usa 1   v   usa 2   -    BB Round 1

by Phillip Alder

It would not shock many people if one of the Bermuda Bowl semifinals is between the two American teams. We were given an immediate glimpse in the opening round on Sunday.

USA 1 sent Steve Garner and Howard Weinstein to play North-South in the Open Room against Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell, and put Michael Rosenberg and Zia Mahmood East-West in the Closed Room against Bob Hamman and Hemant Lall.

The first board was a gentle push in two spades with an overtrick. USA 2 gained an overtrick IMP on the second deal. And USA 1 got on the board, defeating four hearts by two tricks in the Closed Room and going down only one in the Open.

Then a nebulous Precision one-diamond opening bid cost USA 2.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ A J 10 7 4 3 2 ♥ K Q ♦ 5 2 ♣ 7 5
♠ 9 8 ♥ 9 7 3 ♦ A Q 10 9 7 4 ♣ A 6		♠ 5 ♥ A 10 8 6 ♦ K J 8 3 ♣ K Q J 9
	♠ K Q 6 ♥ J 5 4 2 ♦ 6 ♣ 10 8 4 3 2

Open Room

(a) A single spade raise

Closed Room

Rodwell's opening bid promised only two cards in the suit, and when he understandably did not rebid three diamonds, Meckstroth went for the sure plus by doubling four spades. Declarer Garner lost one heart, one diamond and two clubs for down one.

Hamman's three-spade rebid gave Rosenberg the room to cue-bid four spades. Five diamonds made with an easy overtrick, giving 9 IMPs to USA 1.

On board five, Meckstroth opened two spades, weak, with five spades to the king-queen, five diamonds to the queen and three clubs to the jack-ten. This pushed his opponents into a vulnerable three clubs that went down two. In the other room, Zia went down one in two hearts, giving 6 IMPs to USA 2.

USA 1 gained two one-point swings in the next three deals to take a 13-7 lead at halftime.

Then came:

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ 10 ♥ A 9 4 3 ♦ J 10 7 ♣ K Q 9 8 2
♠ 4 ♥ Q J 8 ♦ K 6 4 3 ♣ J 7 6 5 4		♠ A K J 6 5 2 ♥ 10 2 ♦ A Q 8 ♣ A 3
	♠ Q 9 8 7 3 ♥ K 7 6 5 ♦ 9 5 2 ♣ 10

Open Room

(a) Sixteen-plus points
(b) 0-7 points
(c) Spades and diamonds or hearts and clubs
(d) Pass or correct

Closed Room

In the Open Room, Meckstroth's sequence, doubling the one-notrump Crash overcall, then bidding four spades, showed a strong hand.

Against four spades, South led the heart six, third-highest from an even number or lowest from an odd number. North won with his ace and shifted to the club king. Declarer (East) won with his ace, cashed the spade ace-king to get the bad news, then played four rounds of diamonds, discarding a club. The defense took three spades and two hearts for down two.

In the Closed Room, Hamman's takeout double gave Rosenberg room to investigate spades and notrump, eventually accepting three notrump.

North led the club king. Declarer (West) won with dummy's ace and played a heart to his queen, North winning with his ace and shifting to the diamond jack. Declarer won in the dummy and called for the heart ten, which South ducked. Now declarer ran his diamond tricks. This was the position with one round to go:

	♠ 10 ♥ 9 4 ♦ ♣ Q 9 8 2
♠ 4 ♥ J ♦ 6 ♣ J 7 6 5		♠ A K J 6 5 2 ♥ ♦ ♣ 3
	♠ Q 9 8 7 3 ♥ K 6 ♦ ♣

On the last diamond, North surprisingly discarded the heart four. This permitted West to exit with his heart jack and catch South in an endplay. Declarer took three spades, one heart, four diamonds and one club.

If North had pitched a club in the above position, declarer could not have got home. If he played his heart, South would take the trick and put his partner on lead with a heart. North would cash the club queen, then lead his spade.

Plus 200 and plus 600 gave 13 IMPs to USA 1. On board 10 both East-West pairs reached an impossible four spades. Weinstein gained 3 IMPs for USA 1 by doubling.

USA 2 gained on the next deal:

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ K J 9 8 6 4 ♥ A ♦ 5 4 3 2 ♣ 7 6
♠ 7 ♥ Q 9 8 7 6 ♦ J 7 ♣ K J 10 4 3		♠ A 10 5 3 ♥ K 10 4 2 ♦ A K 10 6 ♣ 2
	♠ Q 2 ♥ J 5 3 ♦ Q 9 8 ♣ A Q 9 8 5

Open Room

(a) 6-plus spades, 4-plus points
(b) Splinter bid

Closed Room

Weinstein's one-club opening was either natural or showed a balanced hand with 11-13 or 17-19 points. After Rodwell's typical one-heart overcall, his side was never missing the game. After a spade lead, declarer took ten tricks without trouble.

