England v Poland

by Mark Horton

In Round 15 of Group C, England, virtually assured of qualification, faced third placed Poland. Remarkably, there was not a single double figure swing, generally a sign that the bridge was high quality.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª 7 5 4 © Q 7 6 4 3 ¨ K 7 3 § J 7
ª A 6 © 10 9 ¨ A 9 5 4 § K Q 10 6 2		ª Q 9 © K 8 2 ¨ Q J 2 § A 8 5 4 3
	ª K J 10 8 3 2 © A J 5 ¨ 10 8 6 § 9

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Puczynski	Justin	Churmski	Jason
		1§*	1ª
2ª*	Pass	3§	Pass
4§	Pass	5§	All Pass

South’s simple intervention made life difficult for East/West and they reached a contract with no real chance of success. Declarer’s hopes may have been raised a fraction when South led the jack of spades and it was successfully run to his queen (a strange lead given North’s silence over 2ª as most pairs have some agreement as to the meaning of a pass or double in that position). However, he still needed favourable positions in both red suits and when neither materialised he was one down, -50.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Townsend	Tuszynski	Gold	Kowalski
		1§	2ª
3ª*	Pass	3NT	All Pass

The English pair brushed aside the more aggressive intervention to reach the game that was odds on to make. However, Kowalski found the brilliant lead of the ace of hearts followed by the jack and when declarer subsequently lost a diamond trick to North he could take the setting tricks. One down and no swing.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª 8 6 5 © A ¨ A 10 § A K Q 10 9 7 2
ª Q J 4 3 © 7 2 ¨ J 8 6 5 4 § 4 3		ª A K 10 7 © J 10 9 8 6 ¨ K 7 § 8 5
	ª 9 2 © K Q 5 4 3 ¨ Q 9 3 2 § J 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Puczynski	Justin	Churmski	Jason
			Pass
Pass	2§*	Pass	2©
Pass	3§	Pass	3¨
Pass	3NT	All Pass

With spades 4-4 this was unbeatable, and when East led the jack of hearts and dummy delivered an entry in the guise of the jack of clubs declarer could claim eleven tricks, +460.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Townsend	Tuszynski	Gold	Kowalski
			Pass
Pass	1§*	1©	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Defending at the one level is never straightforward and can prove to be unrewarding. South led the jack of clubs and North overtook with the queen. When East contributed the eight he was able to continue with the seven which held the trick. Although it is perhaps too difficult to see, the winning defence that ensures a two trick defeat is to cash the ace of diamonds and then play clubs. That will give the defenders the tempo and eight tricks.

With the reasonable idea of playing to give South a spade ruff North switched to that suit. Declarer won and played a trump (at double dummy its better to cash a second spade first). North won and could have got back on track by reverting to clubs, but he switched to the ten of diamonds. When declarer went up with the king of diamonds he was out of danger. He cashed a second spade and played a trump, claiming six tricks. –200 but 6 IMPs to England.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª Q 6 5 4 © Q 10 ¨ 10 9 8 7 § J 7 5
ª J 7 © 7 ¨ A K 5 3 § A K 10 6 4 3		ª A 10 9 2 © J 8 4 3 2 ¨ 6 2 § Q 9
	ª K 8 3 © A K 9 6 5 ¨ Q J 4 § 8 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Puczynski	Justin	Churmski	Jason
	Pass	Pass	1©
2§	All Pass

North led the ten of diamonds and declarer won and ran the jack of spades. South won, cashed the king of hearts and played a low heart. Declarer ruffed and then played on cross ruff lines, ruffing the first diamond high and the second low. North eventually scored a trump trick, but that was +130. 3NT is cold on this layout, but surely impossible to bid?

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Townsend	Tuszynski	Gold	Kowalski
	Pass	Pass	1©
2§	Pass	3§	Pass
3¨	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Placing full value on his queen of clubs East raised his partner’s overcall. When West showed his diamonds it was easy enough to try for the game bonus. South led the five of hearts and North took the queen and returned the ten, covered by the jack and king. South cashed his hearts and switched to the king of spades. When the clubs behaved declarer could claim, a well-earned +400 to give England 7 IMP, the biggest swing of the match.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Puczynski	Justin	Churmski	Jason
			Pass
1©	Dble	1ª	Pass
2¨	2NT	All Pass

East led the king of clubs and must have been disappointed to see East discard. Still one might reflect that if his partner had held a singleton club the lead would have been a disaster in any event. As it happened, there is no way to defeat 2NT whatever the defenders do. East carried on with clubs and declarer won the third round and played the king of diamonds. When that held he went after spades, cashing four tricks when the jack appeared on the second round. He played a heart to the king and was assured of an eighth trick, +120.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Townsend	Tuszynski	Gold	Kowalski
			Pass
1¨	Dble	2§	Pass
2¨	All Pass

In order for Two Diamonds to be defeated the first trump lead must come from South, so, after cashing the king of spades North needed to do the virtually impossible and underlead the ace to get South in. When he cashed a second spade declarer was in control, ruffing the next spade, cashing the ace of diamonds and claiming eight tricks, +90 and yet another small gain of 5 IMPs.

