August 2013 - 17

The Spector lead was short lived as
Fleisher blistered them in the last set
66-14 to win the match by 22 IMPs.
The final of the USA1 bracket:
Kranyak vs. Fleisher.
Kranyak built a small lead over the
first 30 boards of the final, but then
broke the match open by winning the
third segment 46-14 and the fourth
47-7 to take a halftime lead of 83 IMPs.
Kranyak scored several double-digit
pickups by getting to better game contracts on several deals. This one put 13
IMPs in Kranyak's column:
Dlr: East ࡕ 10 5 2
Vul: E-W ࡖ J 5 4
ࡗ 10 7
ࡔKJ865
ࡕJ6
ࡕAK9743
ࡖ A K Q 10 8
ࡖ96
ࡗKQ3
ࡗ964
ࡔ432
ࡔ A 10
ࡕQ8
ࡖ732
ࡗAJ852
ࡔQ97
West
North
Bathurst Kamil
2ࡖ
3ࡗ
3ࡕ

Pass
Pass
Pass

East
Dwyer
1ࡕ
2ࡕ
3ࡖ
4ࡕ

South
Fleisher
Pass
Pass
Pass
All Pass

This auction revealed the tenuous
nature of the club stopper for 3NT,
making 4ࡕ an easy choice. Dwyer won
the low club lead from South with the
ace and played a low trump toward
dummy's jack. South hopped up with
the queen, cashed the ࡔQ and played
another round of clubs which declarer
ruffed. A trump to dummy's jack was
followed by two top hearts and a heart
ruff. When the suit proved to be 3-3,
declarer claimed. After drawing the
last trump, the defense would be able to
only score one diamond trick.
The auction at the other table:
West
Zia
2ࡖ
2NT

North
East
Kranyak Martel
1ࡕ
Pass
2ࡕ
Pass
3NT

South
Wolpert
Pass
Pass
All Pass

North's lead of a low club scuttled
any chance declarer had of taking nine
tricks. Zia finished down one.
On this board, Kranyak picked up 10
IMPs:
Dlr: East ࡕ Q 9 6
Vul: None ࡖ 5 2
ࡗAKQ42
ࡔ732
ࡕ A 10
ࡕKJ87
ࡖ A K 10 8 7 4
ࡖ3
ࡗJ8
ࡗ763
ࡔ 10 6 4
ࡔAKQJ8
ࡕ5432
ࡖQJ96
ࡗ 10 9 5
ࡔ95
West
North East
Bathhurst R'berg Dwyer
1ࡗ(1)
1ࡖ
2ࡗ
Pass
Dbl
Pass
2ࡕ
3ࡖ
Pass
3ࡕ
4ࡖ
Pass
5ࡔ

South
Willenken
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
All Pass

(1) At least two diamonds, 11-15 HCP.
Dwyer opened a Precision 1ࡗ. He
was able to show his four-card spade
suit after Bathurst's balancing double.
When Bathurst declined to support
spades at any level, however, Dwyer
overruled his partner's suggestion of
4ࡖ, preferring to play in his near-solid
club suit.
The defense cashed two top diamonds and switched to a trump. Dwyer
won the ace, cashed the ࡖA K to pitch
a spade, and played three rounds of
spades, ruffing a spade in dummy. He
claimed, drawing trumps. Plus 400.
West
Zia
1ࡖ
Dbl
3ࡖ
4ࡖ

North
East
Kranyak Martel
1ࡔ
2ࡗ
Pass
Pass
2ࡕ
Pass
4ࡔ
All Pass

South
Wolpert
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass

Zia and Martel chose the heart game,
but finished down one after the defense
cashed two diamonds and eventually
got two trump tricks.
The second half of the match offered

no relief to Fleisher, as Kranyak continued to pile on the IMPs. The seventh
segment was the only bright spot for
Fleisher, as they won the segment
62-30. On this deal, Fleisher earned 13
badly needed IMPs when Kranyak was
on the wrong side of competitive auctions at both tables:
Dlr: South ࡕ A 10 6 5 2
Vul: None ࡖ 7 2
ࡗQJ9
ࡔ873
ࡕKQJ974
ࡕ-
ࡖ 10 4 3
ࡖAQ96
ࡗ 10 7
ࡗAK6542
ࡔ42
ࡔ 10 6 5
ࡕ83
ࡖKJ85
ࡗ83
ࡔAKQJ9
West
North East
South
Kranyak R'berg Wolpert Willenken
1ࡔ
2ࡕ
Dbl
Pass Pass
Pass
Pass Redbl
Pass
3ࡔ
Pass 3ࡗ
Pass
Pass
Dbl
All Pass
Kranyak's weak jump overcall was
passed backed to Willenken who
reopened with a double. When Rosenberg converted to penalty, Wolpert ran
via an "SOS" redouble. Kranyak's 3ࡔ
asked Wolpert to choose his own suit.
Wolpert finished down two, plus 300
for North-South. At the other table:
West North
Kamil Dwyer
2ࡗ(1)
Pass

2ࡖ(2)
Pass

East
South
Fleisher Bathurst
1NT
Pass
2ࡕ
Dbl
All Pass

(1) One major.
(2) Transfer.
Both sides were trying to get to
spades, but North-South got there
first and regretted it when Fleisher
reopened with a double. Bathurst finished down three, minus 500.
Despite this hiccup, a flat last segment allowed Bathurst to win the
match easily, 270-202.
■
August 2013 Bridge Bulletin

17
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2013
