Report on the match Olgiata V RAC 11 October 2014

Our good friends from Rome arrived for the annual match on Sunday 11 October.

Our team was Marina and Ross, David and Andrew, Tony and Paul, Terry Smith suffered from a nasty tooth ache and Pamela stood in for him with Anthony Simmonds. The match was played over 40 boards in flights of ten such that all pairs played each other.

The Italians were playing essentially big club systems and a variety of two bids. I exhorted my four (David & Andrew) to pre-empt as much as possible and to interfere over an opening 1C whenever they could. The first 20 boards decided the match. RAC turned round down -135 imps. (Until records arrive I will not comment).

At half time Paul and I with nothing to lose decided we would go all out on an aggressive policy. On B21 I speculated in 6S but went three down with 3-0 trumps and a 5-2 side suit break -14. However 10 came back immediately when they held:

S AQ6 S.J97

H.10632 H.AQ9

D.105 D.93

C.KQ64 C. AJ982 East dealt at Game All and opened a “nebulous 1D” forced by their system and got a 1H response. I came in with 4D and E with a big problem bid 4H running into a 5-1 trump break. We then were on our own bidding 6H with.

S.K S.1087

H.AKJ653 H.Q10

D.A65 D.KJ732

C.AQ5 C.K73

Paul got a club lead, drew trumps and took the D finesse losing to the doubleton Q. -13imps. One of the features in our room was our joint inability to take a winning finesse all day!

Deep finesse who has never lost to a Qx says it is a make. Is there a legitimate line for mortals like you and me? Yes win the club and delay the D decision until the last minute. Going one extra down does not matter. So when you cash 6 trumps you find N has 4 throw 2 D from dummy. You cash three clubs ending in hand and N has 2. In the meanwhile he has had to discard 3 S the last one being the Q.

We are down to: We think:

SA. H. none. D. XXX.C.none

S.K. H.none D.A85 C.none S.10 H.none. D.KJ7 C.none

S. J H.none D.xx C.10.

The missing D are Q10964 where are they? Obviously the odds are 3-2 on N.

We exit with KS and N leads 10D covered with the J,Q and won with the A now Dec in desperation finesses the 7D in Dummy Wins!

Not so easy but can be done.

On B25 they held. S.J86 H.KQ6 D.K. C.AKJ763 opposite dealer’s S.104. HA4 D.A109853 C.Q102. The opened 1D (could be anything) then 1H (no 4 card major) and I came in with IS note how difficult this makes their biding with no genuine suit announced. They bid 2D and Paul jammed the works with 3S – 4C- 5C now W decided that his partner must have a single S and bid 6C. We cashed the first two tricks. I had overcalled with only 4 S. +12.

We played the last 10 boards against their best pair and continued our aggression. We notched up another 38 Imps but a nail in the coffin was another slam on B 33.

They held S.AK432 H.K D.KJ86 C.KQ9 opposite S.Q9 H.AQ103 D.A532 C.876 They went to 6D and got the lead of a small H to the single K. When they played A and another D up came the Q and it was simple to draw trumps and ruff a S to set up the suit. Unfortunately in the other room the inferior 6NT was bid and although it can be made with difficulty, it was not .- 14. Our four did however win over its 20 second half Boards.