The queens and I

It's a good feeling to know you have saved your team some IMPs with good guesses, and it was Lorenzo Lauria's time to shine in the third final set of the Olympiad Open series. He made two inspired plays to drop queens offside and help his team to a 37-34, increasing their lead in the final to 81-64.

The match began with an interesting irony - a major swing on a grand slam, Poland's revenge for the 14-IMP swing from the previous set when Italy accidentally stayed out of a grand slam that goes down but that any sane player would want to be in.

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

Despite the wealth of high cards, Giorgio Duboin and Norberto Bocchi could defeat 4ª doubled by only two tricks for plus 300. The auction was much different in the Open Room.

Once Piotr Tuszynski cooperated in the slam try to cuebidding his §A, there was no stopping Krzysztof Jassem, who drove to the grand slam. Alfredo Versace started off with a low heart, a tipoff about where the trump queen was. Tuszynski was relieved to see the queen dropped under the ace. He cashed the ªA, played a heart to his hand, ruffed a spade high and pulled trumps. There was still an anxious moment when declarer played on diamonds - the contract was sunk if the suit didn't break - but all was well and Poland went in front in the match 45-44 with a 15-IMP swing.

Poland upped the lead by defeating 4ª in one room while stopping in 3ª in the other, just making.

Poland was in the lead 53-44 when this deal put the Italians back in front.

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

Cezary Balicki's 2¨ bid was described as "preemptive but sound." Indeed, it was solid - cold for 12 tricks, although Balicki took only 11. Lauria and Versace were more enterprising.

A very well judged auction. The opening lead was a club to Jassem's king. He switched to the ª9, but he was marked with all the high-card points and Lauria had no other viable option to the finesse in any case. Plus 1370 was good for 13 IMPs and a 57-53 lead for Italy.

Poland pulled back to within 2 IMPs when Versace went two down in 4© while Adam Zmudzinski held the same contract to down one.

The first of Lauria's brilliant plays occurred on the following deal.

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

Bocchi led the ©4 to the 8, ace and 3. The ©5 was returned to the king. Balicki played a spade to his hand and a diamond to dummy's king, and it was over quickly. Duboin won and returned a heart for down one. The Italians' lead agreements apparently are "attitude," meaning Balicki could necessarily tell how the suit was divided. His play indicates, however, that he was relying on a 4-4 split in hearts. The alternative, of course, was to take a spade finesse, which would have led to an extra undertrick.

Tuszynski led the ©6 to Jassem's ace, and on the return of the ©5, Tuszynski tried to conceal his heart length by playing the 7. Lauria was not taken in, however, because if Jassem had started with ©A 5 4 2, his return would not have been the 5. Lauria played a club to the king at trick three, following that with he queen. A club was played to dummy's ace and Lauria played a spade to his king. A fourth round of clubs went to dummy's 7 and Lauria called for the ª9. Jassem followed low and Lauria considered his play for a couple of minutes before he went up with the ace, dropping the queen. The ªJ was trick number nine. Plus 400 was a 10-IMP gain for Italy, now leading 67-55.

Poland crept back to within 5 IMPs with a gain on the next deal.

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

Bocchi was lucky to escape with two down for minus 200. Zmudzinski led a low heart to the 7, 9 and king. Balicki took the ¨10 with the ace and switched to a trump. Zmudzinski won the §J, then cashed the ace and exited with the §7 to Bocchi's king. Bocchi played the ªQ to the king and ace and got off dummy with a diamond. Zmudzinski won, picked up dummy's last trump with the queen and exited with a spade. Bocchi was held to five tricks: two spades, one club and two diamonds.

Versace won the diamond opening lead in dummy and took the club finesse. Despite the favorable division of clubs (he continued with the ace and a low one to establish four tricks in the suit), declarer could do no better than six tricks for one down.

On the following deal, the Polish defenders slipped at both tables to let different contracts through.

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

Zmudzinski led his singleton club, ducked to North's jack. The ¨Q came back, and Bocchi did well to duck that trick. The ª9 was allowed to hold the trick, as was the ªJ. Balicki then played the §K, apparently meant to be suit-preference for hearts. Zmudzinski ruffed with the queen and got out with a heart, but Bocchi played the jack, ruffed out the ace and had a parking place for two of his diamonds on the §Q and ©K. Plus 110.

Jassem led the ª4, and the fact that the Poles lead low from doubletons made it difficult for Tuszynski to read, and he inserted the 10. Versace won the queen and played his singleton club. Jassem won the ace and, feeling very much endplayed, exited with the ©2. Versace got it wrong, going up with the ace, but he recovered nicely when Jassem failed to spot the winning line on defense.

Jassem won the next trick with the ¨A, and he could have defeated the contract by playing the ©K and another heart, but he exited with a low heart instead. Versace won dummy's ©10, cashed the §K for a diamond pitch, ruffed a club, ruffed a diamond and ruffed a club, exiting with the ©Q. Jassem could cash the master trumps, but then he had to lead from the ¨J into Versace's K-10. Plus 140 was good for another 6 IMPs to Italy.

The last deal of the set featured Lauria's second inspired play involving a queen.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª A 2 © A K 9 6 ¨ Q 9 5 2 § K J 6
ª Q 8 6 3 © J 2 ¨ 6 4 3 § 8 7 5 2		ª K J 10 5 © Q 3 ¨ A 10 8 7 § A 9 3
	ª 9 7 4 © 10 8 7 5 4 ¨ K J § Q 10 4

After Bocchi led a low diamond, Balicki scampered home with five hearts, two diamonds, one club and one spade for plus 150. The Italians in the Open Room got a lot higher.

Tuszynski got off to the sneaky lead of the ©3, and it seemed that Lauria might go wrong, playing West for Q J x in the suit. He took the jack with the ace, played a diamond to the dummy and another heart, going up with the king after some thought. When the queen dropped, Lauria had the game and another swing to Italy.

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