♣ Neapolitan Club

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Silvio Sbarigia è romano, farmacista. E’ stato campione d’Europa nel 1975 con il mitico Blue Team; secondo nel 1974 e secondo alle Olimpiadi del 1976. Ci propone dei quesiti che inducono alla riflessione. Il quesito di oggi si intitola “Profondità”: nelle profondità del mare vi sono cose che non possono essere viste nuotando in superficie.

Morto

♠9

♥A75

♦J10854

♣K942

Dichiarante

♠AK2

♥KQJ1096

♦K

♣AJ10

Contratto: 6♥. Ovest era intervenuto a picche e ora attacca con ♠J

Questa mano era la n° 6 delle finali agli Europei Open di Poznan, il 29 giugno 2011. Ci sono undici prese: dove dovrebbe essere trovata la dodicesima? La turca Mine e l’olandese Simons (in finale signore), tentarono l’impasse a fiori, mentre il francese Piganeaù (senior) e l’americano Rodwell (open) s’immersero in più profonde acque. Vinto l’attacco, ambedue giocarono il ♦K; tagliarono il ritorno picche e giocarono di nuovo quadri, tagliando in mano col nove (sembra che Rodwell abbia tagliato col sei, ma forse è un errore dell’operatore di vugraph). ♥6 all’asso e terzo giro a Fiori: la donna cadde, la mano finì.

Questo piano di gioco nasconde le sue bellezze dentro le note.

Supponiamo che la donna di quadri fosse quinta in Est: occorrerebbe un altro rientro al morto per farle l’impasse, e può essere trovato tagliando l’asso di picche! Questo è possibile, tuttavia, solo se le cuori non sono divise 4-0 e alla prima battuta a cuori cade l’otto, altrimenti c’è il rischio che Est possa surtagliare il terzo giro a picche.

Supponiamo adesso, invece, che ambedue gli avversari rispondano al terzo giro di quadri, ma la donna non cada ed un altro taglio a quadri sia impossibile o rischioso. E’ giunto allora il momento di fare impasse alla donna di fiori? O questa mano generosa offre ancora un’altra possibilità? Sì, la offre.

Nuotando verso il fondo, un’analisi ancora più profonda ci mostra che la struttura delle fiori consente una Compressione a Doppio Ingresso, chiamata anche Compressione Invertita, o ancora: Andata e Ritorno. Questi paroloni non significano altro che la minaccia comunicante, qui fiori, ha due carte di testa, una al morto e una in mano: così ci sono due ingressi, uno per ciascun lato. Per coloro che non hanno familiarità con le faccende della compressione, la si prenda come “più facile da realizzare”

Il gioco va come visto sopra. Dopo il terzo giro a quadri – stiamo supponendo che ambedue gli avversari rispondano, ma che la ♦Q non cada – il Dichiarante esaurisce le cuori; sulla carta comprimente Ovest (o Est), è costretto ad abbandonare la donna di quadri o la tenuta a fiori. Si noti che, con le stesse carte ma senza i due ingressi a fiori, la compressione è inutile; lo stesso lettore può verificare cosa accade avendo AKJ in mano e 109 al morto, o, viceversa, avendo AK al morto e J109 in mano.

La foto:  Mar Rosso, Ottobre 2011: un pesce pagliaccio indaga su un anemone di mare. Per gentile concessione del dr. Carlo Zuccarini.

***

29/01/2012

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Silvio Sbarigia is a pharmacist; he was born in Rome and lives there. He has won the European championship in 1975 with legendary Blue Team, runner up at 1974’s and at Olympic games of 1976. His bridge problems aren’t difficult; just we need to think on a plan and to avoid the instinctive playing. Todays’ quiz is called “Depth”: In the depth of the sea there are things that cannot be seen swimming in the surface.

 Dummy

♠9

♥A75

♦J10854

♣K942

Declarer

♠AK2

♥KQJ1096

♦K

♣AJ10

Contract: 6♥. West had overcalled spades and now leads ♠J

This hand was dealt in the board 6^th of the finals of Poznan Open European Championships, on 29^th June of 2011. There are eleven tricks: where should be found the twelfth? The Turkish Mine and the Dutch Simmons (women final) tried the club finesse, whereas the French Piganeaù (senior) and the American Rodwell (open) dived in deeper water. Won the lead, they both played ♦K; on the spade return, they took by ruff on Dummy and played diamond again, ruffing in hand by ♥9 (it looks that Rodwell did it by six, but it’s maybe a mistake of the vugraph operator); ♥6 to ace and third round of club: the queen fell, the hand ended.

