Who is Doing The Swinging?

The Transnational Teams is hardly a world event in the same way as the Bermuda Bowl.  Nevertheless there are quite a few top players in the event and it is pretty hard to win.  The two teams playing in the final did give a hint of their nationality in the names they chose:

Australia Open and Israel Junior.

The all Australia team included:

George BILSKI

Nabil EDGTTON

John Paul GOSNEY

Hugh GROSVENOR

Sartaj HANS

Tony NUNN

All but Bilski were part of the Australian Bermuda Bowl team which finished eleventh and out of the playoffs.

Israel Juniors was an all Israel team and included

Alon BIRMAN

Lotan FISHER

Gal GERSTNER

Moshe MEYUCHAS

Dror PADON

Ron SCHWARTZ

The team from Israel did include any members of the Bermuda Bowl team who had a fine fourth place finish but lost to USA 1 in the quarterfinals.  If you click on the names of the Israeli team players you will find that they indeed are juniors and it is a pleasure to see their young faces as winners of a major international event open to all.

At the end of the second of two segments the Israel Juniors were leading by 48 imps and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some swinging by the Australian team.    Teams from down under are known to have a few tricks up their sleeve.  85 imps were exchanged in the last 16 boards but not enough of them belonged to Australia.

The biggest swing was 15 imps won by Australia on Board 25.  Parts of this deal are rated XXX and are not suited for new players or anybody who has recently eaten.

Dealer: Vul:	Schwartz ♠ K93 ♥ KQ106 ♦ AK9 ♣ J105
Hans ♠ 8 ♥ 532 ♦ QJ10864 ♣ 983		Nunn ♠ 5 ♥ A874 ♦ 532 ♣ AQ642
	Fisher ♠ AQJ107642 ♥ J9 ♦ 7 ♣ K7

In the Closed Room the Israel Juniors North. Schwartz  opened 1NT.  East, Nunn doubled showing a four card major and a five card minor.  South, Fisher bid 4♥ transfer and when Schwartz bid 4♠ he made an aggressive decision.  He took a chance his partner had a heart control and a control rich hand and bid keycard.  However he next made one of the most aggressive decisions I have seen in a while.  He decided to bid a spade slam knowing they were off two keycards.  He did this knowing they had a big lead playing the last of 16 boards in a major championship.  Perhaps he did this for tactical reasons assuming that Australia would do the same.

He could only hope that one of them was the onside ♠ K (and as mentioned before partner had a heart control).   Alas Nunn had two aces.  The Israel Juniors could expect this board to be a loss.  In the Open Room the Israel Juniors lost the board in a more spectacular way.

Padon	Gosney	Birman	Edgtton
—	1♣	pass	1♥
pass	1♠	pass	2♦
DBL	2♥	3♦	3♠
pass	4♠	DBL

1♣ showed 2 or more clubs and 13 or more points if balanced and 1♥ showed 4 plus spades and 1S normally showed three card spade support.  2♦ was artificial and game forcing.  DBL showed diamonds which should be for the lead in my opinion (he didn’t overcall 1♥ and he was unlikely to be suggesting a save at this vulnerability) and 2♥ was natural.  Birman had a decent hand with some diamonds although vulnerable against not into a game forcing auction one might argue that 3♦ was aggressive.  3♠ sets the suit and asks for a cuebid.  4♠ was a signoff if Edgtton didn’t have a lot extra.  Gosney didn’t like his top diamonds in view of the east-west bidding.  At this crucial moment when Edgtton was probably thinking about whether it was worth one more try for slam Birman doubled.  I assume he expected more from his partner but I still find the double inexplicable.  Now a lot of time when you make these type of “exploratory” penalty doubles you can more or less get away with it.  Even if they make game it isn’t terrible.  However Edgtton who had a very good hand for the auction and needed some imps, sent it back.  Vulnerable against not there was no place to go.  The score for 4♠ redoubled with an overtrick, not vulnerable is 1080, worth more than the slam.

But the boys from down under didn’t disappoint.  They could bid aggressively too as shown in the final board of the match.  Hans and Nunn bid to a heart slam in 3 bids.  Not only that but it was a good slam and it was missed at the other table.  Ready, aim …. shot

Dealer: Vul:	Schwartz ♠ A42 ♥ J ♦ K8654 ♣ Q9663
Hans ♠ K87 ♥ K632 ♦ 3 ♣ KJ874		Nunn ♠ QJ96 ♥ A109875 ♦ AJ9 ♣ –
	Fisher ♠ 1053 ♥ Q4 ♦ Q1072 ♣ A1052

West and North passed and then Nunn opened 1♥ .  Hans bid 4♦ and Nunn’s closed proceedings with 6♥ .  Well done or maybe he was just ready for a Foster’s.

Well done to the young men from Israel and congratulations to the Australian team who won a silver ribbon.

The Results of the Master Point Press pick the winners contest will be announced Tuesday.