| 38th World Team Championships | Page 3 | Bulletin 8 - Sunday 7 October 2007 |
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poland v france - sb Round 18 by Brian Senior
When Poland met France in Round 18 of the Senior Bowl, both were in the qualifying positions but still with some work to do to ensure qualification. A good win in this match against a direct contender would go a long way towards securing a place in the knockout stages, while a heavy defeat would put either team in serious danger of missing out. Poland started as though they wanted to confirm qualification as quickly as possible.
It seems strange that 5♣ should be doubled at the table where West opened 1♥ but was then shut out of the auction unable to show his extra values, while it was left undoubled at the table where West bid freely up to the three level, vulnerable against not. Unfortunately, the table recorders do not appear to have done their jobs properly and we have been unable to discover the details of the play. What we know is that both Wests led the ace of hearts, crashing East’s king and forcing dummy to ruff. From here, Aleksander Jezioro, for Poland, managed to get out for two down undoubled; -100. At the other table, Patrick Grenthe was four down doubled; -800, so 12 IMPs to Poland.
After identical starts to the two auctions, Jean-Marie Py, for France, bid 1NT with the East cards while Kazimierz Omernik passed, an odd choice. At both tables, South raised to 2♥ and West introduced the clubs, showing a genuine two-suiter in the process. Julian Klukowski, for Poland, now simply competed with 3♥, while Philippe Vanhoutte made a game try by bidding 3♦. Py jumped to 5♣, while Omernik again stayed silent with the East cards, and Grenthe accepted the game try. Now Omernik sprang to life with a double, ending the auction. Omernik led the jack of clubs, which solved Vanhoutte’s problem in that suit, picking up a full round of honours. However, he lost three trump tricks plus a diamond to be one down; -200. Meanwhile, 5♣ was hopeless in the other room. Though North/South had bid and supported hearts, Klukowski appreciated that dummy would turn up with heart strength facing shortage, so he led a low spade. Patrice Piganeau put up the queen, not that it mattered, and Jezioro won with the ace, cashed the ♠J and switched to a diamond. There was no way to avoid losing two trump tricks, so Piganeau was two down for another 200 to Poland and 9 IMPs. The Poles led by 21-0 after four boards.
Why Klukowski had to jump to 3♥, I cannot tell you - even if they play 2♥ as non-forcing, which I cannot find on their convention card, it looks normal enough to bid 2♥. Anyway, Jezioro raised to game, so the Poles were in a slightly unusual and unsuccessful spot. Py led his spade to the queen and ace, so when Piganeau got in with the king of hearts, he could cash the ♠K and give Py a ruff, after which the ace of clubs was the setting trick; -100. At the other table, Vanhoutte could make a transfer response of 2♦ over the 1♠ overcall. Grenthe had no reason to break the transfer, so just converted to 2♥, where he wanted to play facing a non-forcing hand-type. Now Vanhoutte continued with a 2♠ cuebid. Grenthe showed the extra diamond length, and now Vanhoutte closed proceedings with 3NT. Omernik led the five of clubs. Vanhoutte had little option but to close his eyes and put up the king. When he opened them again, he found that he had won the trick and had nine tricks; +600 and 12 IMPs to France.
Vanhoutte doubled the 1♥ overcall, then went quietly, Omernik choosing to show a constructive heart raise by redoubling before bidding 2♥, which ended the auction. The contract just made for +110. At the other table, Klukowski bid 2♣ with the North hand, then followed through with 2♠ over 2♥. Despite being warned of the potential for a bad break in his side-suit, Piganeau took the push to 3♥ and Klukowski doubled, passed by Jezioro. It seems to me that Klukowski did a lot of bidding on that North hand. The contract just made for +730 and 12 IMPs to France. Again, we do not have the play records. If you are finding this report frustrating to read, maybe you could remind your team-scorer that she or he should be entering details of the play as well as the auction. I know most are doing an excellent job but …
Py’s jump raise to 4♣ was forcing and offered an opportunity for Piganeau to cuebid. Instead, he just took control before bidding the small slam on finding that he was facing two aces. Klukowski led a heart, so the defence got its trick, but there was nothing to the play; +920. Omernik chose to raise clubs via fourth suit. When Jozef Pochron repeated the clubs, Omernik jumped to 5♣, which does not look to be nearly a strong enough action to me. Sure enough, Pochron passed and the slam was missed. Again the lead was a heart; +420 but 11 IMPs to France. Having conceded the first 21 IMPs in the match, France had replied with 43 of their own while conceding just one overtrick IMP. France won by 43-22 IMPs, 20-10 VPs, consolidating their position in the top eight. |
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