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Round Robin Seven
by Barry Rigal
The opportunity to watch a close match between a good team on the cusp of qualifying and another excellent squad was too much for me to pass up. I sat down behind Cesary Balicki, who was taking on Stefanov/Aronov of Bulgaria, with the help of the Usual Suspect, Adam Zmudzinski.
The Poles were playing for Team Russia against Team Quantum and needed a moderate victory to be sure to qualify. The first deal saw them gain a couple of overtrick IMPs. Then an opportunity:
| Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ A K
♥ K 7 3 2
♦ A K 7 2
♣ 10 7 6 |
♠ Q J 9 8 6 2
♥ A 9 8 5
♦ 4
♣ 9 5 |
 |
♠ 10 7 5 4 3
♥ Q 10
♦ 10 9 8
♣ A Q J |
| | ♠ –
♥ J 6 4
♦ Q J 6 5 3
♣ K 8 4 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Zmudzinski | Stefanov | Balicki | Aronov |
| Pass | 1♣ | Pass | 1♦
|
| 1♠ | Dble | 3♣ | 4NT |
| Pass | 5♦ | All Pass
| |
1♣ Strong
3♣ Fit
Aronov drove to five of a minor facing the take-out double, sensibly enough; but dummy had far too much wasted values in spades, and on a spade lead the defenders had no problem in taking their three winners.
At the other table Gromov/Dubinin also reached Five Diamonds for no swing. But in another match Gierulski/Skrzypczak found their way to a game with ‘play’ – that is to say a contract that technically cannot be defeated. After a Two Diamond (Multi) opening Skzrypczak North overcalled Two No-trumps and Gierulski raised to Three No-trumps. Try and defeat that if declarer wins the spade lead and crosses to a diamond to lead a heart towards his king! If West takes the ace the heart queen will fall, if West ducks declarer wins the heart king and shifts his attention to clubs to set up his ninth trick. It was just as well that E/W saced in 4♠ doubled for -300.
| Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul. |
| | ♠ A K Q 5
♥ 8 3
♦ K 2
♣ 9 8 7 6 2 |
♠ 10 8 7 4
♥ A K 4 2
♦ 8 7 5
♣ Q 10 |
|
♠ J 6 2
♥ J 10 5
♦ Q J 10 9 6 4
♣ A |
| | ♠ 9 3
♥ Q 9 7 6
♦ A 3
♣ K J 5 4 3 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Zmudzinski | Stefanov | Balicki | Aronov
|
| | 1♦ | Pass | 1♥
|
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 1NT
|
| Pass | Pass | 2♦ | All Pass
|
1♦ Precision
This appears to be a terrible hand for Precision. Aronov’s One No-trump bid had just got his side to a sensible enough spot, though Three No-trumps by South is probably where you want to be. But when Balicki balanced with Two Diamonds neither North nor South was prepared to commit themselves any further. Two Diamonds made +90. That was a good score for E/W but Gromov/Dubinin played Five Clubs down one when after a 12-15 no-trump the duplication of values in spades and diamonds was too difficult to diagnose. No swing.
| Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul. |
| | ♠ A 10 9 8 3 2
♥ 5
♦ Q 3
♣ K Q 6 5 |
♠ K
♥ Q 10 7 3
♦ A J 10 8
♣ A 10 3 2 |
|
♠ 5 4
♥ A 8 6 2
♦ K 9 7 6 4
♣ 8 4 |
| | ♠ Q J 7 6
♥ K J 9 4
♦ 5 2
♣ J 9 7 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Zmudzinski | Stefanov | Balicki | Aronov
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 1♦ | 1♠ | Dble | 3♥
|
| Dbl. | 3♠ | 4♦ | All Pass
|
3♥ Either ‘Mixed Raise’ or ‘Natural’ – depending on which side of the screen you were!
