Juggernaut

When USA I is in form, as they are most of the time, it can be a demoralizing experience to sit down at the table against them. The Americans, particularly Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell, were on a roll in the second round of the quarter-final against Chinese Taipei. The result was a 92-14 blowout for USA I.

It didn’t take long for the Americans to get going. This was board 2.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª - © 9 7 3 2 ¨ K Q 10 7 6 § A K J 10
ª K 9 8 6 3 © Q 8 4 ¨ 4 § Q 8 6 5		ª Q J 7 4 © A J 10 5 ¨ A 5 3 § 7 2
	ª A 10 5 2 © K 6 ¨ J 9 8 2 § 9 4 3

West	North	East	South
Nickell	Yang	Freeman	Chiu
		1¨	Pass
1ª	Dble	2ª	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

It’s not clear what Wen-chun Chiu was thinking in passing North’s second double, but it was a very bad decision. Nick Nickell had no difficulty making an overtrick in the doubled contract for plus 570.

West	North	East	South
Yen	Rodwell	Wu	Meckstroth
		1§	Pass
1ª	Dble	2ª	3¨
3©	4§	4ª	Dble
All Pass

There was a lot more bidding in the open room, and on a better day Ding-ming Yen might have made his spade game. Rodwell started with the §A, switching to the ¨Q at trick two. Yen won the ace in dummy and played the ªQ, ducked by Meckstroth. A club went to Rodwell’s 10, and he continued with the ¨K, ruffed. Yen played the ©Q to Meckstroth’s king and a third round of diamonds further shortened declarer’s trumps. He tried cashing hearts, but Meckstroth ruffed the third round and declarer had to go off two for minus 300. That was 13 IMPs to USA I.

Another odd decision by Chinese Taipei resulted in a further swing to USA I on this deal.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª K 9 5 2 © 9 2 ¨ A J 6 5 2 § J 10
ª J 6 4 3 © A 10 8 7 ¨ 10 3 § 9 4 2		ª 7 © 5 ¨ K Q 9 8 4 § A Q 8 6 5 3
	ª A Q 10 8 © K Q J 6 4 3 ¨ 7 § K 7

West	North	East	South
Yen	Rodwell	Wu	Meckstroth
		2ª	Pass
3§	Pass	4§	4©
All Pass

Jeff Meckstroth, USA1

It was a comical scene on VuGraph as Meckstroth tried to decide what to do over Soo-rong Wu’s brown-sticker 2ª bid, which showed a two-suiter with the minors or majors. He was entitled to consult his defensive notes about what to do over such a bid, but the notes contained several options and he could not decide among them. Finally, Meckstroth passed, West made the obligatory 3§ bid and Wu raised preemptively. Meckstroth came to life with 4©.

Yen led the ¨10 to dummy’s ace, and Meckstroth played a heart to the queen, ducked. The ©K drew the ace, and Yen played a club to East’s ace. Declarer ruffed the return of the ¨K, pulled another round of trumps and played two high spades from hand, claiming for plus 420.

The closed room auction was short.

West	North	East	South
Nickell	Yang	Freeman	Chiu
		1¨	Dble
Pass	Pass (!)	Pass

It’s doubtful many experienced players would consider converting partner’s takeout double with the North hand. Such a move is usually reserved for much strong trump holdings. The contract actually could have been defeated, but North-South slipped in the defense and Richard Freeman had plus 140 for another 11 IMPs to USA I.

On the next deal, Meckstroth brought home a vulnerable game that went down at the other table.

Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul.
	ª 6 5 © J 7 6 ¨ A K 7 3 § Q 10 6 4
ª K 9 3 2 © A ¨ Q 9 8 4 2 § J 9 7		ª A J 8 4 © 5 2 ¨ 10 6 5 § A 8 3 2
	ª Q 10 7 © K Q 10 9 8 4 3 ¨ J § K 5

West	North	East	South
Nickell	Yang	Freeman	Chiu
			1©
Pass	1NT	Pass	2©
Pass	4©	All Pass

	Wen-Chun Chiu, Chinese Taipei

Nickell started with a low diamond, and when Chiu went up with dummy’s ace, his chances of making the contract disappeared. Nickell and Freeman did not err, taking two spades, one heart and one club for plus 100.

The auction was the same in the open room, and West also led a diamond, but Meckstroth took his best chance to make the contract by ducking in dummy, taking East’s 10 with his jack.

A low heart was next, and West won perforce. He had his last chance to defeat the contract with a switch to spades or clubs, but he exited with the ¨Q, hoping no doubt that his partner could ruff. Instead, West watched Meckstroth win the ¨A, discarding a spade. He pulled East’s other trump and took another discard on the ¨K for plus 620 and 12 more IMPs. The score was 96-21 in favor of the Americans.

The deficit grew to more than 100 IMPs when Nickell and Freeman bid smoothly to 7§, which had tons of tricks, while their counterparts languished in a small slam.
Another slam swing went to USA I, but Rodwell had to play well to avoid a loss.

Board 30. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª Q 4 © A K J 5 ¨ A J 5 4 § J 8 5
ª A J 8 7 © 4 3 2 ¨ 10 9 8 7 3 § 7		ª 10 9 5 © Q 9 8 7 6 ¨ 6 2 § Q 6 4
	ª K 6 3 2 © 10 ¨ K Q § A K 10 9 3 2

In the closed room, Chinese Taipei again underbid, stopping in 3NT. On VuGraph, Meckstroth and Rodwell had to overcome interference to land in the correct spot. In the end, as is often the case, the interference helped declarer.

West	North	East	South
Yen	Rodwell	Wu	Meckstroth
		Pass	1§
1ª	1NT	Pass	2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	2ª
Pass	3¨	Pass	3NT
Pass	5NT	Pass	6§
Pass	6NT	All Pass

Yen’s 1ª showed diamonds and spade, clubs and hearts or a three-suiter short in spades. Rodwell’s 2¨ bid showed four hearts Fearing a possible spade ruff, Rodwell opted for slam in notrump rather than clubs.

The ª10 went to the Rodwell’s queen, and he played the §J at trick two, winning the king when East played low. Rodwell then ran off six red winners, noting that West had started with five diamonds, meaning his other suit was spades. Rodwell had discarded the rest of dummy’s spades, and in the end he ran the §8, claiming 13 tricks and an 11-IMP gain in a match that had never been close.