Transnational Qualifying Final Round

De Botton v Markowicz

Going into the final round of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Transnational Teams, England’s DE BOTTON lay ninth, one place and 1 VP out of a qualifying spot. In Round 15 they met the American MARKOWICZ team, which lay tenth, 3 VPs further back. This match would be winner takes all, with the unpleasant third option that a tight finish might see neither side make it into the top eight.

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª 6 © Q 6 5 4 3 2 ¨ J 8 5 3 § 10 2
ª A J 5 3 2 © K J ¨ 9 7 § K Q 9 5		ª 10 © A 8 7 ¨ K Q 10 2 § J 8 7 6 4
	ª K Q 9 8 7 4 © 10 9 ¨ A 6 4 § A 3

West	North	East	South
Sandqvist	Klukowski	Holland	Zaremba
			1ª
Pass	Pass	Dble	Pass
Pass	2©	Pass	Pass
3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Zeligman	Justin H	Jezioro	Jason H
			1ª
Pass	1NT	Pass	2ª
All Pass

Justin Hackett, England

When Jerzy Zaremba’s 1ª opening came round to John Holland he doubled and Nick Sandqvist passed for penalties. Julian Klukowski ran to 2© and Sandqvist jumped to 3NT, ending the auction. A spade lead would beat 3NT as South has all the important spots and the ten was falling. However, the auction hardly suggested that the defence would be able to get the spades going very quickly and Klukowski led his own suit instead. Sandqvist had nine tricks easily enough now by playing on clubs; +400.

Justin Hackett found a very light 1NT response to the 1ª opening and Jason’s 2ª rebid shut the opposition out of the auction; down two for –100 but 7 IMPs to DE BOTTON.

Board 29. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª 5 © 6 3 2 ¨ A 9 6 5 § A J 4 3 2
ª K 10 6 © A Q J 9 4 ¨ Q 10 8 2 § 5		ª A Q 9 8 7 4 2 © K 10 8 7 ¨ K § 10
	ª J 3 © 5 ¨ J 7 4 3 § K Q 9 8 7 6

West	North	East	South
Sandqvist	Klukowski	Holland	Zaremba
	Pass	1ª	Pass
2©	Pass	4§	Pass
4ª	Pass	4NT	Pass
5§	Pass	5©	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Zeligman	Justin H	Jezioro	Jason H
	Pass	1ª	2§
4§	5§	6ª	All Pass

Given a free run, Sandqvist/Holland discovered that there were two key cards missing so stopped safely at the five level. Klukowski tried the effect of a low diamond lead away from his ace and that allowed Sandqvist to make all of the tricks; +710.

Jason’s 2§ overcall led to a very different type of auction at the other table and, deprived of the opportunity to check on key cards, Jezioro guessed to jump to 6ª. Nobody had bid hearts at this table and Jason went for the simple approach of leading his singleton, simply needing to find partner with a major-suit ace. Not this time, as the lead allowed Jezioro to take the first twelve tricks in the majors; +1430 and 12 IMPs to MARKOWICZ.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª K 10 8 6 2 © Q 10 4 ¨ 7 6 § J 7 6
ª 7 5 © 6 5 ¨ Q 9 8 § K Q 10 9 3 2		ª Q 9 4 © A 9 8 7 3 2 ¨ J 10 3 § 8
	ª A J 3 © K J ¨ A K 5 4 2 § A 5 4

West	North	East	South
Sandqvist	Klukowski	Holland	Zaremba
	Pass	2©	2NT
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Zeligman	Justin H	Jezioro	Jason H
	Pass	2©	Dble
Pass	3ª	Pass	4ª
All Pass

Holland opened with a weak 2© bid and Zaremba made a heavy 2NT overcall, where he played. Sandqvist led the queen of clubs and Zaremba won the ace and played the ©K to the ace. Back came the ¨J and he won to play ace then jack of spades to the queen. Zaremba won the next diamond lead and claimed nine tricks for +150.

