Fifty years ago, the inaugural Bermuda Bowl was fought out on the Island that is now synonymous with the most prestigious World Championship in bridge. To celebrate the anniversary, Five Aces Books have produced Bermuda Bowl, an account of all the battles for the supreme trophy. The publishers have kindly agreed to allow the reproduction of some of the material from the book, and we start with the historic first championships.

1st Bermuda Bowl
1950 - Hamilton, Bermuda

The first Bermuda Bowl championship was staged in Bermuda in 1950, with three teams competing for the first official world team championship. But it wasn't a Bermuda Bowl championship as far as the competitors or the press were concerned. Alfred Sheinwold's report in The Bridge World, which filled 27 pages, never mentioned the trophy. The ACBL Bulletin noted that the United States had custody of the Bermuda Trophy, a magnificent symbol donated by the people of Bermuda, which will possibly be put into play again in 1951. Each member of the team received a replica of the trophy for permanent possession.

That's right - the United States, representing North America, emerged victorious, defeating Europe and England in the four-day round robin at the Castle Harbour Hotel, Bermuda, in November. The Americans defeated England by 3660 points (total point scoring) and Europe (Sweden and Iceland) by 4720. England, the European champions, finished second by toppling Europe by 1940 points.

On the American team were John Crawford, Charles Goren, Sidney Silodor, Howard Schenken, George Rapee and Sam Stayman. The team had no fixed partnerships. In general they used weak jump overcalls, weak two-bids and the Stayman convention. Practically no artificial bids were used.

Both the other teams were made up of three fixed partnerships. Representing England were Maurice Harrison-Gray and Joel Tarlo, Leslie Dodds and Kenneth Konstam, Louis Tarlo and Nico Gardener. The pairs used different bidding systems, but the differences were not major.

Playing for Europe were Einar Werner and Rudolf Kock, Nils-Olof Lilliehook and Jan Wohlin of Sweden, teamed with Einar Thorfinnsson and Gunnar Gudmundsson of Iceland. The differences in bidding practices were major here. Werner/Kock used their own version of Culbertson. Lilliehook/Wohlin used Efos, a new system replete with artificial bids. Thorfinnsson/Gudmundsson employed the Vienna System, with asking bids.

It's interesting that Sheinwold's report states that the North American pair flexibility 'was helpful in the long, grueling match." In later years, bridge reporters decried the lack of fixed partnerships among North Americans. Journalists pointed to the tremendous success achieved by the Italian Blue Team, calling special attention to the advantage Italy had because of its fixed partnerships.

During the four days of play, there were 72 boards a day, 36 boards each afternoon and 36 each night. Since the tempo was slow and careful, this meant about ten hours of bridge each day, to say nothing of the post-mortem discussions that began when play ended and went on until three or four in the morning. Sheinwold reported that it was difficult to find time to dress for dinner. 'Everyone involved dressed each evening for dinner - players, tournament officials, staff - even this reporter. I'll go out on a limb and assert that Sam Stayman was the snappiest dresser.'

Norman Bach of Bermuda and his associates from the Bermuda Bridge Club did a first-class job of organization and management. All hands, complete with bidding and play, were recorded - a first for the American players but nothing new to the Europeans - such recording was standard practice in important European matches.

Crawford and Schenken both felt their victory lay in better bidding. The Americans played conservatively in general - although not always.

Asked his opinion of the tournament, Maurice Harrison-Gray, captain of the British team, said: 'First of all, the Americans had an intense will to win. Their concentration was remarkable. This imposed a great strain on them and it was thought that in the hectic final stages the Americans might deteriorate. However, their card skill pulled them through, and in a stormy finish they proved without any quibble that they were the best all-round team in the contest.'

Dr Einar Werner, captain of the European team, said: 'Of course the best team won. The Americans made few mistakes and had the advantage of a team composed of six good players, familiar with each other's play.'

Even though this tournament was a first, a system of careful security was the rule. Kibitzers were not allowed to wander from one room to another, and special precautions were taken when any player needed a restroom break.

In general the British were quite aggressive in their bidding. It worked to their disadvantage on the following deal.

Dealer South. NS Game ª J 5 © 9 7 6 ¨ A K 7 6 4 2 § 10 4 ª K Q 7 6 ª 10 9 8 3 2 © A K J 4 2 © Q 10 5 3 ¨ 8 ¨ 3 § Q 8 5 § J 6 3 ª A 4 © 8 ¨ Q J 10 9 5 § A K 9 7 2

Silodor jumped pre-emptively, but Konstam was not an easy person to shut out. Goren wasn't sure what was going on, but he definitely wanted to be in game, so he jumped to Five Diamonds. Dodds also didn't know who was doing what to whom. He decided to bid Five Spades, hoping it would make but knowing it couldn't be hurt badly. (Wrong - it could have gone for 800!)

