USA2 v Poland

Orbis Bermuda Bowl - Quarterfinal

Back from the brink

It has been nearly a decade (Yokohama, 1991) since the Bermuda Bowl semifinals were played with no USA team. It nearly happened again in Bermuda this year. Both squads got into serious trouble and looked to be down for the count -- and both came off the proverbial mat to score nail-biting victories and move into the next round of the Orbis Bermuda Bowl.

The loss to USA 2 was heartbreaking for the valiant Polish team, who dropped only one set out of six to their adversaries yet failed to advance. Equally disappointed was Italy, who led by 20 IMPs at one point before falling to USA 1.

Conditions of contest say USA 1 and USA 2 will face each other in the semifinals, while Brazil and Norway will fight it out for the right to face one of them in the final.

Both USA teams entered the final round of the quarterfinals with narrow leads, USA 1 by 1 IMP, USA 2 by 5.

In the VuGraph match, Poland took the lead on Board 5, as Krzysztof Jassem and Piotr Tuszynski bid game in clubs while Chip Martel and Lew Stansby languished in a heart partial, going down. The 10-IMP gain put Poland ahead by 4 IMPs.

On the next three boards, Poland scorched USA 2 with 31 unanswered IMPs, including 14 on this deal:

Board 9. Dealer North. EW Game ª J 6 5 © 9 4 3 ¨ J 4 3 § K J 10 8 ª 10 8 7 ª A 9 3 © Q J 5 © A K 10 7 ¨ Q 10 8 6 ¨ K 9 7 2 § A Q 3 § 7 6 ª K Q 4 2 © 8 6 2 ¨ A 5 § 9 5 4 2

Both East-West pairs bid to 3NT, and South led a low spade at both tables. In the Closed Room, Martel misguessed the ¨J and finished three down for minus 300. In the Open Room, Zia led the ª4. Tuszynski ducked when Rosenberg played the jack, and he ducked again when the suit was continued.

In with the ªK, Zia could have defeated the contract by switching to a club, but he continued with another spade. Tuszynski did not misguess diamonds, playing low to dummy's queen and ducking the return. Zia could cash his good spade, but the defenders had no more tricks. Plus 600 was good for a 14-IMP gain for Poland.

(USA 1 also suffered a major loss on this board, as Eric Rodwell went two down in 3NT, made in the other room by Dano de Falco.)

Poland gained another 6 IMPs on Board 10 when Micahl Pszczola scored up an overtrick in 2ª, while Rosenberg failed by one trick in 1NT. The Poles earned another double-digit swing on the next deal.

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All ª 10 9 7 5 © A J 9 ¨ J 6 § 10 8 5 3 ª Q J 6 4 ª A K 8 3 2 © 10 5 © K Q 7 3 2 ¨ A 9 7 3 ¨ 5 § A K 7 § J 4 ª — © 8 6 4 ¨ K Q 10 8 4 2 § Q 9 6 2

West North East South Stansby Pszczola Martel Kwiecien     2ª(1) Dble Pass Pass Rdble(2) Pass 3§ 4§ Pass 4ª All Pass

(1) Weak hand with clubs or diamonds or the majors.
(2) Rescue.

The Polish gadget made it difficult for Stansby and Martel to assess their slam potential, and they stopped in game.

West North East South Jassem Rosenberg Tuszynski Zia     2¨ Dble 3¨ 4¨ Pass 4ª Pass 4NT Pass 5ª Pass 6ª

Jassem's double of 2¨ would not found in bidding textbooks, but it worked out well on this deal, as Tuszynski drove to slam. Jassem duly brought home 12 tricks for plus 980. From 6 IMPs down, Poland was now 31 IMPs ahead.

Meanwhile, Italy, who had fallen behind USA 1 by 11 IMPs, stormed into the lead with gains totaling 26 IMPs on three boards.

Jeff Meckstroth and Rodwell helped stem the tide of the Italian rally by bidding the East-West cards on Board 11 to the spade slam while de Falco and Guido Ferraro played in 3NT, making five.

The comeback for USA 2 started on Board 12.

Board 12. Dealer West. NS Game ª 10 9 8 © A K 10 7 ¨ Q 10 6 2 § J 5 ª 5 3 ª J 6 © Q J 8 © 9 6 2 ¨ A K J 8 7 5 ¨ 9 4 3 § Q 4 § 10 9 6 3 2 ª A K Q 7 4 2 © 5 4 3 ¨ — § A K 8 7

In the Closed Room, Stansby opened a 12-14 1NT with the West cards. When this came around to Kwiecien, he leaped to 4ª, ending the auction. He easily made 13 tricks for plus 710. In the Open Room, Zia and Rosenberg did what they needed to do.

