Bridge - The Scotsman 17/08/2012

Team Monaco, fresh from their triumph at the European Championships in June, added the Spingold Trophy to their cabinet in July. Their big four, Helgemo/Helness and Fantoni/Nunes, wiped out two top American pairs, Meckstroth/Rodwell and Levin/Weinstein 52-0 in the last set of 16 boards.

This board gave the Europeans a psychological advantage. In the Closed Room Fantoni (South) played in 1NT and made eight tricks. The auction in the Open Room was more heated. Helness opened light, and Helgemo made a negative double of 1S to show four hearts. Weinstein’s redouble showed strength, and Helgemo removed himself to 1NT, doubled by Levin to show opening values. Redouble asked partner to look for a better spot, but Helness could not find one.

On a spade lead the defenders can make the first eight tricks for two down. North led the queen of spades, covered with the king, but South, imagining Helgemo had 10xx and seeing no sure entry to his hand, ducked to maintain communication with partner – and so one undertrick vanished. Helgemo led a diamond from dummy to the nine, ten and king. North produced his second spade, and South cashed three spades, on which North threw a club and a heart. Sensing partner was under pressure, South abandoned spades and switched to a club. Helgemo now had four heart tricks a spade and two clubs, and the unlikely contract made. +760 instead of -1000 was a 27-imp swing.