USA I vs Italy

Bermuda Bowl QuarterFinal 3

When you're down by a fair margin, you don't want to waste time getting back into the match. USA I found themselves in that position beginning round three of the Bermuda Bowl quarterfinal round. Despite a carryover of 5 IMPs against Italy, the Americans were down 98-46 after 32 boards. They started their comeback on Board 1 of the third set.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª K 10 3 © J 9 6 5 2 ¨ J 6 5 4 § 3
ª A 9 6 5 © A Q 7 4 ¨ 10 9 8 7 § 4		ª J 8 7 4 2 © K 3 ¨ A K Q 3 § A 6
	ª Q © 10 8 ¨ 2 § K Q J 10 9 8 7 5 2

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Meckstroth	Bocchi	Rodwell
	Pass	1ª	5§
Dble	All Pass

Eric Rodwell's leap in clubs was duplicated at nearly every table in all the competitions (one cautious soul went all the way to 4§ and earned 5 IMPs for his efforts). Duboin couldn't know that his partner had such a good hand, so he took the virtually sure plus, which turned out to be 500. It looked like a possible 1-IMP gain (East-West can take 12 tricks in spades). Bob Hamman had other ideas.

West	North	East	South
Hamman	Lauria	Soloway	Versace
	Pass	1§ (1)	5§
6§	Pass	6ª	All Pass

(1) Strong, artificial and forcing.

Alfredo Versace's 5§ bid took up a lot of bidding space, but it was to Hamman what a proverbial red flag is to a bull. Hamman committed to slam, which was cold on a fortunate lie of the spade suit. Plus 980 was good for a 10-IMP gain, just the kind of start USA I wanted. They kept it up on Board 2 when Norberto Bocchi stretched to bid 1NT over partner's 1ª opening with 4 high-card points and ended in a hopeless 3NT. Rodwell and Jeff Meckstroth, who had a very good set, made no mistakes on defense and held declarer to seven tricks. At the other table, Hamman played a more sensible 1NT, also taking seven tricks. That was another 5 IMPs to USA I. Deal 3 produced another 6 IMPs for USA I.

Versace Alfredo, Italy

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

In the closed room, Lorenzo Lauria overcalled 4© when Hamman started with 1¨ as West. Lauria could not avoid his four losers, finishing one down for minus 50.

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Meckstroth	Bocchi	Rodwell
			1NT (1)
3¨	4©	5¨	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Rodwell led a heart, and Bocchi took dummy's two hearts, pitching a spade, before trying to sneak a spade through. Meckstroth hopped up with the ace and exited with a diamond. Bocchi claimed at that point as making or down one depending on where the §A was. It was with Rodwell, so USA I scored plus 200.

On Board 4, Hamman and Soloway bid a vulnerable game that Duboin and Bocchi missed, adding another 10 IMPs to their score. Suddenly, a 52-IMP deficit was now at 21. Board 5 was a push, but USA I picked another 6 IMPs on the next deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Hamman	Lauria	Soloway	Versace
		Pass	Pass
2§ (1)	Pass	2¨ (2)	Pass
2© (3)	Pass	3§	All Pass

(1) Natural, limited.

(2) Inquiry.

(3) Showing a four-card major.

Soloway didn't ask which major Hamman had (if it was hearts, perhaps Soloway didn't like the support he was going to put down as dummy), and his non-forcing 3§ bid worked out very well. Hamman took 10 tricks for plus 130.

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Meckstroth	Bocchi	Rodwell
West	North	East	South
		Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1¨ (1)	Pass
1ª	Pass	1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	3§	Pass
3NT	All Pass

(1) Hearts.

Three Notrump is a very reasonable game to bid. If the ªK had been onside, Bocchi would have taken nine tricks. Rodwell wowed the Vugraph audience by starting with the ©A, switching to the ª8 at trick two. Bocchi ducked, Meckstroth won the king and went back to hearts. That was one down. On the first six boards, the Americans had outscored the Italians 37-0. The defending Bermuda Bowl champs were right back in the match.

The run ended on Board 7 when Bocchi and Duboin went for only 500 in 5© doubled while Lauria and Versace were allowed to play a vulnerable 4ª, making for plus 620. That was a badly needed 3 IMPs to Italy.

The Italians scored another 8 IMPs on the next board to increase their lead to 26.

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

West	North	East	South
Hamman	Lauria	Soloway	Versace
3¨	4¨	4NT	5§
Pass	5©	All Pass

Another good save by the Italians. The Americans took three tricks for plus 50.

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Meckstroth	Bocchi	Rodwell
Pass	Pass	1§	1©
3¨	4¨	4©	Pass
5¨	All Pass

Everyone at the table with the exception of Duboin did a lot of thinking during the auction. The last to paused was Bocchi, who considered boosting Duboin to slam in diamonds before finally signing off. The contract just made for plus 400.

The next board was a push, but Meckstroth had to work hard to make his contract, and he did so with excellent card reading.

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

Lauria managed eight tricks in 2§ for plus 90 despite the fact that East-West started a forcing defense with the ©Q lead.

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Meckstroth	Bocchi	Rodwell
	1¨ (1)	Pass	1©
Pass	2§	Pass	2¨
All Pass

(1) Precision.

