...And How It Came To An End

Maybe, in the first half of any first-round match there is room for a holiday feeling, certainly here in womderful Rome, but once it comes to the second half things suddenly get back to normal again. Players inevitably realise that they are playing for good scores after all. They all had lots of chances on the second set of 12 boards, but how did they fare?

Well, not very many IMP’s changed hands in any match on the first four boards, but then came a board on which we saw four different results at the four tables we were watching:

This is how they fared in the Leszno v. Herkules match.

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

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Nystrom	Wojcicki	Bertheau	Poletylo
	2¨	Pass	2ª
Pass	3§	Pass	4©
4ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

Holding four hearts himself, Nyström was in a good position to make the winning decision when 4© came back to him after his initial pass. With no detailed information available South could not possibly know that West had struck gold. Sweden +690 as Nyström only lost two major suit aces.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Sylvan	Pszczola	Sundelin
	2¨	Pass	2ª
Pass	3¨	Dble	Pass (!)
Pass	3©	Pass	5¨
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

In the Closed Room, the auction also started with South replying 2ª to his partner’s Multi. This time, North showed a diamond feature on his way to a heart contract, 2ª having suggested interest in hearts. East made a delayed double which was passed by South. West enquired about the meaning of this pass, but was informed that the situation had not been discussed and that South did by no means expect his partner to pass. With a sigh of relief, West then passed and, as predicted at the other side of the screen, North duly bid 3©. East passed and now, all of a sudden, South jumped to 5¨ which was doubled by East again. The lead of the §AK and another fatally shortened North’s trumps so one down he went, still a very good save against 4ª. The Swedes +11 IMP’s.

On Rama, if one takes a look at the auctions, it seems to be a different board:

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
I. Herbst	Ausberg	O.Herbst	Helgemo
	2¨	Pass	Pass
2ª	3¨	4©	5¨
5©	Pass	6ª	Dble
All Pass

On Rama, Helgemo boldly passed 2¨, making it easy for EW to disclose their spade fit. After cuebidding the opponents’ suit too enthusiastically, the Herbsts ended up in an unlikely slam. Trondheim +100.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Furunes	D. Yadlin	Aa	I. Yadlin
	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	Pass	Dble	3¨
4ª	All Pass

Once again, waiting tactics holding spades paid off. Once East could double 2© in the balancing seat, West’s problem was over. What is more, NS would let him play this contract as well. Heimdal another +450 and a useful 11 IMP’s to them too.

A few boards later, we saw four different contracts again at our four tables:

Board 20, Dealer West, All Vulnerable
	ª Q 3 © 10 ¨ A Q 10 9 8 2 § K 8 4 2
ª 9 2 © A Q 6 ¨ K 7 5 4 3 § A 6 5		ª 10 4 © K J 9 7 5 4 2 ¨ - § Q J 7 3
	ª A K J 8 7 6 5 © 8 3 ¨ J 6 § 10 9

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Nystrom	Wojcicki	Bertheau	Poletylo
1NT	Pass	4©	4ª
5©	5ª	Dble	All Pass

In the Open Room, East’s bold jump brought rich dividends. Four Spades can already be defeated, but this is not so easy unless West hits upon a diamond lead. Five Hearts is one too much, but in this auction it was difficult to judge well for North. When he went on to 5ª East had an easy double and West suddenly had an easy lead too, the ©A. When East contributed the KING the diamond switch was no longer a problem. The §A and a second diamond ruff sealed the fate of 5ª: +500 to Leszno.

Though this was an excellent result, it did not cause a Polish pick-up:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Sylvan	Pszczola	Sundelin
1¨	Pass	1©	3ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Over Three Spades, West could not raise hearts and over 4ª, East could not rebid his hearts safely. When West made the unlucky lead of a trump, Sundelin quickly had 11 tricks for a gain of 4 IMP’s.

On Rama, they once again had different views:

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
I. Herbst	Ausberg	O.Herbst	Helgemo
1¨	Pass	4©	4ª
5©	Dble	All Pass

Ausberg did the right thing when he doubled 5© and thus collected +200 for Norway.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Furunes	D. Yadlin	Aa	I. Yadlin
1¨	Pass	1©	3ª
Pass	Pass	4©	All Pass

When Doron Yadlin “forgot” to raise to 4ª, Aa could safely rebid his hearts and so he did. As a consequence of his previous pass, North passed again, only to see his opponents score ten tricks without trouble. Norway another 13 IMP’s and a juicy 13 IMP’s.

On the last board of the match, Polish practical bidding worked out much better than Swedish science.

Board 24, Dealer West, None Vulnerable
	ª A 8 © A 10 8 6 4 ¨ 6 3 § A 8 6 3
ª 5 © J 7 3 2 ¨ Q 9 8 4 2 § J 10 5		ª Q 10 7 6 4 2 © K ¨ A J 5 § K 9 4
	ª K J 9 3 © Q 9 5 ¨ K 10 7 § Q 7 2

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Nystrom	Wojcicki	Bertheau	Poletylo
Pass	1©	1ª	3NT
All Pass

In commemoration of the late Ron Andersen’s Danish mother, who certainly would have bid like this and made her contract more or less effortlessly.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Sylvan	Pszczola	Sundelin
Pass	1©	1ª	2ª
Pass	3§	Pass	4©
All Pass

2ª was invitational or better with hearts, one assumes, though it was explained as “not discussed very well.” The Swedes paid the price for it when the innocent-enough looking 4© was quickly defeated on a spade lead. Declarer won the ª8 and led a low heart, paving the way for the after all inevitable spade ruff. Down one, +50 to the Poles and another late setback for the Swedes who now won this match only 52-30 or 19-11 V.P.

In the other match we watched, Haifa defeated Heimdal Trondheim 53-48 or 16-14 VP.