china smeg   v   usa 1    -    BB Round 8

by Phillip Alder

After seven rounds, USA 1 led the Bermuda Bowl table with 162 victory points. China SMEG was eighth with 126 v.p. This would be a good match for China to win.

The home team sent Zejun Zhuang and Hao Jun Shi to play East-West in the Open Room against Steve Garner and Howard Weinstein. At the other table, Xiao Jing Wang and Shaolin Sun faced Michael Rosenberg and Zia.

The opening board was flat, but not without its exciting moments. See article "Tough Hand".

Over the next six deals, USA 1 scored four overtrick IMPs.

On board eight, Rosenberg mispicked the play, as they say Down Under, to go down one in three hearts. Zhuang, only in two hearts, guessed better and landed ten tricks, giving China SMEG six IMPs and a one-point lead in the match.

Finally there was a big swing on number nine:

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ A J 10 9 2 ♥ A J ♦ 10 4 3 ♣ 10 6 5
♠ Q ♥ K Q 8 6 4 2 ♦ A 6 2 ♣ A K 3		♠ K 8 5 3 ♥ 10 7 ♦ K 8 ♣ Q J 9 4 2
	♠ 7 6 4 ♥ 9 5 3 ♦ Q J 9 7 5 ♣ 8 7

Open Room

(a) Undisciplined weak two-bid promising only a five-card suit
(b) Spades with some diamond support

Closed Room

Against three notrump in the Open Room, South led the spade four. North took dummy's queen with his ace and established his suit. Declarer won the third spade and played a heart, North taking his heart ace and cashing his spades for down one.

In the Closed Room, Wang opened his ten-count, aware that partner would know he was not strong, because he had not opened one strong club. After South responded one semiforcing and psychic notrump, Zia did well to start with a double. Rosenberg jumped to three clubs to show some useful values. Then, when West rebid three hearts, East judged well to raise.

Against four hearts, North led his lowest diamond. Declarer (West) won in his hand and gave up a spade trick. He took the diamond continuation in the dummy and threw his last diamond on the spade king. Then declarer ran dummy's heart ten, losing to North's jack. West ruffed a diamond, drove out the heart ace, and had ten tricks.

On a club lead, declarer would have won in his hand and played hearts from the top.

Plus 100 and plus 620 gave 12 IMPs to USA 1.

After a flat three notrump with two overtricks came board 11:

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ J ♥ Q 8 6 3 ♦ A 9 7 6 4 ♣ A 9 7
♠ A 10 9 ♥ A J 9 ♦ K 8 ♣ Q J 10 6 4		♠ Q 8 6 4 2 ♥ 10 7 5 2 ♦ J 10 ♣ K 8
	♠ K 7 5 3 ♥ K 4 ♦ Q 5 3 2 ♣ 5 3 2

Open Room

Closed Room

In the Open Room, Zhuang called his hand a weak major two-suiter, using Stayman and rebidding two hearts over the no-major reply.

Against two hearts, South led his third-highest diamond. After declarer played low from the dummy, North won with his ace and returned a diamond. North took dummy's club queen with his ace and tried another diamond, declarer ruffing in his hand and discarding a spade from the dummy. A heart to the nine lost to North's queen, and now he shifted to the spade jack, won by East's queen when South played low. East cashed his club king, played a heart to the king and ace, cashed the club jack, and continued with the club ten, North ruffing and East overruffing. Now came a spade to dummy's ace, but North ruffed to hold declarer to one overtrick.

In the Closed Room, Zia had to open one club because one notrump would have been weak.

Against three spades, Sun found the great lead of the heart king. Declarer won with dummy's ace, and if he had known what was happening, he would have called for a club or a heart, but he cashed dummy's spade ace and played another spade. South won, led a heart to his partner's queen and got a heart ruff. North's two aces resulted in down one.

Plus 140 and plus 50 gave China SMEG five IMPs, closing the deficit to six IMPs.

On the next board, West was dealer at favorable vulnerability holding:

      ♠ Q 9 3
      ♥ 9 4 2
      ♦ 2
      ♣ Q J 9 8 4 3

Would you pass or open three clubs?

In the old days, everyone would have passed without giving it a second thought. Not now. Whenever it is one's turn to call, one has 13 cards and one might do something other than pass, one does not pass. So, in the Closed Room, Zia opened three clubs. North overcalled three spades with a limited 5-5 in the majors, Rosenberg jumped to five clubs, and South, with a 2=4=2=5 13-count with three aces and the spade jack, doubled. This went down three, minus 500.

At the other table, Shi passed. Garner and Weinstein had an uncontested auction to four hearts, made with an overtrick. Another four IMPs to USA 1.

The last four boards were flat, making the final score USA 1 21 China SMEG 11, which converted to 17-13 in victory points, a reasonable result for both teams.