 DAILY BULLETIN 4 - (2) | |
| Friday, February 11, 2000 Bulletin Number 4 | Editors: Eric Kokish Richard Colker |
| DAILY BULLETIN 4 - (2) | |
| Friday, February 11, 2000 Bulletin Number 4 | Editors: Eric Kokish Richard Colker |
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One of the most incredible deals of the
tournament again saw both tables declare 3NT
from opposite sides. Papa (West) received the
 Q lead and had to decide which minor suit to
attack. He chose clubs, cashing the two high
clubs and finessing the  J to drive out one of
North's stoppers. On the low diamond return
Papa rose with the ace and played a second
spade to dummy's ace, driviong out the last
club. If North had started with  Kx instead of
Qx he would have been endplayed for the
ninth trick in hearts, but with the cards sitting
as they were Papa ended up down one; minus
100.
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At the other table Gawrys (East) received
the  7 lead from Jason (best for the defense)
and thought for a long time before winning
dummy's ace, Justin playing the encouraging
jack. Like Papa earlier, Gawrys also chose to
attack clubs, cashing the ace-king. Receiving
the bad news, he then played the Q to the K,
A and 5 and exited with a club. Justin won and
tried the 9, ducked all around, and got out
with the Q to declarer's ace. After what
seemed an eternity Gawrys produced the 10.
Jason was now at the crossroads. He eyed the
card suspiciously, reviewing the previous play
for clues. Justin's J at trick one suggested a
jack-high suit (wouldn't he just encourage with
the ten or nine holding the king?), so shouldn't
Justin hold the J for his diamond play? So he
ducked. Wrong! When Gawrys' 10 held the
trick (dummy pitching a club), he took several
minutes to work out the position and then
played with the confidence of a man who has
"seen the light." A spade to dummy's ace was
followed by a fourth and triumphant club,
endplaying Justin for the game-going trick in
the form of dummy's Q. Plus 600 was worth
12 imps to POLAND, who took the lead for the
first time over GREAT BRITAIN, 20-18.
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| The twins had a Puppet-Stayman auction to 3NT after Jason, South, opened 1NT. When Justin showed four spades and not four hearts Gawrys, East, doubled the final contract for a spade lead. When the smoke had cleared, 3NT was down one; plus 200 for POLAND. At the other table the same contract was reached, without the double, but when declarer finished two down the deal ended as the match's second push. Still 20-18, POLAND. |
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Afer West's 1 opening the North twin, Justin,
doubled. When Gawrys preemptively raised to
3 and Lasocki upped the ante to 4, Justin
ventured a second double. With a hand that
some (most?) would have acted with over 3,
it seems rather conservative to bid only 4. But
that was what Jason did to end the auction.
And probably just as well, given the play.
Lasocki led the A, ruffed in dummy, and
Jason then played a low heart to the ten and
queen. A second diamond was also ruffed in
dummy and the remaining top heart cashed.
But when Jason chose to come to hand with a
club Lasocki was able to ruff with his third
trump and cash a high diamond to hold
declarer to ten tricks; plus 420. That was 11
more imps to POLAND, leading 35-18. |
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Heart contracts were declared at both tables,
but "The Two-Headed Monster" (aka, the
twins) played at the three level while Borewicz-Otvosi
gambled on game. The gamble lost
when the Poles failed by the normal two tricks;
minus 100. Justin (North) received the K lead
as Lasocki signaled encouragement. But when
Gawrys continued with the Q Lasocki went
into the tank, finally emerging with the A to
cash the A and continue with his third club.
He was not a happy camper when Justin's 9
held the trick. With only one more trump to
lose Justin scored up plus 140 for a 6-imp gain
for Queen and country; now trailing 35-24.
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Another difference of opinion as to level. This
time the twins decided on a game in hearts
while Borewicz-Otvosi stopped in 2 and made
three (plus 140). But "The Two-Headed
Monster" was in the house this time as well.
Jason (South) opened a 14-16 notrump and
became declarer in 4. When Lasocki failed to
lead a spade, two of declarer's five losers went
away on the clubs. That was plus 620 and
another 10 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, who
closed the gap to a single imp at 35-34.
