Montecarlo 2 by Maurizio di Sacco

1st European Winter Games: Results and Bulletins

Montecarlo, February 8, 2016

Lavazza, fourth after the Swiss, was the last team to have the chance to choose its opponents in the round of sixteen, and picked Vinciguerra.

In the first of the three segments, the French started well, but Lavazza struck back immediately, and ended up with a commanding lead.

Bd: 1, Dlr: North – Vul: None

	10 9 8  9 7 5   A 10 9 7   J 3 2
K J 3   10 6 3  Q J 6 5  10 7 4		4  A Q J 2  K 8 4 3 2 K Q 8
	A Q 7 6 5 2  K 8 4  —   A 9 6 5

Open Room:

West	North	East	South
Vinciguerra	Madala	Bompis	Bianchedi
—	Pass	1	1
1NT	2	Double	Pass
3	Pass	Pass	3
Pass	Pass	Pass

Closed Room:

West	North	East	South
Bilde	M. Bessis	Bocchi	Levy
—	Pass	1	1
3	Pass	Pass	Double
Pass	3	4	Pass
Pass	Double	End

While Vinciguerra opted for 1NT, Bilde preempted to three diamonds, and the auction timed up differently. However, the swing was caused mostly by other factors, since it is difficult to argue with Bocchi’s final decision. He was extremely unlucky to find out that his partner had two spade tricks, as well as that diamonds were 4-0. The combination of the two gave 8 IMPs to Vinciguerra, but they were immediately recovered with some interest.

Bd: 2, Dlr: East – Vul: NS

	10 8  —  K 10 9 7 3  A K J 7 5 2
A K Q 6   Q 5  A J 5 4  Q 9 6		9 7 2  A 10 8 6 4 3  Q 8  8 4
	J 5 4 3  K J 9 7 2  6 2   10 3

Open Room:

West	North	East	South
Vinciguerra	Madala	Bompis	Bianchedi
—	—	Pass	Pass
1	2	2	Pass
2NT	Pass	Pass	Pass

Closed Room:

West	North	East	South
Bilde	M. Bessis	Bocchi	Levy
—	—	2	Pass
4	4NT	Pass	5
Double	Pass	Pass	Pass

The French pair in the closed room still adopts the tradition style of their country on matters of weak two openings, and was punished for this choice by, once more, a pure random combination of events. Bessis had little choice than to overcall, but this proved to be very wrong. 13 to Lavazza.

After the Italy based team had scored five more points, more came in, but this time not randomly.

Bd: 4, Dlr: West – Vul: Both

	J 10 8 4  A J 7 3  6  A Q 8 2
—  K 10 9 5  J 9 4 2  10 9 7 4 3		A K Q 7 6 2  Q 6  A K 3  J 5
	9 5 3  8 4 2  Q 10 8 7 5  K 6

Open Room:

West	North	East	South
Vinciguerra	Madala	Bompis	Bianchedi
Pass	1	Double	Pass
1	Pass	2	End

Closed Room:

West	North	East	South
Bilde	M. Bessis	Bocchi	Levy
Pass	1	Double	Pass
1	Pass	2	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	End

Something went terribly wrong in the carding of Bessis-Levy, because three no-trump, which looks just as an impossible contract, was allowed to make.

The heart lead went to West’s nine, who played a club. North won it, and gave away a trick that proved to be fatal when he continued with A and another heart into Bilde’s tenace (spade from dummy). Now the Danish cashed the K ditching dummy’s J, and played a diamond to dummy’s ace, followed by three rounds of spades, leaving:

	J       A 8 2
—    J    10 9 3		7 6     K 3
	Q 10 8   K

On the 7 Levy desperately threw the K to avoid the impending endplay, but was not good enough. 10 to Lavazza.

Three flat boards later, Bocchi earned 4 IMP to his team with a great defense, proving that the champions are such even when little is at stake.

