četvrtak, 23.09.2004.

HOW TO IMPRESS WORLD CLASS PLAYER

Biggest star playing on 43rd International Bridge Festival – Pula 2004. was undoubtedly polish player Jacek Pszczola. Rather than enumerate his achievements on top level of international bridge, I will give you example of a hand, where it was enough to be recognized as world-class player to collect a fine score. Hand is from Open pairs – Mitchell tournament.

Pszczola (N)	Grahek (E)	Vitas (S)	Katušić(W)
			1
2	pass	pass	X
3	pass	pass	X

Bidding looks like normal aggressive matchpoint sequence from both sides, with final pass from East being a bit questionable alternative to straightforward bid of 4 , and indeed it turns out that even game in diamonds is quite makable for EW. However, to pass and hope to score some spade ruffs against 3 doubled is also reasonable alternative, so Vanja chooses that option and leads his singleton.

3 x 2	8 5 3 A K Q 10 9 3 J 10 10 3
A Q J 7 4 5 A K Q 4 K 6 4		2 7 6 4 2 9 8 6 5 3 2 Q 9
	K 10 9 6 J 8 7 A J 8 7 5 2

I win jack and have to admit that I don’t see spade position clearly, partner lead being either singleton or from three small (we show count when leading partner suit), declarer obviously having opposite spade holding. I hate this situation that happens quite frequently. However, in either case, first priority for defense seems to be cutting down diamond ruffs on the table, so I return my singleton heart. Pszczola plays low from hand and wins on the table – well, it seems that partner’s hearts are not too much of a beauty. Inevitable singleton diamond is played from the table and I have to decide quickly what to do to. It looks that I will find myself endplayed if I naturally win one of my three diamond top honors, in case of singleton spade with declarer, and in any case I don’t have trump to play to stop diamond ruff on table. Nasty thought crosses my mind – I could try to play small diamond and hope to find partner with a jack – obviously partner has some length in diamonds and is favorite to hold a jack. Even if he does not have that card, maybe Pszczola will just be lazy enough not to insert a jack if I play low in tempo? Let’s try and see what happens, who knows, maybe I will impress Pszczola if it turns out that killing defence is indeed to play low from AKQx against singleton in dummy.

Well, what happens is that Pszczola does not have any problem to win unexpected diamond trick, and than to ruff his other and last diamond on table. When he than plays small club away from table, I am in enough of disorder to take my king, and try to cash some diamond tricks, but since there are no diamonds left in Pszczola’s hand, he is soon claiming two doubled overtricks when it transpires that clubs are now running.

Well, this masterpiece of defense results in score of 730 for NS and you could see on frequency sheet which amount of matchpoints do we score for that brilliant effort – it’s indeed nice rounded score. On reflection, I have to accept blame for this silly result. When I saw that partners heart holding is so weak, I should have played him for singleton spade. If I win my diamond trick and play a small spade for Vanja to ruff, and than he removes last trump from table, contract is down two for 300 and quite acceptable 68.80% of matchpoints for us, exactly 68.80% more than we actually got.

I am left with some doubts about level to which I have succeeded to impress Pszczola with this bold defense. Jacek, would you care to play with me some time? I promise I will take more care to win my aces, kings or queens !

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