Palace Cup 2015: Vitas wins the Teams Tournament

 Official Site: Bridge24.pl

The second edition of PALACE CUP tournaments, organized by Bridge24.pl and Pałac Prymasowski in Warsaw was played from 21-25 June 2015. To Read about the Pairs events Click Here

The Final of the PALACE CUP INVITATIONAL TEAMS was a family affair – Team VITAS faced Team ERA.

VITAS = V.Vainkonis, Olanski, Gierulski, Skrzyoczak, Schwartz, Fischer

ERA = A. Arlovich, M. Barylewski, C. Krzeminki, R. Patchman, E. Vainikonis, P. Zatorski.

In the first set ERA had achieved a 14 IMPs lead. But in the second segment VITAS reversed the situation, adding 66 IMPs in the first 7 boards of the set, while ERA could not score a single IMP  … finally in the last two boards ERA added two IMPs but wasnt enough … Vitas was the new owner of the 2015 PC trophy and the cash prize.

Let see the boards that annihilated the enemy …

In the first board the Champion recovered the difference and took the lead.

Board 11 

South opened with a precision 2, showing a hand with clubs and when North come up with 3NT he passed. The heart lead gave the defense the first 5 tricks and although the declarer claimed the rest, he was down one.

At the other table the young Israeli partnership: Fisher-Schwartz was much more careful …

Fisher didn’t open the hand, and Schwartz in the third seat opened 1NT. South began with Stayman and when he learned that his partner had no majors, he said 2, which led the partnership to find their club fit and to land in an excellent 6 contract. Declarer ruffed the heart lead and after drawing trumps, he claimed the 13 tricks…14 IMPs.

Board 12

Both tables arrived to the same 3NT contract. In one  table North received the J lead,  and won the first trick with his K to continue with a small heart. East played a small one and dummy’s K won the trick, the declarer insisted in another heart. This time West’s Q won…This gave him the opportunity to play a club … bad news and two down.

At the other table Schwartz also received a club lead: 5 and he also won the first trick with his K. The lead convinced declarer that Patchman had the A, so he decided that was too dangerous for him that Zatorski could play a club… so he continued with the K and A (watching Pachtman play the 10). He continued with a diamond and when Zatorski played the 7, as 4, 3 y 2  were in dummy he played the 5…Patchman had no choice but to win the trick and as he realized that the declarer had no intention to let his partner in and as he still had the ace of hearts, he cashed the A and left his hand with the J.

Schwartz won the trick with the queen, run the diamonds and continued with the Q, when he saw the J…he claimed 9 tricks and another 13 IMPs.

Board 14

East opened 2, after South’s pass, West said 4. North competed with 4Pass…Pass…Pass. The declarer make 13 tricks after the K lead.

At the other table Schwartz-Fisher advanced to the last consequences.

Patchman also opened 2, but here Zatorski helped his opps saying 2 ..Schwartz doubled, Patchman showed his club suit and Zatorski chose hearts. North now continued showing his spade suit with extras and West closed the heart suit.  Fisher revalued his  hand and asked keycards, Zatorski, a little late said 6. Schwartz  closed the spade slam and Fisher with two aces and  KJx decided to play the spade Grand.

Declarer made the same 13 tricks after receiving the same lead, but the GS bonus was another 14 IMPs for his team. 

Board 15

South opened 1, West competed with 1, North showed his diamond suit and East with a heart cuebid asked his partner about his hand. Gierulski informed about his bad hand, but East insisted and closed the spade game. South chose to double.

North led his Q, dummy’s K, ruffed by South. Believing his partner had the Q he returned the 8…

West must have been very surprised when he won the trick with the Q, because this allowed him to draw trumps (A and K), and continue with the 3, winning the trick with the 10 when North played the 4. After that he was able to pitch the club loser in the K and claimed 10 tricks to score +590. At the other table N / S played 3 one down, for 10 IMPs for their team.

Board 16

After West’s 1 opening bid and 2 rebid, E/W arrived to a 4 contract. Declarer only lost a spade, a diamond and a heart for +420. At the other table Zatorski (West) chose to pass and the partnership played a heart part score, another 10 IMPs for Vitas.

The final was announced as three sets, something happened because after this beating Schwartz-Fisher published on Facebook that they had won the Palace Cup 2015 … and how !!!!

All the boards:

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