Rosenblum Round 4

In the fourth round of the Power Rosenblum the teams occupying the top two positions in Group N, Kowalski and Smith faced each other. As you will see the the deals offered plenty of scope.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Szymanowski	Smith	Romanski	Smith
	1ª	Pass	2¨*
4©	Dble	Pass	5¨
All Pass

Two Diamonds was game forcing - not perhaps everyone's choice on the South cards. When North doubled Four Hearts South unwisely decided to retreat to the apparent safety of her eight-card suit. West led the ace of hearts and when that held he switched to his singleton spade. East took the ace and played back a spade and declarer discarded a heart allowing West to score the six of diamonds. The club exit was taken in dummy and declarer played a diamond to the ace and was two down, -100. Not exactly a triumph.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Yomtov	Gawrys	Foster	Jassem
	1ª	Pass	2¨
2©	2NT	Pass	3¨
3ª	Pass	4¨	Pass
4ª	Pass	5¨	All Pass

Here West cashed both top hearts before switching to his spade. East won and returned the suit. When West could not overuff the eight of diamonds declarer crossed to dummy with a club and took the diamond finesse for one down and an early 2 IMP lead.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Szymanowski	Smith	Romanski	Smith
		Pass	Pass
1§*	1ª	1NT	2©
3NT	Pass	Pass	4¨
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

If you are not an advocate of light opening bids or have a suitable gadget then you have to pass the South hand. Despite the vulnerability there are surely players who would have bid more than One Spade on the North cards. You can see why South bid Two Hearts, but bidding Four Diamonds was asking for trouble - and found it.

West led the ace of clubs and switched to his trump, East putting up the queen and declarer winning with the ace. She ruffed a club and played a heart to the nine and ten. West exited with the four of spades and declarer put up the ace, discarding a heart and played another heart to the jack, queen and king. She discarded a spade on West's club exit, ruffing in hand and played a heart, ruffing in dummy with the nine. East cunningly refused to overruff and declarer went wrong in the ending, to go three down for -800.

As 3NT would have made two down would have been little more than a pin prick but three down was much more serious.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Yomtov	Gawrys	Foster	Jassem
		Pass	2©*
3§	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Dble	Pass	Pass
5§	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

Two Hearts promised two five card suits. It was not easy to reach 3NT now and when West tried Five Clubs South was quick to double. North led the ace of spades and played a second spade, ruffed by South who cashed a diamond for one down, +100 and 14 IMPs.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Szymanowski	Smith	Romanski	Smith
	Pass	1¨*	Pass
1NT	2¨*	3§	Pass
3¨	Pass	4¨	All Pass

With North having shown the majors West might have found 3NT at his second turn and there was certainly a case for raising to Five Diamonds. Any way the game was missed and it represented the first real opportunity for the Americans.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Yomtov	Gawrys	Foster	Jassem
	2©*	3¨	3©
Pass	Pass	4§	Pass
4¨	All Pass

Obviously West did not think much of his king of hearts but it is amazing how often a supposedly badly placed card turns out to be of value. No swing.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Szymanowski	Smith	Romanski	Smith
			Pass
1§*	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

South led a diamond and declarer won in hand with the ten and promptly returned the suit, always depressing for a defender. South won with king and switched to the nine of hearts for the queen and king. North switched to the jack of spades, covered by the king and ace and South went back to hearts. Declarer won with the ace and all he had to do now was locate the queen of clubs. He knew North was short in diamonds and after unblocking the queen of diamonds he played ace of clubs jack of clubs for nine tricks, +600.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Yomtov	Gawrys	Foster	Jassem
			Pass
1§	1©	2©*	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

This time North was on lead and the jack of spades was covered by the king and ace. Declarer ducked the next spade, won the third round discarding a heart from dummy and played a club to the jack and queen. The defenders cashed a spade and South switched to the nine of hearts. It was all down hill from here and declarer finished three down, -300 and 14IMPs to the Polish players, who were running away with the match.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Szymanowski	Smith	Romanski	Smith
Pass	Pass	Pass	1©
Pass	2¨*	Pass	6©
All Pass

Two Diamonds was a limit raise in hearts and South bid what she hoped she could make. Right she was, +980.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Yomtov	Gawrys	Foster	Jassem
Pass	1©	Pass	2NT*
Pass	3NT	Pass	4§*
Pass	4¨*	Pass	4NT*
Pass	5§*	Pass	5ª*
Pass	6§*	Pass	6©
All Pass

Krzysztof Jassem remarked that playing rubber-bridge he would have raised One Heart to Seven - which may explain why he is always welcomed warmly at the rubber bridge clubs in Warsaw (only joking Krzysztof), but wisely took a slower route before settling for the small slam and a push.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Szymanowski	Smith	Romanski	Smith
	2ª	3©	4ª
5§	Pass	5©	All Pass

Five Clubs might be the winning bid on the West hand - once in a blue moon. However, South led the ace of spades and switched to the jack of diamonds. Declarer played low and North, who had achieved something of a coup in the bidding with his opening effort gave it all away by putting up the ace. Now declarer only needed to ruff one diamond in dummy for +650.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Yomtov	Gawrys	Foster	Jassem
	Pass	1©	Dble
2§	2©*	4©	Pass
Pass	4ª	Pass	Pass
5§	Dble	5©	Dble
All Pass

South led the jack of diamonds, a much happier choice than that of his counterpart, although a trump is even better. Declarer won with the king and returned the suit. North won and switched to a trump, so the contract had to go two down, -500 and 15 IMPs.

In the second half Foster and Yomtov faced Piotr Tuszynski, North and Apolinary Kowalski, South whilst Gawyrs and Jassem moved to play the Smiths.

The Smith team had their chances but it was mostly a case of missed opportunities.

On the first board, Foster and Yomtov stayed in a sensible 1NT making two. The Poles, however bid game. When Linda failed to Smith Peter, Ron missed the right defence and it was seven out rather than 5 IMPs in. On board 3 the Poles played part score contracts at both tables, one unbeatable and one relying on a favourable lead. Thus they scored +90 and +170 for another 6 IMPs.

On Boards six and nine both teams missed slam opportunities. On the last deal, Foster and Yomptov did earn a vulnerable game swing for their side with this.

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

Gawrys and Jassem played in a quiet Two Diamonds making five. At the other table the bidding was:

West	North	East	South
Yomtov	Tuszynski	Foster	Kowalski
		1¨	Dble
1©	Pass	2§	Pass
2ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
3¨	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Hoping to learn something useful South led the ace of hearts and then switched to the §Q, ducked to the king. Declarer went to table with a top diamond and led a top heart. Kowalski took that and continued his attack on clubs. The defence took two tricks in the suit but Foster's §109 was enough and he claimed nine tricks. The final margin was 38 IMPs to the Polish team.