USA 1 v Poland - Segment 2
Poland had won the first session of the final to extend their lead to 49.5-27 but there was still a long way to go.
| Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ 7
♥ 10 8 6 4 2
♦ J 9
♣ Q J 7 4 2 |
♠ K 6 3 2
♥ Q J
♦ Q 8 7 6 4
♣ 9 8 |  |
♠ Q J 9 4
♥ A K 5
♦ A K
♣ K 6 5 3 | | | ♠ A 10 8 5
♥ 9 7 3
♦ 10 5 3 2
♣ A 10 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Kranyak | Kalita | Grue | Kotorowicz
|
| | | 2NT | Pass
|
| 3♣ | Dble | 3♠ | Pass
|
| 4♠ | All Pass
| | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Buras | Hurd | Araskiewicz | Wooldridge
|
| | | 1♣ | Pass
|
| 1♠ | Pass | 2♦ | Pass
|
| 2♥ | Pass | 4♠ | All Pass
|
With nothing in the other suits, Jacek Kalita’s double of the 3♣ enquiry to attract the lead hardly looked to be a terrible call, but it proved to be fatal to his side’s prospects on defence as Krzysztof Kotorowicz led ace and another club against 4♠. Joe Grue scooped in the ♣K and played a heart to dummy then a spade to the queen and ace. Grue won the heart return, cashed the ♠J and unblocked thediamonds before cashing the third heart and crossing to the ♠K; ten tricks for +420.
John Hurd also led a club at the other table, but he was North and the ♣J allowed the defence to take the first two tricks. With two inescapable trump losers, 4♠ had to fail by a trick; 50 and 10 IMPs to USA1, just the start they needed.
| Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ 5
♥ K J 10 6
♦ Q 8 7 6 3
♣ A 4 2 |
♠ K 8 3
♥ 8 7 2
♦ A K
♣ Q J 9 7 3 | |
♠ A 4 2
♥ A 9 4 3
♦ 9 4 2
♣ 10 6 5 | | | ♠ Q J 10 9 7 6
♥ Q 5
♦ J 10 5
♣ K 8 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Kranyak | Kalita | Grue | Kotorowicz
|
| | | | 2♦
|
| Dble | 2♠ | All Pass
| |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Buras | Hurd | Araskiewicz | Wooldridge
|
| | | | 2♦
|
| Dble | 2♥ | Dble | 2♠
|
| Pass | Pass | 3♥ | All Pass
|
Both Souths opened with a multi and both Wests doubled to show either a weak to intermediate no trump type or maybe a big hand. The respective Norths chose different pass-or-correct bids. Kalita was left to play in 2♠, while at the other table Araskiewicz convinced himself that North would not have great hearts for his 2♥ response so competed to 3], where he played.
Grue led a club against 2♠ and Kalita won dummy’s king to play a heart. Grue won the ♥A and switched to a diamond and Kranyak took the ace and king then switched to a trump. Grue won the ace and gave his partner a diamond ruff; down one for 50.
Araskiewicz won the spade lead in dummy and ducked a heart to North’s ten. Hurd switched to a diamond to dummy and declarer took the two diamond winners, crossed to the ace of hearts, then ruffed his diamond loser. Araskiewicz next led to his ace of spades, Hurd correctly discarding, and that was all for declarer; down three for300 and 8 IMPs to USA1.
| Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul. |
| | ♠ A 6
♥ J 9 5 2
♦ 10 8 7 5 4 3
♣ K |
♠ 9 8
♥ Q 10 8 4
♦ A
♣ A Q 9 7 6 5 | |
♠ J 10 3
♥ A 7 6
♦ K J 6 2
♣ 10 8 4 | | | ♠ K Q 7 5 4 2
♥ K 3
♦ Q 9
♣ J 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Kranyak | Kalita | Grue | Kotorowicz
|
| 2♣ | Pass | 2♦ | Pass
|
| 2♥ | Pass | 3♣ | Pass
|
| 3♥ | Pass | 4♣ | All Pass
|
| West | North | East | South
|
| Buras | Hurd | Araskiewicz | Wooldridge
|
| 2♣ | Pass | 2NT | Pass
|
| 3♣ | Pass | Pass | 3♠
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Kranyak opened 2♣, Precision, and showed his heart suit in response to the 2♦ enquiry. He could have passed Grue’s 3♣ call but, by his standards, had a pretty good opening bid, so made a try for game, which Grue declined. On a diamond lead, there are some prospects of making 4♣, but Kalita knew that his opponents had tried for game then chosen to play a minor-suit partscore. Most likely they were missing stoppers in one or more suits and spades seemed the most likely weakness so he led ace and another. Kotorowicz won the second spade and played a third, so Kalita could over-ruff with his bare king. He switched to a diamond and Kranyak won the ace then ran the ♥Q. That lost to the king and back came a second heart to the nine and ace. There was still another heart to be lost so that was down two for 200.
