Demolition

With 16 deals to be played, Iceland trailed Poland by 33 IMPs in their quarterfinal match in the Olympiad Open series. That is a significant margin, but not overwhelming. With some luck and good decisions, Iceland certainly had a chance to advance.

It was not to be, however. Poland played nearly flawlessly, winning the set 57-9 for a final score of 210-129. The Poles were razor sharp, and just about everything Iceland tried worked out badly, starting with the first deal.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª 3 © 10 ¨ K 9 7 6 3 § A K 10 8 7 2
ª J 9 4 2 © K Q 6 5 ¨ A Q § J 9 5		ª A K Q 8 © A 9 ¨ 8 5 4 2 § 6 4 3
	ª 10 7 6 5 © J 8 7 4 3 2 ¨ J 10 § Q

4¨ was due to fail. Declarer has one loser in each major and two diamond losers. Thorlakur Jonsson had no chance in 4ª. Adam Zmudzinski led the §Q, overtaken by the king. Another high club was followed by a club ruff. Jonsson had no choice but to finesse when South got out with the ¨J, and then the queen lost to the king the contract was one down.

South's 2© bid took all the steam out of North, who might have mentioned his longer second suit in different circumstances. Michal Kwiecen played expertly to land 10 tricks in his partscore.

Throstur Ingmarsson led the §A and could have held declarer to nine tricks by giving his partner a club ruff, but he switched to the ©10. Kwiecen went up with the ©A, cashed two high spades in dummy, and followed with the ©9. Magnus Magnusson did not cover the ©9, and Kwiecen let it ride. He got to his hand with the ¨A, pitched dummy's club losers on the top hearts and played the ¨Q to North's king. Kwiecen had one more loser but could record plus 170 on his score sheet. That was 6 IMPs to Poland.

On the next deal, Kwiecen and Jacek Pszczola did everything right against a pushy game to earn another swing.

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

This contract could not be defeated, and in fact Adam Zmudzinski emerged with nine tricks for plus 150 when, after the lead of the ª3, Jonsson did not cover dummy's 10.

This contract had no legitimate play, but it was let through at more than one table in the Open and Women's series. The defenders had to be on their toes to avoid a loss.

Kwiecen started with the ª4 to the 7, jack and ace. Magnusson led a diamond, ducked by Kwiecen to dummy's queen. A club was played to the king, and Kwiecen again ducked. The ¨K drove out the ace, and Kwiecen switched to the ©8. The 10 drew the jack and ace and Magnusson cashed his three diamond tricks, getting out with a spade. Kwiecen won the ªK and played the ©9. Pszczola made no mistake, overtaking with the ©K when Magnusson played low and playing a club through the queen for down one and another 6 IMPs to Poland.

On the following deal, Iceland missed an opportunity for a gain when Kwiecen made a rare mistake as declarer.

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

In the closed room, Cezary Balicki led the §Q, taken in dummy. Matthias Thorvaldsson played a spade to his ace and exited with a low spade. In with the ªJ, Balicki cashed his two high diamonds then played a spade to Zmudzinski's king. The ¨10 was next, ruffed by declarer with the 7 and overruffed with the 9. A club went to declarer's ace and Thorvaldsson got the trumps right, playing the king and finessing the 10. Plus 110.

In the open room, Ingmarsson led the ªQ to the 2, king and ace. Kwiecen played a diamond to Ingmarsson's queen, which was followed by the ªJ and a spade to South's 10. Magnusson got out with a club to the king. Kwiecen then played the ©A and the ©10, and he was in a position to defeated. He had to let the 10 run to North's queen, and if Ingmarsson then played the ¨K and it was overtaken by South, a third round of diamonds would promote the ©9 for the setting trick. Ingmarsson did his part, exiting with the ¨K, but Magnusson was asleep, letting the diamond hold, and the contract was made for a push.

Poland's largest gain of the day came on the following deal.

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

Both sides judged well to play 3NT rather than 4ª, which has a loser in each suit.

Zmudzinski led a low heart to the 4, 10 and jack. At trick two, Jonsson played a low spade - a mistake as it turned out - to dummy's queen. Balicki won the ªK and returned his partner's suit. Declarer ducked, South won the ©K and cleared the suit. Jonsson, now in trouble with the spade suit blocked, entered dummy in spades to play a diamond. Things were getting quite complicated now because of his earlier play in spades. Jonsson would be in trouble even with the diamonds favorably placed if South won the ¨A, cashed his heart and got out with a club. The spade suit was still blocked, so Jonsson would have no choice but to duck. North's §K would be the setting trick.

So Jonsson played the ¨K, hoping that it would hold and that South had the §K. A good contract went down the drain when South produced the ¨A. Jonsson was minus 200.

Pszczola did much better. He won the heart lead with his jack and played the ªJ. Even if it lost, the spade suit would provide two more entries for diamond plays.

As play developed, however, Pszczola didn't need the entries. When Ingmarsson won the ªK, he played back the ¨9. This would have been a winner had partner held something like ¨A J 10 x, but on the actual layout it helped declarer to an overtrick and a 13 IMP swing to Poland, looking better with each deal.

The following was icing on the cake for Poland.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª A J 6 © K J 10 ¨ K 10 3 2 § 5 4 3
ª Q 8 5 2 © A Q 9 6 4 ¨ 7 § A K 9		ª K 9 3 © 8 7 5 3 ¨ A J 6 5 § J 6
	ª 10 7 4 © 2 ¨ Q 9 8 4 § Q 10 8 7 2

Balicki led the §5 to the jack, queen and ace. It is easy to see that declarer can succeed by taking the right view in clubs, but Thorvaldsson did not. He cashed the ©A and played a diamond to dummy's ace. Another heart from dummy allowed North to cash two heart tricks before getting out with a diamond. Thorvaldsson ruffed and played a spade to the king, followed by the 9. In with the ªJ, Balicki knocked out declarer's last trump with a diamond play, so there was a diamond to cash when North got in with the ªA. Down two, minus 100.

Kwiecen made Iceland pay for the double. He played low on the opening club lead, winning the 10 with the ace, and played a spade to the king. The §J was played next, and Magnusson, not knowing who had the 9, covered. Kwiecen won and played the §9, pitching a spade from the table, and exited with the ªQ. He won the diamond return with the ace, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a spade, ruffed another diamond and played his good spade. The defenders were held to three tricks and Kwiecen scored a well-earned plus 590 for his team - and 12 IMPs in the bank.

Poland comfortably advanced to the semifinal round against the USA.

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