The favored Polish team trailed by 23 IMPs going into the fifth set of their semifinal Bermuda Bowl match against USA II, seeking to reach the final with Rose Meltzer, the first woman to play in even the semifinal stage of the championship with the current format. The strong Polish team had their work cut out for them as they faced two pairs with extensive world-level experience, including a few world titles: Chip Martel-Lew Stansby and Alan Sontag-Peter Weichsel. Against that lineup, the Poles fielded Krzysztof Martens-Marcin Lesniewski and Cezary Balicki-Adam Zmudsinski.

Martens was tested on the first deal, but he came through.

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

West	North	East	South
Sontag	Balicki	Weichsel	Zmudzinski
	1¨	2§	Pass
2ª	Pass	2NT	All Pass

Zmudzinski led the ª7 to dummy's ace, and Weichsel led a low heart from dummy, winning the king with the ace. He continued with the §Q and §K, ducked by North, who won the third round of clubs with the ace and returned the §7 to Weichsel's 10. He ended with four hearts, two spades and three clubs for plus 150.

West	North	East	South
Martens	Martel	Lesniewski	Stansby
	1NT	Dble	2ª
Pass	Pass	3§	Pass
3¨	Pass	4¨	All Pass

Had Martens doubled 2ª, it might have been a lucrative penalty. Norway exacted a four-trick set of 2ª doubled for +800 in their match against Italy. Perhaps double in that sequence would not have been for penalty in the Martens-Lesniewski partnership. At any rate, Martens could not have been happy to hear partner bid his void at the three level - or to be raised when he ran to 3¨. Martel led the ª8 to the queen and king (declarer pitched a heart from dummy), and Martens led the ¨3 to the 9 and Stansby's singleton 10. When Stansby returned the §3, Martens discarded a heart as Martel won the §A. The ª5 went to the 10 and jack (Martens discarding another heart from dummy), and Martens cashed the ªK (Martel discarded a club rather than ruffing). Martens then played a diamond from hand and covered Martel's 7 with dummy's 9. When that held, Martens ruffed a good club back to hand and led another round of diamonds. Martel won the ace but that was it for the defense as Martens had his hard-won contract. Still, it was a 1-IMP loss.

Lesniewski Marcin, Poland

Martel took the winning view of his marginal hand on the next deal to help his side to a 6-IMP gain.

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

West	North	East	South
Sontag	Balicki	Weichsel	Zmudzinski
		Pass	1ª
Pass	1NT	Pass	2©
Pass	2NT	All Pass

Balicki's aggressive move toward game resulted in a minus score. The play record is incomplete, but Balicki went one down on the lead of the §9 by Weichsel.

West	North	East	South
Martens	Martel	Lesniewski	Stansby
		Pass	1ª
Pass	1NT	Pass	2©
Pass	2ª	All Pass

Martel's simple preference to spades paid off well when Stansby played it expertly to bring home an overtrick. He won the lead of the §8 in dummy with the king and played a spade to his 10 and West's ace. Another club came back and Stansby compressed his club winners by putting in dummy's queen so as to take another spade finesse. When the suit proved to be 3-3, he had nine tricks in four spades, three clubs and two hearts.

The Americans' lead grew even more when an aggressive bid by Weichsel paid off.

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

West	North	East	South
Sontag	Balicki	Weichsel	Zmudzinski
			1©
Pass	2©	Dble	Pass
3¨	3©	4¨	Pass
5¨	All Pass

A takeout double with the East hand would not be everyone's choice because of the shortage in spades, but Weichsel did have a strong hand. Sontag understood that on the bidding and raised himself to the good game. Sontag ruffed the opening lead of the ©A and played a spade to the ace, followed by a low spade, ensuring a spade ruff and the contract. When the §Q fell doubleton, that was for an overtrick and + 620.

West	North	East	South
Martens	Martel	Lesniewski	Stansby
			2¨ (1)
Pass	3©	All Pass

(1) 11-15 with 4 spades, 5 hearts.

Martel liked his extra trump and the fact that all his high cards were in partner's two long suits, so he made an invitational bid of 3©, effectively shutting the Poles out of the auction. Stansby had five top losers and could have lost another trick had Lesniewski not won the first round of spades. Stansby's small minus compared favourably with his teammates' vulnerable game bonus. That was 11 IMPs to USA II.

The two teams traded pushes for the next three boards before Poland hit the Americans with a vulnerable game swing on Board 7.

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

West	North	East	South
Sontag	Balicki	Weichsel	Zmudzinski
			1©
Dble	3©	4©	Pass
5¨	Pass	5ª	All Pass

One can sympathize with the Americans' dilemma on this deal after Balicki's super-aggressive pre-empt in hearts. Weichsel has a powerful hand opposite a takeout double, so a bid of 4ª doesn't seem to do it justice. On the other hand, is Sontag supposed to bid a three-card spade suit holding five diamonds to the K-Q? Zmudzinski did not err on opening lead, starting with the §K. Weichsel ducked but South continued with a club, so he had one to cash when he came in with the ¨A. It was a tough -100 for Weichsel and Sontag.

West	North	East	South
Martens	Martel	Lesniewski	Stansby
			1©
Dble	2©	Dble	3©
Pass	Pass	4ª	All Pass

Martel took it easy with his 2-point hand, giving the Poles a little breathing room. They took advantage of it by getting just high enough. Lesniewski made 12 tricks when Stansby started with a low heart instead of a club honor. That was 13 IMPs to Poland, who picked up another 6 IMPs when Weichsel misjudged an opponent's spade length on the following deal.

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

Lesniewski opened 1NT and declined Martens' game invitation after a Stayman sequence. Stansby led a low spade to the 5, 10 and jack, and Lesniewski went to work on hearts. When spades proved to be 6-2, Lesniewski ended up with nine tricks for +150.

Weichsel also played in 2NT, also on an invitational sequence involving Stayman, and he got the same opening lead. But when North won the first heart and returned a spade, Weichsel went up with the ace and, apparently planning to endplay South after he cashed his presumed three spade winners, got out with his ª2. Unfortunately for Weichsel, South had four spade winners to cash. Along with the top hearts, that gave the Poles +100 and 6 IMPs.

Poland trailed by 20 near the end when they claimed a slam swing to move even closer.

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

West	North	East	South
Sontag	Balicki	Weichsel	Zmudzinski
		Pass	1©
Pass	1NT	Pass	2¨
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
Pass	4§	Pass	4NT
Pass	6©	All Pass

The largely artificial sequence after Zmudzinski's light opener got the Poles to the excellent heart slam. There was nothing to the play and Zmudzinksi duly chalked up +980.

West	North	East	South
Martens	Martel	Lesniewski	Stansby
		Pass	Pass
Pass	2¨ (1)	Pass	4©
All Pass

(1) Flannery with a fourth-seat range of 11-18.

Stansby might have checked on partner's strength, but it must have been difficult to envision all those aces and kings in just the right spots. The way to guarantee getting to slam with the North/South cards was to open the bidding with the South hand - not the Americans' style. The 11-IMP swing brought Poland to within 9 IMPs, and they closed out the set having trimmed 10 IMPs off the 23-IMP deficit. It would be anybody's match in the final set.