When you're No. 1, your opponents seem to play extra hard to knock you down. In the Round 10 match between Poland and Indonesia, the latter team had a double incentive to do well. Poland went into Thursday's Bermuda Bowl play tied with USA II for the lead. Indonesia's extra incentive was their desire to solidify their spot in the top eight so as to make it through to the knockout phase of the tournament.

When all was said and done, the match did little to change the standings, but the Indonesians could at least be pleased with a 51-47 win over one of the top teams in the Bermuda Bowl.

The Vugraph match pitted the defending world pairs champions, Michal Kwiecen-Jacek Pszczola against Eddy Manoppo and Henky Lasut. At the other table were Cezary Balicki-Adam Zmudzinski versus Franky Karwur-Denny Sacul.

The Poles scored first

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª K 9 7 6 © K J ¨ Q J 9 4 § 6 3 2
ª J 8 © 10 6 ¨ A 5 3 2 § K Q 9 8 5		ª A Q 10 5 3 2 © 8 4 3 2 ¨ 10 8 § 10
	ª 4 © A Q 9 7 5 ¨ K 7 6 § A J 7 4

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Manoppo	Pszczola	Lasut
	Pass	2© (1)	Pass
2NT	Pass	3ª	All Pass

(1) Hearts or hearts and a minor.

Lasut started with the diamond six, ducked to Manoppo's jack. A diamond was continued to the ten, king and ace, and Pszczola played a heart from dummy. Manoppo rose with the king and returned a diamond. Pszczola ruffed and played the club ten to Lasut's ace. A spade was returned to the eight, nine and queen, and Pszczola followed with a heart. Lasut inserted the queen, dropping his partner's jack. Lasut had no trump to continue but Pszczola could do no better than two down for minus 100.

Indonesia was in a position for a reasonable gain, but something went wrong on the way to down two.

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Balicky	Sacul	Zmudzinski
	Pass	Pass	1©
Pass	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Pszczola Jacek, Poland

Sacul hit on the lead of the club ten, striking gold for the defenders. Balicky rose with the ace and played on diamonds. Karwur held up the diamond ace for two rounds, and when he was in switched mysteriously to the eight of spades. Balicky inserted the king and Sacul won the ace, but he could not divine the position and exited passively with a heart. A not doubt surprised and grateful Balicky won in hand, cashed his diamond winner and and overtook the heart, again giving thanks when the ten fell. He was home with five heart tricks, three diamonds and the club ace in a contract that could have been held to seven tricks. Poland was ahead 7-0. Despite missing their cold vulnerable slam, the Poles gained another 7 IMPs on Board 3 when they pushed the sacrificing Indonesia's one level higher (to Five Spades) than in the other room.

Poland was ahead 21-0 when this deal came up and put the Indonesians right back in the match.

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

In the closed room, Balicky and Zmudzinski stopped in sensible Four Spades with the North-South cards. On Vugraph, matters got out of hand.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Manoppo	Pszczola	Lasut
			1ª
Pass	2§	Pass	2ª
Pass	3ª	Pass	4NT
Pass	5§	Pass	6ª
All Pass

Perhaps Manoppo's bidding indicated that his hand was considerably stronger. Otherwise, the 4NT bid with the South hand seems a bit much. If the proof is in the pudding, however, Lasut's decision was a tasty one for Indonesia.

Kwiecen agonized for some minutes over his opening lead, and the Vugraph commentators were speculating whether it might be a diamond. Low or high didn't matter, as long as he didn't' lead a heart. After a long think, Kwiecen finally started with the heart five and it was over quickly. Lasut put up the queen, tried in vain to ruff out the club queen and then led up to dummy's diamond king. Success - and 13 IMPs to Indonesia.

The deal of the match was next, as Pszczola showed his considerable skill as declarer.

