Undone

With 48 boards left to play, USA II in the Bermuda Bowl had high hopes of advancing to the final. They trailed their American rivals by only 17.5 IMPs, having rallied after a poor first set.

It was not to be. For the first time in the tournament, Bobby Wolff and Dan Morse – rock solid on nearly every board – turned in a bad card and USA I took what turned out to be an insurmountable lead.

The bad news started on the third board.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª K J 9 © A 10 9 7 4 ¨ 10 8 5 § J 10
ª A 10 7 6 © Q 8 3 2 ¨ - § A Q 8 5 2		ª 5 4 3 2 © K J 6 ¨ Q 4 3 § 7 4 3
	ª Q 8 © 5 ¨ A K J 9 7 6 2 § K 9 6

West	North	East	South
Wildavsky	Hamman	Doub	Soloway
			1¨
Dble	1©	Pass	3¨
Pass	3ª	Pass	3NT
All Pass

A heart lead would have defeated the contract, even if Paul Soloway had taken a first-round finesse in diamonds. The defense could then always take a spade, two hearts and two clubs for down one. Adam Wildavsky led a low club, however, and Soloway had his ninth trick. He played a diamond to the ace, entered dummy with the ©A and finessed in diamonds. Plus 400 for USA I.

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Wolff	Meckstroth	Morse
			1¨
Dble	1©	1ª	3¨
Dble	Pass	3NT	Pass
4ª	Dble	All Pass

Wolff and Morse defeated the contract, but by only one trick for plus 200 and a 5-IMP loss.

Bob Hamman and Soloway bid aggressively to the top spot on the following deal for an 11-IMP swing.

Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª A 6 4 © A J 10 8 5 3 ¨ A K J 4 § -
ª J 8 © K Q 4 ¨ Q 9 7 5 § J 8 6 5		ª 7 5 3 © 7 ¨ 10 8 3 2 § A Q 10 7 3
	ª K Q 10 9 2 © 9 6 2 ¨ 6 § K 9 4 2

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Wolff	Meckstroth	Morse
Pass	1©	Pass	2©
Pass	2ª	Pass	3ª
Pass	4©	All Pass

Wolff had no difficult taking 12 tricks for plus 480.

West	North	East	South
Wildavsky	Hamman	Doub	Soloway
Pass	1§	2§	2ª
3§	3©	Pass	4©
Pass	6©	All Pass

Adam Wildavsky, USA2

The bidding gave Hamman all the information he needed to blast into the slam – double fit with South, likely not a lot wasted in clubs (not exactly true, but close) and the possibility of diamond ruffs.

Doub led the §A, not the best start for the defense, but it didn’t make any difference. With spades splitting as they did and the heart honors onside, there was no stopping the slam. USA I had upped their lead to 123.5-86.

Aggressive bidding by USA I at both tables resulted in more IMPs for the leaders.

Board 26. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª J 10 © A K 10 9 5 3 ¨ - § A K J 10 4
ª A K 7 4 3 © Q 2 ¨ Q J 6 3 § 6 2		ª Q 9 8 © J 7 4 ¨ A K 8 5 4 § Q 9
	ª 6 5 2 © 8 6 ¨ 10 9 7 2 § 8 7 5 3

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Wolff	Meckstroth	Morse
		1¨	Pass
1ª	Dble	Redbl	Pass
Pass	4©	Pass	Pass
4ª	Dble	All Pass

Wolff might have bid 5§, which was a maker. At worst, it would have forced Eric Rodwell or Jeff Meckstroth to save at the five level for plus 500. Such a decision is easy when you’re looking at all the cards, of course, and Wolff was not, so he opted for what seemed to be his best shot for a plus. He did go plus, but it was only 200. It turns out that even if he had bid 5§ and got to play there, his team was going to lose IMPs.

West	North	East	South
Wildavsky	Hamman	Doub	Soloway
		Pass	Pass
1ª	Dble	2©	Pass
2ª	4©	Dble	All Pass

Paul Soloway, USA1

Doub’s 2© was a spade raise. Having passed with a hand that most players would open, Doub may have felt he had a bit of a surprise for Hamman. It was Doub who was surprised. He started with the ¨K, on which Hamman discarded the ª10. A low diamond went to Wildavsky’s queen, and Hamman threw his other spade. There was speculation that Wildavsky might give Hamman a losing option by switching to a low club, but he continued with a high spade. Hamman ruffed, cashed the two high hearts, noting with gratification that they split 3-2, then cashed the top clubs, claiming when Doub’s queen fell. That was plus 790 and 11 IMPs to USA I.

