Poland v Israel – Juniors Round 23

It seemed that nothing could stop the remorseless march of the Polish Juniors to the European Championship, until, that is, they met Israel in Round 23 and suddenly, a Championship that had appeared to be almost decided, was very much alive again.

Board 1. None Vul. Dealer North.
	ª Q 7 4 © 10 3 ¨ 9 8 3 2 § A 9 8 6
ª J 8 5 © 9 8 7 4 ¨ A K J 4 § 4 3		ª A K 9 6 2 © A K Q ¨ 5 § K J 5 2
	ª 10 3 © J 6 5 2 ¨ Q 10 7 6 § Q 10 7

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Buras	Hoffman	Araskiewicz	Ofir
-	Pass	1§	Pass
1©	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	Pass	2ª	Pass
3ª	Pass	4§	Pass
4¨	Pass	4NT	Pass
5§	Pass	5¨	Pass
5©	Pass	5ª	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Reshef	Kalita	Ginossar	Kotorowicz
-	Pass	1ª	Pass
2ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
3§	Pass	3¨	Pass
3ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

A long Polish Club auction seemed to be wending its way to a very poor slam contract but Buras/Araskiewicz put on the brakes at the five level. Mind you, as we were about to discover, 5ª was by no means a secure spot. Gilad Ofir led a diamond and Konrad Araskiewicz rose with the ace and played a club up. When Ron Hoffman played low smoothly, Araskiewicz guessed to put in the jack, losing to the queen. He won the diamond continuation with the king and led a second club, Hoffman taking the ace. To make the contract, declarer has to lead the ªJ to pin the ten, and there is no good reason to do that. When Araskiewicz played trumps from the top he was down one for –50.

In the Open Room, Eldad Ginossar/ Ophir Reshef were never in danger of getting past the four level after Ginossar's natural 1ª opening attracted a simple raise from Reshef. Ginossar could explore at a safe level then stop in game. There was to be no problem with the spade guess at this table, where it did not matter. Krzysztof Kotorowicz led a trump and that ran to declarer's nine. Naturally, he got everything else right now and emerged with twelve tricks for +480. What's the problem? That gave Israel an 11 IMP start to the match.
Little happened over the next few boards and Israel led by 18-5 after nine deals.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Buras	Hoffman	Araskiewicz	Ofir
-	-	Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Reshef	Kalita	Ginossar	Kotorowicz
-	-	Pass	Pass
1ª	Dble	Pass	2¨
All Pass

Krzysztof Buras opened 1NT and was raised directly to game. Not wishing to lead into a strong hand on his right from a broken four-card suit, Hoffman chose to lead his doubleton spade. That picked up that suit rather nicely for Buras, who cashed his eleven top tricks for +660.

At the other table, Reshef opened 1ª and Jacek Kalita's double silenced Ginossar. Kotorowicz was left to play 2¨ as South, a contract that played very nicely for him despite the shortage of high cards his way. The defence did not take its club tricks and the very favourable diamond position enabled Kotorowicz to come to an overtrick for +110 and 13 IMPs to Poland. The teams were level at 18-18 at the midpoint in the match.

Board 15. N/S Vul. Dealer South.
	ª J 10 4 2 © J 5 ¨ K Q 9 6 2 § A 9
ª A 7 © Q 8 ¨ J 10 4 § Q J 7 6 5 3		ª Q 3 © A 9 7 3 ¨ A 8 7 5 3 § 10 8
	ª K 9 8 6 5 © K 10 6 4 2 ¨ - § K 4 2

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Buras	Hoffman	Araskiewicz	Ofir
-	-	-	2©
Pass	2ª	Pass	Pass
3§	3ª	Pass	4ª
All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Reshef	Kalita	Ginossar	Kotorowicz
-	-	-	2©
All Pass

Kotorowicz showed hearts and a second suit, and Kalita passed, which would have been the right thing to do facing hearts and clubs, of course. After a club lead, Kotorowicz could ruff his third club and get the spade right, eventually scrambling eight tricks as the defence could not quite weaken his trump control sufficiently to defeat him; +110.

Ofir showed the majors and Hoffman gave preference then competed to 3ª when Buras balanced with 3§. Knowing that his partner held genuine spade support was sufficient to convince Ofir, who was much better than he might have been, to take a shot at game. Hoffman won the club lead in hand and ran the ªJ, after which he was quite comfortable; +650 when he later picked the heart suit correctly also, and 11 IMPs to Israel.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Buras	Hoffman	Araskiewicz	Ofir
-	-	-	Pass
1¨	Dble	Pass	1©
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Reshef	Kalita	Ginossar	Kotorowicz
-	-	-	Pass
1¨	Dble	Pass	1©
Pass	2¨	Pass	2ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Unless the defence messes up, there are simply too many losers to allow 4ª to make. Sure enough, the opening diamond lead established the defensive tricks in that suit before declarer could start on the clubs, and Kotorowicz was one down for –50.

Three No Trump was another matter. Araskiewicz led the jack of diamonds and Buras overtook then, when his queen held, led a second diamond to declarer's ace. When Hoffman rattled off the spades, Buras could see that he would be endplyed if he kept his club honours so, as the only hope of breaking the contract, he threw them away with the wish that East would hold at least the jack. It was not to be. All that happened was that Hoffman turned his attention from Spades to clubs, and the last on eof those executed a squeeze against West's red-suit holdings; twelve tricks for +490 and 11 IMPs to Israel.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Buras	Hoffman	Araskiewicz	Ofir
1©	1ª	Pass	2©
Pass	4©	Pass	4NT
Pass	5¨	Pass	6ª
All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Reshef	Kalita	Ginossar	Kotorowicz
1©	Dble	Pass	3NT
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Are you an overcaller or a doubler with the North hand? Kalita was a doubler but, when he then removed 3NT to 4ª, Kotorowicz did not like his hand enough to go on, probably becuse the heart holding looked bad. All that was needed for slam was the marked diamond finesse and not all four trumps with East; +680.

Hoffman was an overcaller and he splintered at his next turn. That convinced Ofir to take control, wasted ©K or not, and the slam was quickly reached; +1430 and 13 IMPs to Israel.

The double whammy on the last two deals helped to make a useful win into a big one, and Israel came out on top by 62-20 IMPs, 24-6 VPs. Poland still led, but by only 10 VPs from Hungary, with Israel in third and having the momentum with them. It looked as though we might have an exciting finish to this Championship after all.