Playing against Fantoni-Nunes in the Blue Ribbon Pairs

Fantoni-Nunes are on the Italian national team and are multiple world champions.  They won the Blue Ribbon Pairs in 2006.  Gail Greenberg and I played against them in the second semi-final of the Blue Ribbon pairs in San Francisco last November.

On the first hand, Gail held: ª962  ©J1074  ¨AK  §J1085.  I dealt and bid 3¨(not-vul vs. vul), and the opponent passed.  What would you do?

You can assume that partner has a 7-card suit, even at this vulnerability, since you have the two top diamonds.  If partner only has a 6-card suit, he probably has 5 clubs. 

Partner does not need very much strength, however, at this vulnerability.  So, it could be right to raise to 4¨ or 5¨.  But Gail found a different bid - one that I am writing about because it is so unusual for her.  She bid 3NT.  And everyone passed!   This was the entire hand: 

The defense did not understand their full resources, and Gail escaped for down 4, -200.  That was worth 80% of the matchpoints. 

I had to write this hand up, because one has to call the press whenever Gail psyches (it is so rare).

However, the Italians had their revenge on the next hand.  It was largely because we were unfamiliar with their methods, and did not have the best defenses.  This was the hand:

 The 1§ opening bid typically shows a club suit (usually 5+ clubs) or 15+ balanced points.  Gail made a normal overcall, and West now bid 1©, which promised 5+ spades. 

Now, Gail and I had very limited discussions about our defenses at this point.  Since I always want to play more conventions than Gail does, and since she is so busy outside of playing bridge (running 2 bridge clubs, teaching full time, being a mother and grandmother, etc) - Gail wants to simplify everything. 

So, our agreement at this point was that if I double an artificial bid, I am showing that suit.  That is not what I want to play on this auction, but that was our agreement.  After East jumped to 3ª to invite game, Gail had no reason to bid, and we never found our 5¨ sacrifice.

Furthermore, Gail led her singleton club and declarer guessed the spade suit and made an overtrick.  -650 was worth 3% of the matchpoints.

What I want to play on auctions like this is very simple.  Since the 1© bid effectively means 1ª, I want to play our normal system - snapdragon.  A double of 1ª in snapdragon shows the unbid major (5-cards) and 3+ card support in partner's suit, and a 2© bid shows hearts and denies 3-card diamond support. 

Therefore, if I doubled 1© to show 5+ hearts and 3+ diamonds, Gail would have been able to bid 4¨ to invite the sacrifice, and I would have accepted.

We were at a distinct disadvantage when the opponent's were able to pull an unusual treatment on us, and catching us unprepared.  I wonder if we should have had some sort of pre-alert.