The USA team in the men's draw of the IOC Grand Prix entered match 7 in dire straits, needing a convincing victory to have any chance of advancing past round-robin play in the event. To complicate their problem, the Americans faced the task of scoring heavily against the strong team from Poland - not an easy assignment. USA's chances took a major blow on the very first board, but they rallied for a 28-22 victory. It was better than a loss, but might not have been enough.

Dealer North None vul
	ª A K 8 6 4 © A 7 4 3 2 ¨ A 10 8 § -
ª J 10 7 5 3 © K 8 ¨ 6 5 4 3 § Q 3		ª 9 4 © J 10 9 5 ¨ K Q 9 2 § J 9 4
	ª Q © Q 6 ¨ J 7 § A K 10 8 7 6 5 2

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Balicky	Nickell	Zmudzinski
	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	2©	Pass	4§
Pass	5NT	Pass	6§
All Pass

With the club suit splitting 3-2, Adam Zmudzinski had no trouble taking 12 tricks for plus 920. In the open room, Ron Smith and Bob Hamman did not achieve the maximum in the auction.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Hamman	Pszczola	Smith
	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	2©	Pass	2NT
Pass	3©	Pass	4©
All Pass

Smith's 2NT bid seems odd, but he alerted it on his side of the screen, indicating it was probably artificial. Smith's decision to raise Hamman on the doubleton ©Q violated the maxim about not putting an eight-card suit down in dummy (unless, of course, it is the trump suit). It certainly didn't work out well. Jacek Pszczola led the ¨K, won by Hamman in hand. He went to dummy with the ªQ and discarded his diamonds on high clubs. He ruffed a diamond and cashed the ªA, but when he tried to cash the ªK, Pszczola ruffed with the ©9. Hamman overruffed with the dummy's queen. Hamman then led a club from dummy, pitching a spade when Michal Kwiecen ruffed with the ©K. The inelegant contract finished down one for minus 50 and a 14-IMP loss, not the start USA needed. Smith helped the USA get on the board with an aggressive move on the third deal.

Kwiecen Michal, Poland

Dealer South E/W vul
	ª K Q J 9 2 © Q 10 7 4 ¨ J § J 9 5
ª A 3 © J 9 8 5 2 ¨ A 10 § A 10 7 3		ª 8 7 5 4 © A 3 ¨ 7 3 § K Q 6 4 2
	ª 10 6 © K 6 ¨ K Q 9 8 6 5 4 2 § 8

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Balicky	Nickell	Zmudzinski
			3¨
Pass	Pass	Pass

Adam Zmudzinski's somewhat did achieve his goal of preempting Richard Freeman and Nick Nickell out of the auction. Zmudzinski had only the four outstanding aces to lose, and he easily scored nine tricks for plus 110.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Hamman	Pszczola	Smith
			4¨
4©	Pass	Pass	Pass

Smith had an extra diamond, so he started the auction one level higher, enough to convince Kwiecen that he should introduce his ragged heart suit at the four level. Hamman led the ªK to Kwiecen's ace. Declarer's next move was the ©J, covered by Hamman. Kwiecen won the ace and played a second heart to Smith's king, and the defense started a forcing game by playing spades. Kwiecen ruffed the third round of the suit and, after a long study, played a third roundof hearts, his best shot at taking 10 tricks. If hearts had been 3-3 originally, Kwiecen would get home with five club tricks, three hearts and two aces. The 4-2 heart split doomed declarer to two down, however, and USA had scored 3 IMPs.

The Americans started their comeback on board 6, when Balicky-Zmudzinski doubled Nickell in the unbeatable contract of 2¨ while Smith and Hamman bid to 3§ making four for plus 130. That was 7 IMPs to USA. The following deal put the Americans ahead.

Dealer North E/W vul
	ª K 10 6 © K 9 ¨ A Q 9 8 4 3 § Q 10
ª 9 5 © 7 3 ¨ K 7 § K J 9 7 5 4 2		ª A Q 7 3 © Q J 10 8 5 ¨ 5 § A 8 6
	ª J 8 4 2 © A 6 4 2 ¨ J 10 6 2 § 3

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Hamman	Pszczola	Smith
	1NT	Dble (1)	Pass
2©	All Pass

(1) Majors.

Hamman led a sneaky §10, which rode to Kwiecen's jack. Declarer played a heart from hand, and Hamman rose with the king to play a second club, ruffed by Smith. The defenders had only two more tricks available - a diamond and the trump ace. Kwiecen scored up plus 140. At the other table, there was a disaster for Poland.

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Balicky	Nickell	Zmudzinski
	1NT	2¨ (1)	Dble
Pass	Pass	2©	Dble
All Pass

(1) Majors.

Zmudzinski might have given declarer some anxious moments by starting a force in diamonds, but he began with his singleton club, taken in dummy with the king. Nickell played a heart to the queen and ace, and Zmudzinski got out with the ¨J to the king and ace. The play record is fuzzy from that point, but Nickell took the same number of tricks that Pszczola did to score plus 870. USA was on top 23-21.
Another 5 IMPs came USA's way on the next deal.

Dealer East Both vul
	ª 8 7 2 © A ¨ K Q 8 7 6 5 2 § 6 4
ª A 9 © K 10 9 4 3 ¨ 9 4 § 9 8 5 3		ª K 5 4 © Q J 8 5 ¨ 10 3 § A K Q 7
	ª Q J 10 6 3 © 7 6 2 ¨ A J § J 10 2

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Hamman	Pszczola	Smith
		1NT	Pass
2¨	Dble	2©	2ª
4©	All Pass

Smith and Hamman collected a couple of diamonds and the trump ace, but that was their limit, and Pszczola scored up plus 620.

West	North	East	South
Freeman	Balicky	Nickell	Zmudzinski
		1NT	Pass
2¨	Dble	3¨	3ª
4©	4ª	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

This looks to be a good sacrifice, with only five losers for minus 500. Unfortunately for Poland, Balicky went down three for minus 800. Nickell started with a heart to declarer's ace. Balicky played a diamond to the jack, ruffed a heart, entered dummy with the ¨A and ruffed another heart. When he played the ¨K, it was ruffed, overruffed in dummy with the 6 and overruffed by West with the 9. There were still two more trump tricks and three club tricks to come.