Jason preferred to double 2© and raised to game when Justin could jump to 3ª. Jezioro led the jack of diamonds – very quickly, as though it were a singleton, in Justin’s view. Justin won and played ace then jack of spades to the queen. When Jezioro switched to his club, Justin ducked and the club return, ruffed, was the setting trick; one down for –50 and 6 IMPs to MARKOWICZ, who led by 18-7 IMPs with four deals to play.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª Q © A K 9 4 ¨ A 10 6 2 § J 6 5 2
ª A K 4 © 7 5 ¨ J 7 4 § A Q 10 9 7		ª 9 7 6 5 © J 6 3 2 ¨ 9 8 § K 4 3
	ª J 10 8 3 2 © Q 10 8 ¨ K Q 5 3 § 8

West	North	East	South
Sandqvist	Klukowski	Holland	Zaremba
		Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	Pass	2ª
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Zeligman	Justin H	Jezioro	Jason H
		Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1¨	Pass
1ª	Pass	2ª	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Jason Hackett, England

Prospects were looking bleak for DE BOTTON after missing that opportunity, but they struck back on the next deal. Zaremba’s 2ª overcall showed five spades plus a four-card or longer minor, but Klukowski only remembered this after he had passed out 2ª. However, 2ª proved to be OK for North/South. Sandqvist led a heart which ran to the eight and Zaremba played a spade to the king. Now Sandqvist switched to ace then ten of clubs and Holland got that right by withholding his king as declarer ruffed. The ªJ was won by the ace and another club allowed Zaremba to make his ª8. He cashed the last spade and took his red winners for +140.

At the other table Zeligman/Jezioro found the four-three spade fit and Justin made a balancing double, hungrily passed out by Jason. Shalom Zeligman managed to come to five tricks but that was –800 and 12 IMPs to DE BOTTON, putting them into a 19-18 IMP lead.

Board 23 was a push but on Board 24 MARKOWICZ stopped in 3© on the East/West cards while DE BOTTON got to game. The declarer to make ten tricks proved to be the one in partscore – there were four top losers – and that meant 6 IMPs to MARKOWICZ, back ahead by 24-19.

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª K 10 8 7 4 © K Q 8 6 3 ¨ 8 3 § 5
ª 9 6 3 2 © A ¨ J 10 9 7 4 2 § 10 7		ª A J © 10 7 5 4 2 ¨ K § A J 8 6 2
	ª Q 5 © J 9 ¨ A Q 6 5 § K Q 9 4 3

West	North	East	South
Sandqvist	Klukowski	Holland	Zaremba
	2©	Pass	2ª
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Zeligman	Justin H	Jezioro	Jason H
	1ª	2ª	Dble
2NT	Pass	3§	Dble
All Pass

The final deal and a dramatic end to the qualifying stage for the DE BOTTON squad. Klukowski opened 2©, hearts and another, weak, and Zaremba converted to 2ª, where he played. The ¨J was led to the king and ace and Zaremba led a heart up, the ace going in, perforce. Sandqvist gave his partner a diamond ruff, which did declarer no harm at all, and back came ace of clubs followed by a heart for Sandqvist to ruff. A further diamond lead was ruffed with the ace but Zaremba could ruff the next heart with his queen and lead a spade to the eight; eight tricks for +110.

Jezioro made a two-suited overcall at the other table and Jason smelled blood. He doubled 2ª then doubled 3§ and it was up to Justin to trust him or not. Though he had opened an eight-count at the one level and had a small singleton trump, Justin did have declarer’s side-suit well held, and he showed a certain degree of faith in partner when he passed.

Jason led the ªQ to the ace and Jezioro played the ¨K to Jason’s ace. Jason thought for some time then played his second spade and Justin won then played his trump. When Jezioro ducked this to the queen, Jason found the best continuation, returning the §K to pin the ten and prevent any ruffs in dummy. Declarer won and played a heart to the ace then the jack of diamonds. When the queen did not appear, Jezioro ruffed then exited with a heart. Justin overtook the heart and led the ª10 and declarer erred by ruffing. He was over-ruffed and that meant four down for –1100 when Jason played the ¨Q then let his partner get a couple of heart tricks on declarer’s enforced lead, enabling him to pitch his small diamonds.

Declarer should have saved one trick as he has a club less than East so an keep on discarding until the defender is forced to ruff and lead into the §J8 at the end. The actual result meant 14 IMPs to DE BOTTON, who won the match by 33-24 IMPs, converting to 17-13 VPs. That proved to be just enough to take the eighth qualifying spot by a single VP.