Uphill climb
The USA team in the men's draw of the IOC Grand Prix entered match
7 in dire straits, needing a convincing victory to have any chance
of advancing past round-robin play in the event. To complicate their
problem, the Americans faced the task of scoring heavily against
the strong team from Poland - not an easy assignment. USA's chances
took a major blow on the very first board, but they rallied for
a 28-22 victory. It was better than a loss, but might not have been
enough.
Dealer North None vul
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|
ª A K 8 6 4
© A 7 4 3 2
¨ A 10 8
§ - |
ª J 10 7 5 3
© K 8
¨ 6 5 4 3
§ Q 3 |
|
ª 9 4
© J 10 9 5
¨ K Q 9 2
§ J 9 4 |
|
ª Q
© Q 6
¨ J 7
§ A K 10 8 7 6 5 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Freeman |
Balicky |
Nickell |
Zmudzinski |
|
1ª |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
5NT |
Pass |
6§ |
All Pass |
|
|
|
With the club suit splitting 3-2, Adam Zmudzinski had no trouble
taking 12 tricks for plus 920. In the open room, Ron Smith and Bob
Hamman did not achieve the maximum in the auction.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Kwiecen |
Hamman |
Pszczola |
Smith |
|
1ª |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Smith's 2NT bid seems odd, but he alerted it on his side
of the screen, indicating it was probably artificial. Smith's
decision to raise Hamman on the doubleton ©Q
violated the maxim about not putting an eight-card suit down
in dummy (unless, of course, it is the trump suit). It certainly
didn't work out well.
Jacek Pszczola led the ¨K,
won by Hamman in hand. He went to dummy with the ªQ
and discarded his diamonds on high clubs. He ruffed a diamond
and cashed the ªA,
but when he tried to cash the ªK,
Pszczola ruffed with the ©9.
Hamman overruffed with the dummy's queen. Hamman then led
a club from dummy, pitching a spade when Michal Kwiecen ruffed
with the ©K.
The inelegant contract finished down one for minus 50 and
a 14-IMP loss, not the start USA needed.
Smith helped the USA get on the board with an aggressive
move on the third deal.
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Kwiecen Michal, Poland
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Dealer South E/W vul
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|
ª K Q J 9 2
© Q 10 7 4
¨ J
§ J 9 5 |
ª A 3
© J 9 8 5 2
¨ A 10
§ A 10 7 3 |
|
ª 8 7 5 4
© A 3
¨ 7 3
§ K Q 6 4 2 |
|
ª 10 6
© K 6
¨ K Q 9 8 6 5 4 2
§ 8 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Freeman |
Balicky |
Nickell |
Zmudzinski |
|
|
|
3¨ |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
|
Adam Zmudzinski's somewhat did achieve his goal of preempting Richard
Freeman and Nick Nickell out of the auction. Zmudzinski had only
the four outstanding aces to lose, and he easily scored nine tricks
for plus 110.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Kwiecen |
Hamman |
Pszczola |
Smith |
|
|
|
4¨ |
4© |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
Smith had an extra diamond, so he started the auction one level
higher, enough to convince Kwiecen that he should introduce his
ragged heart suit at the four level. Hamman led the ªK
to Kwiecen's ace. Declarer's next move was the ©J,
covered by Hamman. Kwiecen won the ace and played a second heart
to Smith's king, and the defense started a forcing game by playing
spades. Kwiecen ruffed the third round of the suit and, after a
long study, played a third roundof hearts, his best shot at taking
10 tricks. If hearts had been 3-3 originally, Kwiecen would get
home with five club tricks, three hearts and two aces. The 4-2 heart
split doomed declarer to two down, however, and USA had scored 3
IMPs.
The Americans started their comeback on board 6, when Balicky-Zmudzinski
doubled Nickell in the unbeatable contract of 2¨
while Smith and Hamman bid to 3§
making four for plus 130. That was 7 IMPs to USA. The following
deal put the Americans ahead.
Dealer North E/W vul
|
|
ª K 10 6
© K 9
¨ A Q 9 8 4 3
§ Q 10 |
ª 9 5
© 7 3
¨ K 7
§ K J 9 7 5 4 2 |
|
ª A Q 7 3
© Q J 10 8 5
¨ 5
§ A 8 6 |
|
ª J 8 4 2
© A 6 4 2
¨ J 10 6 2
§ 3 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Kwiecen |
Hamman |
Pszczola |
Smith |
|
1NT |
Dble (1) |
Pass |
2© |
All Pass |
|
|
(1) Majors.
Hamman led a sneaky §10,
which rode to Kwiecen's jack. Declarer played a heart from hand,
and Hamman rose with the king to play a second club, ruffed by Smith.
The defenders had only two more tricks available - a diamond and
the trump ace. Kwiecen scored up plus 140. At the other table, there
was a disaster for Poland.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Freeman |
Balicky |
Nickell |
Zmudzinski |
|
1NT |
2¨
(1) |
Dble |
Pass |
Pass |
2© |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
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(1) Majors.
Zmudzinski might have given declarer some anxious moments by starting
a force in diamonds, but he began with his singleton club, taken
in dummy with the king. Nickell played a heart to the queen and
ace, and Zmudzinski got out with the ¨J
to the king and ace. The play record is fuzzy from that point, but
Nickell took the same number of tricks that Pszczola did to score
plus 870. USA was on top 23-21.
Another 5 IMPs came USA's way on the next deal.
Dealer East Both vul
|
|
ª 8 7 2
© A
¨ K Q 8 7 6 5 2
§ 6 4 |
ª A 9
© K 10 9 4 3
¨ 9 4
§ 9 8 5 3 |
|
ª K 5 4
© Q J 8 5
¨ 10 3
§ A K Q 7 |
|
ª Q J 10 6 3
© 7 6 2
¨ A J
§ J 10 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Kwiecen |
Hamman |
Pszczola |
Smith |
|
|
1NT |
Pass |
2¨ |
Dble |
2© |
2ª |
4© |
All Pass |
|
|
Smith and Hamman collected a couple of diamonds and the trump ace,
but that was their limit, and Pszczola scored up plus 620.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Freeman |
Balicky |
Nickell |
Zmudzinski |
|
|
1NT |
Pass |
2¨ |
Dble |
3¨ |
3ª |
4© |
4ª |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
This looks to be a good sacrifice, with only
five losers for minus 500. Unfortunately for Poland, Balicky went
down three for minus 800. Nickell started with a heart to declarer's
ace. Balicky played a diamond to the jack, ruffed a heart, entered
dummy with the ¨A
and ruffed another heart. When he played the ¨K,
it was ruffed, overruffed in dummy with the 6 and overruffed by
West with the 9. There were still two more trump tricks and three
club tricks to come.
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