Rayner Triumphs in fifth round match

I was lucky enough to be doing commentary when the Rayner team played the Lavazza team, Italian World Champions.  The Italians were not having a good match but the Canadians shone.  I mean they glowed and twinkled!  In the end Rayner won 71-19 imps to take all the victory points and send the Italians minus with the final victory points 25 for Rayner and 4 for Lavazza.  This win was enough to vault Rayner into first place in their division with 97 victory points and a 1 VP lead over China Open.   Here are all the standings in Group D after the fifth round.

Rank	VP	Team		VP		IMP		Brds		Opp
1	97	Rayner		25	4	71	19	16		Lavazza
2	96	China Open		20	10	40	18	14		St Clai
3	92	Alizee		16	14	44	38	13		Cortex
4	87	Lavazza		4	25	19	71	16		Rayner
5	84	D’Orsi		13	15	36	47	16		Itaven
6	81	Kahn		25	2	71	9	15		Himani
7	75	Cortex		14	16	38	44	13		Alizee
8	48	St Clair		10	20	18	40	14		China O
9	43	Itaven		15	13	47	36	16		D’Orsi
10	37	Himani		2	25	9	71	15		Kahn

So now I do have to talk about this wonderful match.  Here goes:

Board 3 was the first big swing hand

Dealer: South Vul: EW	North ♠ AQ864 ♥ AKQJ83 ♦ 7 ♣ 6
West ♠ KJ3 ♥ 94 ♦ J108432 ♣ Q4		East ♠ 10752 ♥ 5 ♦ Q6 ♣ K109872
	South ♠ 9 ♥ 10762 ♦ AK95 ♣ AJ53

The quest here is to get to the grand slam.   It is quite a good one although it is definitely not a claim at trick one.   Both pairs started out the same

Bocchi  (North) simply bid keycard Blackwood and when he found out his partner had AK of diamonds and the CA he was certain from the bidding he could not also hold the SK.  He thought that the grand would be risky without that keycard and gave up in 6H.  But Hargreaves found another solution to the bidding problem.  He started with 2S a help suit game try.  When McAvoy jumped to 4H he knew he had help in spades.  When he found out they had all the keycards he jumped to 7H.  Bridge if an easy game.  Rayner started off with 11 imps.

On Board 6 both pairs reached 4H on the same auction.  Here it was about play and defense.

Dealer:East Vul: EW	North ♠ KJ87 ♥ A86 ♦ J852 ♣ A3
West ♠ AQ10643 ♥ Q ♦ Q10 ♣ Q762		East ♠ 5 ♥ 7543 ♦ 7643 ♣ K1098
	South ♠ 92 ♥ KJ1092 ♦ AK9 ♣ J54

The bidding

The opening lead was a small club at both tables and both declarers ducked the club, the CK winning.  In the CR Sementa returned a spade and Duboin won the SA.  Duboin continued a spade ruffed by Sementa.  When Sementa returned a small diamond McAvoy rose on the DA.  He played a heart to dummy and cashed the CA.  If he could score the SK and a club ruff then he was home.  He played a diamond to the DK and when the DQ dropped he could ruff a club and claim.  The play started off the same way in the OR but here Baxter returned a club when in on the CA.  Without the club from the diamond play Ferraro decided to play for the double diamond finesse.  When the DJ lost to the DQ he was down.

The Rayner team made few errors and played aggressively and it was thus that they top home all the VP.