39th World Team Championships Page 2 Bulletin 5 -Tuesday 3 September 2009


Poland - USA1 (D'Orsi Seniors Bowl)

Friendly Rivals - by Mark Horton

It was fitting that the match between the Senior teams representing USA I and Poland took place on Tuesday as at the same time the Honorable General James L. Jones, National Security Advisor to President Obama, led the U.S. delegation appointed by attending the 70th Anniversary Observance Ceremony of the Outbreak of World War in Gdansk, Poland. After the official commemoration ceremony, General Jones met with Poland’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, and presented him with a special statement from President Obama. The President sent his warmest wishes for continued friendship between the United States and Poland and said: ‘We celebrate together the determination of the people of Poland to fight authoritarianism and to choose democracy and freedom. This anniversary reminds us that the United States and Poland have long been bound by the deep ties among our people, our shared values of democracy and human rights, and our commitment to partner on behalf of our common security and prosperity.’

This spirit of friendship between the two countries was much in evidence during the match as they presented each other with some rather easily earned IMPs.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
 ♠ 6
A K Q 7 2
K J 7 5
♣ J 3 2

♠ A J 8 4 3 2
J 6 5
3
♣ Q 7 5
Bridge deal
♠ K 10 7 5
10 8
Q 9 8 4
♣ K 10 9
 ♠ Q 9
9 4 3
A 10 6 2
♣ A 8 6 4

Open Room

WestNorthEastSouth
MorseKowalskiWolffRomanski
   Pass
Pass1Pass2♣*
Pass2*Pass2*
Pass4All Pass  

2♣ Drury
2 Non minimum

West’s decision to take no active part in the auction gave North/South a free run. East’s lead of the four of diamonds solved one key element of the deal immediately and declarer won in hand, drew trumps and scored five trumps, four diamonds and a club for +420.

Closed Room

WestNorthEastSouth
RussyanFisherLasockiHamilton
   Pass
2*2Dble*Rdble
2♠3Pass3
All Pass    

2 Multi
Dble Pass if your suit is hearts

American players do not get much exposure to the Multi and I wonder if this may have contributed to their failure to reach game. East led the king of spades and continued the suit, declarer discarding a club on the ace. He won the club switch with dummy’s ace, drew trumps and was soon claiming ten tricks but losing 7 IMPs.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
 ♠ 10 9
K 9 7 6
A 7
♣ A 10 8 6 3

♠ J 5
Q J 2
K Q 8 6 2
♣ J 5 4
Bridge deal
♠ K 7
A 10 8 5 4
J 10 4
♣ Q 7 2
 ♠ A Q 8 6 4 3 2
3
9 5 3
♣ K 9

Open Room

WestNorthEastSouth
MorseKowalskiWolffRomanski
Pass2♣*Pass4♠
All Pass    

2♣ Natural, limited

With a very useful card in partner’s suit South jumped to what he hoped he could make. He ducked the opening lead of the king of diamonds, won the next diamond and played the king of hearts. East won with the ace and switched to a spade but declarer put up the ace, ruffed his losing diamond, ruffed a heart and played a spade, claiming +620 when both the missing trumps appeared.

Closed Room

WestNorthEastSouth
RussyanFisherLasockiHamilton
Pass1♣11♠
2PassPass3♠
All Pass    

North was not interested in accepting South’s invitation so once more Poland picked up a game swing, this one being worth 10 IMPs.

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
 ♠ J 6 2
5
9 5 4 3
♣ A Q J 9 3

♠ Q 4
Q J 8 6
A Q 8 7 6
♣ 4 2
Bridge deal
♠ A K 7 3
K 7 4
10 2
♣ K 10 7 5
 ♠ 10 9 8 5
A 10 9 3 2
K J
♣ 8 6

Open Room

WestNorthEastSouth
MorseKowalskiWolffRomanski
   Pass
PassPass1♣Pass
1Pass1♠Pass
2NTAll Pass   

North led the queen of clubs and when dummy’s king held declarer played a heart to the queen and then one back to the king, South winning with the ace as North discarded the nine of clubs. Declarer won the spade switch in hand and played a diamond to the ten and jack. He took the next spade in dummy and could have cashed out, taking three spades, two hearts, two diamonds and a club, but he left the master spade where it was, playing two rounds of diamonds, discarding a spade from dummy. When he exited with a diamond he fatally discarded a club from dummy and a grateful North cashed out for one down, +100.

