USA1 v USA2

Orbis Bermuda Bowl - Semifinak

Jeff Wolfson has played a lot of high-level bridge, winning three major championships in the U.S., but before Monday he had never played on VuGraph in a world championship. As luck would have it, he was declarer in the first board played. He made his contract with an overtrick, gaining 5 IMPs in the process and helping his squad -- USA 2 -- to a 27-IMP lead after two sets.

This was Wolfson's debut board.

Board 15. Dealer South. NS Game ª J 10 9 3 © A 8 ¨ K J 5 § 8 7 6 2 ª A ª K Q 6 4 2 © K Q 7 5 © 10 6 4 ¨ A 10 9 7 6 ¨ Q 4 § J 10 4 § Q 9 3 ª 8 7 5 © J 9 3 2 ¨ 8 3 2 § A K 5

West North East South Wolfson Hamman Silverman Soloway     Pass 1¨ Pass 1ª Pass 1NT All Pass

The final two boards of the set are played first so that there will be comparisons for the VuGraph audience.

Bob Hamman got off to the lead of the §8, taken by Paul Soloway with the king as Wolfson played the 10, assuring an entry to dummy in clubs in case it was needed. Had Soloway played two more rounds of clubs, Wolfson might have found himself scrambling to sort out his tricks. Soloway, however, switched to the ©J in case Hamman had a more substantial holding in that suit than he actually held.

Wolfson put up the ©K and Hamman won the ace, returning the ©8 to dummy's 10. Wolfson then played a spade to his ace and a low diamond from hand. Hamman went up with the ¨K and played the ªJ. At that point, Wolfson was in position to take the rest of the tricks. He could discard both his clubs on the high spades, unblock the ¨Q and play a heart to his 7, claiming 10 tricks when Hamman's ¨J fell.

Instead, Wolfson played a heart to the 7, cashed the ©Q and played a diamond to the queen in dummy. He then played a low club from dummy. Soloway hopped up with the ace and returned the suit, assuring that Hamman would get a spade trick in the end. Plus 120 turned out to be a 5-IMP gain because at the other table:

West North East South Rodwell Stansby Meckstroth Martel     Pass 1¨ Pass 1ª Pass 2§ All Pass

The auction seems odd, but in Precision, a 1¨ opener often has longer clubs. Lew Stansby led a trump, and Eric Rodwell could do no better than down one. This result, of course, was not known until later in the session. It turned out to be icing on the cake in a very good set for USA 2.

One of the early gains for USA 2 occurred on this deal.

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

West North East South Wolfson Hamman Silverman Soloway     3ª Pass Pass Dble Pass 3NT All Pass

Soloway's decision to open 3ª gave Wolfson a shot at a nine-trick game, which he duly bid after Neil Silverman's double. Hamman led a spade, ducked twice by Wolfson. Soloway had no possible entry even if he established his spade suit, so he switched to the ©9, Hamman played the king, Wolfson ducked and won the heart continuation with the jack. There were no problems in the play, and Wolfson ended with 10 tricks.

West North East South Rodwell Stansby Meckstroth Martel     4ª Pass Pass Dble All Pass

Chip Martel's opening of 4ª made it more difficult for East-West, who settled for the penalty. Rodwell led the ©5 and eventually got a heart ruff to go with two heart tricks, the trump ace and two minor-suit winners for plus 500. It was still a 4-IMP loss.

The next deal was good for a swing to USA 1.

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

West North East South Rodwell Stansby Meckstroth Martel Pass 4§(1) Dble 4© 4ª Pass Pass 5© Dble All Pass

(1) Usually 8+ tricks in hearts.

East-West had three tricks coming, and they scored up plus 200. At the other table, Hamman opened a natural 4©, doubled by Silverman. Wolfson may have been reluctant to bid a three-card spade suit or to go to the five level. His decision to pass cost his team 14 IMPs. Hamman had 10 top tricks and easily scored up plus 790.

A gentle nudge by Silverman pushed Hamman and Soloway one level too high on this deal, resulting in another gain for USA 2.