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

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Balicky	Sacul	Zmudzinski
Pass	Pass	1©	Pass
2§	2¨	2ª	Pass
4©	All Pass

Zmudzinski led the diamond six, taken by declarer, who then cashed a high heart, discovering the bad break. His next play was a spade to the nine - and school was out. The contract could not longer be made and Sacul went one off. Here's what happened at the other table, and it brought applause from the appreciative Vugraph audience.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Manoppo	Pszczola	Lasut
Pass	Pass	1©	Pass
2§	3¨	4©	All Pass

Lasut started with the club king, taken by Pszczola with the ace. He cashed the heart ace and stopped to think when North showed out. After a brief pause, Pszczola exited with the club jack. Lasut won the queen and played a diamond. Pszczola won in dummy, ruffed a club, played a spade to the queen and ruffed dummy's last club. Now the diamond ace was followed by a spade to the king and ace. A third round of spades left this position:

	ª 6 © - ¨ J 10 § -
ª - © 10 8 4 ¨ - § -		ª 10 © K 9 ¨ - § -
	ª - © Q J 7 ¨ - § -

Whether Manoppo played his spade or a diamond, Lasut could take only one more trick. Plus 420 was good for 10 IMPs to Poland.

The Poles had a chance for another major gain on this deal, but it ended up as a push.

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

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Balicky	Sacul	Zmudzinski
		1NT	Pass
2§	2©	2ª	Pass
3ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

Once North got the heart bid in 3NT was out of the question. Unfortunately for Indonesia, Four Spades didn't fare any better, and Sacul finished at two down. On Vugraph, Pszczola had another chance to come through as declarer, but he didn't find the winning line. In fact, he didn't even cash out for down one as he might have and earned his side 3 IMPs.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Manoppo	Pszczola	Lasut
		1NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Manoppo could not get the lead-directing heart bid in so, Lasut selection the normal-looking spade jack for his start. Pszczola won with the ace and could have made his contract by playing a spade to dummy's eight, protecting his heart king and setting up the long spade for his ninth trick. He did not take the right view, however, instead cashing his clubs and the spade king, hoping to endplay Manoppo. When Manoppo, who had signalled vigorously in hearts on the run of the clubs, unblocked the spade queen under the king, Kwiecen could have played a diamond to his ace and settled for down one. He played one more round of spades, however, and took no more tricks. Instead of gaining 13 IMPs, Poland had another push.

Indonesia bid consecutive grand slams on Boards 13 and 14. Unfortunately for them, only one of them made, and the resulting 16-IMP loss put them in the red by 23 IMPs.

Indonesia got 15 IMPs back on this deal.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª 9 8 7 © K Q 5 ¨ A K 10 6 5 § J 8
ª A J 2 © 9 8 2 ¨ Q 7 4 § K Q 9 3		ª Q 6 3 © A 10 7 6 3 ¨ J 9 3 2 § 6
	ª K 10 5 4 © J 4 ¨ 8 § A 10 7 5 4 2

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Manoppo	Pszczola	Lasut
1§	Pass	1©	Pass
1NT	Pass	2©	All Pass

Lasut led his singleton diamond and won soon down one, losing two top diamonds, a diamond ruff, two heart tricks and the club ace. Minus 100 didn't seem like such a big deal, but no one was expecting what happened in the other room.

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Balicky	Sacul	Zmudzinski
1¨	Pass	1©	Dble
Pass	3NT	Dble	All Pass

Whatever Balicky might have been expecting from partner, dummy didn't deliver. Declarer had five tricks, but he ended up with only four. Down five was minus 1100 and a major loss for Poland, now leading by only 47-44.

The last IMPs, putting Indonesia in the lead, were exchanged on this deal.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª Q 7 5 © Q 9 7 5 3 ¨ A K Q 9 § 6
ª J 10 9 4 © K 10 6 2 ¨ 8 5 § 10 8 4		ª A 2 © A 8 ¨ J 10 4 3 § A Q J 5 3
	ª K 8 6 3 © J 4 ¨ 7 6 2 § K 9 7 2

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Balicky	Sacul	Zmudzinski
		1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	Pass	2NT	All Pass

Perhaps Two Hearts indicated the kind of hand West held - an offer to play in a 4-3 major-suit fit. Since there was none, Sacul tried 2NT. That contract turned out just fine. In fact, Sacul made an overtrick after Zmudzinski led the spade three. At the other table, the Poles didn't handle a similar auction as adroitly.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Manoppo	Pszczola	Lasut
		1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	All Pass

If Kwiecen was unhappy at the sight of dummy, his mood didn't improve when the 5-2 heart split became apparent. It was a grisly affair, and Kwiecen could only be happy he wasn't doubled. Down three and minus 150 contributed 7 IMPs to Indonesia and gave the team a narrow win.