The boxing matches have begun. Friendly sparring in the Round Robin is gone. It is do or go back home time. As was reported, only the Indian Seniors have qualified for the KOs. They were picked up by the top taking USA1 team despite finishing 5th.
Reason for the same was both "Indian's are fatalistic push overs..." and also the fact that our team was the team against which USA1 got the best margin in the Round Robin match. There are no carryovers, so even a win by 1IMP for either side is a win and an entry into the semi-finals.
India are facing a mighty USA1 team with legends of World Bridge Jeff Meckstroth and Zia Mahmood, Mark Lair-Mike Pasell and the sponsor, Mike Levine, playing with Eddie Wold. USA1 had a commanding performance in the Round Robin winning 19 out of 23 matches. All pairs are required to play 25% of the matches to qualify for the Master Points as also the medals in case of a placing.
USA1 fielded their sponsor pair in only the matches where the opposing systems were fairly similar to standard systems. They also fielded the sponsor pair against comparatively weaker teams like Pakistan, Morocco, Egypt, Argentina, Guadelope, Brazil.
The draw is a blind draw, we dont know which pair they will field. So in a six part quarterfinal, the sponsor pair must be fielded at least twice to meet the criteria. We have two pairs who play Precision, Rajesh Dalal (who incidentally was part of Indian Bermuda Bowl team that came to the semi-finals in 1988) - Anil Padhye and R Krishnan - Ashok Goel.
In the first set, India fielded Sukamal-Subroto, Rajesh-Anil against Zia-Mekstroth, Lair-Pasell. It was a fascinating matchup. Our seniors and USA1 exchanged a total of 18 IMPs, 9 on either side. The highest exchange was 6 IMPs to us when we played and made a partial on both sides. The scoreboard which read 9-9 was fascinating to watch, NEITHER SIDE BLINKED!!!
Comparitively, in the seniors Denmark - USA2 match, 77 IMPs were exchanged. In the Wuhan Cup, USA and Latvia exchanged 84 IMPs!
Read More about it in the tab on the D'Orsi Trophy.
We would like to mention here that the Indian ministry recognized the performance of the India Seniors team in the 2019 d'Orsi Trophy.
In 2019, Dipak Poddar and team comprising Sukamal Das, Subhash Dhakras, Subrata Saha, Jitendra Solani, Ramamurthy Sridharan, Vinay Desai (npc), Anal Shah (coach) created history of sorts by becoming the first senior team to return with a medal, the third place Bronze medal. More than the cash, it is a lifetime achievement by some of the most likeable people in the Indian Bridge circuit. Sukamal and Subrata are part of the current India seniors as well, they will have their rich experience from the previous tournament when they carry the Indian flag.
Newcomers Hungary are ahead of USA1 at half way stage, great going so far. Both USA teams trail as Norway is ahead by 17 over the young USA2 team. Italy and Netherlands are locked in a 85-85 tie at halfway mark, Italy won the segment where their less experienced pair Saverio-Fabrizio played.
- Board 17 Sukamal opened 3C with A86543 non-vul and played there, mercifully, without a double. 4H makes in the other direction. In the other room, the risky 3C preempt was not found. Ashok opened 1NT 15-16, Kista bid 2C which was doubled by East (with those clubs). A Smolen bid of 3H (5 spades, 4 hearts) was made on Kista's rebid. Ashok did not take the push with xx, Axxx, AJxx, KQJ (technically 16 total points) as Kista was a passed hand and values in opponents suit. We LOST 1 imp, but had an opportunity to gain 6. 9-10 match tied again.
