4th IOC Grand Prix Page 4 Bulletin 4 - Tuesday, 5 February  2002


Bridge is a Game of Two Halfs

Everyone knows that soccer is a game of two halfs, but the same is equally true of bridge. Having missed the first six deals of the match between Poland and Brazil, when little of significance happened, we wandered into the VuGraph just in time to catch the tail end of the seventh deal.

Dealer South. East/West Vul
  ª A K Q 9 7 5 2
© K 9 7
¨ 9
§ 5 2
ª -
© A Q 10 8 4 3
¨ Q 8 3
§ K Q 9 6
Bridge deal ª J 10 6 4 3
© 5 2
¨ 10 6 4
§ J 7 4
  ª 8
© J 6
¨ A K J 7 5 2
§ A 10 8 3

According to the screen, Brazil had gone three down in Four Spades in the Closed Room. Declarer must have won the club lead, got the bad news about trumps and taken a first round diamond finesse.

In the replay, the Poles bid all the way to Six Spades and escaped for the same three down and another dull flat board. Resisting the temptation to go for a coffee we waited for the next deal:

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

Open Room
West North East South
Balicki Chagas Zmudzinski Brenner
Pass 1NT Pass 2§*
Pass 2ª Pass 2NT
All Pass      

Chagas had no reason to accept his partner's invitation. Under no real pressure he made eight tricks, +120.

Closed Room
West North East South
Figueredo Pszczola Campos Kwiecen
Pass 1NT Pass 3NT
All Pass      

The stakes were higher here. East led the four of spades and declarer let it run to his jack. A club to the king was followed by the ten of diamonds, coverd by the king and ace. When declarer played the six of spades East put up the king and switched to the ace of hearts and a heart. That simply speeded things up and Poland had 11 IMPs.

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

Open Room
West North East South
Balicki Chagas Zmudzinski Brenner
  Pass Pass 1ª
Pass 1NT Pass 2ª
Pass 2NT Pass 3©
Pass 4ª All Pass  

Four Spades was doomed from the start by the bad trump break and declarer finished no less than four down. Given the nature of the auction might West not have ventured a double?

Closed Room
West North East South
Figueredo Pszczola Campos Kwiecen
  Pass Pass 1ª
Pass 1NT Pass 2ª
Pass 2NT Pass 3¨*
Pass 3ª All Pass  

Three Diamonds was alerted as showing a singleton or void diamond, which did not improve North's hand. A slightly inaccurate defence allowed declarer to escape for only one down so Poland had another 7 IMPs.

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

Open Room
West North East South
Balicki Chagas Zmudzinski Brenner
    Pass Pass
1¨ 1NT All Pass  

Should South invite with a reasonable five card suit and a couple of decent high cards? Brenner did not think so, and with eight tricks being the limit on a diamond lead, it appeared he had made the winning decision.

Closed Room
West North East South
Figueredo Pszczola Campos Kwiecen
    Pass Pass
1¨ Dble Pass 1NT
Pass 2NT Pass 3§
Pass 3NT Dble All Pass

An overcall of 1NT would have been conventional, so North had to start with a double. When South invited, North accepted and East doubled. That was a good idea, but West read something into it and led a heart, which was not. Declarer was allowed to win the first trick in dummy, and ran the nine of clubs. When West had to win with the ace the result was not in doubt and Poland had another 11 IMPs.

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

Open Room
West North East South
Balicki Chagas Zmudzinski Brenner
      Pass
Pass 1¨ 1ª Dble
2§ Pass Pass 2ª
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT
All Pass      

Three No-Trumps is the obvious resting place for North/South, and it did not take long for Brazil to get there. East led the five of clubs and declarer was allowed to win with the king. He cashed the ace of diamonds and played a diamond to the queen and king. West played back the jack of clubs and declarer played low! Now West cashed his clubs for three down, -300.

Even if declarer had put up the queen of clubs he would not have made the contract, as the winning line involves making four heart tricks, and the play in diamonds had already left declarer a vital entry short.

Closed Room
West North East South
Figueredo Pszczola Campos Kwiecen
      Pass
3§ Pass Pass Dble
All Pass      

Perhaps West had the previous board on his mind when he ventured Three Clubs. With perfect defence the defenders can inflict an 1100 penalty, but the +800 they achieved was enough for 15 IMPs.

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

Open Room
West North East South
Balicki Chagas Zmudzinski Brenner
1NT 2¨ 3NT All Pass

North led the ten of diamonds and declarer won with the queen and played a heart to the king and ace. South switched to a spade and declarer had no way to arrive at more than eight tricks.

After the diamond lead there is a double dummy route to nine tricks. Declarer must play to eliminate the black suits. In the fullness of time he will finish in dummy and play a heart towards the ©J962, ensuring two heart tricks. Clearly impossible to find after North's overcall.

Closed Room
West North East South
Figueredo Pszczola Campos Kwiecen
1NT 2¨* 3NT Dble
All Pass      

The overcall also promised a major, and the double asked North to lead it. Declarwer elected to take the second spade and played a low diamond toward the jack. North put up the king, cashed his spades and played a heart. -300 and another 6 IMPs for Poland.

Over the last five boards, Poland had blitzed Brazil 50-0 IMPs!



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