2010 : Final: Diamond vs. Meltzer July 31 2010 Mike Cassel [email protected] Spingold Finals 2010: A Dramatic Finish

The Meltzer squad, behind 27 imps at halftime, went on a rush in the third quarter with a 53-9 drubbing of the Diamond team and started the last quarter with an 18 imp lead, 96-78. After a part score swing reduced the lead to 13 on 50, this pivotal deal set the stage for a potential reversal:

Down 5 -250. Would Moss and Gitelman find their heart game? After two passes and Berkowitz 1D opening Gitelman waited for a bidding opportunity at unfavorable vulnerability. I might have made a Michael's of 2D. After Moss put him in 4H he found the CQ to score up 590 and an 11 imp win to cut the Meltzer lead to just 2 imps with 13 boards to play. But on board 55 the Italians, Fantoni and Nunes anchoring the Meltzer team found this slam, even after Fantoni had passed with a 12hcp hand in second chair:

Moss and Gitelman, on the Diamond squad had a RKC auction that identified two missing key cards and did not move past 5H:

It looked like a Meltzer win was in the offing, but board 63, with Meltzer holding a 12 imp lead provide high drama. Greco and Hampson had a forcing club auction that died at the two level without interference:

After a club lead ruffed declarer gave up a diamond , won the second diamond in dummy, lost a heart finesse, and then took 8 tricks with a heart in dummy and a second club ruff in hand: Greco ended up with 3 club ruffs, 2D, the HA, a heart ruff in dummy and the SA for 8 tricks. Sontag had a problem describing his strong hand at a safe level:

Gitelman's NT call, for sure not everyone's choice, set the stage for a dramatic turnaround. Moss probably took 3 minutes to double 3S. This may have had an effect on Sontag's play, believing that a huddle of that length probably meant outstanding trumps were divided 3-3, not believing that Fred had only the SQ9. Follow the play: T1 diamond 5 to the Q in dummy T2 heart finesse lost T3 CJ ruffed by declarer T4 S7 led by South to East's 9 At this point Fred played the CA and Sontag, in the South seat could have gotten home with a top H, heart ruff, club ruff and SA leading to this ending:. In hand at trick 10, Sontag has heart winners. Moss can win his two spades but will be endplayed in diamonds. Fred could have returned anything BUT a club to insure a set, but a 1 trick set wouldn't have changed the overall outcome in Team Diamond's favor.

In any event, Sontag ruffed the club with his S8 and cashed the SA, expecting that the spades were 3-3. His hearts were set up, but after he cashed the SA he was heading.for a fearsome 3 trick 800 point set. Had he been able to hold the contract to one down to lose 8 imps, Meltzer would have prevailed.

Board 64 was uneventful so this year's Spingold:

One could say that justice was served. Brad Moss made what turned out to be a 0% defensive play on board 47 defending 5H when his partner took an extended period of time to play his lowest spot, evidently a suit preference , albeit a slow one:

The auction is instructive: Berkowitz' 4N indicated 2 places to play and they found their best fit. In fact, 4S was making with the CK onside.

You can see from the hand diagram that there is no play for the contract if Moss plays anything but a club at T2. His CA and club continuation cost 11 imps, but surely earned the respect of anyone who cares about the ethics of bridge. We all need to think about the of our card playing. You can see 20 hcp, and know that the 1C bidder probably has more than a bare 16 for his double of 3S. This was a great display of sportsmanship.