Bermuda Bowl - Zar Points Perspective

NOTE:

A lot of people asked me to put a DOWNLOAD link that enables them to save all the Bermuda Bowl comments on this page as a PDF file. HERE it goes:

Download the ALL the Boards from the FINAL Italy vs. USA 1, + the Two Semifinals

Click here to DOWNLOAD the entire Bermuda Bowl discussion as a PDF file.

GO to the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, and the FINAL sessions

The Bermuda Bowl opens next month in Monte Carlo – November 2 to November 15, 2003. As a “live” exercise on Zar Points, I’ll comment on some of the boards (from the day before), from Zar Points perspective. The exciting part of it is that some of the finalists on Bermuda Bowl are going to actually use Zar Points for the first time in a major tournament while evaluating the prospects for game or slam, which makes the comments even more relevant.

To give you a feel about the format, let’s make a preliminary discussion on the “Slam Bidding” issues, based on an event similar in rank to the upcoming event in Monte Carlo. Here are 2 boards from the last World Championship in Montreal, Canada last summer, 2002. Both boards are from the Team Championship and in both boards the actual players “on the spot” are from the well-respected Lavazza Italian Team (multiple champions from all kinds of world events), represented by Lauria-Versace and Bocchi-Duboin.

Board #1.  Italy vs. Sweden 

The Italians play the sequence 1  - 2  game forcing. You’ll catch the  Q and reverse the dummy, but still no prospect for 13 tricks – nowhere to hide the spade loser. So – let’s count. East has 13 DP (9+4 for the 5431), 6 controls, and 14 HCP (discounting the singleton J) for a total of 33 Zar Points – a 7 points surplus over the opening, meaning at least 1 level “in his pocket”.  West has the minimum possible DP for the 4333 – 8 points, 5 controls, and 15 HCP for a total of 28. The upgrade of K J of clubs and the K of spades brings him 3 more points for a total of 31. This brings the Zar Points count limit in both hands to 64 – two levels above the minimum of 52 needed for level 4, that’s level 6. Move one of the spades in West’s hand to clubs, and watch how the count changes – the distribution gets to 5332 or 11 points, bringing 3 additional points, and the 5^th club brings another 3 points for the additional trump length (the bid promises 4), ending up with 70 Zar Points against the 64 before (62 being the bare minimum for a small slam) …

Board #2.  Italy vs. Indonesia

The  K is on-side and the diamonds are 4-4 so there is no problem for the contract. The bad news is that Manoppo-Lasut in the other room bid and made the 6  contract, which cannot be defeated by any lead as the cards stay. The question is “Is it reasonable for the pair to go beyond the 3 NT contract?” - so let’s count. East has 14 DP  (9+5 for the 5440 distribution), 3 controls and 11 HCP for a total of 28 Zar Points – comfortable opening of 1 . You realize that he’d have this opening with 9 HCP if you get rid of the two Jacks in the hand. West has 14 DP (10+4 for the 5521), 6 controls, and 15 HCP for a total of 35 Zar Points – this means that against the opening of East, West “on prima vista” has a 9-point surplus (to a game level) before any adjustments for additional information from the bidding. After the 3  bid (a very strong bid of new suit on 3^rd level with no fit established so far), East has for the first time the opportunity to name a realistic candidate for main fit – clubs – with the 2 additional points collected for the Q and 10 of clubs, making his count up to 30 Zar Points (28 + 2). In other words, the moment a fit is established, West bids the slam directly since he gets points for the additional trump (his bid promises 4 and he has 5), bringing his “surplus” to 10. And as a matter of fact, this is exactly the way the bidding went at the other table – after the 3  bid, East bids 4  and West jumps to 6 .

Both slam-boards were bad for the great Italian Team, losing double-digit-amounts of IMPs in each case – in the first they went TOO high, in the second - TOO low … But since they became the new World champions, may be this is the way to go J

Bermuda Bowl 2003 – Day 1, November 3

Board #3.  Norway vs. Sweden

Let’s get right down to business – the first board from the first day is from the Norway – Sweden match. Dealer North, love all. Both tables played 5 , +420, a wash. Here are the bids at the Lindkvist- Fredin ( NS for Sweden) vs. Helness -Helgemo ( EW for Norway).

The hook in  holds and both tables score 12 tricks for 420. Is the slam good or bad is a different kind of discussion – we have to only see what formally Zar Points “point to” here, right? So:

East has 12+4+10+4 = 30 Zar Points – 4 points “in reserve” to the opening.

West has 13+4+9+3 = 29 initial Zar Points, but after the 5-5 minor two-suiter he adds 3 for the honors in his minors (1 in  and 2 in ) plus 2 x 3 = 6 for the super-fit in  for a total of 38 so he holds the slam in his hand (based on the 26 + 38 = 64 points. The only downgrade he can actually make is for Q since it is a 3-rd round player and his partner is known to have maximum 3 cards in both majors.

The K on the other hand is well placed after the re-bid suit by South (if the game comes down to second round of hearts to begin with). NOTE, that the slam holds despite the duplication of power like singleton against K and doubleton A against Q.

NOTE also, that on the way to slam you still use your weapons for slam bidding for establishing the controls in suits, the rule being that the guy who crosses a level on the way to slam ensures this next level by her/his excess of Zar Points count.

Board #4.  Norway vs. Sweden

Same match, Norway – Sweden match. Dealer West, All VUL. Here are the bids at the Salensminde-Brogeland ( NS for Norway) vs. Morath-Gustawsson ( EW for Sweden).