What should Rosenberg have done over Hamman's weak two-spade opening?

Some players doubled, which worked well here. Others overcalled two no-trump, which also resulted in a final contract of four hearts. The rest passed, putting pressure on West to balance. When Zia guessed to bid three clubs, that was that. (Perhaps two notrump in this position should show any two suits.)

North led the heart ace and shifted to the spade king. Declarer won in the dummy and called for a trump. To defeat the contract, South had to rise with his ace and give his partner a heart ruff, but he played low. West put up his king and led back the club ten, South winning and returning a heart – too late. Declarer won in the dummy, ruffed a spade, played a heart to the king, ruffed another spade (South discarded a diamond), took dummy's top diamonds, then played a diamond to score his club jack with a coup en passant.

If South had ruffed the spade at trick eight, declarer probably would have overruffed and exited with either a trump or a heart, catching South in a diamond endplay.

Plus 420 and minus 110 gave 7 IMPs to USA 2, reducing their deficit to 15 IMPs.

The next board was flat, both East-West pairs going down one in five spades doubled, bid as a sacrifice over a five-club contract that was failing. But when nonvulnerable against vulnerable opponents, players tend to take out insurance.

Then came board 13, with the most imaginative play of the tournament so far:

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ K 9 7 6 5 4 3 ♥ Q 5 3 ♦ J 7 2 ♣
♠ 8 2 ♥ J 9 4 ♦ A K Q 8 5 3 ♣ 9 6		♠ A ♥ A K 8 7 ♦ 10 4 ♣ A 10 8 7 5 4
	♠ Q J 10 ♥ 10 6 2 ♦ 9 6 ♣ K Q J 3 2

Open Room

Closed Room

In the Closed Room, Zia was in six diamonds. North led the spade three to dummy's ace. What did Zia do next?

In the Open Room, Garner's aggressive three-spade opening bid and Weinstein's raise left their opponents with no space to investigate.

Against five diamonds, North led the spade three. Declarer played a trump to his hand, ruffed his second spade (North playing his nine), and tried to cash the club ace, but North ruffed and returned a spade. Declarer ruffed, drew the missing trump and threw in South with a club. On the forced heart return, declarer guessed correctly, perhaps influenced by North's spade nine, putting in his nine to force out North's queen.

At the other table, Hamman opened with a weak two, requiring a stronger suit for a vulnerable three-bid. After Rosenberg doubled and Lall raised to three spades, Zia doubled in the hope that his partner could bid three notrump. But East jumped to five clubs and West continued with five diamonds. Then East, deducing that the double indicated a two-suited hand, bid five hearts, which West had to correct to six diamonds.

North led the spade three. Thinking that North had a six-card spade suit, West deduced that this lead was a suit-preference signal, indicating a club void. Backing his judgment, Zia won with the spade ace and called for a low heart!

When South played low, West put in his nine, knowing that if South had the queen, he would have taken the trick and given his partner a club ruff. North took his heart queen and returned a heart. Declarer won with his jack, ruffed a spade on the board, drew trumps and claimed, his club loser going on dummy's last heart.

Minus 600 and plus 1370 gave 13 IMPs to USA 1.

The same team gained another slam swing on the very next board.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	♠ 9 ♥ 10 9 4 ♦ J 10 7 5 4 3 ♣ Q 8 4
♠ A 7 ♥ J 7 6 ♦ A 9 6 ♣ A 7 6 3 2		♠ 10 2 ♥ A Q 8 5 3 2 ♦ K ♣ K J 10 5
	♠ K Q J 8 6 5 4 3 ♥ K ♦ Q 8 2 ♣ 9

Open Room

Closed Room

The swing came from East's decision over his partner's card-showing double.

Meckstroth passed. Against four spades doubled, West led the heart six. East won with his ace, cashed the diamond king, and returned a heart. Declarer ruffed and led his spade queen. West went in with his ace and switched to the club two. Now declarer went down only two, losing one spade, one heart, two diamonds and one club.

Rosenberg continued with four notrump, showing a two-suiter with a four-card minor. Zia forced to slam, and six clubs was reached.

South led the spade king. Declarer won with his ace, cashed the diamond king, crossed to dummy's club ace, discarded his second spade on the diamond ace, and played a club to his jack. When that held, East led a low heart from his hand to South's king. The play ended shortly thereafter. Minus 300 and plus 920 gave 12 IMPs to USA 1.

On the penultimate deal, both East-West pairs bid well to seven spades for a flat board. And USA 2 gained an IMP on the final deal when Lall won 12 tricks in three notrump while Weinstein took only 11.

The final score was 54-15, or 24 victory points to 6, to USA 1.