Russia vs Poland

Open Series - Round 31

On Thursday night, it was Poland´s turn to start their biggest challenge: playing Russia in one match and Italy in the next. Of course, both matches appeared on Rama, so elsewhere in this issue you should be able to find the report on Poland v. Italy. A remarkable aspect of this match was the very good atmosphere between the players: they were seen exchanging high fives after the match was over to celebrate the Polish victory. The match started well for Russia when a very light twosuited opening caught the Poles off-balance:

Vadim Kholomeev, Russia

Session 31. Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª 2 © 10 8 7 6 2 ¨ 10 6 5 2 § A 8 3
ª K 9 8 7 6 © Q ¨ K 9 8 4 § J 10 4		ª A Q 10 4 © J 9 3 ¨ A 7 § K 7 6 2
	ª J 5 3 © A K 5 4 ¨ Q J 3 § Q 9 5

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Kholomeev	Pszczola	Zlotov
	2©	Dble	3©
3ª	All Pass

It looks very much a matter of style. Missing a non-vulnerable game, however, is not as expensive as missing a vulnerable one. Poland +170.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Petrunin	Balicki	Gromov	Zmudzinski
	Pass	1NT	Pass
2©	Pass	3©	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Without intervention, the Russians had no trouble in arriving at the proper contract after Gromov refused the transfer showing bad hearts at the same time. Russia +420 and the first 6 IMP´s of the match.

There was more to come for them:

Session 31. Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª Q 10 8 4 © A Q 5 4 ¨ 7 5 § Q 8 5
ª K 7 6 5 2 © K 10 8 7 ¨ 9 § A 9 7		ª 9 3 © J 6 3 2 ¨ A J 4 § J 10 3 2
	ª A J © 9 ¨ K Q 10 8 6 3 2 § K 6 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Kholomeev	Pszczola	Zlotov
		Pass	1¨
Dble	1©	1NT	2¨
All Pass

Sound bidding. Russia +130 when ten tricks were made.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Petrunin	Balicki	Gromov	Zmudzinski
		Pass	1¨
1ª	Dble	Pass	2¨
Pass	3NT	All Pass

The spade lead from East immediately removed dummy´s entry. When the diamonds did not behave either, Balicki went two down in what very much looked an over-ambitious contract anyway. Russia +200 and 8 more IMP´s.

After two quiet boards we saw the first slam:

Session 31. Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª 9 8 5 3 © 10 8 ¨ 2 § K 10 5 4 3 2
ª K J 10 © A J 7 5 4 2 ¨ A § Q 9 7		ª 7 6 © K Q 3 ¨ K 9 8 7 5 3 § A 8
	ª A Q 4 2 © 9 6 ¨ Q J 10 6 4 § J 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Kholomeev	Pszczola	Zlotov
	Pass	1¨	Pass
1©	Pass	2¨	Pass
2NT	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4§	Pass
4¨	Pass	4NT	Pass
5ª	Pass	6©	All Pass

Michal Kwiecien, Poland

A simple, natural auction saw the Poles end up in a touch-and-go but perfectly playable slam. North led a club, which Kwiecien was obliged to run to his queen. This first hurdle taken, Kwiecien still had to play very carefully: ¨A, heart to the queen, diamond ruffed with the jack, getting the bad news, ©A getting the good news, club to the ace and spade to the ten. When this all worked, he could ruff a club and discard a spade on the ¨K, just conceding one more spade. Just made, a great +980 to Poland.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Petrunin	Balicki	Gromov	Zmudzinski
	Pass	1¨	Pass
1©	Pass	2¨	Pass
2ª	Pass	3©	Pass
4©	All Pass

The Russians were not so ambitious, and maybe they were right. On this board it cost them 11 IMP´s however.

Session 31. Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
	ª Q 7 6 4 3 2 © 10 ¨ Q J 10 7 4 § 8
ª K J 8 © J 5 ¨ A 9 8 6 2 § 10 4 2		ª A 10 9 © A 9 8 7 6 4 3 ¨ K § J 9
	ª 5 © K Q 2 ¨ 5 3 § A K Q 7 6 5 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Kholomeev	Pszczola	Zlotov
			2§
Pass	2ª	3©	3NT
Dble	4¨	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

The ©A was led, after which East cashed his ¨K and played another heart to dummy. When South led the ª5, West rose with the king to play the ¨9 to prevent any spade ruffs. On this defence, declarer could not avoid down three: Poland +800.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Petrunin	Balicki	Gromov	Zmudzinski
			1§
Pass	1¨	1©	2§
Pass	2ª	Pass	3§
Pass	3¨	Pass	3NT
Dble	4¨	Dble	All Pass

Here, East did not find the shift to the ¨K, but started off with two rounds of hearts. This way, declarer was able to score a spade ruff in dummy and went off only two, Russia +500 but 7 IMP´s to Poland.

Session 31. Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª A 10 7 6 4 2 © K 3 ¨ 10 § 9 8 6 3
ª K 5 © Q 10 8 7 5 ¨ A K Q J 4 § Q		ª J 9 © A 9 6 4 ¨ 9 6 5 2 § 10 5 4
	ª Q 8 3 © J 2 ¨ 8 7 3 § A K J 7 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Kholomeev	Pszczola	Zlotov
1©	1ª	2©	2ª
3¨	3ª	Pass	4ª
Dble	All Pass

Admire the nice tactical bidding from Zlotov here. When Kwiecien doubled, Kholomeev had his anxious moments before making the contract. Pszczola led a diamond, won with the queen by Kwiecien who continued the ©7. After a long huddle, Kholomeev played low. When this forced the ace from East, all declarer had to do was to play ªA and another. Russia +790.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Petrunin	Balicki	Gromov	Zmudzinski
1§	2ª	Dble	3§
3©	4§	4©	4ª
5©	Dble	All Pass

On this auction, the hand looked to belong to N/S, so West decided to bid one more. Right he was: one down only but a very cheap save. Poland +100, but 12 IMP´s to Russia.