Silodor just jumped right in and bid the slam - he didn't know if his side could beat Five Spades, but he did know Six Diamonds had at least a chance. Konstam doubled to warn his partner to stop bidding.

Of course Goren had no trouble scoring up the slam. He ruffed the second heart, drew one round of trumps, cashed the top clubs and set up the suit by ruffing a club.

The bidding started the same way in the other room, but Schenken didn't think the East cards were worth a bid. Louis Tarlo went to game, but there was nobody there to push the British to the slam. 690 points to America.

Different views concerning jump overcalls created the swing on the following deal.

Dealer West. Love All ª 10 6 © A 8 6 5 4 ¨ A Q 6 § 7 6 4 ª 3 ª Q J 8 4 © K 10 3 © Q 9 ¨ 5 3 2 ¨ 10 9 8 § Q J 9 5 3 2 § A K 10 8 ª A K 9 7 5 2 © J 7 2 ¨ K J 7 4 § —

The British were using strong jump overcalls, so it was natural for Gray to bid Two Spades. Tarlo knew his partner had a good spade suit and club shortage, so he jumped to the spade game.

Goren's lead of the club queen was ruffed, and Gray cashed a high trump. He crossed to dummy with a diamond and led the spade ten. When Crawford covered, he guaranteed two trump tricks. There was no way declarer could avoid two heart losers, so went down one. Gray could have made his contract if he had finessed in trumps before drawing even one round, but such a play is not all that clear.

The North Americans were using weak jump overcalls, so Rapee had only two choices - he had to make a take-out double or bid One Spade. He had something in all the unbid suits, so he doubled. Schenken had no problem going directly to Four Hearts, and this contract was unstoppable - in fact Schenken lost only two trumps and made an overtrick. That was a 500-point gain for North America.

Stayman wasn't happy about losing 450 points on the next deal, but the hand emphasized a bidding point he had been crusading for.

Dealer North. Game All ª K 7 © K 9 8 7 4 ¨ Q 10 9 2 § 8 3 ª 10 6 5 4 ª 6 5 3 © 10 2 © 10 7 ¨ 8 6 4 ¨ J 10 8 2 § A Q 10 7 § 10 7 6 5 ª K Q 10 9 © K J 8 4 ¨ A K 6 § K 9

The non-forcing raise to Three Hearts did its job - Rapee would have been happy to bid spades over a simple heart raise, but he wasn't interested in bidding at the three level.

Harrison-Gray bid the game as a double shot - it certainly would keep the opponents from coming back into the auction in spades, and Four Hearts might make. In fact, transpose the black aces and the game would have come home. As it was he was beaten two tricks.

Schenken made the value bid of Two Hearts, but that wasn't enough to keep Dodds from bidding Two Spades. Konstam's hand jumped in value when spades were mentioned, and he raised to Three. Dodds was happy to bid the game. With both black kings right, Dodds had no trouble making his game with an overtrick for a 450-point gain.

Stayman had been suggesting for some time that non-forcing double raises of partner's overcalls could have a favourable impact on the auction by making it more difficult for the opponents. Sheinwold reported that Stayman would have used this hand as an example in his new book if the book had not already gone to press. Of course the double (or triple) pre-emptive raise is routine in today's bidding, but it was brand new back in 1950.

Everything depended on the opening lead on the next deal.

Dealer West. Love All ª A 8 4 2 © A 5 ¨ 7 5 3 § A Q 4 3 ª J 7 ª 6 5 3 © Q 9 6 3 2 © 10 7 ¨ Q 9 4 ¨ J 10 8 2 § J 8 2 § 10 7 6 5 ª K Q 10 9 © K J 8 4 ¨ A K 6 § K 9

No bidding outlines were provided with the reports on this championship, so we are unable to explain the bidding here. Goren had very little to go on as far as his opening lead was concerned. He finally decided on a low heart, and this proved to be disastrous. Declarer now had to ruff only one heart; +1510.

Rapee was happy to get a trump lead as it picked up the jack. He drew one more round of trumps, then went about attempting to get two heart ruffs. But Werner overruffed the third heart, and Europe gained a quick 1560 points.

Three hands later, Crawford/Rapee regained some of the points they lost on the grand slam. Crawford's pre-empt was considered remarkable in 1950, but in modern bridge it would be almost routine.

