There's only one word to describe this match - incredible!

Half the hands are worthy of coverage. Leading the list is Board 14 where Joel Wooldridge of USA 2 made the opening lead that would have defeated the contract perhaps 99 times out of 100. But Bernardo Biondo guessed against the odds and was right - 14 IMPs to Italy.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All ª K 10 9 © A K J 9 ¨ K J § J 9 6 2 ª A 3 2 ª Q 8 7 4 © Q 5 3 2 © 10 7 6 4 ¨ 8 4 3 2 ¨ 10 9 7 6 § Q 3 § 10 ª J 6 5 © 8 ¨ A Q 5 § A K 8 7 5 4

The first time clubs was bid was when Biondo set the final contract. Wooldridge was reasonably certain that Riccardo Intonti's control in spades was the king, not a singleton. He decided to put Biondo to the guess at trick one and led the deuce of spades.

It was the classic situation - king in dummy and jack with declarer. It is rare indeed that a player underleads a side ace against a slam, but Wooldridge thought this was the time. And he was right. Biondo thought it over for a while, realized that Wooldridge could have been thinking along these lines, and calmly called for the king! With 11 tricks elsewhere, this play earned him the slam bonus - and a lot more, as we shall see when we examine the action in the Open Room.

Matteo Mallardi started with a diamond, a lead that gave nothing away. Eric Greco drew two rounds of trumps, cashed two top hearts and ruffed a heart, took the rest of his diamonds and cashed two more clubs. He had pitched a spade on the ©K of course, and now he was faced with the spade guess. He had jack-small in his hand and king-10 on the board. When he led the spade, Mallardi knew the situation and played low. Agonizing moments later Greco called for the 10, his partner stating "That's my play", and suffered a one-trick defeat.

This was the most dramatic board of the set, but there was lots more action. Italy got off to a fast start by taking action over a preempt when the Americans did not.

Board 1. Dealer North. Love All ª Q J 7 6 5 3 2 © J 2 ¨ 3 § K 9 4 ª — ª 9 8 4 © A Q 9 7 5 3 © K 4 ¨ J 10 9 4 ¨ A K Q 8 7 6 § A 10 7 § 6 2 ª A K 10 © 10 8 6 ¨ 5 2 § Q J 8 5 3

The auction started the same way in both rooms - North opened 3ª and South raised the ante by bidding 4ª. In the Closed Room, neither Tom Carmichael nor Wooldridge took any action, so the contract went down one quiet trick. But in the Open Room Mallardi doubled in the fourth seat and Mario D'Avossa leaped to 6¨. D'Avossa quickly claimed all 13 tricks and gave Italy a quick 13-IMP lead.

Something went wrong with the American bidding process in the Open Room on Board 4.

Board 45. Dealer West. Game All ª A J 5 © 10 ¨ J 7 5 § K Q 8 7 6 3 ª 8 6 4 2 ª K Q 9 © J 9 6 5 4 © Q 7 ¨ A 6 2 ¨ K 9 8 4 3 § 5 § J 10 4 ª 10 7 3 © A K 8 3 2 ¨ Q 10 § A 9 2

Intonti had nine top tricks, and he set up a 10th in diamonds.

Apparently the Americans were worried about the diamonds, but of course the two half stops were enough to make the difference. This contract went one down, and that was another 12 IMPs to Italy.

It was 12-IMP time again for Italy on Board 5.

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

Carmichael led a diamond, and Intonti crossed to the §K. The heart finesse failed, and a spade came back to the jack and king. Intonti took his ace and 10 of hearts and led the §9, finessing the jack. Since West had discarded a club on a heart, Intonti now had three hearts, four clubs and two diamonds for his game.

Mallardi led the ªQ, ducked, and switched to a diamond. Greco went up with the ace and led a low heart. D'Avossa rose with the king and cashed the ¨K before switching back to a heart. Greco drew the last trump, cashed the ¨J, and attacked the club situation. He began by cashing the king. When he led the 9, West covered with the 10 and Greco went into deep thought. East had made a takeout double and had shown up with only 10 HCP. Did he have the §Q? It seemed likely, considering the bidding. So he went up with the ace and down went his contract. The Americans were a bit more aggressive than their foes on Board 9, and that led to a 7-IMP swing in their favor.

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

Intonti could see no good reason to continue after Biondo rebid his diamonds, so he passed. Biondo made exactly nine tricks.

Greco bid his four-card spade suit at his second turn instead of showing his diamonds, and that was enough to get Chris Willinken interested. He suggested notrump, and Greco was happy to carry on to game.

The opening club lead went to the queen and ace, and Mallardi continued with the §J to the king. Willenken drove out the ¨A and Mallardi cashed his top spades to hold Willenken to nine tricks.

Carmichael and Wooldridge got to a sub-minimum notrump game on Board 11. With a little help from the defense, the game came home.