Araskiewicz transferred to 3♣ and Buras duly obliged. Joel Wooldridge competed with 3♠ and played there. Buras cashed the ace of diamonds then switched to a trump. Wooldridge won in dummy and played a heart to the king then drew trumps. There was nowhere to park any of his losers so he was two down for another 200 and 9 IMPs to Poland.
| Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ 7 6 4
♥ K Q J 4
♦ Q 3 2
♣ A K Q |
♠ J 10 9
♥ A 10 9
♦ A J 7 6
♣ 8 7 2 | |
♠ K 8 3 2
♥ 8 6 5 3
♦ K 9 8 5
♣ 6 | | | ♠ A Q 5
♥ 7 2
♦ 10 4
♣ J 10 9 5 4 3 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Kranyak | Kalita | Grue | Kotorowicz
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 1♦ | 1NT | Pass | 3NT
|
| All Pass
| | | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Buras | Hurd | Araskiewicz | Wooldridge
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| Pass | 1NT | Pass | 3NT
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Kranyak, true to form, found a third-seat opening that his counterpart in the other room did not. One Diamond was Precision, not really promising the suit, so Grue led a heart anyway. Kranyak won the ace as Kalita dropped the jack in hope of encouraging a continuation. Which is what he got. Kalita cashed two hearts and the top three clubs then crossed to the ace of spades to cash three more club tricks; +400.
Araskiewicz led a low spade and Hurd had no option but to put in dummy’s queen. He continued by unblocking the clubs then trying the ♥J from hand. Buras won that and switched to the jack of diamonds to surround the queen and collect five defensive winners; down one for 50 and 10 IMPs to Poland.
| Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul. |
| | ♠ 8 7
♥ A K Q 8 3
♦ K 9
♣ A 10 8 5 |
♠ A Q 2
♥ 9 5
♦ J 10 8 7 4
♣ Q J 4 | |
♠ J 5 4 3
♥ J 10 7 2
♦ A 3 2
♣ 7 6 | | | ♠ K 10 9 6
♥ 6 4
♦ Q 6 5
♣ K 9 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Kranyak | Kalita | Grue | Kotorowicz
|
| | | | Pass
|
| 1♦ | 1♥ | Dble | Pass
|
| 1♠ | Dble | Pass | 1NT
|
| Pass | 2NT | Pass | 3NT
|
| Pass | Pass | Dble | All Pass
|
| West | North | East | South
|
| Buras | Hurd | Araskiewicz | Wooldridge
|
| | | | Pass
|
| Pass | 1♥ | Pass | 1NT
|
| Pass | 2♣ | All Pass
| |
Kranyak opened another non-opening bid, this time in second seat and, when his opponents stretched to 3NT, Grue doubled. Kranyak led the ♦J and that went to the king and ace. A second diamond was ducked to the ten and a third round cleared the suit. Kotorowicz played nicely now a club to the jack and ace and a second club to the king. After cashing two rounds of hearts he reverted to clubs, hoping that Kranyak might be endplayed after taking his diamond(s). Endplayed he was, but the contract was still two down for 300.
At the other table Buras did not open the West hand and North/South bid peacefully to 2♣. Even with the spade offside, that made a comfortable nine tricks for +110 and9 IMPs to USA1 a triumph for Kranyak’s light opening.
| Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ K 9 7 5 2
♥ J 8 3
♦ 3
♣ K J 10 6 |
♠ Q
♥ 10 9 5 2
♦ A 10 9 5 4
♣ 7 5 3 | |
♠ A J 10 8 4 3
♥ A 7 6
♦ 7 6
♣ 8 2 | | | ♠ 6
♥ K Q 4
♦ K Q J 8 2
♣ A Q 9 4 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Kranyak | Kalita | Grue | Kotorowicz
|
| Pass | Pass | 1♠ | Dble
|
| Pass | 1NT | Pass | 2♦
|
| Pass | 3NT | Pass | Pass
|
| Dble | All Pass
| | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Buras | Hurd | Araskiewicz | Wooldridge
|
| Pass | Pass | 1♠ | 2♦
|
| Pass | Pass | 2♠ | Dble
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Flushed with success, Kranyak found an aggressive double of 3NT, and he might well have been right had Grue managed to find a small spade lead if declarer wins the ♠K the defence has three spades and two aces to take as soon as they get in, while if he ducks he may not be able to find a ninth trick. In practice, Grue led the ten of spades to the queen and now it was clear to win the king. A diamond to the dummy was ducked and the ♥K played. Grue won the ♥A and played back a diamond but now Kalita had nine tricks for +750.
