Second squad is first in match of USA teams

USA 2 took charge early in their match with USA 1 and rolled to a 46-37 victory in the opening match of the round-robin phase of the Orbis Bermuda Bowl. The win earned the team 18 Victory Points.

USA 2, led by Jeff Wolfson, started Zia Mahmood-Michael Rosenberg and Chip Martel-Lew Stansby against Jeff Meckstroth-Eric Rodwell and Bob Hamman-Paul Soloway in the morning vugraph match. Sitting out the first round for USA 2 were Wolfson and Neil Silverman. Nick Nickell and Richard Freeman were out for USA 1.

The Nickell squad was ahead, 7-0, after three boards, thanks in part to some overbidding by Zia and Rosenberg. Board 4 started the turnaround for USA 2, also the result of overbidding.

In one room, Meckstroth and Rodwell bid to 3NT, which had no play and finished two down for minus 200, while Zia and Rosenberg stopped in a club partial, scoring plus 130 for an 8-IMP swing.

Two boards later, Martel found a way to take 10 tricks in a heart game with the help of a winkle.

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

Rosenberg led the ¨K, taken by Soloway with the ace. Soloway then played a club to the king and Rosenberg's ace. Rosenberg got out with a trump to dummy's queen and Soloway's king. Soloway then played the §J, running it to Zia's queen when Rosenberg followed low. Soloway had to lose two spade tricks and finished down one.

At the other table:

(1) Natural and invitational.

Meckstroth led the ¨K to dummy's ace. At trick two, Martel led a club to the jack and ace. Meckstroth got out with a trump. Martel won in dummy, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a low club and ruffed another diamond. He then ran trumps, reaching this position:

ª A 6 5 © 8 ¨ — § 5 ª Q 3 ª 10 9 8 © J © — ¨ — ¨ J 8 § K 10 § — ª K J 2 © — ¨ — § Q 7

On the play of the West's last heart, South was in trouble. He had to hold onto a club to keep Martel's §10 from being good, so South had to pitch a spade. No matter which spade South let go of, it would result in 10 tricks for Martel, whose plan was to exit with a low spade. If South had discarded the ª2, he could win dummy's 10 with the jack but would have to play another spade to keep Martel from taking another club finesse for the contract.

If South's last spade was the king, North would have to overtake with the ace to avoid the club endplay, but then North would have to give West the free club finesse or put him in dummy, where the spades were good. If South discarded a spade honor, Martel would be able to build a spade trick on power, with the club finesse a constant threat on South. Plus 620 was good for 12 IMPs to USA 2.

The team earned another 10 IMPs on Board 11.

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

(1) 12-14
(2) Transfer

Martel got home 10 tricks without much difficulty to score plus 420.

At the other table:

Rosenberg led the §2, taken in dummy with the ace as Zia signaled encouragement. Vugraph commentators Eric Kokish and Barry Rigal speculated that Soloway might try to steal a diamond trick with a low one to the king, and then start on spades. They were right. At trick two, Soloway led the ¨7, Zia played the 10 and Soloway put up the king. Rosenberg won the ace and persisted in clubs. Soloway won the §K perforce and played a spade to dummy's jack. When this held, he tried the ¨8 from dummy, playing low from his hand. Rosenberg considered his play for some time before ducking, and Soloway's contract was dead. He could not reach his hand for another diamond play and then return to cash the suit. When the ªA did not bring down the king, Soloway conceded another spade - and down one.

USA 1 recovered 4 IMPs on the next board and earned a 9-IMP swing when Hamman and Soloway bid to 3NT on Board 13 (making for plus 600) while Stansby and Martel stopped in 2©, making five.

There was more bad news for USA 1 on Board 15, however, when Zia and Rosenberg played 4ª from the "right" side and scored up their vulnerable game.

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

(1) Spade raise

Soloway led a low club, eliminating Zia's loser in that suit. Zia won in dummy, played a club to his ace, a diamond to the king and another diamond, ducked to West's 9. Zia eventually lost a heart and a trump trick, but he made his contract.

At the other table:

(1) Strong, artificial and forcing
(2) Two-suited hand
(3) Artificial, showing values
(4) Support for clubs
(5) Strength in spades.

The unusual auction - Meckstroth and Rodwell specialize in highly artificial bidding sequences - made Meckstroth declarer, and on a club lead he could not avoid a loser in each suit. Plus 50 for Martel-Stansby was good for another 10 IMPs to USA 2.

The loss would have been worse but for the final board of the set.

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

Hamman and Soloway play Flannery, so Hamman chose 1NT instead of the more normal looking 1ª response.

Zia led a low spade, taken by Rosenberg with the ace. Rosenberg returned the §J to the 4, 3 and ace. Next came the ¨Q, which held, followed by the ¨9, which also held. A third diamond to the king and ace put Hamman in his hand, and he played a low heart to dummy's queen.

When that held, Hamman followed with the ©A and another heart. He finished with 11 tricks for plus 660.

At the other table:

(1) Showing a strong 1NT opener

Meckstroth got off to the lead of the §J (Rusinow), taken by Martel with the ace. The ¨Q followed, cover by the king and ace. Martel then played dummy's heart to the 9 in his hand, losing to Meckstroth's 10. With accurate count in the club suit from Rodwell, Meckstroth continued with the §Q, which Martel took in dummy. Martel played a diamond to his hand and cashed the ©A, but when the king didn't fall he had too many losers. Plus 100 for Meckstroth and Rodwell was good for 13 IMPs, narrowing the margin of USA 2's victory to 9 IMPs.