At the end of the first day of play, as everyone expected, Monaco was in the lead with 78VP, only 1 VP away was Poland. After the first match of the second day of play Poland took the lead, and never lost it till the end winning the event by 201 VP just 2VP more than Monaco the runnerup.
At the end of Round 9 and with only 2 matchs to play the positions were:
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In the 10th match Poland defeated Netherlands 20-10, while Monaco could only win 16-14 to USA. In the last match USA added 13, Monaco added 21 but Poland added 11 and stayed with the cup and the cash prize. |
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Polonia
USA
Monaco
Holanda
B.Evertrust
Round 10 was the key to Poland’s victory:
As you can see there were three double swing boards for Poland and two for Netherlands.
Lets see the ones who favored the champion, Poland:
Board 5, Dealer North N/S Vul
|
| West | North | East | South |
| Verhees JR | Narkiewicz | Prooijen | Buras |
1 |
21 |
3 |
|
| Pass | 4 |
Pass | 4 |
| Pass | 5 |
Pass | 5 |
| Pass | 5 |
Pass | 6 |
| Fin |
1 Hearts and a minor (5+, 5+)
Lead: 2
Declarer using inferences from the bidding played a little dummy’s heart, won the trick with his J and played the 2, East pitched a little heart, A and West contributed with the 6. Declarer continued with the 4, West the 5, Narkiewicz his 8 and Prooijen played another heart. North continued with a diamond to the Q and Verhees in West cover with his A to return a heart.
Declarer covered East’s K with the A, played a spade to the 10, continued with more spades and claimed.
A diamond lead would have defeated the contract and that was what happened in the other room. Netherlands declared the 6 slam but Balicki in East lead the 3, West won the trick with his ace and returned a diamond. Declarer played a little spade to the king and received the bad news…too late…he tried to ruff a diamond with the 7 but he was over-ruffed with the 9, finally he was two down. (Note: also a little club lead defeats the contract). The hand gave Poland 17 IMPs.
The next favorable swing for Poland arrived in board 8:
Board 8 Dealer West None Vul
|
| West | North | East | South |
| Verhees JR | Narkiewicz | Prooijen | Buras |
| 1 |
Pass | 3NT | Pass |
| 4 |
Fin |
E/W plays canape so West opened his hand with a 1bid, and afterwards he preferred 4 to his partner’s 3NT response (a 4 spades and balanced hand).
Lead: K.
Declarer lost Q, Q,Q y A, for one down.
In the other room:
Board 8 Dealer West None Vul
|
| West | North | East | South |
| Zmudzinski | Drijver | Balicki | Brink |
| 1 |
Pass | 2NT | Pass |
| 4 |
Fin |
Lead: K
Declarer played low, while Brink sign denying clubs, playing a big one, North switch to a spade. Zmudzinski won with the A and played a diamond, Brink played a little one and declarer won the trick with his K to continue with the A and a club ruffed with the 5. He continued with the A and to the J, North covered with his Q and returned another spade.
Zmudzinski won with the K, ruffed a diamond, played a trump, after losing a spade he claimed. Note that if Brink plays his A in the first diamond, declarer can throw losers in the Q and J. The canape system cost Netherlands 10 IMPs…
The last important swing for Poland:
Board 10 Dealer East All Vul
|
| West | North | East | South |
| Zmudzinski | Drijver | Balicki | Brink |
| Pass | 1NT | ||
| Pass | 2 |
Pass | 2 |
| Pass | 3 |
Pass | 3 |
| Pass | 3 |
Pass | 3NT |
| fin |
Lead: K
Declarer played low and won the second club trick with the A to continue with the spade finesse. Afetr winning it he played the A y K no luck spades weren’t 3-3. Expecting a favorable club distribution he played a club and went 1 down.
In the other room the bidding was:
| West | North | East | South |
| Verhees JR | Narkiewicz | Prooijen | Buras |
| Pass | 1NT | ||
| Doblo | Redoblo | Pass | Pass |
| 2 |
Doblo | Fin |
Lead: A
South played the 9 over the lead, and North switched to spades. South won the trick with his J and returned the 4. Verhees played his Q, Narkiewicz covered with the ace and played another spade to his partner’s A, who continued with a trump. Declarer won and played another club, but at the end he lost: 2 spades, 4 hearts, 1 diamonda dn a club…he paid 800 and 11 IMPs for Poland.
It is interesting to note that several declarers won 3NT in this board, including Curtis Cheek from USA.
Board 10 Dealer East All Vul
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Declarer played low and won the second club trick with the A to continue with to the A and a diamond, declarer covered the Q with his A. Cheek continued with the spade finesse, the K, A, K for 8 tricks and played a spade, Hellness won the trick but all he was left in his hand were diamonds.
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Helness played the J, declarer won with his K and continued with the 5. East covered with his 10 but had to give the 9th trick to declarer playing a diamond to the 8.