The Illusionist Reloaded

In the city of Montevideo (ROU) from May 26 to June 3, 2012 was held the IV South American Transnational Bridge Festival, Montevideo 2012. As happens every even year the championship is transnational and is held in two categories: Open and Ladies. This year the event was categorized by the presence of Norberto Bocchi, WBF World Grand Master, as well as Gabriel Chagas, Marcelo Castello Branco and Roberto Figueira de Mello, all World Champions.

27 teams played the Open category and from the very beginning the  “Silva Neto”  team with: Agustin Madala playing with Diego Brenner, Joao Silva Neto with Amilcar Magalhaes and Eduardo Barcellos with Mauricio Machado, and the team “Robles” consisting of Joaquin Pacareu – Benjamin Robles, Jose Manuel Robles – Marcelo Caracci and Roberto Garcia disputed the first position in the Swiss, missing two hands and with a green flag at last the Robles team, finished first.

The third and last day of the qualifying stage several powerful teams were fighting for the third and fourth position, finally the “d’Orsi” team: Marcelo Castello Branco and Roberto Barbosa (this partnership won the butler), Miguel Villas Boas and Joao Paulo Campos, Ernesto d’Orsi and Mauricio Figueiredo and the Rueda Team: Gabino Alujas – Pablo Ravenna, Leonardo Rizzo – Juan Manuel Rueda, managed to qualify leaving out teams like “Chagas” and “Camberos.”

 In the semifinals the teams met as follows:  Robles vs. d’Orsi and Silva Neto vs Rueda.

After the first 20 boards set d’Orsi team was winning by 41 to 27 IMPs. In the second set Agustin Madala-Diego Brenner were in North / South against Marcelo Branco- Beto Barbosa in West / East, no doubt a confrontation that promised!.

Agustin and Diego, as two skilled killers began the task, the first major swing occurred in the board 20 where Madala-Brenner declared a  slam in spades and received 12 IMPs for their team.

Missing two hands the score was 77 to 10 for Silva Neto when the board 31 hit the table, and Agustin used once again his magic wand:

  Nothing to say about the auction.

 The lead was the ♥A. Agustin won the trick and switched to club, the dummy played the ♣10 and Diego won the second trick with his ♣K.

Diego returned a heart, Branco ruffed with the ♠8, but the magician had mounted his act and played the ♥K !

Now, please sit in Marcelo’s chair…, if he played the double trump finesse and lost the hand to South (the dangerous hand) Brenner would be able to return a heart to give his partner a ruff; so Marcelo played the ♠A, Brenner played the ♣3 and  the declarer couldnt avoid losing two trump tricks, for one down.

The four hands were: