The match started quietly, but Board 5 appeared to be a very unlucky break for USA 2.

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

It looks normal to make eight tricks for 670. You ruff one heart and bingo! Eight top tricks. But on a trump lead Joel Wooldridge put up the ace and played A© and another heart. When a trump came back he finesse. . . now the defense could get in to lead a third trump before he could ruff a heart. In the Open Room after 1ª - Pass - 2ª - Dbl, David Granger upped the ante by bidding 3ª. When Chris Willenken bid 4§, he conceded minus 50 and 6 IMPs.

Greco found a nice play to pick up a game swing for his side on the next deal. He reached 3NT after Willenken had shown five spades and four hearts in a game forcing hand. He won the club lead with the jack, ducked a spade, won the §Q shift and played ªA, spade. If Grainger cashed the top spade he would concede the ninth trick, so he cleared the clubs. Greco guessed in hearts, played a diamond to the king, cashed the top heart, then endplayed South with the 13th heart. In the two-card ending South had to lead from the ¨A and Greco had his ninth trick.

A number of flattish boards ensued: both N/S pairs overbid/misbid their cards to a series of games going down, and after 10 boards Canada had their reps in front. It would all change in the second half: a good game reached by Wooldridge-Carmichael meant 6 IMPs. Then came Board 13.

Board 13. Dealer North. Game All ª J 10 7 6 5 3 © 9 5 4 ¨ J 5 § 10 9 ª A 9 4 2 ª 8 © — © A Q 10 3 ¨ K 7 6 2 ¨ A Q 10 8 4 3 § A Q J 5 4 § 6 3 ª K Q © K J 8 7 6 2 ¨ 9 § K 8 7 2

Wooldridge overcalled 2© over 1¨ and Ben Zeidenberg made a dubious negative double and Darren Wolpert an equally iffy pass. Plus 500 against a vulnerable small (or even grand) slam ensued. Greco-Willenken had a controlled auction to identify that the §K was missing and recorded 1390 for 13 IMPs.

Boards18 and 20 summed up the luck in the match. Would you open the East cards? And if so, whom would you expect to get higher, the E/W pair who opened, or the ones who passed the East cards?

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

Greco heard his partner make a non-serious slam try and settled for game -- that's a commentary on their opening bids in itself!

Zeidenberg made three slam tries despite facing a passed partner. The third was excessive, but even so 5© was not the worst contract you've ever seen! But it had to go one down.

If that was unlucky, Board 20 was a little rude.

Board 20. Dealer West. Game All ª A 10 8 2 © Q 3 ¨ J 8 7 4 § A J 10 ª 9 7 5 ª Q J © K 6 4 3 © K 10 2 ¨ K 10 ¨ Q 6 5 3 2 § K Q 5 § 9 6 3 ª K 6 4 3 © A 5 4 ¨ A 9 § 8 7 4 2

Both tables bid the N/S cards l¨, lª, 2ª. Wooldridge found four spades and a minimum opposite and tried 4ª - not a happy spot until you look at the lie of the clubs and spades! Nadler passed 2ª - equally extreme a position to my mind, but when dummy came down he appeared to have it right. 10 IMPs away was a harsh penalty though - it meant a 23-7 win for USA 2.