Sanya 2014: Will Lavazza Win? by Micke Melander

Tuesday October 21 2014

The Rosenblum Cup

This article was published in the dauly Bulletin of today.

One of the favorites to go far in this year’s edition of the Rosenblum Cup and be a competitor for the medals is
certainly LAVAZZA (as always). The Lavazza team is lined up with its team members Bocchi, Duboin and Madala. But the captain Maria Teresa Lavazza has brought in Bianchedi and Muzzio from Argentina and the team is also additionally reinforced by Zia Mahmood.

In Round 7 of the qualification, LAVAZZA took on YUETAO OF GUANGZHOU from China. Already the first hand gave declarers lots to think about, especially being back playing in teams where safety-play is an issue.

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

How would you play 4, when North leads the K and South has opened the bidding in first seat, vulnerable against not, with a precision 2?

Board 15. Dealer South. N-S Vul.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Ye	Mahmood	Wu
			2
2	Pass	3	Pass
4	Pass	4	The end

When dummy goes down you probably quickly realize that you might have preferred to be in Five Diamonds in
terms of choice of game. However, Four Spades gives you many alternative lines and possible routes to succeed.

Duboin found a nice way of trying to secure his ten tricks. He won the opening lead with the ace of clubs and fired
back the nine of diamonds, which held the trick when everyone played low. Duboin then played the jack of hearts
to break the communication for the defense and open routes for him to get back to hand if necessary. North went up with the queen and gave his partner a ruff in diamonds. South then tried to cash the ace of hearts.

Duboin could now ruff and play ace of trumps and a trump to the king. When the queen fell from South he had eleven tricks. It would have been interesting to see how he would have coped with a club return instead of the ace of hearts.

He can still make his contract though, regardless of what the defense does, but it will certainly create more problems, since he can no longer pull trumps and cash his established diamonds. In the other room the Chinese team
played in Three Spades and just managed to make their contract. 7 IMPs to LAVAZZA.

Board 18. Dealer East. N-S Vul.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Ye	Mahmood	Wu
		1	Pass
1NT	The end

When Zia didn’t find any reason to bid again over 1NT and South didn’t balance E-W were left to play there. This was very wise, when not much was behaving. West was HCPs and three nice tens in his hand.

Ye lead a heart, whereupon Wu won with the ace and returned his four of hearts. Duboin tried the heart finesse,
which lost to North’s queen, he now played a third round of the suit to declarers jack. Since declarer had set up two hearts and already had four winners in the black suits it was just a matter for Duboin where he would be able to get his seventh trick.

South discarded a diamond on the third heart and a club on the fourth. That was all Duboin needed to play a club to the king and a club towards his hand. When South followed with the jack he simply ducked it.

South now shifted to the queen of diamonds, declarer covered and the defense could only get their two tricks in diamonds, which was eight tricks to declarer.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Song	Muzzio	Huang	Bianchedi
		1	Pass
1NT	Pass	2	Pass
3NT	The End

When East was compelled to bid over INT it was enough for West to take a chance at game. Again a heart was lead
to the ace, a heart went back to the jack and queen and a third round followed to declarer’s king on which South
again discarded a diamond.

It would have been interesting to see what South would have discarded if declarer had cashed his last heart, but instead he went for the spades and tried to finesse the jack, which led to a complete disaster. When South now returned a low diamond and declarer decided to play on for the ace of  diamonds being onside, he went up with the king. But when North produced the ace the roof fell in.

North now played back a diamond to the jack which was the fifth trick for the defense! Having defeated the contract, South wanted more, and shifted to the ten of spades. Declarer ducked, whereupon South won and cashed out his last two diamonds, bringing the contract four down!

To beat 3NT legitimately, the defense has shift to diamonds at the second or third trick. When they actually played a third heart, declarer could have played spades from the top instead of finessing at double dummy to bring
home +400.