Observations
 Poland v Poland

POLAND versus POLAND

On Friday night, the first EOC Bridge Tournament got underway in the beautiful Europejski Hotel very near Warsaw's Old City. Six teams from five countries were participating and a Vugraph service was in operation as well. It was good to see a very young crowd in the Vugraph audience watch the opening match between the two representatives of the host country. It is even better to have an opportunity, for once, to report to the world about a spectacular, be it a little one-sided, match between two out of very many strong teams the Polish Bridge Union is able to field.

In the other two matches, the Netherlands would face England and Austria were opposed to Sweden. As usual, the same boards were in play at all tables.

Board 1 was a big disappointment all round

Board I - Dealer North, None vul.
	ª J 9 3 2 © Q J 8 3 ¨ Q J 10 8 § 8
ª A 8 4 © K 7 2 ¨ A 3 § A Q J 9 4		ª K Q 10 6 © A 4 ¨ K 6 4 2 § K 3 2
	ª 7 5 © 10 9 6 5 ¨ 9 7 5 § 10 7 6 5

At most tables, the bidding went: East 1 NT - West 6 NT. A few pairs did even worse, putting up long relay sequences to finish in 6§. As you can see, 7§ is lay-down and there are very good practical chances to make 7 NT as well for the pairs addicts.

After this critical note right at the beginning, let's have a more cheerful look now at the other boards of the session.

Board 4 saw Poland 2 open their account when there was a misdefence in one room and too much aggression in the other.

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

On a heart lead, declarer even managed an overtrick after conceding a diamond when the defence did not attack spades.

After his initial pass, Tuszynski ventured a balancing double which Jassem stood. As it turned out, his good-looking 10-9 conbinations were to no avail. The defenders were lucky when Olanski settled for his contract by playing §A and a low club to dummy's Jack instead of playing off the §K as well. Just made, but 120 and 180 gave Poland 2 a useful swing of 7 imps.

The score stood at 11-0 to Poland 2 when board 6 arrived.

Board 6 - Dealer East, EW vul.
	ª 9 8 5 © A K 7 ¨ Q 9 8 7 3 2 § K
ª 10 2 © 9 6 4 3 ¨ A J 10 § A 10 9 2		ª A J 6 © 10 6 2 ¨ K § Q J 8 5 4 3
	ª K Q 7 4 3 © Q J 8 ¨ 6 5 4 § 7 6

With the spade ruff, declarer had to go one down. Poland 1 +50.

Well, this contract should have fared no better than its diamond counterpart when west found the diamond switch after the §A lead, but he continued the wrong card. Had he switched to the ¨A and another, the queen would have got ruffed out. At the table, he continued not the ace, but the ¨J straight away. Declarer ducked, of course, and now east was on play and helpless. He exited with a low trump, but declarer won in hand, ruffed a club and led another spade. Just made for a score of 140 to Poland 1 and their first 5 imps. The match looked wide open again.
In the Austria v. Sweden match, the Austrian Precision style went very well for them as this was the auction:

When south led a logical, but unlucky low spade to declarer's Jack Terraneo did not even have to find the singleton §K offside. Nine easy tricks and a useful vulnerable game swing to Austria as Sweden stayed in a club partscore.
On the very next board, both Jassem and Chmurski were living dangerously but survived.

Board 7 - Dealer South, All vul.
	ª 8 2 © K 10 6 ¨ J 10 6 § 8 6 4 3 2
ª J 10 6 3 © J 7 5 4 3 ¨ A 9 4 § 9		ª 4 © A Q 8 ¨ K Q 7 6 2 § A K Q 7
	ª A K Q 9 7 6 © 9 2 ¨ 8 3 § J 10 6

An easy overtrick, 650 to Poland 1.

The same overtrick and no swing. But mind you, both wests, and certainly Kwiecien, were in a good position to go for the 1100 that were in store for them.

On the next board, Poland 2 gained another five imps when they reached the better partscore, thanks to their device of opening 2 NT to show minors.

Then, after a slam on not very much more than a finesse, correctly avoided at both tables, an intriguing board came up.

