USA2 v USA1 (Bermuda Bowl)

That's Entertainment

If audiences and bridge journalists had one pair they could choose to watch on vugraph, there is no question there would be many votes for Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell. Not only are they fine players, they are highly entertaining.

In the set-two Bermuda Bowl semi-final match between USA1 and USA2, the pairs did not disappoint. The action started early.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ K 4 3 ♥ Q 6 3 ♦ A 9 8 7 3 ♣ 9 5
♠ A 10 9 ♥ 7 2 ♦ J 6 5 4 2 ♣ A 8 2		♠ 8 7 5 ♥ K J 10 9 ♦ K Q ♣ K Q 10 6
	♠ Q J 6 2 ♥ A 8 5 4 ♦ 10 ♣ J 7 4 3

West	North	East	South
Hampson	Nickell	Greco	Freeman
			Pass
Pass	Pass	1♦	Pass
1NT	Pass	Pass	2♣
2♦	All Pass

Geoff Hampson played in a calm 2♦ after Eric Greco opened a Precision 1♦ in fourth seat. Dick Freeman led the ♦10 to Nick Nickell’s ace. Greco won the trump return in hand and advanced the ♥J. Freeman won the ace and exited with a club. Greco won the ♣A, played a club to the king and followed with the ♣Q. Nickell ruffed and got out with a heart, but Greco inserted the 10, then followed with the ♥K, pitching a spade from dummy. Another spade went on the ♥9. The defenders took four tricks. Plus 110 to USA2.

It was anything but calm at the other table.

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Ekeblad	Meckstroth	Rubin
			Pass
Pass	Pass	1♦	Dble
1♠	1NT	Dble	Pass
Pass	2♦	Pass	Pass
Dble	Redbl	Pass	2♥
Pass	Pass	Dble	Redbl
Pass	2♠	Dble	All Pass

Rodwell’s 1♠ showed a balanced hand. Rubin’s takeout double with 8 high-card points might have worked out on a different layout, but it was trouble this time. Russ Ekeblad had the dubious honor of playing in 2♠ doubled on a 4-3 fit with a trump lead. Ekeblad could take no more than five tricks for minus 500 and 9 IMPs to USA1.

The next board also gave the USA2 crowd reason for anxiety, although all was well in the end.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ K 4 ♥ A J 5 4 ♦ A 9 3 2 ♣ 10 6 5
♠ Q 10 9 8 5 ♥ 9 6 ♦ 8 7 6 4 ♣ 7 2		♠ 7 6 3 ♥ 10 7 ♦ K Q J 10 5 ♣ J 4 3
	♠ A J 2 ♥ K Q 8 3 2 ♦ - ♣ A K Q 9 8

West	North	East	South
Hampson	Nickell	Greco	Freeman
	1♦	Pass	1♥
Pass	2♥	Pass	3♣
Pass	3♥	Pass	3♠
Pass	4♦	Pass	5NT
Pass	6♦	Pass	7♥
All Pass

In the closed room, Nickell and Freeman did not break a sweat getting to the cold grand slam (5NT was a grand slam force – 6♦ showed one top honor).

In the open room, however, Ekeblad and Rubin had a protracted auction after Ekeblad opened the North hand 1NT. Rubin transferred to hearts and began a series of relays. At the end, Rubin seemed on the verge of passing 6♥, but he finally pulled the 7♥ card from the bidding box to earn a push. There was a slam swing on the next deal, and it went to USA1.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ A J 10 5 ♥ J 5 ♦ K 9 8 6 ♣ 8 4 3
♠ 6 ♥ A K Q 8 2 ♦ A 7 ♣ A K J 10 7		♠ 8 7 2 ♥ 10 9 4 3 ♦ 4 2 ♣ Q 6 5 2
	♠ K Q 9 4 3 ♥ 7 6 ♦ Q J 10 5 3 ♣ 9

West	North	East	South
Hampson	Nickell	Greco	Freeman
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1♣	Pass	1♦	1♠
2♠	3♠	4♥	Pass
5♣	Pass	5♥	All Pass

Hampson’s 1♣ bid was Precision. His 5♣ bid was obviously a slam try, but Greco was too weak to go on. Twelve tricks were trivial. Plus 480 to USA2.

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Ekeblad	Meckstroth	Rubin
	Pass	Pass	1♠
2♠	3♠	4♥	Pass
5NT	Pass	6♥	All Pass

Rodwell did not have the opportunity to open with a Precision 1♣, but he coped with the interference very well. In the Meckstroth-Rodwell methods, the 2♠ cuebid showed hearts and diamonds or a strong hand with hearts and clubs. Meckstroth is rarely shut out of any auction, and Rodwell was spurred on by his partner’s free bid to force a slam. Plus 980 meant 11 IMPs to USA1.

The next swing went to USA2.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ A 8 5 4 ♥ K 10 7 5 3 ♦ A 8 6 ♣ 4
♠ K 7 ♥ 8 4 ♦ J 10 5 2 ♣ Q 10 6 3 2		♠ Q J 10 3 ♥ J 9 2 ♦ 7 3 ♣ A 9 8 7
	♠ 9 6 2 ♥ A Q 6 ♦ K Q 9 4 ♣ K J 5

West	North	East	South
Hampson	Nickell	Greco	Freeman
	1♥	Pass	2♦
Pass	2♥	Pass	3♥
Pass	4♥	All Pass

Greco started with the ♠Q, taken by Nickell with the ace. He played a club from hand at trick two, ducked by Greco. Nickell misguessed by playing the ♣J from dummy. Hampson won with the ♣Q, cashed the ♠K and exited with a club. From there, Nickell had only nine tricks, finishing one down.

