International incident over the table

Press, 2 September 1981, Page 14

International incident over the table

An incident in a match between West Germany and Italy at the World Bridge Olympiad last year had repercussions that are still being felt. In an important game, played on Vu-graph, a German pair reached a good

slam contract but only after a number of pregnant pauses from both sides of the table. The Italians asked the tournament director to adjust the score, and when he declined, took the matter to the Appeals Committee. This body over-ruled the director, denying the Germans their slam bonus, so West Germany refused to attend the victory dinner at the end of the event.

Furthermore, the German Bridge League has asked the World Bridge Federation to review the case. Tempers in that part of the world are clearly strained and it will require considerable diplomacy to still the troubled waters.

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignail

The hand in question was: West East ♦AK9742 ♦ J 6 5 3 VQ 10 4 3 YA 8 5 ♦A J 4-Q 10 9 8 5 ♦J +A As we shall see, there was more to the bidding than meets the eye, but stripped of all embellishments the German auction was: West East !♦ 4* 54 6* Pass There was nothing to the play. After winning the cjub lead with the ace, the declarer cashed the ace and

king of spades dropping the queen, and continued with the ace and jack of diamonds. The defence could take the king, but now the queen, 10 and nine of diamonds were high, enabling West to discard his three losing hearts. Six tricks in spades, four in diamands and two aces had brought the slam contract home. Or nearly home, as it happened. East had given his hand considerable thought before he called four spades, and West too took his time before producing a slam inviting cue-bid of five diamonds. In response, East could do nothing less than bid six spades. The Italians were not impressed by the hesitations during the auction, and when the dummy appeared one of them demanded of the declar, none too politely: “Do you always try for a slam when your partner deliberates for such a long time?” In making such a comment Signor Garozzo was out of order, for his correct course of action if he thought he was being harmed was to call the Tournament Director, preferably before he saw the dummy. It is easy, however, when under strain to lose sight of the niceties. The Germans, sticklers for etiquette, themselves summoned the director and asked him to instruct the Italians to be quiet, which he duly did.

It was not until the end of the match that the Italians requested an adjusted score, and when the director declined to award one, they referred the problem to the’ Chief Director, Harold Franklin. He too decided to let the score stand.

So Italy proceeded to the Appeals ‘Committee which chose this case as one of the very few where Franklin’s ruling was overturned. The score was altered to four

spades bid and made with two overtricks. The Germans were most upset, complaining bitterly about the composition of the appeal authority, which they alleged was not obviously completely disinterested or unprejudiced. A lengthy exposition of the German viewpoint was produced, but the editor of the Olympiad Daily Bulletin declined to publish it. With no other redress, the Germans refused, a little ostentatiously, to participate in the victory celebrations. Their contract bridge league has now demanded that the Appeals Committee’s decision should be annulled, or else. Fascinated bystanders are wondering what “else” is to come. It is an unusual case. Presumably the Director chose to allow the score to stand for the following reasons: A. In the German pair’s style, the jump to four spades was not pre-emp-tive, but showed real values, about the strength of an opening bid. South was therefore entitled to bid on. B. There may have been hesitations, but each partner took forward action after the pauses.

On the other hand, the Appeals Committee may have felt that North’s original pause was so noticeable that any risk South may have been taking by bidding on was substantially minimised. In other words, a player who hesitates and then bids four spades is more likely to have something to spare than to be stretching. What is my opinion? That North should have bid four clubs over one spade, showing good spade support, a good hand and a singleton club. Then South has no problem in bidding on. Alternatively, North can call two diamonds, before jumping to four spades, thus describing the values fqr a game contract, plus a reasonable side suit.