Italy vs Poland (Schools Round 2)

Italy and Poland both had good wins in the first round of the Schools Championship and now met on vugraph in Round 2. Poland have won the last two Schools Championships and are looking here to complete a hat-trick. This match did those ambitions no harm at all as swing after swing went in favour of the holders.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ 8 6 ♥ K 10 7 4 ♦ Q 9 2 ♣ K 7 6 4
♠ A Q 5 4 ♥ A 9 3 ♦ A 7 5 3		♠ K 10 9 ♥ Q J 6 5 2 ♦ K
	♠ J 7 3 2 ♥ 8 ♦ J 10 8 6 4 ♣ 10 5 3

We are a little (OK then, a lot) short on system details I’m afraid, so all I can tell you is that the essentially natural Italian auction stopped in game, which seems to be a good idea looking at the just the E/W hands, while the Polish Club got all the way to six. A nearly hopeless contract on a diamond lead.

Giorgia Botta, for Italy, received a club lead to the king and ace and made eleven tricks easily enough for +650, winning the club and running the queen of hearts at trick two so losing two trump tricks.

For Poland, Artur Machno had to take a little more care. He too received a club lead but Massimiliano Di Franco did not put up the king so Machno’s eight scored. Declarer played a heart to the ace and a heart back to his queen, then back to dummy with a spade to the ace to lead another heart up. Di Franco took the king and returned a club but Machno judged correctly to finesse, drew the last trump and soon had twelve tricks for +1430 and 13 IMPs to Poland.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ K 8 ♥ Q 2 ♦ Q J 10 9 7 2 ♣ A K 5
♠ 9 6 4 ♥ K J 5 3 ♦ 6		♠ A J 7 5 ♥ 7 6 ♦ A 8 4 3
	♠ Q 10 3 2 ♥ A 10 9 8 4 ♦ K 5 ♣ 6 4

West	North	East	South
Igla	Di Franco	Machno	Mistretta
	1NT	Pass	2♣
Dble	Pass	Pass	Rdbl
Pass	2♦	3♣	3♥
Pass	3NT	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Delle Cave	Jassem	Botta	Zatorski
	1NT	Pass	2♣
Pass	2♦	Pass	3♠
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Both Norths declared 3NT after South had shown his five-four hand in the majors. The difference was that Bartlomiej Igla had doubled 2♣ for the lead – not altogether a secure action with that suit – while Guiseppe Delle Cave had not.

With no helpful double to help with the lead, Botta led a low diamond, which did not hurt declarer in the slightest, of course. Pawel Jassem won dummy’s king and continued the suit. After a heart switch, he settled for a safe nine tricks and +600.

Machno, of course, led a club, ducked. Di Franco won the second club and played a diamond to the king then a spade to the king and ace. The clubs were cleared but now he had no quick entry back to the diamonds. He played the ten of diamonds, which held the trick then, in desperation, ran the heart queen. The contract was two down for –200 and 13 IMPs to Poland.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	♠ 4 2 ♥ Q J 9 3 ♦ J 9 5 2 ♣ Q 10 9
♠ K 6 3 ♥ 8 7 4 ♦ Q 10 8 6 3		♠ Q J 8 7 5 ♥ 6 2 ♦ K 7 4
	♠ A 10 9 ♥ A K 10 5 ♦ A ♣ A K J 8 4

West	North	East	South
Igla	Di Franco	Machno	Mistretta
		Pass	1♣
Pass	1♦	Pass	1♥
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♣
Pass	4♥	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Delle Cave	Jassem	Botta	Zatorski
		Pass	1♣
Pass	1♦	Pass	2♦
Pass	2♥	Pass	2NT
Pass	3♣	Pass	3♥
Pass	5♥	Pass	6♥
All Pass

Both 1♣ openings were forcing but that is the end of he similarity between the two auctions. Again, we lack system information. Piotr Zatorski’s 2♦ rebid was artificial and game-forcing and Jassem eventually admitted to some useful values but nothing to cuebid when he jumped to 5♥. That was enough for Zatorski, who had all five key cards, a useful side-suit and ruffing values, to go on to slam. Seven Hearts is cold but Jassem slightly lazily only made twelve tricks, winning the trump lead and drawing trumps before taking one diamond ruff, when it is safe to play for two ruffs after drawing a second trump and finding the suit breaking evenly. Not to worry, with the Italians languishing in game and also making only twelve tricks, that was another 11 IMPs to Poland.

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
	♠ J 8 6 ♥ 7 5 4 2 ♦ K Q J ♣ 10 6 4
♠ Q 9 4 3 ♥ Q ♦ 10 9 6 3		♠ A ♥ A K 8 3 ♦ 7 5 4 2
	♠ K 10 7 5 2 ♥ J 10 9 6 ♦ A 8 ♣ 5 3

West	North	East	South
Igla	Di Franco	Machno	Mistretta
			Pass
Pass	Pass	1NT	2♣
Dble	2♥	Dble	All Pass

We do not have the auction from the other room but E/W reached 5♦ and you will not be altogether surprised to hear that this contract failed by a trick; –100.