Dealer South. Game All ª K J © J 7 5 4 3 ¨ A K § K J 3 2 ª 7 3 ª A 8 © A K 10 9 © Q 6 2 ¨ Q 10 7 ¨ 9 8 4 3 § A Q 10 5 § 9 8 6 4 ª Q 10 9 6 5 4 2 © 8 ¨ J 6 5 2 § 7

Werner won the opening trump lead and led his other trump. Back came a heart to West's nine, and Crawford won the diamond return in dummy. He ruffed a heart and led his singleton club. Kock went into a long huddle, finally ducking. Crawford went up with the king and ruffed another heart. He crossed to a high diamond and ruffed still another heart. When he led another diamond, West was forced to win with the queen. That set up Crawford's diamond jack, so he now had ten tricks - six spades, three diamonds and the king of clubs. That was 1030 points, a gain of 890 since the Europeans played in Two Spades making an overtrick at the other table.

Sam Stayman came into the bidding on this deal, while Louis Tarlo took a passive position. Stayman's move paid off handsomely.

Dealer West. Love All ª Q 7 4 © A J 9 3 ¨ J 10 8 § 7 6 2 ª J 6 ª 10 9 8 2 © K 8 6 2 © 7 4 ¨ K 6 ¨ Q 5 § A J 10 8 4 § K Q 9 5 3 ª A K 5 3 © Q 10 5 ¨ A 9 7 4 3 2 § —

Stayman's hand is not particularly impressive - 4-3-3-3 distribution and the spade queen under the spade bidder. Nevertheless, he decided to raise his partner - he knew Schenken had to have good values to enter the bidding between two active bidders. If Schenken's values were only so-so, maybe the raise would silence the opponents. And if Schenken held good cards, maybe Stayman had enough to produce game.

The raise was all Schenken needed. Without it, all he had was a few top cards and a shabby diamond suit. After the raise he had no problem bidding the game, and he even gave a few seconds' thought to redoubling. With the heart finesse working and the diamonds splitting 2-2, he had no trouble racking up twelve tricks.

At the other table Tarlo passed over Two Diamonds, so Gardener played it there. He also made Six, but that was 480 points to the Americans.

The contract was the same at both tables on the next deal, and both opening leaders tried a small diamond. As a result declarer was put to an excruciating guess at trick one.

Dealer West. EW Game ª J 10 3 2 © 8 ¨ A Q 10 9 8 § 10 8 2 ª 9 7 ª Q 6 © Q J 10 7 6 3 © A 5 4 2 ¨ J 5 2 ¨ K 7 3 § 5 3 § 9 7 6 4 ª A K 8 5 4 © K 9 ¨ 6 4 § A K Q J

After the session Stayman commented that he had shown everything with his jump to Three Spades, and so should have bid a simple Four Spades instead of Four Diamonds.

Tarlo led a diamond, and Rapee considered his options for at least five minutes. Certainly Tarlo was capable of leading away from the king to put declarer to the guess at trick one. Also, would the slam be bid in the other room? Maybe - but the opening lead might well be the ace of hearts. Then the diamond finesse would be a must. Rapee also realized that if he finessed and lost, he might not be any worse off than the other declarer. So he took the finesse and lost the slam. Was he right or wrong to finesse? The experts of the day felt it was too close to call.

The bidding at the other table was essentially the same, and the opening lead was also the two of diamonds. Whatever his reasons, Dodds rose with the ace and then cashed the top trumps, clearing the suit. Now Six Spades was cold - he discarded his heart on a good club and lost only to the king of diamonds.

England collected an 800-point penalty against Europe's save on the following deal, but this was still a 510-point loss. A small change in the defence would have turned this into a 90-point gain for England.

Dealer North. NS Game ª A K J 2 © 3 ¨ Q 10 9 7 6 5 2 § 2 ª 10 9 7 4 ª — © Q J 7 5 4 © A K 10 9 2 ¨ — ¨ A 8 4 § K Q 9 6 § A J 10 5 4 ª Q 8 6 5 3 © 8 6 ¨ K J 3 § 8 7 3

After Tarlo led the king of clubs, Gardener went into deep thought. It was possible that South had no diamonds and seven spades, in which case the slam would make unless there was an immediate switch to hearts. So Gardener overtook the king to cash his ace of hearts. When the ace of hearts held, he switched to the ace of diamonds, discovering he was right about the diamond void but wrong about who held it. He gave his partner a ruff for down three.

But what would have happened if Gardener had allowed the club king to hold? Tarlo would have continued clubs, forcing dummy to ruff. The ace of spades would reveal the 4-0 break, so declarer would have to abandon trumps for the moment. He would surely attack diamonds, East ducking and West ruffing. Another club would force another ruff in dummy. Declarer would have to lead another diamond for West to ruff. West then would lead a trump, voiding dummy of the suit. Declarer would still have to lose two hearts and the ace of diamonds for a 1400-point set.

England also suffered disaster at the other table, where the bidding went:

Wohlin's jump to Five Hearts was astonishing but logical. If his partner had a singleton or void in spades, his hand must consist largely of broken suits in both hearts and clubs. Wohlin wanted to indicate that he solidified both of these suits.