Bocchi started with the ©Q and continued the suit. Meckstroth ruffed and led the ª9 to the queen and ace. A club was returned, and Meckstroth inserted the queen. Next he played his low spade to dummy's jack and took another club finesse. When Meckstroth played the §A, Bocchi ruffed in with the ¨6. Meckstroth discarded a spade from dummy instead of overruffing with the ¨K, and Bocchi continued with a heart to his partner's 10. Meckstroth ruffed again and, now down to two trumps in hand, ruffed a diamond to dummy. He thought about his next play for several minutes before making the right choice - the ©K, ruffed in hand with the 10.

The Italians went up by 38 when Bocchi made an inspired lead on this deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Hamman	Lauria	Soloway	Versace
		1¨	2§
Pass	2¨	Dble	3¨
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Soloway led a diamond, and it was quickly over. Lauria had nine top tricks for plus 600.

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Meckstroth	Bocchi	Rodwell
		1¨	2§
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Bocchi earned a swing for his side by starting with the ªQ and unblocking the king on the next trick after Meckstroth ducked. All Meckstroth could do from there was cash out - he would have ended up two down if he had tried to sneak a heart through.

Things went sour again for Italy on Board 11, however, in an unpredictable manner.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª J 10 8 2 © 8 2 ¨ 8 7 4 § A 10 8 4
ª A K Q © K J 9 5 ¨ K J 6 5 § 7 5		ª 6 © A Q 7 ¨ A Q 9 2 § Q J 9 6 3
	ª 9 7 5 4 3 © 10 6 4 3 ¨ 10 3 § K 2

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Meckstroth	Bocchi	Rodwell
2§ (1)	Pass	2NT (2)	Pass
3§	Pass	3¨	Pass
3ª	Pass	4¨	Pass
4©	Pass	4ª	Pass
4NT	Pass	6¨	All Pass

(1) Balanced 17-19.

(2) Slam interest with both minors.

This contract didn't take long to play. Bocchi had nothing he could do with his club losers, and he was quickly one down for minus 50.

The result from the closed room was not known on this deal immediately and the Vugraph audience was in suspense, wondering whether the Americans would be able to stay out of the slam (not an easy assignment). Finally, Kokish said: "I've got good news and bad news for you Italian fans. The good news is that Hamman and Soloway bid slam. The bad news….."

West	North	East	South
Hamman	Lauria	Soloway	Versace
1§ (1)	Pass	1ª	Pass
1NT	Pass	3ª (2)	Pass
3NT	Pass	5NT	Pass
6¨	Pass	6NT	All Pass

(1) Strong, artificial and forcing.

(2) Showing shortness.

Hamman Bob, USA

When Kokish reported "the bad news," of course, it was not difficult to figure out what it might be. Yes, Hamman had made 12 tricks in notrump with the East-West cards. It seems that as Hamman was running red suits, Lauria was clinging to spades, convinced that Hamman held four of them to the A K Q 9. To keep from being endplayed, Lauria discarded the §A! Imagine Lauria's chagrin when Hamman led a club to Versace's king. That's a tough way to lose 14 IMPs. The Italians, leading 112-88, suffered another vulnerable game swing (Bocchi and Duboin didn't get to 4© - Hamman and Soloway did) on Board 13, but they picked up 5 IMPs when Hamman went down six in 2NT while Meckstroth managed 10 tricks in 4¨ (he was in 3NT doubled at one point with nine, likely 10 tricks if he worked out not to finesse in diamonds with seven to the A K J opposite a singleton). Board 15 capped a miserable set for the Italians as Duboin made an uncharacteristic error and Rodwell took full advantage.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª K 9 8 4 © K 9 8 3 ¨ K J § 10 8 5
ª A 6 2 © Q 7 2 ¨ A Q 8 5 4 § Q 2		ª Q 10 7 © A 6 4 ¨ 10 7 6 2 § A J 3
	ª J 5 3 © J 10 5 ¨ 9 3 § K 9 7 6 4

West	North	East	South
Hamman	Lauria	Soloway	Versace
			Pass
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Lauria led a spade to the 10, jack and ace. The §Q went to the king, and a spade came back. North later got in with a diamond and had two spades to cash, but that was it for the defense, and Hamman recorded plus 400.

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Meckstroth	Bocchi	Rodwell
			Pass
1§	Pass	1ª	Pass
1NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

The 1§ bid apparently is necessary the West hand is too strong for a 1NT opener (Duboin and Bocchi play a mini-1NT) and a rebid of 1NT after a 1¨ opening shows a different range. At any rate, the normal contract was reached, and Meckstroth started with a low spade. Duboin put up the queen and played a diamond to the ace and another diamond. Meckstroth won the trick and, having noted his partner's encourage signal in spades at trick one, continued with a low spade at trick three. Rodwell put up the jack and Duboin made a serious error by playing low.

That gave Rodwell the chance to find the killing defense of a heart switch through declarer's queen. While Rodwell thought about his play, Vugraph commentator Barry Rigal pointed out that Rodwell would not only have to find the right switch, but he would have to do so on the assumption that his world-class opponent had made a serious error.

Eventually, however, Rodwell came up with the winning play, leading the ©10 (Rusinow style) through Duboin's hand. Duboin took dummy's ©A and cashed his diamonds, but when the club finesse failed he was down one (it would have been two but Meckstroth discarded a heart on the run of the diamonds).

That was another 10 IMPs to USA I, and after a push on the last board, the Americans had completed a 71-28 beating to draw to within 9 IMPs with 48 boards to play.