Closed Room

WestNorthEastSouth
RussyanFisherLasockiHamilton
   Pass
1Pass1♠Pass
1NTPass3NTAll Pass

Once West opened the bidding reaching game was a certainty. The first three tricks were identical save for the fact that North discarded the three of clubs on the second round of hearts. Now the play diverged, South continuing with the ten of hearts, as North pitched the nine of clubs. With little choice declarer played a club and North won and exited with a spade. Declarer won in hand, crossed to dummy with a spade and played a club. North took the ace and tried a diamond but after taking two tricks with the queen and ace West exited with a diamond and left North with the unpalatable choice of surrendering the last two tricks to either dummy or declarer.

As the cards lay it would not have helped North to keep an extra club as he would be forced down to 9543 ♣J9 and would have no good discard on the third round of spades. That gave Poland 12 more IMPs and a very healthy lead.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
 ♠ K Q 4 3 2
6 3
A K J 3
♣ 7 4

♠ 10 7 5
10 8 7 5 4
10 9 2
♣ J 9
Bridge deal
♠ 9 8 6
Q
Q 8 7 6
♣ A K 10 6 5
 ♠ A J
A K J 9 2
5 4
♣ Q 8 3 2

Open Room

WestNorthEastSouth
MorseKowalskiWolffRomanski
Pass1♠2♣Dble*
Pass2Pass2
Pass2♠Pass3♠
All Pass    

North/South were poles apart in the bidding (hard to resist that one, you have to agree) the most likely explanation being that South thought Two Hearts set up a game forcing situation. East started with three rounds of clubs and when West ruffed in with the ten of spades declarer discarded the three of diamonds, so that was +170.

Closed Room

WestNorthEastSouth
RussyanFisherLasockiHamilton
Pass1♠2♣2
Pass3Pass3NT
All Pass    

I confess I am not a fan of the overcall found at both tables, although to be fair you can take nine tricks in clubs but only from the North/South seats.

3NT was not in jeopardy and declarer emerged with eleven tricks, +460. As one of the BBO commentators put it, ‘getting to game with 15 opposite 13 pays off once again.’

It gave USA I 7 IMPs.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
 ♠ K Q 5
A Q 10
J
♣ K 8 6 4 3 2

♠ A 8 4 3 2
9 7 2
K Q 9 8
♣ 7
Bridge deal
♠ J 9 6
J 8 5
7 6 4 3
♣ A Q 9
 ♠ 10 7
K 6 4 3
A 10 5 2
♣ J 10 5

Open Room

WestNorthEastSouth
MorseKowalskiWolffRomanski
Pass1♣*Pass1
DbleRdblePassPass
1♠2♣*Pass3♣
Pass3Pass3♠
Pass3NTAll Pass  

1♣ Polish

East led the six of spades and West took the ace and had to choose between a spade continuation and a diamond switch. When he not unreasonably played back a spade declarer won, played a heart to the king and ran the ten of clubs. When that held he played another club and East won and switched to a diamond. West could win with the queen, but declarer did not need the ace of diamonds, simply knocking out the ace of clubs to record +600.

Closed Room

WestNorthEastSouth
RussyanFisherLasockiHamilton
Pass1♣Pass1
1♠Dble2♠3♣
33♠Pass3NT
All Pass    

West led the king of diamonds and when that held he continued the suit. With the queen of clubs wrong declarer had to lose one spade, two diamonds and two clubs, -100 giving Poland another big swing, this one being worth 12 IMPs.

They won 43-16 IMPs, 21-9 VP, which left the two teams tied in fifth place.



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