Quarterfinals Part 1 - Slam or Scam?

In the third quarter of the quarterfinal, the second board carried significant weight. 

North-South, despite holding barely half the high-card points in the deck, were cold for 6♠. Five of the eight pairs hit the bullseye, though the path to slam was unclear. 

How did they do it? Let’s break down the hands and the auctions. 

Bianchi vs Knottenbelt:

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Porta	Norton	Bianchi	Tommasini
		P	P
1NT (1)	X (2)	2♣	3♠
P	4♣	X	4♦
5♣	6♦	P	6♠
AP

1) 10-13 HCP

2) Values

Stefano Tommasini

Once Tommasini jumped to 3♠, Ben Norton realized the slam might be possible. He cuebid 4♣, prompting his partner to cuebid 4♦. Despite Federico Porta’s 5♣ overcall following the double of 4♣, Norton suggested 6♦ as a tentative playing spot. Tommasini then corrected to 6♠, unwilling to play in 6♦ with only a singleton ♦. The slam was easily made: Porta’s 1NT opening marked him with the ♦K, a fact made even clearer after Sergio Bianchi’s direct double over 4♣.

Fortunately, for the Bianchi Team, the same result was mirrored in the closed room. The auction there went as follows:

West	North	East	South
Nijssen	Birman	Van de Paverd	Padon
		P	2♠
P	4♣ (1)	X	P (2)
P	XX (3)	P	4♥ (4)
P	6♠	AP

After his partner’s unfavorable preempt, Alon Birman initiated a keycard ask with 4♣. When Van de Paverd doubled and it came back to Birman, he continued probing. Once Dror Padon confirmed one keycard, Birman enthusiastically jumped to 6♠, locking in the slam. 

Nijssen led the ♣Q, followed by another club, but even without taking the finesse, Padon was able to establish the diamond suit and bring home 12 tricks. The resulting +1430 produced a push board in the match.

Photo credits: European Bridge League (Facebook)

Here’s a glimpse at how the other matches approached this board:

De Botton vs HOBAA:

West	North	East	South
Chiu	Malinowski	Sze	Erichsen
		P	P
1♣ (1)	X	1♦ (2)	4♠
P	6♠	AP

Dyson vs Eler:

West	North	East	South
Crouch	Serdar	Dyson	Suzer
		1♣ (1)	P
1♦ (2)	2♦	2♥	P
P	X	P	4♠
AP

For both auctions:

1) 2+♣

2) 4+♥

Dyson’s light 1♣ opening with only 9 HCP immediately clouded the auction, and Serdar’s straightforward 2♦ overcall further jeopardized North-South’s slam ambitions. 

Serdar attempted to recover with a double of 2♥, but North-South ultimately settled for 4♠, as neither side could envision the cold slam. Perhaps Dyson’s 1♣ opening may have led Serdar to undervalue his hand, as several of his honors lay under the opening bidder’s presumed strength.