In the other room, Poland again played a doubled contract, when Wooldridge first overcalled then showed his extras by doubling. Looking at ♠K9752, Hurd elected to play for a penalty rather than bid 3♣ and perhaps find his partner with only three cards in the suit. Araskiewicz won the diamond queen lead with the ace and played the queen of spades to the king and ace. He then exited with ace and another heart to the queen. Wooldridge cashed the third heart then played ♦J and ♦K, ruffed. Declarer cashed a top spade then exited with a club. The defence cashed a second club winner and had to come to one trump trick in the endgame for down one; 100 but 12 IMPs to Poland.
| Board 30. Dealer East. None Vul. |
| | ♠ A 9
♥ 8
♦ A 7 5 2
♣ Q 10 8 7 6 4 |
♠ K Q 5 3
♥ K 10 2
♦ J 6 4
♣ A J 2 | |
♠ 8 7 6 2
♥ A J 9 5 3
♦ Q 8
♣ 5 3 | | | ♠ J 10 4
♥ Q 7 5 4
♦ K 10 9 3
♣ K 9 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Kranyak | Kalita | Grue | Kotorowicz
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 1♦ | 2♣ | 2♦ | 2NT
|
| Pass | 3♣ | All Pass
| |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Buras | Hurd | Araskiewicz | Wooldridge
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 1♣ | Pass | 1♥ | Pass
|
| 1♠ | Pass | 2♠ | All Pass
|
The Polish Club silenced Hurd, who left his opponents to an uncontested auction to 2♠. Hurd led his singleton heart and Buras put in dummy’s jack, which held the trick. He played a spade to the queen and ace and back came a club for the king and ace. Buras cashed the ♠K and ♥K then played two more rounds of hearts, ruffing, and had eight tricks for +110.
Kranyak’s 1♦ opening did nothing to discourage Kalita from overcalling in clubs and North repeated his suit when Kotorowicz tried 2NT that was hardly likely to be the right spot when South had already passed. Grue led a spade to the king and ace and Kalita returned the suit. Kranyak switched to a heart to the ace and now Grue tried the queen of diamonds, which Kalita won in hand with the ace. He played a club to the king and ace and Kranyak tried to cash the king of hearts. Kalita ruffed, cashed the queen of clubs, and his diamonds went away on the ♠J and ♥Q; another +110 and 6 IMPs to Poland.
| Board 31. Dealer South. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ J 8
♥ Q 8 4
♦ Q J 7 6
♣ Q J 10 5 |
♠ K 7 6 5
♥ 7 5
♦ A 8
♣ 9 7 6 3 2 | |
♠ 4 2
♥ K J 10 9 3 2
♦ 9 2
♣ A K 4 | | | ♠ A Q 10 9 3
♥ A 6
♦ K 10 5 4 3
♣ 8 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Kranyak | Kalita | Grue | Kotorowicz
|
| | | | 1♠
|
| Pass | 1NT | 2♥ | 2NT
|
| Pass | 3♣ | Pass | 3♦
|
| All Pass
| | | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Buras | Hurd | Araskiewicz | Wooldridge
|
| | | | 1♠
|
| Pass | 1NT | 2♥ | All Pass
|
After identical starts to the two auctions, Kotorowiczdecided to compete to 3♦ via a Good/Bad 2NT, while Wooldridge went quietly and defended 2].
Wooldridge led his club against 2♥ and the ten forced the ace. Araskiewicz led a spade up and Wooldridge took the ace and switched to a low diamond to dummy’s ace. A heart to the nine and ace was followed by a low diamond to the queen and the queen of clubs, the king being ruffed out. But Araskiewicz had a spade entry to dummy to pick up the hearts and there was just a club to concede; +110.
Meanwhile, Kotorowicz bought a very suitable dummy with four-card diamond support. He just lost a trick in each suit so scored a further +110 to give Poland another6 IMPs.
After USA1 had started the set well, Poland had come back well to take the set by 39-27 IMPs. After 32 boards, they led by 98.5-62. |