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

If there is no misdefence, you have two chances but the play has to be timed carefully. One chance is to ruff out the last top spade in the third round of the suit. The other chance is to take the double finesse against the §Q and §10. Either line will work and Romanski scored a fine 620 for Poland 1.

In the Open Room, Kwiecien took a more conservative view when he did not go beyond 2©. His reward quickly came when Tuszynski balanced and Jassem really had no way out. Down three could not be avoided, so Poland 2 had scored another surprise 5 imps more.

Another swing to Poland 2 occurred on this one:

Board 12 - Dealer West, NS vul.
	ª J 10 3 © A Q 9 ¨ 10 6 § A K 10 8 5
ª Q 8 © K 7 6 5 ¨ J 8 3 2 § 7 4 3		ª A 9 6 4 © 8 2 ¨ A 6 § Q J 9 6 2
	ª K 7 6 2 © J 10 4 3 ¨ K Q 9 7 4 § -

On the lead of the §Q, declarer has no chance. When a low club was led, however, the pattern changed and nine tricks were duly made. Poland 2 had chalked up another 600.

For the Netherlands, Bas Drijver and Simon de Wijs showed how the defence should go. In fact, Barnay and Terraneo were on the same line as they too defeated 3 NT by two tricks. The §Q was led, won by declarer who took an immediate finesse of the ¨J. This lost and back came a club won by east. Now a low spade went to west's Queen and another club came back. With the clubs going and two aces to come the defence had established seven tricks for themselves.

Here, the negative double worked out well as there is no game on for NS and north was only too happy to pass it. The contract went only two down, but 300 looked a great score on the board. Alas: Poland 1 had lost 7 more imps.

After this we saw a lot of less exciting boards, except near the end when they got lively again. So here are the last two boards of the match. In fact, for the Vugraph audience they had been the first two boards, as for practical reasons the Vugraph table starts with boards 19 and 20 to make direct comparisons possible when they have reached board 1. Their team-mates of course play the boards in normal order, so they should have reached board 3 at that stage.

Board 19 - Dealer South, EW vul.
	ª 8 7 2 © A 9 7 6 3 ¨ K 8 7 4 § 9
ª 9 4 3 © K 4 2 ¨ A 5 3 2 § Q 7 3		ª J 10 6 © J 6 ¨ 10 § A J 10 8 6 5 2
	ª A K Q 6 © Q 10 8 ¨ Q J 9 6 § K 4

Two overtricks, 170 to Poland 1. Was this a good score or not? It looks as if you can always make 4©, because if east gets his diamond ruff you can clear the trumps without a further loser by leading the ©Q and thus scooping the Jack.

But this is not completely true, however. East may win the club lead and exit with an innocent-looking spade. Now, if declarer leads the ©Q or plays ©A and another, he is home as the diamond ruff vanishes. Bu what if declarer wins the ªA and runs the ©10? East will win his Jack and collect his ruff after all! We know about one declarer who went down this way.

Helped by the opponents, Poland 2 duly reached 4© in the rebound and made it to gain 6 more imps.

When Tuszynski went for the wrong line after all in 3 NT on the last board, Poland 2 had registered a 65-6 blitz, the score converting to 25-4 V.P. Here is that last board, so that you can look for yourself. The bidding simply goes 1 NT - 3 NT.

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

On a heart lead to the Jack, you play a diamond first. What are your chances? If the Jack loses to the Queen, you are in trouble, as you will need a quick club trick from somewhere even if the spade finesse works. So Tuszynski quite rightly put up dummy's ¨K which obviously held the trick. Next, he went after the clubs, east winning and playing back hearts each time. In dummy for the last time with the third round of hearts, Tuszynski was at the crossroads. He knew that east had only one more heart to cash, but what had happened in diamonds? If he could strip east off his last club, he might exit in diamonds hoping for a doubleton honour anywhere. If east then gets the lead he can cash his heart but will have to lead spades into the tenace, if it's west, he will be forced to lead spades so the finesse can be taken after all. A nice idea to look at, but it did not work here. One down, 100 to Poland 2 who duly made nine tricks at the other table in the same contract to gain 12 more imps and extend the margin into what we used to call the minus points.