The following deal was a major blow to USA II’s chances.

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª A 10 © 10 ¨ A 8 6 5 3 § A 9 8 7 4
ª K Q 9 8 5 © J 5 4 ¨ Q 2 § K 10 6		ª 7 © K 8 6 2 ¨ K J 10 7 § Q J 5 3
	ª J 6 4 3 2 © A Q 9 7 3 ¨ 9 4 § 2

West	North	East	South
Wildavsky	Hamman	Doub	Soloway
Pass	1¨	Pass	1ª
Pass	2§	Pass	2¨
All Pass

Doub led the ©6 and Hamman considered the finesse briefly. If it lost, a trump would certainly be returned and the contract would be in jeopardy. Hamman rose with the ace, played a club to the ace, ruffed a club, ruffed a heart, ruffed a club, ruffed a heart, cashed the ªA and exited with a club. That was seven tricks, and Hamman still had the trump ace for plus 90.

Starting with Rodwell’s opening bid with the West cards, things went much differently at the other table.

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Wolff	Meckstroth	Morse
1ª	2NT	Dble	Pass
Pass	3§	Dble	3¨
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

	Dan Morse - Eric Rodwell, USA

The defense was brutally accurate. Rodwell started with his low diamond, and Morse had to go up with the ace. If he played low, he would get no club ruffs. He cashed the §A, ruffed a club, on which Rodwell played the king, entered dummy with the ªA, then played a club to Meckstroth’s queen. The ©2 went to Morse’s ace, and he played a spade to Rodwell’s queen. The ©J came back, and Morse discarded a club from dummy instead of ruffing. Meckstroth won the ©K, and when he cashed the §J, Rodwell discarded his last heart. Now a heart return allowed Rodwell to ruff with the ¨Q as dummy had to follow with a low trump. Meckstroth still had the ¨K J 10. That was down four for plus 1100 and 15 IMPs in the bank for USA I.

There was more bad news for USA II on the next board.

Board 29. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª Q 3 © 10 8 7 6 ¨ 6 3 § K 10 8 5 3
ª 10 8 7 5 © K J 9 ¨ A K 4 § A Q J		ª J 9 4 2 © A Q 5 4 ¨ J 7 § 7 6 4
	ª A K 6 © 3 2 ¨ Q 10 9 8 5 2 § 9 2

West	North	East	South
Wildavsky	Hamman	Doub	Soloway
	Pass	Pass	1¨
1NT	Pass	2§	Pass
2ª	Pass	3ª	Pass
4ª	All Pass

On the lie of the cards, the only way for the defenders to mess this up would be for them to crash spade honors together. That wasn’t likely with Hamman and Soloway on the defense. Hamman led the ¨6 to the jack, queen and ace. Wildavsky played a spade to dummy’s jack as Hamman ducked. Soloway won the ªK and returned the §9, Hamman won when Wildavsky finessed, and the ¨3 was returned. When Wildavsky won that trick and tried to ruff a diamond to dummy, Hamman ruffed with the ªQ and that was that. One down for minus 100.

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Wolff	Meckstroth	Morse
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	2¨	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Rodwell’s 1§ was Precision, and 2¨ showed a balanced hand with 8-10 high-card points. Rodwell could have checked on four-card majors but with his balanced shape he opted for the nine-trick game. Wolff led a low club to the 9 and queen, and Rodwell immediately played a spade to the jack and king.

The contract was going down if Morse returned a club, but he put the ¨10 on the table instead. Rodwell seized his chance, ducking, and the ¨J was his ninth trick. That was another 12 IMPs to USA I.

The final score in the set was 67-5, and the net was 170.5-90 for USA I. There were still 32 boards to play, but USA I was a long short to make up more than 80 IMPs against USA I. Their best hope for a medal, it was becoming clear, would be to win the playoff with the loser of the Italy-Norway match.