Entering round 12 of the Olympiad Open series, China and Argentina were both in qualifying position - Argentina was third with 205 Victory Points, while China was in the next position, 8 VPs back. Thus, the match between the two countries was an important one.

Argentina had all the answers, however, thumping their opponents, 62-23, to move into second in Bracket D. China dropped to seventh with the defeat.

Argentina, leading 2-0 early, increased the margin when Zhong Fu went down in a makeable slam.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª J 10 9 6 © 4 ¨ K Q 6 5 2 § Q 10 8
ª A 7 2 © A 10 5 ¨ 10 9 7 § A K 4 2		ª K 8 5 3 © Q J 9 8 7 6 ¨ A J § 9
	ª Q 4 © K 3 2 ¨ 8 4 3 § J 7 6 5 3

Bianchedi and Rizzo had stopped in 4© at the other table, making six easily on the lead of a low diamond.

Lucena led a low club and Zhong cashed the ace and king, discarding his ¨J. He went to hand with the ¨A and played the ©6, letting it ride. Another heart went to the 10, a diamond was ruffed, and another heart picked up South's king. All Zhong could do at that point was hope for spades to be 3-3. The play may have been reasonable - the slam is cold if hearts are 2-2 or spades 3-3 - and that might be better odds than finding North with both diamond honors, or either player with a singleton diamond honor or the doubleton ¨K Q. There was also the small matter of getting to hand to take the heart finesse. All in all, not a great contract. It did, however, have the virtue of being a maker.

Argentina picked up another 5 IMPs on an unusual deal in which the contract at both tables was 2©, but by South and by West!

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª K © A 9 6 2 ¨ J 10 6 5 § A Q 7 2
ª J 7 2 © K 8 7 5 3 ¨ A Q 8 § 5 4		ª A Q 6 5 © -- ¨ 9 7 4 3 2 § K 9 8 7
	ª 10 9 8 4 3 © Q J 10 4 ¨ K § J 8 6

Rizzo led a club the contract drifted off one for minus 100. With the 5-0 trump split, the contract had no realistic chance.

On the bidding, it was pretty tough for East-West to find their eight-card diamond fit. Zhong showed good discipline in passing partner's balancing bid. Anything he did might have started the doubling. As it was, he probably wanted to redouble anyway, but that was not a legal option. North-South quickly got a crossruff going in spades and diamonds, and Ju finished with six tricks for minus 100.

China struck back with a game swing a couple of boards later.

Board 10. Dealer East. Both Vul.
	ª K 8 6 © Q 9 ¨ 10 9 7 § 10 9 7 6 2
ª Q 2 © 10 7 5 3 ¨ A J 6 3 § K Q 5		ª 10 7 4 3 © J 8 6 2 ¨ 5 4 § 8 4 3
	ª A J 9 5 © A K 4 ¨ K Q 8 2 § A J

South played 3NT in both rooms and got the lead of the ©7. Lucena played low from dummy and took East's jack with his king. Next came the ¨Q. Lucena apparently was hoping to drop the doubleton (or even singleton) ¨J or perhaps picking up the diamond honor with a finesse on the second round. That plan may have had some merit, but it wasn't working this time. West won the ¨A and continued hearts. Lucena won in dummy and floated the ¨7 to West's jack. A third round of hearts cleared the suit, and Lucena cashed two diamonds before playing a spade to the king and a spade to his jack. When West produced the ªQ, the contract was down one.

At the other table, Shi won the opening heart lead in hand and simply banged down the §A and §J. That produced three club tricks fairly easily, and it wasn't difficult to come to a ninth in diamonds. Shi might have failed had someone held four clubs to the KQ and ducked the second round, but the card gods were with Shi on this deal.

Argentina picked up a swing when a lot of bidding with very little in the way of high cards talked Ju and Zhong out of a slam.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª 8 7 5 3 © -- ¨ A K J 5 3 § J 9 5 3
ª A K 9 © Q 8 6 5 2 ¨ 8 § K 8 7 6		ª 6 © A K J 9 7 3 ¨ Q 10 6 4 § A 10
	ª Q J 10 4 2 © 10 4 ¨ 9 7 2 § Q 4 2

There was nothing to the play and Argentina chalked up plus 980. At the other table, Lambardi and Lucena did their best to muddy the water, with considerable success.