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Ekeblad	Meckstroth	Rubin
	1♠	Pass	2♣
Pass	2♥	Pass	2♠
Pass	3♣	Pass	3♦
Pass	3♥	Pass	4♥
All Pass

Ekeblad’s 1♠ opener was part of their canapé system in which a shorter suit is opened first, so Meckstroth was less inclined to start the defense with a spade lead. Further, he knew from the relay bidding that Ekeblad had a singleton club, so when Ekeblad led the club, Meckstroth rose with the ace, providing declarer with his trick number 10, the same number of IMPs that went to USA2.

On the following deal, the play and the defense were very complex – and it was Meckstroth and Rodwell who prevailed in a taut battle between declarer and the defenders.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ A 8 7 4 ♥ K 8 ♦ J 7 3 ♣ Q 8 4 3
♠ - ♥ A 10 9 6 5 2 ♦ 10 9 8 4 2 ♣ A 7		♠ Q J 3 2 ♥ J 7 ♦ K Q 6 5 ♣ 10 6 5
	♠ K 10 9 6 5 ♥ Q 4 3 ♦ A ♣ K J 9 2

West	North	East	South
Hampson	Nickell	Greco	Freeman
			1♠
2♠	3♦	Pass	3♠
All Pass

Hampson led the ♥A and continued with a heart to the king, and Freeman was soon claiming 10 tricks for plus 170.

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Ekeblad	Meckstroth	Rubin
			2♣
2♥	Dble	Redbl	2♠
3♦	4♠	All Pass

Rubin’s 2♣ and subsequent rebid of spades described his hand to a tee (the system, as reported by the vugraph commentators, is the creation of Ekeblad). Rodwell got the defense off to the best start with the ♦10. Rubin won the ace perforce and played a spade, stopping for a long study when Rodwell discarded a heart. He eventually went up with the ♠A, ending his chances to make the contract as long as the defenders did not err.

Rubin played a club to the king and Rodwell’s ace, ruffing the diamond return. He played a club to the queen in dummy and ruffed dummy’s last diamond. This was the position:

	♠ 8 7 4 ♥ K 8 ♦ - ♣ 8
♠ - ♥ A 10 9 6 ♦ 9 2 ♣ -		♠ Q J 3 ♥ J 7 ♦ 6 ♣ -
	♠ K 10 ♥ Q 4 3 ♦ - ♣ 9

Now he played a heart to the king in dummy and another heart, covering the jack with the queen. Rodwell could have let the contract through if he had played a diamond – declarer ruffs, discards his club, then on the play of dummy’s club, declarer discards the heart if East splits his spade honors, taking the final two tricks with the ♠K 10. Rodwell accurately continued with the ♥10, however, and now it was up to Meckstroth to do the right thing – discard his diamond instead of overruffing. Rubin was down to two trumps in each hand, and he had to lose two of the last three tricks for minus 50.

The following board was unlucky for USA1.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ J 4 ♥ Q J 9 7 3 ♦ 10 8 6 ♣ 7 5 2
♠ Q 10 3 2 ♥ 10 8 6 ♦ A 7 5 4 2 ♣ 3		♠ 9 8 ♥ A K 5 ♦ Q 9 3 ♣ K Q 10 6 4
	♠ A K 7 6 5 ♥ 4 2 ♦ K J ♣ A J 9 8

West	North	East	South
Hampson	Nickell	Greco	Freeman
		1NT	2♠
All Pass

Hampson started with a low heart to the queen and king. Freeman ducked the spade continuation to West’s queen. The ♦A was cashed and a diamond continued. Freeman won, played a spade to dummy’s jack, followed by a low club. Greco split his club honors, and Freeman won with the ace. He pulled trumps with two more rounds, then, relying on his club spots, played the ♣J from hand. Greco won, cashed the ♥A and exited with the ♦Q. Freeman ruffed with his last trump but he could play the ♣9 to Greco’s 10 and win the last trick with the ♣8.

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Ekeblad	Meckstroth	Rubin
		1NT	2♠
Pass	Pass	3♣	All Pass

Rubin’s 2♠ bid was explained as containing a second suit, which Meckstroth bid. Rubin started with the top two spades, continuing the suit. Meckstroth pitched his losing heart when Ekeblad ruffed with the ♣7. The ♥Q went to Meckstroth’s ace, and Rubin took the ♣Q with the ace. A fourth round of spades was ruffed by Ekeblad and overruffed by Meckstroth. Declarer then cashed the ♥K and played a diamond to the jack and ace, followed by a diamond to the 9 and king. Rubin had the choice of letting Meckstroth ruff a spade low or leading into the club tenace. He chose the latter, getting one more trick but still plus 200 for a 7-IMP gain.

USA2 trailed 71-36 with three boards to go, but they gained 4 IMPs on board 14, going plus at both tables for 3♥ down one by Nickell and 4♠ down one by Rodwell. Another 13 IMPs went to USA2 on the penultimate board when Nickell and Freeman missed a good slam that was bid and made by Rubin and Ekeblad after another one of their exhaustive relay auctions. The final board was a push as West opened 3♥, North at both tables bid a normal 3NT, three down when East cashed the first seven club tricks. It was a good, close set, USA1 prevailing 40-35.