The newly launched Zimmermann team, relocated from Monaco to Switzerland, were victorious at the European Transnational Championships in Poland in June. The tarnish has been rather rubbed off their many European and World titles when one of his previous pairs, Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes, were banned for alleged cheating. Pierre is now surrounding himself with the top Dutch pair Brink–Drijver, as well as three of the best Polish players around: Kalita, Nowosadzki and Klukowski.
Here’s Michal Klukowski – youngest ever World Champion in the World Open Pairs, and in the same year winning the Polish Junior Championships – in the quarter-final against Bulgaria.
‘Kluk’ was sitting South, having arrived in the thin game after a typically aggressive auction. The Bulgarian West didn’t find the killing small Spade lead but selected the more normal ♠Q. Michal’s first decision was what to do with the lead; West probably has five Spades, and since they can’t be blocked anyway if they’re 4-3, he rose with dummy’s Ace, under which East unblocked the King. With a slow second Spade stop, declarer should be fine if Diamonds come in, but if the defence can hold up the ♦A twice, we need a plan B. Michal judged to immediately play a Club to his 9 (!), which held, and then cashed the top two Clubs. Now it was time for the Diamonds; West held up twice but Michal could cash the good Club, bringing the total up to eight, and then exit in Spades to West and wait for his ninth trick in either Hearts or Spades.
As a friend of mine said, it’s astonishing how many tricks those guys take!
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