West North East South Jassem Rosenberg Tuszynski Zia 1¨ Pass Pass 2¨ Dble 3§(1) Pass 4ª Pass 5ª Pass 6§ Pass 6© Pass 6ª All Pass

(1) Game try in hearts.

At one point, Rosenberg was toying with the idea of bidding a grand slam -- and if he had known the state of the match, he doubt would have done so. At long last, he passed 6ª. Jassem led the ¨K, ruffed by Zia, who played the ªA and a low heart to dummy's 10. It was clear sailing from there, as USA 2 scored a badly needed 13-IMP swing. Zia and Rosenberg were the only pair to bid the slam in the Orbis Bermuda Bowl and the Orbis Venice Cup.

(The score for Germany on this deal was the last to be reported in the Germans' match against Austria. The Austrians did not bid the slam, and if Germany did, they would have completed a comeback from 42 IMPs down going into the final set. At the point this deal came up, Germany had come to within 11 IMPs and still had a chance to win. They did not get to the slam, however, and Austria advanced to the semifinal round.)

Lew Stansby and Martel helped USA 2 to another gain with state-of-the-match bidding on this deal:

Board 13. Dealer North. Game All ª K 9 © Q J 10 9 5 4 ¨ 9 7 § A 10 4 ª Q 10 6 5 ª A J 8 2 © A K 6 2 © 8 7 ¨ 8 3 ¨ A 10 2 § 7 6 3 § K Q 8 5 ª 7 4 3 © 3 ¨ K Q J 6 5 4 § J 9 2

West North East South Stansby Pszczola Martel Kwiecien 1© Dble 2¨ 2ª Pass 3ª Pass 4ª All Pass

Martel acknowledged that he did not have a legitimate raise to 3ª, but he figured the team needed some help. Stansby cooperated by bidding the vulnerable game. With the ªK in the slot and clubs going 3-3, Stansby had no trouble taking 11 tricks after the lead of the ¨7.

West North East South Jassem Rosenberg Tuszynski Zia 2© Dble Pass 2ª All Pass

Not only did the Poles miss game, but Jassem, apparently influenced by Rosenberg's weak 2© bid, managed only nine tricks. He won the opening lead of the ©Q with the ace and played a club to dummy's king. Next he ducked a diamond to Zia, who drove out dummy's ace. Jassem ruffed dummy's ¨10 with the ª10, but Rosenberg overruffed with the king and gave Zia a heart ruff. The §A was still to come, so Jassem scored only 140 for an 11-IMP gain.

Board 15 was played early and was known to be a 6-IMP gain for USA 2. The last board of the VuGraph session was Board 14. When it appeared, Poland was clinging to a 1-IMP lead.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All ª 10 6 © Q J 9 8 5 ¨ A 9 3 2 § J 5 ª A J 7 5 4 ª 8 3 © 6 4 3 2 © K 10 ¨ 8 ¨ K Q J 4 § 7 4 2 § A K Q 8 6 ª K Q 9 2 © A 7 ¨ 10 7 6 5 § 10 9 3

West North East South Stansby Pszczola Martel Kwiecien   1§ Pass 1ª Pass 2¨ Pass 2© Dble Pass Pass 3§ All Pass

Kwiecien led the ©A, and Martel held his losers to a spade and two diamonds from there for plus 110.

West North East South Jassem Rosenberg Tuszynski Zia   1§(1) Pass 1¨(2) 1© 1NT 2© 3ª All Pass

(1) Minimum balanced hand or any strong hand.
(2) Negative.

Tuszynski's decision to rebid 1NT rather than 2§ proved to be costly. Jassem, unaware that his side had a club fit, showed his spade suit at the three level, no doubt wishing to suggest a near-maximum for his previous bidding. Tuszynski thought long and hard before passing 3ª, and he apparently was considering 3NT. The question, had Tuszynski bid 3NT, was whether Zia would have made the killing lead of the ©A.

Against 3ª, Rosenberg led the ©Q to the king and ace. Zia returned the suit to Rosenberg's jack. Rosenberg played a third heart, ruffed low in dummy and overruffed by Zia. A diamond went to Rosenberg's ace, and a fourth round of hearts was ruffed by dummy's 8 and overruffed by Zia with the king. With no trumps left in dummy for any finesses, Jassem could do no better than two down for minus 100.

That was 5 IMPs to USA 2, and a hair-raising 165-161 victory. While this drama was being played out on VuGraph, USA 1 had their hands full with Italy.

The Italians trailed by 1 IMP entering the final set, and held a substantial lead before the Americans rallied to win the set, 41-34, and earn their berth in the semifinal with a 198.5-190 victory.