USA II vs Poland
The favored Polish team trailed by 23 IMPs going into the fifth
set of their semifinal Bermuda Bowl match against USA II, seeking to
reach the final with Rose Meltzer, the first woman to play in even
the semifinal stage of the championship with the current format. The
strong Polish team had their work cut out for them as they faced two
pairs with extensive world-level experience, including a few world
titles: Chip Martel-Lew Stansby and Alan Sontag-Peter Weichsel.
Against that lineup, the Poles fielded Krzysztof Martens-Marcin
Lesniewski and Cezary Balicki-Adam Zmudsinski.
Martens was tested on the first deal, but he came through.
Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
|
|
ª 8 5 © K J ¨ A Q 7 2 § A 8 7 5 2 |
ª A K J 9 4 © 8 6 5 2 ¨ J 6 5 3 § - |
|
ª - © A Q 10 4 ¨ K 9 8 4 § K Q J 10 4 |
|
ª Q 10 7 6 3 2 © 9 7 3 ¨ 10 § 9 6 3 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sontag |
Balicki |
Weichsel |
Zmudzinski |
|
1¨ |
2§ |
Pass |
2ª |
Pass |
2NT |
All Pass |
Zmudzinski led the ª7 to
dummy's ace, and Weichsel led a low heart from dummy, winning the
king with the ace. He continued with the §Q and §K,
ducked by North, who won the third round of clubs with the ace and
returned the §7 to Weichsel's
10. He ended with four hearts, two spades and three clubs for plus
150.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Martens |
Martel |
Lesniewski |
Stansby |
|
1NT |
Dble |
2ª |
Pass |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
4¨ |
All Pass |
Had Martens doubled 2ª, it might have been a lucrative penalty.
Norway exacted a four-trick set of 2ª doubled for +800 in their match against
Italy. Perhaps double in that sequence would not have been for
penalty in the Martens-Lesniewski partnership. At any rate,
Martens could not have been happy to hear partner bid his void
at the three level - or to be raised when he ran to 3¨.
Martel led the ª8 to
the queen and king (declarer pitched a heart from dummy), and
Martens led the ¨3 to
the 9 and Stansby's singleton 10. When Stansby returned the
§3, Martens discarded a
heart as Martel won the §A. The ª5 went to the 10 and jack (Martens
discarding another heart from dummy), and Martens cashed the
ªK (Martel discarded a
club rather than ruffing). Martens then played a diamond from
hand and covered Martel's 7 with dummy's 9. When that held,
Martens ruffed a good club back to hand and led another round
of diamonds. Martel won the ace but that was it for the
defense as Martens had his hard-won contract. Still, it was a
1-IMP loss. |
|
Lesniewski Marcin,
Poland |
Martel took the winning view of his marginal hand on the next
deal to help his side to a 6-IMP gain.
Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
|
|
ª 6 4 © Q 8 ¨ Q J 5 4 2 § K Q 6 3 |
ª A 8 2 © A 7 5 ¨ 8 7 3 § 10 8 7 5 |
|
ª J 5 3 © K 6 3 2 ¨ A K 9 6 § 9 2 |
|
ª K Q 10 9 7 © J 10 9 4 ¨ 10 § A J 4 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sontag |
Balicki |
Weichsel |
Zmudzinski |
|
|
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2NT |
All Pass |
|
Balicki's aggressive move toward game resulted in a minus score.
The play record is incomplete, but Balicki went one down on the lead
of the §9 by Weichsel.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Martens |
Martel |
Lesniewski |
Stansby |
|
|
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
2ª |
All Pass |
|
Martel's simple preference to spades paid off well when Stansby
played it expertly to bring home an overtrick. He won the lead of
the §8 in dummy with the king
and played a spade to his 10 and West's ace. Another club came back
and Stansby compressed his club winners by putting in dummy's queen
so as to take another spade finesse. When the suit proved to be 3-3,
he had nine tricks in four spades, three clubs and two hearts.
The Americans' lead grew even more when an aggressive bid by
Weichsel paid off.
Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
|
|
ª K 7 4 2 © A 5 4 3 ¨ 9 3 § 8 5 2 |
ª 10 8 3 © - ¨ K J 10 8 6 4 § J 6 4 3 |
|
ª A 5 © 9 8 7 6 ¨ A Q 5 § A K 10 9 |
|
ª Q J 9 6 © K Q J 10 2 ¨ 7 2 § Q 7 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sontag |
Balicki |
Weichsel |
Zmudzinski |
|
|
|
1© |
Pass |
2© |
Dble |
Pass |
3¨ |
3© |
4¨ |
Pass |
5¨ |
All Pass |
|
|
A takeout double with the East hand would not be everyone's
choice because of the shortage in spades, but Weichsel did have a
strong hand. Sontag understood that on the bidding and raised
himself to the good game. Sontag ruffed the opening lead of the
©A and played a spade to the
ace, followed by a low spade, ensuring a spade ruff and the
contract. When the §Q fell
doubleton, that was for an overtrick and + 620.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Martens |
Martel |
Lesniewski |
Stansby |
|
|
|
2¨
(1) |
Pass |
3© |
All Pass |
|
(1) 11-15 with 4 spades, 5 hearts.