The score had advanced to 19-0 when the Poles finally got on the scoreboard.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª K 8 5 2 © A 8 7 ¨ J 10 7 § 7 4 2
ª J 3 © Q 6 4 ¨ K 9 8 6 2 § Q 5 3		ª Q 7 6 4 © K J 2 ¨ A 4 3 § A K 10
	ª A 10 9 © 10 9 5 3 ¨ Q 5 § J 9 8 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Puczynski	Justin	Churmski	Jason
Pass	Pass	1NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Facing 15-17, West went straight to game, a view that I suspect is right more often that not.
(The French have carried out detailed research into this area of bidding, but if you want to know the results an envelope will need to change hands). Although 3NT can be defeated it is far from easy and when South led the three of hearts the hand was almost over. North took the ace and returned the suit, but declarer could win and clear the diamonds to ensure nine tricks. +400, but given the way the English pair were playing in the other room a flat board was expected.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Townsend	Tuszynski	Gold	Kowalski
Pass	Pass	1NT	All Pass

With a relatively poor five-card suit and only soft, scattered values West decided to make no move facing a 15-17 no trump. It cost 6 IMPs.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª 8 6 2 © 6 4 3 ¨ 10 9 8 6 2 § 9 8
ª Q J 10 © J 10 ¨ A Q 7 5 4 3 § 7 2		ª K 7 3 © 9 8 2 ¨ - § A Q J 10 6 5 4
	ª A 9 5 4 © A K Q 7 5 ¨ K J § K 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Puczynski	Justin	Churmski	Jason
			1©
2¨	Pass	3§	Dble
Pass	3©	All Pass

North must have been charmed to see his partner take another bid. West led the two of clubs, classical Polish style, and East won with the ace and returned the ten to South’s king. Declarer drew trumps and played a low spade. West won with the jack as East played the seven. When West continued with the ten of spades (you could argue that the queen would be clearer) East put up the king with fatal consequences. Declarer could win and exit with a spade forcing West to lead into the diamond tenace, +140.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Townsend	Tuszynski	Gold	Kowalski
			1§
1¨	Pass	1NT	2©
Pass	Pass	3§	All Pass

Three Clubs was a straightforward affair, +110 and 6 IMPs to England.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª K J 9 6 5 2 © J 9 8 ¨ - § A J 10 8
ª A 3 © 7 6 ¨ K J 10 9 4 3 2 § Q 9		ª Q 10 8 4 © Q 10 5 3 ¨ - § K 7 6 4 3
	ª 7 © A K 4 2 ¨ A Q 8 7 6 5 § 5 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Puczynski	Justin	Churmski	Jason
		Pass	1¨
Pass	1ª	Pass	2¨
Pass	2ª	All Pass

The English pair managed to stop at a safe level. East led the three of hearts, but declarer was not prepared to risk playing low and he won in dummy and played a club to the jack and king. East played back a heart and declarer won in dummy and disposed of his losing heart on the ace of diamonds as East ruffed. Declarer ruffed the heart return as West discarded the jack of clubs and played the jack of spades. West won and played the king of diamonds but declarer ruffed with the king of spades and played a spade. When everyone followe he could claim eight tricks, +110.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Townsend	Tuszynski	Gold	Kowalski
		Pass	1¨
Pass	1ª	Pass	2©
Pass	2ª	Pass	3©
Pass	3ª	All Pass

The Polish pair went overboard and the defence was red hot. East led the four of clubs for the queen and ace and declarer played back the jack. East won and played the three of clubs, ruffed by West as declarer discarded a diamond from dummy. West played the two of diamonds, ruffed by East, who played a fourth club for West to ruff with the ace of spades. East still had two trump tricks to come so the contract was two down, -200 and yet another small swing to England, this time of 5 IMPs.

The Polish players had given up only 31 IMPs in 20 boards, a rate generally associated with winning bridge, but their opponents had surrended only 7 – a tremendous performance. England had won 20-10 VP and given further notice that they are major contenders.