 |
 A 8 2 |
 3 |
 A J 10 8 4 |
| The Bidding | |||
| Pacareu | Stewart | Robles | Woolsey |
| NORTH | EAST | SOUTH | WEST |
| 1* |
2** |
Doblo | Pass*** |
| 3**** |
Pass | 4**** |
Pass |
| 4***** |
Pass | 4***** |
Pass |
| 4***** |
Pass | 4NT****** | Pass |
| 6 |
Pass | Pass | Pass |
| * | Can be 2 cards |
| ** | Weak |
| *** | 3 o 4 seconds Tempo |
| **** | Naturale No Forcing |
| ***** | Cue Bids |
| ****** | Last train |
Joaquin Pacareu opened 1 (could be short) in a seat where we open all 11’s and some good 9-10 hcp hands. Stewart overcalled 2 and I made the normal double.
Now West, Kit Woolsey took maybe 3 or 4 seconds and then passed which suggested to me that he had the full spade suit. My partner, Joaquin, rebid 3 natural non forcing and now I took some seconds to consider my next move.
There are many hands in which we wouldn’t even make 3, like if partner had: Jxx xx KQ KQxxxx, but in that case the opponents are cold for game in a major suit, so I finally raised to 4 to see what happens, again natural and invitational to game.
Over 4 my partner bid 4, cue bid and accepting at least to play game. My hand became really strong now and with partner having at most 1 spade card, slam should be pretty close. I cue bid 4 and my partner now cue bid 4 spades confirming a real hand.
On a rainy day partner might have: Kx Axxx void Kxxxxxx and we would be cold for 7 but those hands only cross one’s head and never really happen in the table.
I decided I had bid enough and couldn’t go by myself so I bid 4NT last train and partner signed off in 6 clubs. Stewart only asked if 4 clubs was forcing after seeing this weird auction and we both replied, natural and not forcing laughing. He lead the heart king and I noticed my partner wasn’t very happy with the dummy as his hand was:
| —- |
| 10 9 4 3 |
| A K 4 |
| K Q 9 7 5 2 |
Stewart had bid 2 vulnerable so it looked like a claimer for down 1 with the A being ruffed. But… of hearts held as Stewart had only 5 hearts! +920 meant 11 imps for our team during the swiss.