The invisible match

Poland v. Norway

Open Round 6

Though some imprudent onlooker caused a major internal network breakdown, we are still able to present some of the highlights from the invisible Rama match on Monday evening. Poland were playing Norway, so many of us would have hoped to see two eventual qualifiers at work. It was not to be, but here is a small anthology from what happened.

The first board on Vugraph was this one.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª A 10 7 © K J 5 ¨ A 10 7 4 3 § 9 2
ª Q 9 © 9 8 6 3 ¨ K 9 6 2 § K 7 4		ª K 6 5 4 3 © 10 7 ¨ J 8 5 § Q J 10
	ª J 8 2 © A Q 4 2 ¨ Q § A 8 6 5 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Lesniewski	Helness	Martens
			1§
Pass	2¨	Pass	2NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

On Vugraph, West led a heart and thus declarer had time to establish the clubs as the spade switch came too late. A diamond switch does not beat the contract either. Poland +400.

It was pointed out by the commentators that the only realistic chance to beat 3NT was a spade lead. Thus, the contract had to be played from the North seat.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zmudzinski	Sælensminde	Balicki	Brogeland
			1§
Pass	1¨	Pass	1©
Pass	3NT	All Pass

East led a spade and that was it. Poland +50 and straight off the mark with 10 IMPs.

Next, we have to dwell on the theme of doubled partscores. Surprisingly enough, most of the substantial swings in this match were caused by this phenomenon. Maybe that's why the network broke down…

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Lesniewski	Helness	Martens
		Pass	2ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

As EW are pretty cold for 4© (or even 5©) going down two undoubled for 200 looked good for Poland. So it proved, but in unexpected fashion:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zmudzinski	Sælensminde	Balicki	Brogeland
		Pass	Pass
3¨	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

The true nature of South's double was not picked up to its full extent by North, so the Poles reached their game very quickly. Eleven tricks could not be prevented, so instead of conceding 450 the Norwegians lost 670 or 10 IMPs instead of 6.

The Norwegians would have to suffer more ignominy of the same kind near the end of the match, on two successive boards:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Lesniewski	Helness	Martens
Pass	Pass	1ª	Pass
1NT	Dble	Pass	2¨
Dble	All Pass

When West led a trump away from his QJxx, declarer had time to establish the clubs and make an overtrick. Poland +280.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zmudzinski	Sælensminde	Balicki	Brogeland
Pass	1§	1ª	2NT
All Pass

A spade went to the 10 and kingand a club was taken with dummy's king. Next, declarer ducked a diamond to West, but when Zmudzinski next found the heart switch, it was all over. Down three, another 150 to Poland for 10 IMPs on what looked an innocent partscore hand.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª J 7 2 © 4 3 ¨ J 4 3 § A Q 8 5 2
ª A K 10 9 4 © 9 2 ¨ A 7 § J 10 6 3		ª Q 8 3 © K Q 8 6 5 ¨ 9 8 6 2 § 9
	ª 6 5 © A J 10 7 ¨ K Q 10 5 § K 7 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Lesniewski	Helness	Martens
	Pass	Pass	1§
1ª	2§	Dble	Pass
2ª	Pass	Pass	3§
Dble	All Pass

As Martens was sure of the five-card support he could compete once more. The double and the fall of the §9 meant he had to lose just two spades, a heart and a diamond for his contract. Poland +470 this time.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zmudzinski	Sælensminde	Balicki	Brogeland
	Pass	Pass	1¨
1ª	2§	3©	Pass

A nice fitbid by East, but the bad heart break meant 3¨ was already too high. When the defenders switched to trumps after being given the first trick in diamonds eight tricks were the maximum. So Norway +50, but 9 more IMPs to Poland.

With the doubled partscore stories from this match exhausted, it's time to turn our attention to the swings Norway got. In spite of all the hands reported about above, the final score of the match was 39-35 or 16-14 V.P. only to Poland, so there must have been a few…

A strange swing to Norway occurred on board 5. The scorecards of the match informed us that in one room 2ª had gone down, but that in the other room they had made 4ª. What happened?

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Lesniewski	Helness	Martens
	2ª	All Pass

2ª showed the twosuiter and Lesniewski got the favourable lead of the ©K. Now he decided to go for a safety line, cashing his top tricks first and then hoping to make enough trump tricks with the additional strength of dummy's jack-nine. This line would have worked, but no longer when the heat in the playing room induced him to forget about cashing the ©Q. Norway +100.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zmudzinski	Sælensminde	Balicki	Brogeland
	1ª	2¨	Dble
2NT	3§	Pass	3¨
Dble	4§	Pass	4ª
All Pass

This contract was much more ambitious and on a diamond lead and continuation it looks as if declarer will be fatally shortened very quickly. But the defence have to be alert. Balicki led the ¨A and continued the suit, declarer ruffing. Now the heart finesse was taken successfully and the ªJ called for. West has to rise with the ace and continue diamonds; if he does not, he will be out of diamonds when he gets the lead with the ªA and declarer thus will make his contract. As this is exactly what happened, the mysteries of this hand are revealed. Norway another +620 when the club finesse also worked. 12 useful IMPs back to them.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Lesniewski	Helness	Martens
			Pass
1§	Pass	3§	Pass
5§	Dble	All Pass

Easy enough after Helness' jump. Norway +750.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zmudzinski	Sælensminde	Balicki	Brogeland
			Pass
1§	Dble	1NT	Pass
2§	Dble	3§	3¨
4§	All Pass

As Balicki could not be so sure about the meaning of 1§, he did not feel free to jump. This suddenly made it much more difficult to reach game…Poland +150 and 12 IMPs to Norway again. Balance had been restored.