Machno cashed the ace of spades then switched to a diamond, not best, as Di Franco could now play three rounds of diamonds to throw a losing club from dummy. He played a trump next and Igla won the bare queen. Machno won the club and played three rounds of trumps, leaving declarer with just one spade trick to come; down three for –800 and 14 IMPs to Poland who, after seven deals, led by an imposing 58-0 IMPs.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ A Q 4 3 ♥ 6 ♦ K 9 7 6 5 3 ♣ K Q
♠ K J 10 7 5 2 ♥ – ♦ Q J 8 4		♠ – ♥ K Q J 10 9 8 7 5 2 ♦ –
	♠ 9 8 6 ♥ A 4 3 ♦ A 10 2 ♣ 10 8 6 5

West	North	East	South
Igla	Di Franco	Machno	Mistretta
			Pass
3♠	Pass	4♥	All Pass

West	North	East	South
Delle Cave	Jassem	Botta	Zatorski
			Pass
3♠	3NT	4♥	Dble
All Pass

That 3NT overcall is very aggressive, particularly facing a passed partner. Mind you, Jassem may have thought that he was playing with his opponents’ money by this stage of the match.

Where E/W had the auction to themselves, Machno ruffed the diamond lead, knocked out the ace of hearts and subsequently played clubs in straightforward fashion for two losers so made ten tricks; +420.

Zatorski can hardly be blamed for doubling the unbeatable game when holding two aces opposite a hand that could overcall 3NT. He led the eight of clubs to the nine, queen and ace. Botta played the ♥K, ducked, then the ♥Q to the ace. Zatorski now switched to a spade to the king and ace, ruffed. Declarer now rattled off all but one of the trumps before playing the ♣J in an attempt to pin the ten, so was one off for –100 and 11 IMPs to Poland. It was 73-0 but finally came a little relief for Italy:

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ A K 7 4 ♥ A 8 2 ♦ 10 9 ♣ Q 6 5 4
♠ 6 ♥ K J 6 5 3 ♦ K J 3 2		♠ J 8 5 2 ♥ Q 10 4 ♦ Q 8 7 6 5
	♠ Q 10 9 3 ♥ 9 7 ♦ A 4 ♣ A J 10 8 7

West	North	East	South
Igla	Di Franco	Machno	Mistretta
Pass	1♦	Pass	2♣
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♥
Pass	4♥	Pass	4♠
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Delle Cave	Jassem	Botta	Zatorski
1♥	Dble	2♥	4♠
All Pass

Deep Finesse assures us that 4♠ is unbeatable, but try it on a red-suit lead and you begin to see that it is not easy at all.

Zatorski won the heart lead and played ♠A, ♠K and a spade to the ten, then ace and another club. Machno ruffed the club and cashed the queen of hearts before switching to a diamond and that was a loser in each suit; –100.

Mistretta also won the heart lead but started with a spade to the queen then back to the ace. Getting the spades wrong was not such a bad thing as it put declarer in the right hand to take the club finesse. However, when this lost, West gave his partner a club ruff. But East now switched to a diamond, allowing Mistretta to win the ace, draw the last trump and pitch a diamond on the long club; +620 and 12 IMPs to Italy.

West returned the ♣2 after winning the king. Assuming normal suit-preference methods, it looks as though he has to take the blame for this one as he has asked for a diamond return.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ 8 6 3 2 ♥ K 7 6 5 ♦ 10 7 ♣ 9 3 2
♠ Q J ♥ A 9 8 ♦ K 9 2		♠ 7 4 ♥ Q J 10 4 3 ♦ 8 6 5 3
	♠ A K 10 9 5 ♥ 2 ♦ A Q J 4 ♣ K 10 6

West	North	East	South
Igla	Di Franco	Machno	Mistretta
			1♠
2♣	3♠	Pass	4♠
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Delle Cave	Jassem	Botta	Zatorski
			1♣
1NT	2♣	Pass	4♠
All Pass

Both declarers did well to pick up the spades without loss, one after the lead of the ♠Q, the other the ♠J. Italy gained an overtrick IMP but lost the match very heavily; 13-91 IMPs, 1-23 VPs.

Four Spades was played 14 times and it made on 11 occasions. One declarer failed on the lead of the jack of spades. Two Wests led ace then queen of clubs, establishing a second trick in the suit and leaving declarer powerless.

The two successful leaders were Peter Sinkovicz for Hungary against France and Sigrid Spangenberg for Netherlands against Bulgaria. Neither of their teams scored a single Victory Point in the match!