East might have suspected the opponents were up to something. In any event, 6© seems worth a shot with the East cards. The same 12 tricks were there, so China lost 11 IMPs.

The next deal belongs in the Department of What Might Have Been.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª -- © Q J 8 7 ¨ J 3 § K Q J 10 7 5 2
ª A K Q 10 4 © 2 ¨ 10 6 5 2 § 8 6 3		ª 8 7 © K 6 5 3 ¨ A K Q 9 8 7 4 § --
	ª J 9 6 5 3 2 © A 10 9 4 ¨ -- § A 9 4

As you can see, 7§ cannot be defeated, even if played by South with a trump lead. It is always possible to ruff two diamonds in the South hand, and with the good spots in hearts, declarer can come to seven club tricks, four hearts and two diamond ruffs. In fact, at least one pair in the Open series made 7§ doubled.

Neither North-South pair came close to bidding the maximum in the Argentina-China match.

This contract can be defeated with a spade lead, ruffed, followed by a heart to the ace and a second spade ruff. South started with the §A, however, and that was that. Plus 420.

Lambardi's first pass seems very conservative, even considering the vulnerability. As the auction developed, South no doubt could not imagine North with such a good club suit, or he might have competed further. From the West seat, 5¨ could not be defeated. North led the ©Q, ducked. With the heart continuation, Ju wrapped up 12 tricks with ease.

Late in the match, two straight double-digit swings buried the Chinese.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª A 8 7 3 © A Q J 8 6 ¨ A Q 5 2 § --
ª K 5 2 © 5 4 3 ¨ K J 10 3 § Q 10 3		ª J 10 © 9 7 2 ¨ 9 8 6 4 § K J 8 6
	ª Q 9 6 4 © K 10 ¨ 7 § A 9 7 5 4 2

Lambardi and Lucena stopped in 4ª after Lambardi began with a strong 1§ and Lucena showed a club suit with a bid of 1ª. Thus Lucena was declarer. He got the ¨J lead and took no chances. He won the ¨A and proceeded with a diamond ruff, §A, spade to the ace, diamond ruff, followed by hearts. West ruffed the fourth round of hearts and cashed the ªK, but when the jack dropped, dummy was good. Plus 650.

Despite the fact that South was in a slam missing K J 10 to five in his trump suit, the slam could be made if declarer guessed correctly. Unfortunately for China, he did not. Rizzo led the ¨J, and the desperate Shi put in the queen. He knew he could not manage the trump suit and ruff diamonds, too. When the ¨Q held, Shi played a spade to the jack, queen and king. The ¨K was returned, and Shi played low in dummy, ruffing. He had the spots to pick up four spades to the 10 with West, so he played the ª9 from hand and let it go. Down one was good for 13 IMPs to Argentina.

On the next deal, Ju's judgment was more than a little suspect, and the partnership paid for the folly.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª 6 5 3 2 © A Q 8 ¨ Q 4 § J 10 9 8
ª Q 10 © J 2 ¨ J 10 9 7 5 2 § 7 5 3		ª A 8 7 4 © K 7 4 3 ¨ 6 3 § K Q 2
	ª K J 9 © 10 9 6 5 ¨ A K 8 § A 6 4

In the closed room, Dai as North played 1NT, taking nine tricks with relative ease.

Argentina got a bigger bite of the apple in the open room

Lambardi's double showed values, and Lucena, looking at a nice defensive hand, was happy to convert. True, Ju had six-card support for his partner's opener, but his dull shape and lack of strength - not the mention the unfavorable vulnerability - argued for restraint.

Lucena started with the ¨K, making Argentina partisans in the VuGraph audience nervous about a possible continuation with the ace, but Lucena switched to the ©9, taken by Lambardi with the ace. He got the ¨Q on the table before an accident befell it, then played the §10 to the queen and ace. The unhappy Zhong had six tricks and no more for minus 800, and 12 more IMPs to Argentina.

China finished with a vulnerable game swing for 10 IMPs, but that was one of the few good results they posted, as the loss dropped them to seventh in their bracket with time running out.

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