Polish champions played with vigour — and luck

Press, 3 February 1982, Page 12

Polish champions played with vigour — and luck

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignail

When Poland won last year’s European Championship by the biggest margin for a long time, the team played most aggressively and, according to its opponents, in luck. This deal helped considerably in defeating France, one of the most dangerous teams in the event. North was the dealer, with both sides vulnerable. N. ♦ 85 V AK74 ♦ K 9 ♦ A 8643 W. E. ♦ K 109 62 ♦ J 743 V 8 5 2 V Q 10 ♦ 82 ♦ J 7643 ♦ J 10 5 *Q9 S. ♦ AQ .VJ963 ♦ AQIOS ♦ K 72 The Polish North-South were not at all backward in the auction: W. N. E. S. 1+ No IV No . 3V No 5V No 6V All Pass North’s raise to three hearts was hardly an underbid. and South’s jump to five presumably asked his partner to call six if his trumps were good. North was happy to oblige. After West had led a diamond, the declarer went to work. Winning the first trick in hand he played off the ace and king of hearts.. When the doubleton queen came tumbling down, that was the first hurdle crossed. South drew

•the last trump, then cashed the ace and king of clubs. The suit broke, so he gave up a trick to West’s jack, establishing a couple of long cards in dummy. He won the diamond return, and was able to discard the queen of spades on a long club. Four tricks in hearts, four in clubs, three top diamonds and the ace of spades, added up to 12 and a distinctly fortuitous slam.

Note too that had North been the declarer a spade lead from East through South’s ace-queen would almost certainly have beaten six hearts, but the Polish bidding had averted this danger.

After watching this performance, the Italian star Benito Garozzo turned to the Polish captain and remarked admiringly, “How wonderful to have your own Pope.”

In the . most recent Far East Bridge Federation championship, the Taiwanese team may or may not have been helped by a different deity. The final outcome all depended on the last match against Indonesia. It was close throughout, and when the final board- arrived Taiwan was slightly in arrears. They needed a good result, and the gods gave

them their chance. South was the dealer with only his 'side vulnerable: . ' 7' A N. ♦ K 8 - V A K J 9 7 3 2 ♦ QB4 ♦ 6 W. E. ♦ Q 103 * 96 V 865 V Q 10 4 ♦ A J 10 2 ♦ K 9 6 3 ♦ KO9 ♦ J 1032 S. ♦ AJ7542 V - ♦ 75 + A 8754 When the board was first played, the Indonesians reached a final contract of four hearts, and in a -vain attempt to make 10 tricks went down two, for a penalty of 200. The Taiwanese reached a different spot: S. W. . N. E. !♦ no 2V no 2* no 3< no 34 no 4* All Pass A diamond opening lead would have put paid to any hopes of making four spades, for the defenders could take the first two tricks in that suit, and eventually one each in clubs and spades. Not surprisingly, however, the Indonesian -West elected to lead the king of clubs, giving the declarer a chance. The Taiwanese South was quick to capitalise. After winning the first trick with

the ace of clubs he ruffed a dub in dummy and discarded his two small diamonds on the ace and king of hearts. He cashed the king of spades, entered his hand by trumping a diamond and played off the ace of spades. The position was: N. ♦ - V J 973 ♦ Q 8 ♦ - W. E. ♦Q ♦ - V 8 V Q ♦ A J 10 ♦ K 96 ♦ K * J 10 S. ♦ J 75 V ♦ - ♦ 875 South now led a club, won by West who made the queen of spades. The declarer .ruffed the diamond return and continued with another club. That was the last trick for the defence, for south’s hand was then high. By confining his losers to two in clubs and one in spades, the declarer had landed his game contract and the F.E.B.F. title on a hand which, let us say, could easily had had a different outcome. Amid the tumultuous applause of the partisan audience, one might have heard a few expressions of thanks to whichever god of chance had taken over.