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2nd World Youth Bridge Congress, Opatija, Croatia – 2011, August 21 -30. In a match that will surely make history in the Argentine-Uruguayan youth bridge, 4 junior masters from South America, showing a great courage, overcame a negative result and won the semi-final to a very powerful Dutch-Romanian team.
The last set that begun with the ARG- URU team losing 25 IMPs, produced a lot of swings, but with 3 hands to play, and with the southamerican team only 7 IMPs behind, Felipe Ferro-Alejandro Scanavino bidded and made a Grand Slam that unbalanced the match in their favor, the rest of the boards added more IMPs and the match finished:ARG- URU 134 – NED Rum 104.
“A Big Bull in an unknown Rodeo”
“I am a bull in my rodeo
and a big bull in an unknown rodeo;
I always think of myself as very good
and if you want to try me,
let others sing
and we will see who is less”
With this very well known Martin Fierro’s poem by the great Argentine poet José Hernandez, we describe the excellent South American performance in the semifinal. The last set ARG URU vs NED RUM, was not for heart patients and board 30 was a luxury not often seen.
Hand # 30: Dealer: East Vul: None
Open Room:
Agica begun with 1NT to show later his inviting hand with spade support. Nistor didn’t think his hand deserved a slam invitation and closed the game in 4♠. He made 13 tricks.
Very different was the other room bidding sequence:
1: 3 or 4 spades cards and an inviting hand
2: Game Force
3: Club shortage
4: Heart control, denies diamond control
5: RKCB
6: 3 Key cards
7: Asks for the trump`s queen
8: I have it and ♥K x or ♥ K Q x
Once Alejandro confirmed they were going to play game, Felipe begun the slam exploration. First of all he informed partner about his short club suit, and when he heard 4♥, he knew that his partner didn’t have club waste, that he had heart control but no diamond control.
Ferro continued asking keycards, this bid shows diamond control. The 3 keycards answer, was exactly the same as if Alejandro had said in a loud voice: I have ♠A, ♥K and ♣A, so he continued asking for the ♠Q, telling his partner they had together the 5 keycards.
Scanavino confirmed the ♠ Q and showed he had ♥K x or ♥K Q x. Now Felipe could count to 13 and declared the Grand Slam, he not even matter about their combined 25 HP. A JEWEL.
The lead was a trump, declarer only had to play trumps and hearts… for a well deserved 1510 and the match lead…
This is the same couple that declared another Grand Slam in the Quarter Finals, a partnership who doesn’t know the meaning of the word fear when they have to take hard decisions, and that deserves all our admiration.
***
by Ana Roth & Fernando Lema