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

Carmichael and Wooldridge had talked over how they were going to handle some of the Italian devices, but they had not covered this particular situation. Wooldridge meant it to show some general strength, but he told his screenmate his partner might think it was for the minors. When the tray came to the other side, Carmichael told his screenmate he wasn't sure what the bid meant - it might be general strength or it might be for the minors. He bid 3§ and Wooldridge corrected to 3NT.

Wooldridge won the opening spade lead with the king and took a finesse to the §J. A heart finesse to the 8 lost to North's king, and North surprised by continuing with the §K. Wooldridge of course took the ace, unblocking his queen, and took the heart finesse. He gave up a diamond, then won the diamond continuation. After cashing the ©A, he picked up clubs by finessing the 8. He cashed the fourth club, then put South on lead with the ©Q. South could cash the ªA, but then had to give Wooldridge the ªQ for his ninth trick.

The Italians stopped in 3¨ in the other room, just making. Board 12 was perhaps just as exciting as Board 14.

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

Of course Carmichael's double was Lightner, asking for an unusual lead. Wooldridge's problem was to decide what was unusual. He knew he couldn't lead a trump, and hearts were out of the question because that was the Americans' suit. It had to be a club or a spade. Carmichael had bid clubs, so it seemed that a spade was the most likely choice.

However, after some thought Wooldridge led a club. Biondo won the ace and got rid of his losing heart, then claimed all 13 tricks for plus 1740. If Wooldridge had led a spade, of course, Carmichael would have ruffed and the ©A would have been the setting trick.

The Americans got a little back here. Willenken made an overtrick when he was able to put his heart loser on the §A when East led the §K. His only loser was a trump for plus 1050. But that still was a 12-IMP pickup for Italy. If the Americans had defeated the diamond slam, they would have gained 15 IMPs, a swing of 27 IMPs on an opening lead. USA 2 bought the contract at both tables on Board 16, but the IMPs went to Italy.

Board 16. Dealer West. EW Game ª A J 3 2 © 5 ¨ K 9 7 6 § K 8 5 4 ª Q 7 5 ª K 9 6 © A K Q 10 9 3 © J 7 6 2 ¨ J 5 ¨ 10 3 § 7 2 § Q J 6 3 ª 10 8 4 © 8 4 ¨ A Q 8 4 2 § A 10 9

Wooldridge was able to take only six hearts and a spade for down two - minus 100.

After cashing a top heart, Mallardi switched to a club. Greco won, drew trumps and ruffed a heart. He lost a spade to the queen, and he ducked to East's queen on the club return. Now the good fourth club in dummy let Greco get rid of his last spade, so he suffered only a one-trick set for a 5-IMP loss. Board 17 was tame in the Closed Room, wild in the Open.

Board 17. Dealer North. Love All ª J 10 8 7 2 © Q J 9 4 ¨ Q J § 9 8 ª K Q ª A 9 6 3 © A 10 8 6 5 © 7 2 ¨ K 9 6 2 ¨ 8 3 § 10 3 § Q J 7 5 2 ª 5 4 © K 3 ¨ A 10 7 5 4 § A K 6 4

Biondo took nine tricks after the lead of ªK.

Things had not been going well for USA 2, so Willenken decided to shoot it out for a possible major gain at 2§ doubled and redoubled. The opening spade lead went to the queen, and Mallardi cashed the ªK. He shifted to a trump to the 9, jack and king. The ©K went to Mallardi's ace, and he continued with a heart to declarer's queen. Willenken passed the ¨Q, losing to the king, and Mallardi sent back a diamond to the jack. Willenken now led the ©J, ruffed by D'Avossa and a diamond was sluffed from dummy. D'Avossa led the ªA and declarer ruffed in dummy with the ace. He still had to lose two more trump tricks for down two - minus 600 for another 12-IMP loss.

Another unusual hand pattern occurred on Board 18, and it caused a great deal of hilarity in the Closed Room.

Board 18. Dealer East. NS Game ª 9 3 2 © Q J 10 9 8 7 5 4 ¨ K § K ª K Q 7 6 5 4 ª — © K 2 © — ¨ A Q 2 ¨ J 10 9 8 6 4 3 § Q 2 § A 9 8 7 6 3 ª A J 10 8 © A 6 3 ¨ 7 5 § J 10 5 4

After the opening lead of the ©Q was made, Carmichael spread his hand. All four players, the timer, the recorder and this reporter all broke out into laughter loud enough to get shushes from other tables. Wooldridge quickly claimed 12 tricks.

There was some consternation when D'Avossa ruffed the opening heart lead. When he also trumped the first round of spades, everyone knew the contract was a sound one. He finessed the ¨Q, losing to the king. The §K went to the ace and declarer crossruffed for an overtrick - 8 IMPs.