World Bridge Championships Part 14

by Phillip Alder

We left the 128- final of the , the premier event at the world championships that ended in Chennai, India, on October 10, with 25 deals to be played and Poland leading Sweden by 241.5 international match points to 223. These were the teams:

Poland: Piotr Gawrys, Michal Klukowski, Krzysztof Jassem, Marcin Mazurkiewicz, Jacek Kalita and Michal Nowosadzki

Sweden: Tommy Bergdahl, Niklas Warne, Fredrik Nyström, Johan Upmark, Johan Sylvan and Frederic Wrang

Sweden had just gained 16 imps on Board 103, and there were more big swings on the next two deals.

North Dlr: West ‰ K Q 10 8 7 6 4 Vul: None Š 10 9 ‹ K Œ J 9 6 West East ‰ 5 ‰ 2 Š Q 7 6 4 3 Š A 2 ‹ 7 6 5 4 ‹ A J 10 9 8 3 2 Œ 8 4 2 Œ A Q 3 South ‰ A J 9 3 Š K J 8 5 ‹ Q Œ K 10 7 5 Table 1: West North East South Klukowski Upmark Gawrys Nyström Pass 3‰ 4‹ 4‰ 5‹ Pass Pass Pass

There was only one winning lead, and incredibly Nyström found it: a low spade. North won with his queen and shifted to the club nine, giving Gawrys no chance. He went up with his ace, cashed the red- suit aces, then led his second heart. South won with the king and cashed the club king for down one.

1 North Dlr: West ‰ K Q 10 8 7 6 4 Vul: None Š 10 9 ‹ K Œ J 9 6 West East ‰ 5 ‰ 2 Š Q 7 6 4 3 Š A 2 ‹ 7 6 5 4 ‹ A J 10 9 8 3 2 Œ 8 4 2 Œ A Q 3 South ‰ A J 9 3 Š K J 8 5 ‹ Q Œ K 10 7 5 Table 2: West North East South Sylvan Kalita Wrang Nowosadzki Pass 2‹ (a) 3‹ 4Œ (b) 4‹ 4‰ 5‹ Dble Pass Pass Pass (a) Weak two-bid in ether major (b) Asked partner to bid the suit below his actual suit

It is surprising that North called his hand a weak two-bid. South led his . East won, cashed the heart ace, and played a second heart. South won with his king and cashed his spade ace, but was endplayed. However, even if South had led a low spade, not the ace, and North had shifted to a club, Wrang would have won with his ace, played a trump to dummy, discarded a club on the heart queen, ruffed a heart high, led another trump to dummy, and pitched his last club on the heart seven. Plus 50 and plus 550 gave Sweden 12 imps, now down by 6.5.

2 North Dlr: North ‰ J 6 2 Vul: E-W Š Q 10 5 3 ‹ K 8 6 3 Œ 10 8 West East ‰ A Q 4 3 ‰ 9 8 Š A 8 7 4 Š 9 6 ‹ Q 10 ‹ J 4 2 Œ J 9 6 Œ A K Q 7 3 2 South ‰ K 10 7 5 Š K J 2 ‹ A 9 7 5 Œ 5 4 Table 1: West North East South Klukowski Upmark Gawrys Nyström Pass Pass 1‹ (a) Dble Pass 2‹ Pass 2Š Pass 3Œ All Pass (a) Minimum , or any 4-4-4-1 with 12-16 points, or a four-card major and a five-card or longer minor with 11-15 points, maybe with a diamond

It is slightly surprising that Gawrys did not open two clubs, showing 11-14 points with five-plus clubs and a four-card major or six-plus clubs. Then Klukowski, not expecting his partner to have six winners, passed out three clubs. East lost one heart and two diamonds to bring home an overtrick.

Table 2: West North East South Sylvan Kalita Wrang Nowosadzki Pass 1Œ (a) Dble 1‹ (b) Pass 2Œ Pass 3NT Pass Pass Pass

(a) Natural or a balanced 12-14 or 18-19 (b) Hearts

I think if West had redoubled, it would have shown diamonds. Declarer took two spades, one heart and six clubs to make his contract. Minus 130 and plus 600 gave Sweden 10 imps and the lead!

Over the next three deals, Sweden gained another 4 imps. Then came Board 109.

3 North Dlr: North ‰ J 4 2 Vul: Both Š 9 4 3 ‹ A J 4 Œ A K 6 5 West East ‰ K Q 10 9 5 ‰ A 8 7 6 Š A K 5 Š J 10 8 7 2 ‹ 7 ‹ 10 9 3 Œ J 7 4 2 Œ 10 South ‰ 3 Š Q 6 ‹ K Q 8 6 5 2 Œ Q 9 8 3 Table 1: West North East South Klukowski Upmark Gawrys Nyström 1‹ (a) Pass 2Œ (b) 2‰ 3Œ 3‰ Pass Pass 4Œ All Pass (a) Minimum balanced hand, or any 4-4-4-1 with 12-16 points, or a four-card major and a five-card or longer minor with 11-15 points, maybe with a void in diamonds (b) Either game-invitational with both minors or game-forcing with five-plus clubs

North, anticipating the double fit in the minors, took the push to four clubs. This was dangerous. First, West might have doubled. Second, West, probably now thinking that his partner had a club void, might have bid four spades, which would have made easily with an overtrick. Against four clubs, West led the heart ace, cashed the spade king, and led another spade. South, after ruffing, had to cash his club queen, then run the club nine through West. Instead, he played a club to dummy's ace, led a club to his queen, played a diamond to dummy's ace, ruffed the spade jack, and continued with the diamond king. If West had ruffed, cashed the heart king, and led another heart, the contract would have been down three. But West strangely discarded the heart five, letting declarer out for down two.

Table 2: West North East South Sylvan Kalita Wrang Nowosadzki 1Œ (a) Pass 1‹ 1‰ Dble (b) 3‰ 4‹ 4Š Pass 4‰ All Pass (a) Natural, three-plus clubs unless 18-19 points with a 4=3=4=2 or 3=4=4=2 distribution (b) Three-card diamond support

Even if South had not bid four diamonds, West presumably would have bid game. As expected, this rolled home with an overtrick. Minus 200 and plus 650 gave Sweden 10 imps on the board. Over the last three deals of the set, Poland gained a solitary overtrick imp to leave the score at Sweden 260 Poland 242.5. It was a new match, with just 16 boards to be played.

To be continued

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