Board 6 ♠Q7654

East Deals ♥K 3
E-W Vul ♦ KQ5
♣K 8 2
♠ A 10 3 2 ♠9
N
♥ J 10 7 6 ♥Q 9 8 2
W E
♦ J2 ♦ 98
S
♣9 7 6 ♣ A Q J 10 5 4
♠KJ8
♥A 5 4
♦ A 10 7 6 4 3
♣3
West North East South West North East South
MADALA GAWRYS BIANCHEDI KLUKOWSKI HELGEMO BOCCHI T HELNESS SEMENTA
Pass 1♦ Pass 1♦!1
Pass 1♠ 2♣ Dbl!1 Pass 1♠ 2♣ 2♠
Pass 4♠ All pass 3♣ 4♠ All pass
1. 3♠ 1. unb. 5♦
4♠ by North 4♠ by North
Lead: ♥8 Lead: ♣A
Down 1 — NS −50 Made 4 — NS +420
Lavazza soon joined the scoreboard. Playing the same four spade contract in both rooms, Helness's
lead immediately gave away the contract in one room, while in the other Gawrys did not find the
winning continuation. Actually, Helgemo's raise makes Helness' lead looks more than reasonable,
but it proved fatal, for it put Bocchi in total control.

In absence of a raise, Bianchedi led a heart, and Gawrys started well by winning in hand and
switching to a trump. Madala ducked dummy's king which put Gawrys at the crossroad. If he had
given full value at Bianchedi's nine of spades, he could have found the solution, continuing with
three rounds of diamonds. Madala would have ruffed, but with two trumps and the ace of hearts
still in dummy he would be left without defence. At first glance, this play looks right even if trumps
split 3-2, but there are complications indeed:
a) if either defender ruffs the second round and trumps were originally 3-2, after the heart
continuation declarer simply plays a trump, and with the communications in diamond still open he
will come home easily;
b) If West has a singleton diamond and four trumps, he will ruff the second round, put his partner in
with a club for a second ruff;
c) if West ruffs the third round (East pitching) and continues with a heart, declarer is dead if East
started with A109 of spades, but either way he is still put to a guess: if he plays for West’s original
holding to be four trumps, he must continue with a diamond, going down if East started with the
doubleton 109 and has been clever enough not to ruff the third diamond. That is, with West long in
spades continuing a trump is fatal: West would win the jack to continue the suit, or win the eight to
switch to a club.

However, Gawrys spared himself the headache by playing for trumps to split evenly, and led
dummy's jack of spades. BBO reports that Madala ducked again (Bianchedi pitching the ten of clubs),

7|Page
and if he had really done so, Gawrys's contract would have become unmakeable. However, I spoke
to Madala, who claims to have done better: he won the second spade to table to the nine of clubs!
Actually, though ducking is lethal, it might cost the contract if partner, holding AQJ10xx, fails to
unblock on the second or third round of trumps. So quite brilliant Madala and hats off to your style!
Bianchedi copperated: the nine of clubs was overtaken my the king and ace, and another club
honour. Gawrys ruffed it, but created another trump loser. Resulting in 10 IMPs to Lavazza.

Board 7 ♠KQJ9753
South Deals ♥ A 10
Both Vul ♦9
♣ J 10 5
♠82 ♠A4
N
♥J 7 6 5 2 ♥Q 9 4
W E
♦ K53 ♦ AQ864
S
♣7 4 2 ♣A Q 8
♠ 10 6
♥K 8 3
♦ J 10 7 2
♣K 9 6 3
West North East South West North East South
MADALA GAWRYS BIANCHEDI KLUKOWSKI HELGEMO BOCCHI T HELNESS SEMENTA
Pass Pass
Pass 1♠ Dbl Pass Pass 1♠ Dbl Pass
2♥ 2♠ Dbl Rdbl 2♥ 2♠ Dbl Pass
4♥ 4♠ Dbl All pass 4♥ All pass
4♠× by North 4♥ by West
Lead: ♠A Lead: ♦9
Made 5 — NS +990 Down 2 — EW −200

For the second time in this young match, Klukowski took a different decision to Sementa, and for the
second time his team scored mightily.

The bidding proceeded the same until East's second double, which Sementa passed, while the Pole
chose a much more effective redouble, making it easy for his partner to find the winning bid.

Bianchedi might have spared himself the third double and could have cashed his winners. However,
most of the damage was done at the other table: four spades just making was already worth 9 IMPs,
so the double cost only 2 IMPs, plus two more for the doubled overtrick. However, had the same
contract been played in the open room, the double risked losing at least 5 IMPs, and the overtrick
four more, yet could net not more than a 3 IMP gain ie +200 instead of +100 as two down was
clearly impossible. Not a good bet. Monaco 27 - Lavazza 10.

Board 8 ♠KJ85
West Deals ♥ 10 8

8|Page