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The match's third and final flat board: a push at
4 by East down one. But what a push! At the
twins' table Gawrys received the 10 lead,
ducked all around, followed by the 3, 6, 7, A.
Gawrys drew trumps in three rounds, then
played the Q and let it ride. Justin ducked
smoothly. Gawrys eyed the 7 with suspicion
and inquired as to N/S's carding methods. Still
suspicious, he finally led a low club to dummy's
jack and Justin's queen. A club return would
have sealed Gawrys' fate at down one but
Justin was not yet through toying with his
opponent. He returned the Q giving Gawrys
a losing alternative. He could retry the
diamond finesse, hoping to make the contract,
and thereby go down an extra trick. Gawrys
stewed for a long time and finally played a
diamond to...the ace followed by a club to the
king and ace; down one. "Did you have the
K?" asked Gawrys. Justin just smiled and
nodded. POLAND 35, GREAT BRITAIN 34.
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4 was played at both tables. Justin led the 5,
2, Q, 4 and Jason returned a trump as Lasocki
rose with the ace. A club to the king was
followed by a low diamond from dummy, but
Jason ducked and declarer ruffed. The A was
followed by a club ruff, another low diamond
ruff, and another club ruff as Jason overruffed
dummy's J with the queen. The A would now
have promoted a trump trick for the defense,
but North would then have been endplayed to
allow declarer to score two heart tricks for the
same down one. Not knowing whether Justin
had the 10, but perhaps seeing the endplay
even if he did, Jason exited with his third trump
to declarer's king. Declarer had to lose two
heart tricks for down one. At the other table 4
was made and we can only hypothesize about
the play.
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There are two lines which lead to ten
tricks. One, declarer sets up dummy's 10 after
an opening diamond lead to the queen by
playing the K from dummy on the second
round of the suit and then ruffing out the J.
The other line is to finesse when a spade is
returned at trick two and then ruff only one club
in dummy and use the fourth club to throw
North in late in the play to lead away from his
A. Armstrong's plus 420 was 10 more imps for
GREAT BRITAIN, who regained the lead at 44-35.
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The auction at the twins' table was:
Gawrys started with three rounds of trump, then shifted to a diamond. Justin ducked the first diamond, won the continuation, and with a half-hearted air of resignation watched the heart finesse lose. When the smoke cleared he found himself down three, minus 300. At the other table Papa-Armstrong made an overtrick in 2 for plus 140 and a 4-imp loss. GREAT
BRITAIN 44, POLAND 39. |
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Gawrys-Lasocki bid to 3NT on the E/W cards and came away with nine tricks; plus 400. At the other table Papa-Armstrong stopped in 2NT and made ten tricks; plus 180. That was 6 more imps to POLAND, who retook the lead at 45-44. Is this match close or what? | ||||||||||
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Looking at the N/S cards it is not clear whether
one should prefer to be in 3NT or 5.
Borewicz-Otvosi preferred the former, while the
twins preferred the latter. Borewicz-Otvosi
ended up down one in their contract, for minus
100, while Jason received the A lead against
his. When the smoke had cleared Jason lost
only the two major-suit aces and scored up 5
for plus 600; 12 imps to GREAT BRITAIN to
gain the lead for the third time at 56-45.
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Gawrys-Lasocki made the most of their 23
combined HCP by bidding: 1-1; 1NT-3NT.
Justin, on lead, chose the A, then shifted to
the J when Jason discouraged in hearts.
Declarer won the club in hand to finesse the
J, then returned to hand with the A to repeat
the spade finesse. Ace and another spade set
up declarer's eighth trick and a ninth trick
materialized via the heart finesse; plus 600. At
the other table Borewicz-Otvosi got caught
speeding when North overcalled 1 and ended
up playing there doubled. But the defense
could only collect eight tricks for 300, so
POLAND gained 7 imps to finish the match
close to even: GREAT BRITAIN 56, POLAND
52. A fitting end to a fiercely-contested battle,
but a disappointing end to a match where both
teams believed they needed a convincing
victory to play in the knockout phase.
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