Funny things happened on the next board:

Session 31. Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª 7 5 © A 9 5 4 ¨ A 8 6 4 § J 6 2
ª J 9 4 3 © K 3 ¨ 10 3 § A Q 9 7 5		ª 6 2 © Q 10 8 6 2 ¨ K J 2 § K 8 4
	ª A K Q 10 8 © J 7 ¨ Q 9 7 5 § 10 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Kholomeev	Pszczola	Zlotov
	Pass	Pass	1ª
Pass	1NT	All Pass

Alexander Petrunin, Russia

Heart lead to the jack, king and ace. After three top spades, East discarding the §8, declarer played the §10 from dummy. Kwiecien rose with the ace, and now the clubs were blocked. West cashed the ªJ and returned a heart, so East could cash four tricks in the suit plus the §K before he had to lead away from the ¨K. One down only, Poland +100. All would have been well had West ducked the §10, but East might have contributed the §K under the ace as well. Now, if West cashes the ªJ and plays a heart, declarer will be squeezed. He has to blank his ¨A in order to keep his §Jx, so East can exit with a diamond after the hearts. Down two, the par score.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Petrunin	Balicki	Gromov	Zmudzinski
	Pass	Pass	1ª
Pass	1NT	All Pass

Here, declarer did not play the ©J from dummy to the first trick. The play then went the same: three spades, East discarding the §8, and the §10. West won the ace and cashed his ªJ, but now East had to concede a heart to North´s nine. As he had forgotten to cash his now blank §K before doing so, he was thrown in again with this card to lead away from his ¨K as well. Contract made. Poland another +90 and 5 IMP´s.

Session 31. Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª 10 9 7 4 © K 8 3 ¨ 8 § J 10 8 6 5
ª A K Q J © 7 6 5 ¨ Q 10 6 2 § 7 3		ª 3 © A J 10 4 ¨ A K 7 5 3 § K Q 4
	ª 8 6 5 2 © Q 9 2 ¨ J 9 4 § A 9 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Kholomeev	Pszczola	Zlotov
1§	Pass	2¨	Pass
2ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
3¨	Pass	3NT	Pass
4ª	Pass	5©	Pass
6¨	All Pass

A perfectly natural auction by the Poles. 2¨ was natural and forcing to game, 4ª a cuebid and 5© thus showed first-round control in hearts and second-round control in clubs as well, since West had skipped this suit. Poland +1370.

In the other room, the Russian relay auction worked as effectively:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Petrunin	Balicki	Gromov	Zmudzinski
Pass	Pass	1§	Pass
1NT	Pass	2§	Pass
2¨	Pass	2©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3§	Pass
3¨	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4©	Pass
4ª	Pass	5§	Pass
6§	Pass	6¨	All Pass

East had been relaying all the time, and West had shown four spades to the AK and four diamonds to the queen in an 11-12 hcp. hand. At the same time, he had denied the presence of the §A and the ©K. So slam was a reasonable enough shot, even more so when once again a vital jack happened to be one of dummy´s assets.

On the simple slam below, Gromov made what looks like a nice assumption play:

Session 31. Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª 6 4 2 © 8 5 ¨ J 8 5 4 3 § 10 9 3
ª Q 9 7 5 © A Q 10 6 4 ¨ 10 § A 8 2		ª A J 10 8 3 © J 9 7 2 ¨ A K 2 § 5
	ª K © K 3 ¨ Q 9 7 6 § K Q J 7 6 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Kholomeev	Pszczola	Zlotov
		1ª	2§
2©	Pass	4§	Pass
4¨	Pass	4©	Pass
4NT	Pass	5ª	Pass
6ª	All Pass

Pszczola won the §K lead and took the finesses in both major suits to land his contract. Poland +980.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Petrunin	Balicki	Gromov	Zmudzinski
		1ª	2§
2©	Pass	4§	Pass
4NT	Pass	5©	Pass
6ª	All Pass

On the same lead, Gromov´s next move was a spade to the ACE. South was likely to hold at least one major suit king for his 2§ overcall, vulnerable. If that´s the ©K, North may make his ªK; if it´s the ªK however, it might be blank…
Russia +1010 and 1 IMP but well played.

And the next board:

Session 31. Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª K 4 3 © Q 4 2 ¨ A K 4 2 § A 9 3
ª 10 7 2 © A 9 8 5 ¨ Q 3 § K Q J 7		ª A Q J 9 8 6 © 7 ¨ J 8 6 5 § 8 4
	ª 5 © K J 10 6 3 ¨ 10 9 7 § 10 6 5 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Kwiecien	Kholomeev	Pszczola	Zlotov
			2©
Pass	2NT	3ª	Pass
4ª	Dble	Pass	4NT
Dble	Pass	Pass	5§
Dble	5©	Dble	All Pass

Too much action by the Russians after yet another very light twosuited opening; Poland +800 on a trump lead.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Petrunin	Balicki	Gromov	Zmudzinski
			Pass
Pass	1NT	2ª	2NT
4ª	All Pass

A more normal auction here led to +620 to Russia. This board sealed the Polish victory by 52-27 or 20-10 V.P.