There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, as well as director-calling when dummy came down. But Zmudzinski played Four Diamonds correctly by rising with the heart ace at trick one, guessing diamonds, and then leading a heart to the ten. Zmudzinski magnanimously sent the director away when he realized that Four Hearts would go down on repeated spade leads. +130 was worth 7 IMPs because Gromov/Dubinin stole the hand in Three Spades when yet another bad hand for Precision saw East/West unable to find their diamond fit. Russia led 7-0 now and added another overtrick IMP on a deal where the key was to get to Three No-trumps without worrying about diamonds (where you had three small facing jack-third). The opponents had a long suit but it was blocked.
| Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 9
♥ Q 7 4
♦ A 8 4
♣ K Q 5 4 3 |
♠ 8 6 5 3
♥ 10 6 5
♦ J 6 5
♣ A 10 6 |
|
♠ A K J 7 4
♥ K J 3 2
♦ K 7
♣ 3 2 |
| | ♠ 10 2
♥ A 9 8
♦ Q 10 9 3 2
♣ J 9 7 |
Then (surprise!) another bad hand for the Precision Diamond. Stefanov opened the North hand One Diamond, and heard a One Spade overcall and a natural Two Diamond response from his partner. He raised to Three Diamonds in competition, but Balicki had enough to make a game-try and settle in Three Spades. The defenders led a diamond and shifted to trumps (a top club might well have been necessary on a different day if the other diamond honours were switched between South and East) and Balicki claimed +140. Not enough…..
In the other room Gromov opened One No-trump (12-15) and over East’s Two Club bid for the majors Dubinin tried Two Diamonds. West joined in with Two Spades, Gromov questionably tried Three Clubs and that incited Dubinin to sacrifice in Five Clubs over Four Spades – even more dubious (or should it be Dubininous?). Alas, that was 500 against nothing and 8 IMPs to Quantum to level the scores.
Quantum took the lead on the next deal which contained an interesting point of theory.
| Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul. |
| | ♠ 10 9 8 7
♥ 10 6 2
♦ K Q 9 5
♣ A 9 |
♠ A Q 6 5 4 2
♥ 4
♦ 8
♣ Q 10 8 6 5 |
|
♠ K
♥ Q J 8 5
♦ A 7 6 2
♣ K J 3 2 |
| | ♠ J 3
♥ A K 9 7 3
♦ J 10 4 3
♣ 7 4 |
The Bulgarian East/West had no problem here, opening the East cards a 14-16 no-trump (all together, ‘Ugh!!’) and being raised via a transfer to Four Spades.
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Zmudzinski | Stefanov | Balicki | Aronov
|
| | 1♦ | 1♥ | 1♠ |
| 2♦ |
Pass |
2♥ |
3♣ |
| All Pass |
|
|
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Both East and West were happy that Three Clubs was non-forcing. The question was whether it was right for Balicki to pass it. My view is that bidding Four Clubs would have been a fair compromise – and that might have persuaded Zmudzinski to get to the right game, Five Clubs. (Four Spades could lose out to club ruffs). +150 for Russia but 7 IMPs to Quantum giving them a 7 IMP lead. An overtrick IMP saw them lead by 8 IMPs as the final board hit the table.
| Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul. |
| | ♠ J 6
♥ K 10 9 6 4
♦ Q 7 3
♣ 8 5 4 |
♠ 8 7 3 2
♥ Q 7 2
♦ J 6 2
♣ A k 2 |
|
♠ A 10 4
♥ A 3
♦ A K 10 5
♣ 10 9 7 3 |
| | ♠ K Q 9 5
♥ J 8 5
♦ 9 8 4
♣ Q J 6 |
What would you lead as South against 3NT after a strong no-trump and Stayman? Aronov elected to lead a top spade, ducked after mature consideration by Balicki. Now the heart shift looks more attractive (or maybe less unattractive) than anything else. But Aronov played a diamond now, and Balicki had nine tricks which he turned into ten.Dubinin chose to lead a heart to trick one, and declarer was immediately almost dead in the water. He put up the heart queen and could not do anything to avoid the run of the hearts now. That was 12 IMPs to Russia, but not enough to qualify.
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