This plan hides its beauty inside the notes.

Let’s suppose the diamond queen is fifth in East: it needs another entry in dummy to finessing, and it will be found ruffing the spade ace! However, this is possible only if the hearts break weren’t 4-0 and – and – if in the first draw of hearts the 8 would appear on table, otherwise there is the risk that East could overruff the third round of spade.

Let’s now suppose, instead, that both opponents respond in the third round of diamond; the queen doesn’t appear but another diamond ruff is impossible or unadvisable. Is it already time to finesse the club queen? Or does this generous deal yet offer another chance? Yes, it does.

 Swimming toward the bottom, a deeper analysis shows that the club’s structure allows a Double Entry Squeeze, also called Inverted Squeeze. These jargons means nothing but the communicating menace, here club, has two master cards, one in dummy and one in the hand: so there are two entries, one each side. For those who aren’t acquainted with the squeeze stuff, take this as “easier to do”.

The play goes as seen before. After the third round of diamond – we are supposing that the opponents follow the suit and the ♦Q is still on – the Declarer runs the free suits; on the squeezing card West (or East), has to part with the diamond queen or with the club queen’s guard. Note that, with the same cards but without the two entries in club, the squeeze is useless; the reader himself can verify what happens holding AKJ in hand and 109 in Dummy or, viceversa, holding AK in Dummy and J109 in hand.

Picture: Red Sea, October 2011: a clownfish investigates about an anemone. Courtesy by dr. Carlo Zuccarini.

***

January 28, 2012

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Campionati del Mondo Transnazionali  a squadre Open, Veldhoven (Olanda) 15 – 29 Ottobre 2011. Registrata la squadra Angelini per l’imminente ottava edizione dei Transnazionali:  Fulvio Fantoni – Claudio Nunes, Jeff Mekstroth – Eric Rodwell, Boye Brogeland – Francesco Angelini e Paolo Bove (capitano non giocatore). Read the full story

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 World Transnational Open Team Championship, Veldhoven (The Netherlands) 15-29 October 2011. Francesco Angelini participates in the 8^th Transnational Open Championship with the following line up: Fulvio Fantoni – Claudio Nunes, Jeff Mekstroth – Eric Rodwell, Boye Brogeland – Francesco Angelini and Paolo Bove (not playing captain). Read the full story

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Francesco Angelini, the Italian super sponsor, has hired two of the worlds strongest pairs, Eric Rodwell-Jeff Meckstroth and Fulvio Fantoni-Claudio Nunes, to join his team at the World Championships Transnationals in Veldhoven next month. So far the Veldhoven official website does not reveal the registration of Team Angelini but reliable sources confirm the certainty of the participation of Meckwell and Fantunes in the team as 99 percent. Read the full story

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Eric Rodwell e Jeff Meckstrot  giocheranno insieme a Claudio Nunes e Fulvio Fantoni nella squadra che Francesco Angelini schiererà ai prossimi Campionati del Mondo Transnazionali (Transnational Open Teams, Veldhoven 15-29 Ottobre 2011). A oggi la squadra Angelini non risulta ancora iscritta ai Transnazionali, ma fonti attendibili confermano la notizia al 99%. Read the full story

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Eric Rodwell, editore di Topic Collection, è rimasto affascinato dal “Topic” di Lauria (Topic = Tema, Argomento, ma anche Studio): “Non avevo mai giocato la Gazzilli in parte perché, prima d’ora, non sapevo esattamente come funzionasse. Mi entusiasma che il nostro sito abbia la chiave di una delle più elusive convenzioni per esperti, e così dettagliata!” Read the full story

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Eric Rodwell, editor of the Topic Collection, was intrigued by Lauria’s Topic: “I have never played Gazilli in part because before now I never knew exactly how it worked. I’m very excited that our site has the key to one of the most elusive expert conventions, in such detail!” Read the full story

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BridgeTopics.com è una rivista online di bridge fondata dall’olandese Jan van Cleeff. Pubblica articoli di teoria – i “topics” (argomenti e temi) – e di attualità bridgistica. BridgeTopics.com inoltre promuove il Grand Tour, un circuito di tornei e festival sparsi in tutto il mondo, ed un sondaggio bisettimanale dove il lettore può votare e confrontarsi con altri sulle proprie opinioni di teoria e politica bridgistica. Read the full story