Martel liked his extra trump and the fact that all his high cards
were in partner's two long suits, so he made an invitational bid of
3©, effectively shutting the
Poles out of the auction. Stansby had five top losers and could have
lost another trick had Lesniewski not won the first round of spades.
Stansby's small minus compared favourably with his teammates'
vulnerable game bonus. That was 11 IMPs to USA II.
The two teams traded pushes for the next three boards before
Poland hit the Americans with a vulnerable game swing on Board
7.
Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
|
|
ª 10 9 8 3 © J 7 5 3 ¨ 9 4 § J 9 3 |
ª Q 7 2 © K 4 ¨ K Q 6 3 2 § A 10 4 |
|
ª A K J 6 5 4 © A 10 ¨ 8 7 § 6 5 2 |
|
ª - © Q 9 8 6 2 ¨ A J 10 5 § K Q 8 7 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sontag |
Balicki |
Weichsel |
Zmudzinski |
|
|
|
1© |
Dble |
3© |
4© |
Pass |
5¨ |
Pass |
5ª |
All Pass |
One can sympathize with the Americans' dilemma on this deal after
Balicki's super-aggressive pre-empt in hearts. Weichsel has a
powerful hand opposite a takeout double, so a bid of 4ª doesn't seem to do it justice. On
the other hand, is Sontag supposed to bid a three-card spade suit
holding five diamonds to the K-Q? Zmudzinski did not err on opening
lead, starting with the §K.
Weichsel ducked but South continued with a club, so he had one to
cash when he came in with the ¨A. It was a tough -100 for Weichsel and
Sontag.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Martens |
Martel |
Lesniewski |
Stansby |
|
|
|
1© |
Dble |
2© |
Dble |
3© |
Pass |
Pass |
4ª |
All Pass |
Martel took it easy with his 2-point hand, giving the Poles a
little breathing room. They took advantage of it by getting just
high enough. Lesniewski made 12 tricks when Stansby started with a
low heart instead of a club honor. That was 13 IMPs to Poland, who
picked up another 6 IMPs when Weichsel misjudged an opponent's spade
length on the following deal.
Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
|
|
ª 10 6 © A K 9 ¨ 8 7 4 3 § K 10 9 2 |
ª 9 5 © J 10 5 2 ¨ A K 9 6 § J 7 3 |
|
ª A J 2 © Q 8 7 ¨ Q 10 5 § A Q 6 5 |
|
ª K Q 8 7 4 3 © 6 4 3 ¨ J 2 § 8 4 |
Lesniewski opened 1NT and declined Martens' game invitation after
a Stayman sequence. Stansby led a low spade to the 5, 10 and jack,
and Lesniewski went to work on hearts. When spades proved to be 6-2,
Lesniewski ended up with nine tricks for +150.
Weichsel also played in 2NT, also on an invitational sequence
involving Stayman, and he got the same opening lead. But when North
won the first heart and returned a spade, Weichsel went up with the
ace and, apparently planning to endplay South after he cashed his
presumed three spade winners, got out with his ª2. Unfortunately for Weichsel, South had four
spade winners to cash. Along with the top hearts, that gave the
Poles +100 and 6 IMPs.
Poland trailed by 20 near the end when they claimed a slam swing
to move even closer.
Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
|
|
ª 10 8 6 3 © A K 9 7 5 ¨ A K § A 6 |
ª 9 7 © 3 2 ¨ J 10 9 8 § K 10 9 3 2 |
|
ª K Q 5 4 2 © 8 ¨ 6 5 2 § Q 8 7 5 |
|
ª A J © Q J 10 6 4 ¨ Q 7 4 3 § J 4 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Sontag |
Balicki |
Weichsel |
Zmudzinski |
|
|
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4§ |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
6© |
All Pass |
|
The largely artificial sequence after Zmudzinski's light opener
got the Poles to the excellent heart slam. There was nothing to the
play and Zmudzinksi duly chalked up +980.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Martens |
Martel |
Lesniewski |
Stansby |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
2¨
(1) |
Pass |
4© |
All Pass |
|
|
|
(1) Flannery with a fourth-seat range of 11-18.
Stansby might have checked on partner's strength,
but it must have been difficult to envision all those aces and kings
in just the right spots. The way to guarantee getting to slam with
the North/South cards was to open the bidding with the South hand -
not the Americans' style. The 11-IMP swing brought Poland to within
9 IMPs, and they closed out the set having trimmed 10 IMPs off the
23-IMP deficit. It would be anybody's match in the final
set. |