Brazil: d'Orsi Senior Bowl Quarterfinal
As mentioned at the end of last week's article, the World Championships are in full swing down in Brazil. England is represented only in the d'Orsi Senior Bowl and the team includes Suffolk captain David Price playing with his regular partner in international events, Londoner Colin Simpson.
I am pleased to say that as at time of writing, the team is doing very well. They finished top of the all-play-all qualifier and so had the right to select their opponents in the quarterfinals. They chose Egypt and a tense match ensued, England emerging winners by a single IMP. Halfway in the semi-final they tare slightly behind to Indonesia. You can follow the action (results, bulletins and links to live coverage) from http://www.worldbridge.org/tourn/SaoPaulo.09/SaoPaulo.htm.
The dénouement of the quarterfinal was nerve-wracking: England took a lead of 11 IMPs into the last 16 of the 96 deals, these were the last two.
| Love All Dealer South | ♠ 92 | ||
| ♥ AQ875 | |||
| ♦ 1087 | |||
| ♣ 1053 | |||
| ♠ A65 | ♠ KQ1083 | ||
| ♥ K632 | ♥ J10 | ||
| ♦ KJ32 | ♦ Q5 | ||
| ♣ 84 | ♣ A972 | ||
| ♠ J74 | |||
| ♥ 94 | |||
| ♦ A964 | |||
| ♣ KQJ6 | |||
| West | North | East | South | |
| Ghamrawy | Price | Askalani | Simpson | |
| 1♣ | ||||
| X | 1♥ | 4♠ | End |
These days it is common to find everyone bidding when you have the best hand at the table; east clearly had his leap to game but little play for the contract. South led the club king and stepped in with the diamond ace at trick two to cash a club and play a heart. Two tricks there saw the contract down and a third heart worried declarer. He ruffed high but then didn't pick up trumps; England +100. In the other room:
| West | North | East | South | |
| Holland | Wattar | Hallberg | Kamel | |
| Pass | ||||
| Pass | Pass | 1♠ | Pass | |
| 2♦ | End | |||
…So this was somewhat unusual; three passes then a conservative and by all appearances, unexpected decision not to rebid from east. West kept his cool, north failed to find the club lead (he tried a spade) and England had a rather odd +90 and 5 IMPs. They were ten up with one board left.
| EW Vul. Dealer West | ♠ 109865 | ||
| ♥ AK72 | |||
| ♦ A105 | |||
| ♣ 2 | |||
| ♠ AK2 | ♠ J74 | ||
| ♥ 653 | ♥ Q108 | ||
| ♦ A832 | ♦ K9 | ||
| ♣ AKJ | ♣ Q9873 | ||
| ♠ Q3 | |||
| ♥ J94 | |||
| ♦ J764 | |||
| ♣ 10654 | |||
Price and Simpson defended 3NT – the same contract as at every other table (including Open and Women's) except one. Holland and Hallberg somehow defended two hearts by south. At least they defended well; it takes quite accurate play to hold declarer to five tricks and four is south's due by right. However, they managed to take ten in defence; five down, +250 to go with -660 and a loss of 9 IMPs. A win by one – 'only' down four in two hearts would have forced extra boards – phew!
Published Saturday 12.Sep.2009