European Championships (2)

There's a temptation in sports reporting to, metaphorically, 'pull punches'. It happens on television where ex-professionals are loathe to condemn the play of stars having an off day, players they may well know personally. Closer to home, it seems unfair to emphasise the howlers perpetrated by those who are only there as amateurs or because they like the game. Thus I've always tried to delicately step round blunders made in local games, or at least balance them with compliments. However, once we get to the rarefied heights of those playing for their country, well, I think it's open season.

So, with the recent European Championships dominated by Italy, it's reassuring to see their frailties exposed – from time to time at least. Let's look at a deal from the match between Italy and Poland:

Game All
Dealer East
  • ---
  • KJ94
  • 8642
  • 107643
  • AQ2
  • Q107
  • AQ10753
  • 5
N
W
E
S
  • J85
  • A832
  • ---
  • KQJ982
  • K1097643
  • 65
  • KJ9
  • A
West
North
East
South
Bocchi
Tuszynski
Duboin
Kowlaski
—
—
1
1
2*
Pass
3
Pass
3NT
All Pass

The contract was reasonable enough and reached in the other room too. West's 2♠ showed diamonds but thereafter the auction was natural. North started with his lowest heart, won by declarer with the seven. A club to the king lost and South returned his last heart, ten, knave, ace. A top club revealed the bad news; West took the marked spade finesse, North pitching a club. Bocchi exited with a heart and North cashed the king and the nine. Well, to emphasise our smugness, let's have a diagram.

  • ---
  • ---
  • 8642
  • 106
  • A
  • ---
  • AQ1075
  • --
N
W
E
S
  • J8
  • ---
  • ---
  • J982
  • K109
  • ---
  • KJ9
  • ---

West needed five tricks and the defence two. Fatefully, declarer had thrown his 'useless' spade deuce on the fourth heart. North had to lead a diamond to the king and ace. Next, when the queen was cashed, South produced the nine; had he started with KJ9 or K98? In the first case it was right to play a low diamond, in the second the ten. Bocchi guessed wrong or we wouldn't be rubbing our hands. Consider now if he had kept a low spade rather the five of diamonds. He could then afford to lead low on the third diamond; South was welcome to win with the eight spot if he had it but he would be endplayed, forced to empower the spade knave and give an entry back to dummy.

Well I expect you all saw that and we can all reflect that though they be professionals and grandmasters, they all make mistakes.

Published Saturday 9.Sep.2006