- Another 2 IMPs went to USA1 when 3N made 10 tricks when we played it, but 12 were conceded when they played. The difference was due to a 2D preempt by Wold with QJT94 in first position, non-vul. Now Ashok had no option but to take the safe route to 10 tricks. 9-12 usa1
- India got on to the scoreboard for the first time in the second set when we gained 11 IMPs when USA didnt find a vul game. The "culprit" was ofcourse Kista. Ashok opened 2H, Kista with AJ, Jxx, KQxxx, Jxx bid 2N PQ relay. When Ashok replied 3H, Kista pushed to 4H knowing that opponents may have something as he had only 5 black suit cards and partner is known to be short for his preempt. Opponents were cold for 4S. After a similar start of 2H, USA1 North raised to 3H preemptively, when this was passed around to Subtoro, he balanced with KQxx, Kxx, x, KT9xx and bid 3S - a brave decision at 3 level. Fortune favours the brave, Sukamal had an easy raise to 4 with a five card fit and Txxxx, x, Axx, Axxxx. 20-12 India.
- After three shared boards, a Precision auction start of 2C-2S Ashok Goel splintered with 87xx, x, AQJ, AQJxx bidding 4H. Kista had Kxxxx AJxx, Kxxx and club void, jumped to 6S. Wold, his LHO doubled with AQ in trumps and 14 HCP. He got lucky, if Spade King was with Ashok, we would have made 6S easily. The other table played in 4S. 20-25 USA1.
- In a slam going auction, Sukamal doubled a 5H RKCB response holding QT9x. With all key cards known and holding AKQJT873 KJx, A, 8, USA1 South had an easy choice of 7S. Without the double, bidding grand is not very easy. Ashok-Kista played in 6S with no opposition bidding. 11 imps to USA1. Now ahead 20-36.
- An exchange of 3 imps went in India's favour, one by an overtrick and two more when in both matches India declared partscores. One made, the other went 1 down non-vul. 23-36 USA1.
- Then came another big board. Kista-Ashok bid very well to reach an excellent grand slam in Spades using fairly natural methods but in a Precision Auction when Kista managed to show 5 spades and 4 diamonds after 1s-2h start with only 13 hcp. At the other table, same start, north rebid 2S with AKQxx, Kx, JTxx, xx. When South rebid 3S to set suit, the 4 card diamond got buried. Subroto also jumped into the melee after North bid a non-serious 3NT by doubling a 4C control bid by South. RKCB followed, but without the club King, South did not venture to Grand. 13 imps to India 36-36 with 3 more boards to go.
- Fortunately, there were no more exchanges, so at the end of the second set, match appeared tied.
- There was a correction in VU Graph score as one board was claimed wrongly by the operator, also another overtrick which was not claimed. + 7 IMPs to India, now up by 7 IMPs.
- In board 3, 5D should go onlly 1 down. Indian declarer appears to have gone 2 down after the double and we gave 12 IMPs when opponents played in 3D making 10 tricks.
- In board 6, Zia-Meck reached 6S missing A and K of diamonds in a crowded auction where Indians preempted and supported in clubs. Both could be cashed and they were. 1 down, India played in 4S. +11 back.
- In board 11, it became difficult to judge who was sacrificing due to two suit fits for either side. India reached 6D on 17 HCP in their 6-4 fit. USA1 doubled, but the hand made easily.
- The side with 23 hcp would have escaped with 1 down if they had played in 6S with a 5-5 fit. In wild hands, it pays to reduce your damage by bidding to the hilt. +17 to India when our side played in 5S and made at the other table. India were ahead by 15 IMPs at this stage.
- Next board was a slam swing in USA1 favour and they gained 13 imps when India didnt bid it. After partner pass and a 1C Precision opening to your right, East may have preempted 4H holding -, AKJT987, Txxx, Tx and now it was not easy to find the slam. 6C makes as North had AKQJx in clubs and a 5-3 fit. India up by only 2 now.
- 5 imps were exchanged 3 in favour of USA1 and match was tied. Anil-Rajesh should have stopped in 3S with a 5-4 fit, no shape and 21 HCP total. They pushed for a vul game and went down. Opponents stopped in 3S. + 6 IMPs and USA1 was in the lead again.
- In the last board of the match, Zia-Meck seem to have found a 5-3 fit and 5 level sacrifice in 5D against a 4S by India. Went down only 2 tricks, 8 imps to usa. The Match finished with USA up by 13 IMPs.
