The Last Leg of the USA 2 Senior Quarterfinals – could it get more exciting than this

This is a very tight match and with nine boards to go Kasle leads Larsen by 13 imps.  I find this all compelling.  The bridge is good and it is exciting.  As you may be aware the blog site has been down for support so all of these blogs are going to get posted in one fell swoop.  Woosh.  I hope you enjoy them anyway.  This is an interesting board which demonstrates the fun.

Getting to 4S on this board was not easy by Schermer and Chambers of the Kasle team demonstrated how.

Schermer

S AK

H K

D 98654

C AKJ86

Chambers

S 986432

H A1098

D Q3

C 9

 

Chambers	Schermer
pass	1D
1S	2C
2H	3S
4S

 

Board 54 is another bidding challenge.  Red on white you have

West

S A7

H 10

D QJ10872

C 9653

 

Do you like an opening bid of 2D?  Smith opened 2D for Kasle and ended in 3D  But in the Open Room Ca Chambers passed and Bramley opened 1C in third chair.  The auction proceeded

Bramley	Schermer	Stansby	Chambers
		pass	pass
1C	1H	2D	4H
5C	double	all pass

 

Bramley has:

West

S J82

H 763

D A6

C AKQ72

 

He certainly made a “big” bid when he bid 5C and it works,  13 imps.  On to Board 55 with Kasle holding a 6 imp lead.  But Bramley and Stansby are going for a vulnerable number.    

Schermer opened 1H in third chair.  Chambers bid 2D. 

Bramley held:

S Q9852

H 4

D A97

C KJ107

 

Do you think Bramley should enter this auction vulnerable?  I confess I have done the same thing from time to time.  Bidding double leads to –800.   Overcalling spades works better.  For one thing the level is one lower and for another the 5-2 plays better than the 4-3.  This whole fiasco ends up in 15 imps.  That might spell the end of Larsen’s run.  We will see.   There are still five boards to go and 21 imps difference.  Board 56 has come up and we see Larsen has a good result and in the end wins back 9 imps to trail by12 imp.  Interesting, there are two good results for Larsen on Board 57 and Board 58.  I am definitely not leaving my BBO seat now. 

Larsen wins 6 on Board 57 when they do not bid a nonvulnerable game which is on a finesse which loses while Kasle did bid the game in the closed room.   Now Larsen has a chance to pick up 10 imps and the lead for the first time in the match.  It’s up to Stansby.  He hold

S J9754

H 9865

D 43

C AQ

 

With everyone vulnerable his partner opens 1S and his RHO doubles.  He did bid 4S.  Bramley has

S Q10862

H AK

D A975

C 93

The 5-5 spade fit and the quick tricks make this a good vulnerable game.  With the club finesse onside it’s there.  And the lead changes hands, Larsen is now leading by 4 as we start Board 59 of 60.   Board 59 turns out to be a swing board.  There was an accident in the Open Room.  Kasle got to a strange 4D contract.  Bramley-Stansby are in an aggressive 3NT.  It will be touch and go and will likely decide the match.

Here is the layout.  You decide if you want to play or defend.

	Schermer
	S J854
	H KJ
	D QJ42
Bramley	C J75	Stansby
S Q32		S A1076
H 92		H A8653
D A876		D K109
C KQ109	Chambers	C 3
	S K9
	H Q1074
	D 53
	C A8642

 

Bramley got the lead of the S5 which went to the S6, a surprising S9 and the SQ.  A diamond to the D10 might work well now but Bramley tries a heart.  Schermer plays the HJ and Bramley will duck.  Schermer finds a spade back.  That’s not giving anything away.  .  Bramley ducks the spade to the SK and now Chambers returns a heart and Bramley won the ace.  Bramley can’t make it from here.  Down 1.   The last board is flat and Larsen loses the match by 1.  That’s even less than my normal losing score when I play critical matches.  Of course this score is unofficial.