Salt Lake Swings
With two of the top teams in the world, Poland and Norway could
be expected to put on a good show in their semi-final match in the
4th IOC Grand Prix. They did not disappoint, and the Norwegians
got right down to business on the first deal of their second-round
set with a major game swing.
Dealer North Both vul
|
|
ª A J 6
© J 2
¨ K 10 5 2
§ 10 5 3 2 |
ª 10 9 8
© 10 9 3
¨ Q 8 4
§ A K Q 6 |
|
ª Q 7 5 4
© Q 6 5 4
¨ 9 6 3
§ 7 4 |
|
ª K 3 2
© A K 8 7
¨ A J 7
§ J 9 8 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Helgemo |
Balicki |
Austberg |
Zmudzinski |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
Geir Helgemo led the §K and switched to the ª10. Adam Zmudzinski
ran that to his king and played the §J from hand. Helgemo won and
continued spades, Per Erik Austberg winning the ªQ when Zmudzinski
inserted the jack. Zmudzinski later misguessed in diamonds and ended
two off for minus 200. In the open room, Jon-Egil Furunes for Norway
did much better.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Kwiecen |
Helness |
Pszczola |
Furunes |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
Michal Kwiecen started with the §Q,
switching to the ª10
at trick two. Furunes won the ªK
in hand and advanced the §
9. Kwiecen, with visions of crashing an honor into his partner's
now-singleton §J,
played low. Furunes was due a club trick in any case, but it worked
out much better for him to get it early instead of late. When the
§9 held, Furunes
tried a low heart to the jack and queen. Jacek Pszczola, East, won
the ©Q and got out
with a low heart to Furunes' ace and West's 9. Furunes then continued
his excellent card play with a low diamond to the 10. When that
held he followed with the ¨K
and a diamond to the ace in his hand, testing diamonds to determine
whether they were 3-3, with some luck in the heart suit also a possibility,
before having to decide on a spade finesse for the contract. The
even diamond split and the fortunate lie of the heart suit meant
an overtrick for Furunes and a 13-IMP gain for Norway.
The next deal involved just an IMP, but it showed how far ahead
a bridge player has to look to avoid coming up with egg on his face.
Dealer East None vul
|
|
ª J 6 4 3
© K Q 7 2
¨ K 9 8
§ Q 5 |
ª K 5 2
© 8
¨ J 7 5 2
§ A K J 7 3 |
|
ª 10 8
© J 10 9 5
¨ A Q 6 4 3
§ 8 4 |
|
ª A Q 9 7
© A 6 4 3
¨ 10
§ 10 9 6 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Helgemo |
Balicki |
Austberg |
Zmudzinski |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
Dble |
1© |
Dble |
2§ |
Pass |
Pass |
2ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Zmudzinski took the expected eight tricks for plus 110.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Kwiecen |
Helness |
Pszczola |
Furunes |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
Pass |
2ª |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Furunes had no takeout double from partner to guide him, but he
found the good contract of 2ª
as well.
Kwiecen started with the §A,
switching to the ©8
at trick two. When Furunes put up dummy's ©K,
Pszczola played the jack, a play that would come back to haunt him.
Furunes played a spade to the ace at trick three and continued with
the 9 from hand. Once again, Kwiecen had to consider whether it
might cost a trick if he went up with his king. Finally, he decided
it might, and he played low. Dummy's ªJ
won, and Furunes next played the §Q.
Kwiecen won the club trick, cashed the ªK
and continued with the §J,
ruffed in dummy. Now when Furunes played a low heart from dummy,
Pszczola could not afford to split the ©10
9. If he did, Furune could win the ace and play the ¨10.
Dummy's diamond spots assured that, no matter what West did, East
would be endplay, forced to lead from the ©10
5 into dummy's Q 7 or to play on diamonds, allowing Furunes to set
up an extra trick there for a heart pitch. As it was, Pszczola played
low and Furunes inserted the 6 to finished with nine tricks.
Poland picked up 2 IMPs when a Norwegian declarer went down three
in 3NT while Pszczola managed two down. The next two deals featured
laydown grand slams, bid by both sides for pushes. Poland picked
up a major swing halfway through the match when Kwiecen guessed
well to land a doubled contract that was defeated at the other table.
