Welcome back to Morocco, where we have reached the knockout-stage. (If you missed the action from Day 8, follow the link here: Day 8 in Marrakech). 

The format from here on in all four events is three 96-board matches, quarter-final, semi-final and final, each divided into six 16-board segments played over two days. 

As the winners of the Bermuda Bowl round robin, Norway chose to play China in the quarter-finals. Switzerland selected Israel, even though they had finished fifth. USA2 opted for an all-American quarter-final against USA1. With none of the top three teams choosing to take on Italy, fourth-placed Poland were left with that short straw. Here are two dark horses who have thus far been flying under the radar, and this promises to be a titanic struggle.  

The Italians eked out a 10-IMP lead in a high-scoring first stanza in which more than 90 IMPs changed hands. Let’s take a look at the best of the action from the second segment. 

As usual, we start with a couple of problems. With both sides vulnerable, you are first to speak holding this collection: 

What, if anything, do you open?  

If your preference is a natural weak two in diamonds, what is your alternative if that is not available in your system? 

Next, with only your side vulnerable, you are sitting in the East seat with: 

What, if anything, do you bid? 

Things started slowly, but then all hell broke loose. Both West players had to decide what, if anything, to open on the first of the problem hands above. 

The Poles play a Multi, so Piotr Lutostanski (left) did not have a natural weak 2♦ opening available. He decided to start with 1♦, and the auction took off quickly from there. Giacomo Percario’s 4♥ intervention ruled out a scientific approach, but Krzysztof Buras settled for judgement instead, and he was spot on. 

Percario led a top heart and then switched to his singleton spade, covered by jack, king and ace, so declarer was able to claim once the trumps broke. E/W +1370. 

The Italians also do not have a natural weak 2♦ in their arsenal (they play that as 18-19 balanced) and Versace decided against a one-level opening on this West hand. Having passed, he doubled South’s 4♥ overcall and then had to make a decision when Sementa rebid his clubs. Raising to slam was never a realistic option, so Versace’s unsuccessful decision to look for an alternative game was not overly expensive, as passing 5♣ would have lost 12 IMPs anyway.  

Against 5♦, the defenders took a heart and then waited for their two trump tricks. E/W -100 and 16 IMPs to Poland. The Poles had led briefly (for one board) by 1-IMP midway through the first stanza, so this 6-IMP advantage was their biggest lead so far in the match. Again, it did not last long… 

Playing a standard 5-card Major system, Krzysztof Buras began with quasi-natural (2+) 1♣ opening. Lutostanski’s 2♦ after South 1♠ overcall was then a transfer showing hearts. Buras’s jump to game, facing what could be a fairly weak hand, surely showed extra values and a heart fit, so West’s pass on this monster looks incredibly pessimistic. Perhaps East could have made things easier by starting with 3♠? The only thing for sure is that someone did not bid enough.  

Buras won the diamond lead with the ace, cashed a high club for a diamond discard, and led a spade up. South went in with the ♠A, so declarer made only twelve tricks. E/W +480. 

The Italians had the auction to themselves in the replay. 

Konrad Araszkiewicz passed on the South hand, which seems quite reasonable at red facing a passed partner, but I don’t think the Poles’ silence at this table can be blamed for the IMPs lost. Alfredo Versace started with a 1♦ response, showing hearts and Antonio Sementa (right) showed his extra values with an in-principle-natural reverse. Versace’s jump in hearts set the suit and then a series of cue-bids carried them beyond game.  

North led a club to ten, jack and a ruff, so declarer simply drew trumps and discarded four spades and one diamond on dummy’s club winners. E/W +1010 and 11 IMPs to Italy, reclaiming the lead. 

Those old enough to remember the papacy of John Paul II will probably recall the old joke that circulated whenever the Poland team suffered some ill luck at the hands of the Italian Blue Team. It went something like, “The Pope may be Polish, but God is still Italian.” The next deal suggests that, while the Pope may now be an Argentine, The Great Dealer still looks favourably upon those responsible for bringing pasta and pizza to the world. 

The 2♦ rebid showed hearts, so Krzysztof Buras was effectively faced with the second of today’s problems at his third turn. Fairly certain that his partner held only a doubleton spade, Buras not unreasonably decided that the hands were not fitting particularly well, so he passed. When he saw dummy, I’m sure that he didn’t want to be any higher. 

It was possible to make eight tricks but declarer slightly mistimed the play and ended one down. E/W -100. 

After the same start, Antonio Sementa took a rosier view of his hand and advanced with 2NT. Alfredo Versace (left) not unreasonably liked his hand, so he raised himself to game.  

3NT is far from a wonderful contract, and not one you would have chosen had you seen both the East and West hands. There is only one lead that gives declarer any chance and, unfortunately for the Poles, Krzysztof Kotorowicz was dealt a fairly obvious diamond opening.  

Winning in hand with the ♦10, Versace started with a club to the ten and king. Konrad Araszkiewicz did his best now, returning a low spade, thus removing declarer’s only sure entry to his hand while the clubs were blocked. Versace won with the ♠K, crossed to the ♣A, and played a low spade from dummy. Of course, Araszkiewicz was wise to this, and he rose with the ♠A and exited a diamond to dummy’s ace. Versace had no choice but to go all-in now, so he cashed his spade winners, discarding a club and both diamonds from his hand. When declarer then played a low heart from dummy, he found exactly what he needed, with South having only hearts left AND holding both missing heart honours. Whatever, Araszkiewicz did, he could not prevent declarer making two more tricks. A very sweaty E/W +600 and another 12 IMPs to Italy. 

There was certainly potential for a major swing on our final deal. With clubs 2-2, N/S could make an easy slam in that suit. Could anyone get there? 

With a game-going hand, I do not understand why anyone would bid their suits out of order on this North hand. It looks obvious to me to start with 2♣, but then I am only a humble scribe. East’s 2♥ intervention did not inconvenience the Poles in the least, Konrad Araszkiewicz (right) jumping to 3♠ and setting the suit. It looks like North’s 3NT asked for shortage and, when his partner showed a singleton heart, Kotorowicz rolled out Blackwood. There was an ace and the ♠Q missing, so the Poles were just able to apply the brakes in time to avoid going minus. 

Sementa opened the ♣Q. Declarer won with the ♣A and laid down the ♠A, so he now had two trump losers. No matter, he crossed to the ♠K and pitched his hearts on high diamonds before West could ruff in. N/S +450. 

Percario also opened 1♦ on the South cards, and Donati apparently had to start with an artificial, game-forcing 1NT. Buras now intervened from the East seat with a conventional 2♦, showing an overcall in one of the majors. Percario doubled and Lutostanski jumped to 3♥, pass-or-correct, offering to play in his partner’s major at least at the three-level. Donati decided that the time had come to bid one of his suits and, of course, he chose spades. Having used up three whole levels of bidding with the help of the opponents, what chance was there to describe this North hand starting from here? N/S +450 here too, so a push. 

Remarkably, although N/S had a 6-3 club fit, the suit was never mentioned in the auction at either table. One thing is absolutely certain - it is difficult to get to the best slam if no one bids the suit. 

There was nothing spectacular in the rest of the boards, but the Italians picked up a number of small swings that slowly added up. Italy won this stanza 44-23 and thus, after two of the six segments of this quarter-final, they lead by 31 IMPs (95-64). 

We will be back soon with the best of the action from one of the matches on the second day of the quarter-finals. (To see the action from Day 10, follow this link.)