Agree to disagree?

Some might argue that system is not a success factor at the top levels, but in reality agreements are 2/3rds of what it takes to win. However for that 66.6% the devil is in the details.

Key is having the necessary agreements, and knowing what they are at all times. Let's look at some hands from the World Championships that were less than stellar.

Fantunes bid to a slam off two aces in round 2:

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1S was forcing, 13/14+ 5+Ss or 11-13 with 5+Ss and 4Hs. Over 1NT, opener's 2C showed 13/14-17 with clubs (i.e. natural) or any big hand (17/18+): the Gazzilli approach modified for the Fantunes ranges. 2D was waiting, but established a game force opposite all big hands, 2H showed 3+Hs and a big hand, 3S was a splinter in support of hearts, and now the auction went off the rails. How much did this train wreck cost?

It gained 17 IMPs - they were also in 6H at the other table, down. Here they led a heart. Dummy's clubs disappeared on the top spades, and declarer guessed the diamonds.

The USA1 team started the event poorly, and round 5 saw this:

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2C was 10-15, 6+Cs. Woolsey artificially asked twice, 3D showing hearts, and then bid 4S, intended as a keycard ask in hearts. However Stewart didn't know about the heart fit, and assumed his partner was just placing the contract. This was down four. It only cost 4 IMPs, as the other table was in 6H, down one.

In round 10, Meckwell, even with hundreds of pages of agreements, couldn't bid spades:


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2H was a weak two, and a 2S response would not have been forcing. Rodwell asked with 2NT, and then their agreements over 3H call for a better suit for a 3S forcing bid now. 4H was down two vulnerable, 4S made at the other table (P-1S;-2C Drury-3D;-4S), and that was 13 IMPs.

Today, in round 13, Danailov-Karakolev of Bulgaria hadn't sorted out their agreements over the intermediate two bids of Fantunes. 2D was 10-13, and 3S was intended as a strong jump overcall, but taken as a weak overcall. What did this cost?

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Actually it gained 5 IMPs, since 4S at the other table was down on two aces, the trump king, and a diamond ruff.

Back to the last board of round 2, we saw an agreement work nicely in the Venice Cup.

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After Levitina decided to rebid 2NT instead of 3C, Sanborn was able to transfer to hearts, with 3D, and then bid game. With the diamond king protected by the transfer, this gained 10 IMPs against 4H played by South in the other room.

Here was the Fantunes auction on the North-South hands:

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Fantunes had Gazzilli in action once more. 1S to 2D as described before, now 3C was natural with a strong hand without 3Hs. They ended up in the club game, and the opening trick was low clubs: 4-2-3-6. Fantoni cashed the heart ace, then tried the club ace, not picturing the actual trump layout after the first trick. He now couldn't make the contract, but down three only cost 2 IMPs, as the hopeless 3NT was reached in the other room, and found itself two off.