Dealer East N/S vul
|
|
ª 9 4
© A K J 10 6 2
¨ Q 10 6
§ A Q |
ª Q J 10 6 3 2
© 9 4
¨ K 8
§ K 8 5 |
|
ª A 8 7 5
© 5 3
¨ A J 4 3 2
§ 9 3 |
|
ª K
© Q 8 7
¨ 9 7 5
§ J 10 7 6 4 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Helgemo |
Balicki |
Austberg |
Zmudzinski |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
3ª |
4© |
4ª |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
Cezary Balicki cashed his two top hearts and got out with a trump.
Helgemo ducked, losing to the singleton king. Two club tricks quickly
followed for the defenders, who chalked up plus 300.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Kwiecen |
Helness |
Pszczola |
Furunes |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
2ª |
Dble |
4ª |
Dble |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Tor Helness started with a top heart, but after Furunes played
the 7, Helness thought for a long time before exiting with a trump.
Kwiecen also studied for some time before getting it right, rising
with the ace to drop Furunes' king. He could have made an overtrick
with the diamond finesse, but he chose to ruff out the queen and
settled for 10 tricks and plus 590, a 13-IMP gain.
Poland piled on 11 more IMPs over the next two deals with partscore
swings, including the following deal, which featured good defense
by the Poles.
Dealer West Both vul
|
|
ª K 8 5 4
© 7 2
¨ K 8 5
§ K J 8 5 |
ª J 10 9
© J 6 3
¨ J 9 4
§ 7 4 3 2 |
|
ª A 7 3
© K 10
¨ A Q 10 7 6
§ A 9 6 |
|
ª Q 6 2
© A Q 9 8 5 4
¨ 3 2
§ Q 10 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Helgemo |
Balicki |
Austberg |
Zmudzinski |
Pass |
Pass |
1¨ |
1© |
Pass |
1ª |
Dble |
Pass |
2¨ |
Dble |
Pass |
2© |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Helgemo led the ¨4 to Austberg's queen, effectively endplaying
the Norwegian. He tried the ©K, taken by Zmudzinski with the ace.
He cashed the ©Q and played the §10 and then the queen to Austberg's
ace, again endplaying him. No matter which suit Austberg played,
it was going to give up a trick, and cashing the ¨A would avoid
an overtrick but would not defeat the contract. Austberg eventually
played another club and Zmudzinski finished with nine tricks for
plus 140.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Kwiecen |
Helness |
Pszczola |
Furunes |
Pass |
Pass |
1§ |
1© |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2© |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Kwiecen started with the ªJ, a much more effective opening thrust.
Furunes won the ªQ in hand and played two rounds of clubs from his
hand, Pszczola taking the second. He, too, got out with the ©K.
From there, nothing could prevent the defenders from taking two
spades, two diamonds, a club and a heart for one down.
After losing 24 IMPs in three boards, Norway finally managed a swing
their way.
Dealer North N/S vul
|
|
ª A 10 7 3
© 10 9 4
¨ A 6
§ A 10 9 6 |
ª 8 2
© K 3
¨ Q J 10 2
§ K Q J 7 5 |
|
ª 9 6 5 4
© A 8 5 2
¨ 9 8 4
§ 4 3 |
|
ª K Q J
© Q J 7 6
¨ K 7 5 3
§ 8 2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Helgemo |
Balicki |
Austberg |
Zmudzinski |
|
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
2§ |
Dble |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
Austberg, guided by Helgemo's natural 2§ bid, led the §4 to the
jack and ace. If Balicki had ducked that trick, Helgemo would have
needed to switch to diamonds for the defense to prevail. Balicki,
with a double stopper in the suit, did not duck, however, and when
he led a heart from hand, Austberg alertly went up with the ace
and play another club. That allowed Helgemo to clear the suit while
he still had an entry. Balicki soon was down one, losing three clubs
and two hearts.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Kwiecen |
Helness |
Pszczola |
Furunes |
|
1§ |
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
Looking at West's two minor suits, not many players would think
of beginning an attack against 3NT with diamonds, but that is what
Kwiecen did. Furunes made no mistake, winning the first diamond
and immediately attacking hearts. The defenders were a tempo behind,
and although they got the diamond tricks they were due, they ended
with only four tricks. Plus 600 was 12 IMPs to Norway.
Poland prevailed in the set 31-26.
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