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BridgeTopics.com is an online bridge magazine founded by Jan van Cleeff, The Netherlands. It publishes theory (‘Topics’) and daily news on bridge. BridgeTopics.com also features the Grand Tour, a world wide ring of bridge tournaments and festivals and a bi-weekly Poll, where readers can vote and share their opinions on bridge theory and politics. Read the full story

 Strong club system need at least two alternative openings for the hands beneath the strenght limit (17 or 16 points), and containing the club suit. These openings usually are 2♣, specific with the long suit, and undefined 1♦: with or without clubs or diamonds. The latter often affects – or is affected by – the 1NT opening. For example:

– In the original Precision systems (1963, Charles Wei and Alan Truscott), 1♦ had three or more card; 1NT was a balanced hand with 13-15. Subsequent variants, of other players, upgraded the 1NT, that became 14-16 or 15-17, and, necessarily, downgraded the diamonds to two or one card suit (or even zero). This is the case of Rodwell-Meckstroth: they open 1♦ with two cards or a stiff honour, and 14-16 1NT (15-17 vulnerable).

– In Polish Club (e.g. Jassem-Martens), 1♦ grants always four cards and 1NT is worth 12-14.

– Sabine Auken and Daniela Von Arnim’s system opens 1♦ with three cards, or with two in the shape 3-3-2-5. They play mini 1NT (10-12), and four card majors.

A specification needs. The diamonds problem arises in Precision, in Meckwell and in Polish Club, mostly because the contemporary presence in those systems of the 5CM and the strong 1NT (15-17). Playing 4CM, as in Auken-Von Arnim, the only case in which diamonds are less than three, in fact, is the shape 3-3-2-5.

Glossary:

Strong 1NT is in the range 15-17 (or 16-18).

Weak 1NT is in the range 12-14.

Mini 1NT is in the range 10-12.

The Neapolitan Club System plays 4CM, however it needs great accuracy in this matter because it calls for full protection in NT contracts; this feature denies 1NT as a “container” for all that doesn’t fit the other openings; furthermore, the contract on minor is often the escaping from unprotected NT, then the uncertainty about clubs-diamonds must last as little as possible or, better, must do not exist at all. Neapolitan Club has two specific openings for clubs, 1NT and 2♣, and one less specific, 1♦, but not so vague as the modern systems allow.

We must also say that, as Neapolitan is a sound system, it needs good quality for the original bid. The biddable suit in the opening bid is normally any five card suit or a four one headed by K, or Q-9, or J-10. Bearing in mind these qualities – full protected NT, biddable suit, sound opening – we can sketch out the treatments and the reason of being of 1♦, 1NT and 2♣.

1♦ Opening bid

12-16 points and four or more cards, or three cards headed at least by Ace or King. The cards are three when the other suit isn’t biddable, or when it’s a club suit and the hand or the suit aren’t apt for 1NT or 2♣.

1NT Opening bid (with only clubs)

Balanced or semi balanced hand, 13-16 points. Four or five card club suit (exceptionally six), and no other suits; the shapes are 3-3-3-4 and 2(3)-2(3)-2(3)-5. All the suits must have a stopper; in 3-3-3-4 one suit can have not. Exceptions:

a) Six card club suit. The clubs must are weak and the other suits must have a good stopper.

Example: ♠QJx ♥KJ ♦AJ ♣Jxxxxx.

b) 3-3-2-5 without diamond stopper, but with 14-16 points (not 13).

Example: ♠AKx ♥KJx ♦xx ♣Axxxx.

2♣ Opening bid (always with clubs, one or two suited)

This opening originates from four kinds of hand, always with clubs:

a): one suited, 6+ cards, 11-16 points.

b): weak (11-12 points), 4M-6+ clubs.

c): 13-16 with strong five card suit. Example:

♠Axx ♥Kxx ♦xx ♣AKJxx. Here the clubs are enough strong that is possible avoid 1NT with the unguarded suit.

d) Two suited reverse hand with clubs

This is the way how the “Short diamond affair” has been solved in Neapolitan. It hasn’t been without a fee: the cost is the passing, sometime, with 12 or bad 13 points; such passes, anyway, are lined up with the character of the system, i.e. the soundness.

[stextbox id=”download”]Convention Cards source: http://www.ecatsbridge.com/[/stextbox]