Bd: 8, Dlr: West – Vul: None

	A Q 10  9 3  Q 10 8 5 4 3  K 4
J 8 7  Q 10 6 5 4  A 6 2  Q 10		K 9 4  K J  K J 9  J 7 6 5 3
	6 5 3 2  A 8 7 2  7  A 9 8 2

Against the same contract of two diamonds from North, both East led the 3, and both declarers won and arrived quickly to the same position even though after two different lines.

Agustin Madala won in hand and played a diamond, then won dummy’s A to play a spade to his ten and East’s king. Bompis persisted with a small club, and the contract became unbeatable.

Michel Bessis won in dummy to immediately continue with a spade to his ten, won the club return, and advanced a diamond. In the same situation as his counterpart, Bocchi now played the J and declarer’s goose was cooked.

When he won, and followed with a spade to the queen and a second diamond, East won, cashed the K and only now played a further round club. Bilde promptly cooperated ruffing with the A: -1.

After a push, Lavazza struck another big blow.

Bd: 10, Dlr: East – Vul: Both

	A K 8 3 2  10 5 2  3 2  Q 5 3
J 10 9 6 5 4  Q J 9  J 4  K 7		Q  K 6 4 3  Q 10 9 8  10 8 6 2
	7  A 8 7   A K 7 6 5  A J 9 4

Over the identical one diamond opening, both West made the normal one spade overcall, but whilst Bessis decided to bid 1NT, taking Bilde off the hook, Madala went for penalty, passing that and passing again his partner’s reopening double. The defenders didn’t slip any trick in both rooms, and 3NT-2 combined beautifully with 1 X -2 for a 12 IMP pick up.

Long after the first board, Vinciguerra scored again: 2 IMP for a better partial, but then Lavazza added 5 IMP first, thank to another carding misunderstanding of Bessis-Levy, then 11 in a rather bizarre way.

Bd: 13, Dlr: Nord – Vul: Both

	A J 5 2  K Q 9 5  7 4  10 7 5
3  A 10 6 4  Q J 10 9 3 2  Q 3		Q 9  J 3  A 8 6  A K J 8 6 2
	K 10 8 7 6 4  8 7 2  K 5  9 4

In the closed room, Bessis-Levy had some hope to have generated a good pick up for their team when Alain Levy found the spade lead against Bocchi’s five diamonds, and Bessis won and tabled one of his heart honour, but it happened quite the opposite. Bompis-Vinciguerra ended up in the dreadful spot of 3NT, and to rub some salt into the wound Bianchedi did not immediately led a spade. He chose a heart instead, and Bompis obviously won that and finessed in diamonds. The roof fell in: -6.

Lavazza was leading 60-10 with six boards to go, but there was some more to come. Vinciguerra scored two IMP thank to one under-trick less, followed by two flat boards, but then two more punches hit the French team.

First, another defensive slip allowed a contract to make: this time four spades, for a loss of 10 IMP, then, after two pushes cause a normal looking 3NT that was missed, for 7 IMP to Lavazza.

With the margin in the range of 65 IMP, Vinciguerra finally got a significant pick up on the very last board.

Bd: 20, Dlr: West – Vul: Both

	A 9 5  4  A 10 8 7 3  10 8 5 4
K 10 6 3 2  K  K J 6 2  9 7 2		Q 8  A Q 9 6 3 2  9  A K Q 3
	J 7 4  J 10 8 7 5  Q 5 4  J 6

3NT was the contract in both rooms, but a system’s difference placed it in East where Bocchi was the declarer, whereas was played by West, Vinciguerra, in the other room.

Alain Levy led a small diamond, and declarer didn’t find his way home. He ducked in dummy to North’s ten, and won with the king Bessis’s continuation. Bocchi  moved a spade to his queen, then pondered for a while. Afraid of a bad position of the spade honours and uncertain about the diamond situation, the Italian champions just tried to cash out and ended up down one.

Madala also led a diamond, to declarer’s king this time, but West followed up with a spade to the queen and a further spade finessing the ten. When Madala ducked it, he simply cashed out and won 12 IMP.