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

West North East South Rodwell Stansby Meckstroth Martel Pass 2§(1) Pass Pass Dble Pass 2ª All Pass

(1) Precision: limited, with 6+ clubs.

Game in spades seems a very good prospect, but the bad trump split limits North-South to nine tricks. Martel and Stansby did very well not to get too high.

West North East South Wolfson Hamman Silverman Soloway Pass 1§ Dble Pass 2§ 3§ 3ª Pass 4ª All Pass

With a chance for an invitational sequence, Soloway might have judged that his square shape was a minus, but Soloway and Hamman simply don't miss games -- and Silverman's 3§ bid gave his opponents less room to maneuver. When the dust settled, it was another gain for USA 2.

More IMPs went the way of USA 2 on this deal.

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

West North East South Rodwell Stansby Meckstroth Martel Pass Pass 1§ 1© Dble 3© All Pass

With the §10 lead and looking at dummy, it wasn't tough for Martel to switch to spades after winning the opening club lead. That was enough to hold Rodwell to nine tricks. Soloway had to deal with a much more difficult situation.

West North East South Wolfson Hamman Silverman Soloway Pass Pass 1¨ Dble 2¨ 2© 3§ 4© All Pass

Soloway led the §K, and Hamman followed with the 7. There was still time to defeat 4©, but a spade switch was necessary at trick two. It didn't happen. Soloway, unable to read the §7, continued with the §A. Silverman racked up plus 620 and a 10-IMP gain.

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All ª 10 8 6 2 © K 4 2 ¨ K 9 3 § 10 9 3 ª A 4 3 ª K Q J © 10 © Q J 8 7 ¨ A J 10 4 2 ¨ 8 7 § K 7 5 4 § A J 8 2 ª 9 7 5 © A 9 6 5 3 ¨ Q 6 5 § Q 6

West North East South Rodwell Stansby Meckstroth Martel     Pass 1¨ Pass 1© Pass 2§ Pass 3NT All Pass

Martel led the ©3 (attitude), won by Stansby with the king. Back came the ©4, and Meckstroth erred by putting up the queen. Martel ducked this, and when Stansby got in with the ¨K, he pushed another heart through for plus 50 to USA 2. Meckstroth makes the contract if he plays low on the second round of hearts. Martel can win cheaply with the 9 and establish the suit, but he has no entry.

West North East South Wolfson Hamman Silverman Soloway     Pass 1¨ Pass 1© Pass 2§ Pass 2ª(1) Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Steering the contract to the West hand turned out to be a pivotal move for Silverman. Hamman started with the ª2, and it was easy for Wolfson to haul in 10 tricks via two finesses in diamonds. That was 10 more IMPs to USA 2.

Silverman made another good move on the next deal that helped his team to more IMPs.

Board 12. Dealer West. NS Game ª K 8 © J 10 9 ¨ A 7 5 2 § 10 8 7 4 ª 5 ª   © A K 4 3 2 ©   ¨ K 10 6 4 ¨   § 9 5 3 §   ª Q J 10 9 7 6 4 3 © 8 6 ¨ — § A Q J

West North East South Rodwell Stansby Meckstroth Martel 1© Pass 2NT(1) 4ª All Pass

(1) Game-forcing heart raise.

Who can blame Meckstroth and Rodwell -- one an opener, the other making a strong bid -- for not saving against Martel's 4ª? It certainly isn't obvious, and they didn't know about their double fit. Martel lost two hearts and a spade for plus 620.

West North East South Wolfson Hamman Silverman Soloway Pass Pass 2¨ 4ª 5¨ 5ª All Pass

Silverman had more than one usually does for a weak 2¨ bid -- and he was a trump short as well -- but he was in third seat, taking advantage of the vulnerability. Silverman's bid made it easy for Wolfson to take the save. The defenders would have had to be careful to defeat the contract even one trick. North gets in only with he trump ace, and a club switch is a must. South, in turn, must cash out or declarer can get two club losers away on hearts.

In any case, Hamman took the push, bidding one more. Wolfson quickly cashed his top hearts, exiting with a trump. Plus 100 was good for a 12-IMP gain for USA 2, who finished with 55-31 advantage in the set and a 27-IMP lead in the match.