Lilliehook of course accepted the invitation. Konstam's double of the final contract is difficult to understand - he might expect to get a spade trick, but where was the other trick coming from? Lilliehook easily racked up all thirteen tricks to gain 1310 points.

Dealer North. EW Game ª K J 5 4 © Q J 8 4 ¨ 8 7 2 § 9 8 ª 10 8 ª Q 6 3 2 © A 5 © K 6 3 ¨ K 5 4 ¨ J 10 9 § K J 10 6 5 3 § A 7 2 ª A 9 7 © 10 9 7 2 ¨ A Q 6 3 § Q 4

Joel Tarlo considered running to hearts or spades, but finally decided to sit out the double. If he had run, nothing serious would have happened to his side - he probably would have taken six or seven tricks in Two Hearts - a fine save against the opponents' no trump game. One No Trump was a different story.

Werner led the jack of clubs to Kock's ace. Kock switched to the jack of diamonds, and Gray took his ace.

Now what? Gray considered cashing his top spades and settling for down four - after all, down 700 against a vulnerable game isn't such a bad deal. But he finally decided to go for more. When he led a spade and finessed the jack, he opened the floodgates. East returned the ten of diamonds, covered by the queen and won with the king. West cashed the club king and ran the rest of the suit when the queen obligingly fell.

Gray had discarding problems. He assumed from West's failure to lead a third diamond that East had both the nine and five, so he felt constrained to retain the six and three. He should have saved the spade ace in hand and a heart stopper in dummy, but he made the error of throwing the ace of spades. As a result of this dummy was squeezed on the run of the minors - on the last of these dummy was down to three hearts and the king of spades - and had to make what appeared to be a disastrous discard. Gray tossed the spade king and as a result suffered a six-trick penalty - he won only the ace of diamonds. That was -1100.

The squeeze was only pseudo - East had pitched a heart on the run of the clubs. If Gray had discarded a heart in the end position, he would have saved a trick.

At the other table Dodds/Konstam had no problem getting to Three No Trump.

Wohlin, feeling that his opponents were ready for hearts, started with the ace of diamonds, then shifted to a spade. Lilliehook took the king and returned the jack, ducked all around. A third spade went to Wohlin's ace, and he led a second diamond, declarer winning with dummy's king. Dodds made the correct guess in the club suit to rack up his game. But that still was a 500-point loss because of the disaster at the other table.

The very last hand of the tournament had many points of interest.

Dealer South. EW Game ª Q 9 8 7 4 2 © 6 2 ¨ J 7 4 § 10 2 ª A K 10 5 ª 3 © J 9 7 5 3 © A K Q 10 8 4 ¨ K Q 10 9 ¨ 6 3 2 § — § 8 5 3 ª J 6 © — ¨ A 8 5 § A K Q J 9 7 6 4

At one table, Konstam/Dodds bid the slam in typical aggressive fashion, making it relatively easy for Silodor, South, to take the Seven Club save. This contract was set only three tricks. This was the bidding at the other table:

The play was easy; the bidding was not.

When Rapee leaped to Four Hearts, he showed a long, independent suit. As a result, Stayman was sure his side could make the heart slam. So why did he bid only Five Hearts? The answer lies in Tarlo's Five Club bid. It was clear he had a long suit - long enough for a fruitful save against Six Hearts since North/South weren't vulnerable.

Stayman had two reasons for bidding Five Hearts. First, it might pay off better than defeating a Seven Club save. (And it would have: +780 against -600. Don't forget - honours were counted in total point competition.) And if South carried on to Six Clubs when East/West had been willing to play in Five Hearts, is it likely that South would bid again when East/West bid on to Six Hearts? Not very!

Stayman added to the illusion when he passed Six Clubs. This was a forcing pass, calling upon Rapee either to bid on or to double. Rapee of course bid Six Hearts - he had worked out what Stayman was doing. Stayman wanted the slam bid to come from his partner so that South would be uncertain about how much defence his partner had. If Stayman had bid the slam, North's failure to double no doubt would have led South to bid Seven Clubs. But now South was uncertain - it was possible his partner had something that would set the slam. Finally he passed.

Of course Gardener could have taken the save. But he reasoned that a swing might make a big difference - after all, his side was behind in the match. Since the opponents had bid the slam so reluctantly, maybe it would go down while their teammates played in a heart game for a big gain. After some thought, he too passed.

America gained 930 points (1530 - 600; again don't forget the honours!) A great finish for the inaugural Bermuda Bowl world championship! And a great beginning for the world's premier bridge event!

East does better to duck the first diamond. Provided declarer continues with a club to the ace, a club ruff and a trump he will prevail. Otherwise he will struggle to get home with West's nine of hearts playing an important role.