bermuda bowl final session 4

Norway v USA 1

by Brent Manley

In any long match such as the final of the Bermuda Bowl, there will be ups and down for both teams. In the fourth set of the showdown between USA 1 and Norway, the Americans had many more downs than ups. It all started on the first deal.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ 10 8 4 3 2 ♥ J 8 2 ♦ 4 ♣ K 9 7 4
♠ 9 7 ♥ A 10 7 6 3 ♦ 9 ♣ Q 8 5 3 2		♠ Q J 6 ♥ K Q 9 ♦ Q 7 3 2 ♣ J 10 6
	♠ A K 5 ♥ 5 4 ♦ A K J 10 8 6 5 ♣ A

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Garner	Helness	Weinstein
	Pass	Pass	2♣
Pass	2♦	Pass	3♦
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Steve Garner might have mentioned his five-card spade suit, but he chose a contract with no legitimate play at all. Tor Helness started with the ♥K, getting an encouraging 3 from Geir Helgemo. Helness, confident that declarer was very short of tricks, played the ♣J at trick two. Garner tried the ♦A, then the ♠A (the ♠Q J might have been doubleton), then the ♦K, ♠K and another spade. Garner ended with but six tricks for minus 150.

West	North	East	South
Zia	Tundal	Rosenberg	Groetheim
	Pass	Pass	1♣
1♥	Dble	1NT*	Dble
2♥	2♠	Pass	3♦
Pass	3♥	Pass	4♠
All Pass

Glenn Groetheim’s 1♣ opener was strong and artificial. The bidding by Zia Mahmood and Michael Rosenberg (1NT was a cuebid for hearts) helped North-South diagnose their lack of a heart stopper and the found their eight-card spade fit.

Rosenberg played two top hearts before switching to the ♣J. Ulf Haadon Tundal won the ♣A in dummy, cashed the ♦A and played a low diamond from dummy, overruffing when Zia ruffed with the ♠9. A spade to the jack and king allowed Tundal to ruff another diamond low, and a second spade to dummy allowed Tundal to claim with good diamonds. Rosenberg had a spade trick coming, but that was it. Plus 420 and 11 IMPs to Norway.

The next deal required some very good card play by South in both rooms.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ J ♥ A J 8 6 ♦ A K 6 5 ♣ K 10 4 2
♠ K Q 10 8 7 5 ♥ 10 3 ♦ 10 8 3 ♣ A 3		♠ 6 ♥ Q 7 5 2 ♦ J 9 7 4 ♣ Q 9 8 5
	♠ A 9 4 3 2 ♥ K 9 4 ♦ Q 2 ♣ J 7 6

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Garner	Helness	Weinstein
Zia	Tundal	Rosenberg	Groetheim
		Pass	Pass
2♠	Dble	Pass	3NT
All Pass

In the closed room, Zia started with the ♠Q: jack, 6, ace. A low club went to the 10 and queen, and Groetheim won the diamond continuation with the queen. He played another low club from hand, taken by Zia with the ace. Zia cashed the ♠10, then played a diamond to dummy’s ace. Groetheim then called for the ♥J from dummy, letting it ride when Rosenberg played low. A heart to the king drew the 10 from Zia, but declarer had his nine tricks via three hearts, two clubs, three diamonds and a spade.

The play went a bit differently in the open room. Helgemo started with the ♠K, ducked by Weinstein in case Helgemo’s 2♠ was based on a five-card suit. Helgemo switched to a diamond, which went to declarer’s queen. Now a club to the 10 and queen brought another diamond to dummy’s ace. A club to the jack and ace meant Weinstein had only one club trick, but he worked out a way to get home anyway. He won the third round of diamonds in dummy, then thought for a long time before played the ♥J and letting it run. He then played a heart to the king, cashed the ♠A, pitching dummy’s diamond. Helness also pitched a diamond, but then Weinstein played a club to dummy’s king and threw Helness in with the fourth round of the suit, getting the blocking ♥9 out of his hand. Helness was left on lead at trick 12 with the ♥Q 7, looking at dummy’s ♥A 8. Well done at both tables for a push.

Eight more IMPs went to Norway on the third board when Groetheim and Tundal landed in 4♥ on a deal where Weinstein and Garner got all the way to 1NT. 4♥ was a very lucky make, but it was a swing nonetheless.

The one big swing of the set for USA 1 occurred on the next deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Zia	Tundal	Rosenberg	Groetheim
Pass	1♠	Pass	3♠
Pass	4♠	All Pass

Groetheim’s 3♠ described a hand with 7-9 high-card points and no singletons or voids. Rosenberg led the ♥J, taken by declarer with the ace. A spade to the ace was followed by a spade to the king. A low diamond from declarer’s hand drew Rosenberg’s king. Now a club to the ace felled the singleton ♣K with North. The ♦A and ♠Q were still to come. One down.

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Garner	Helness	Weinstein
Pass	1♠	Pass	3♣*
Pass	4♠	All Pass

Weinstein’s 3♣ could have been a strong raise. A good guess in trumps is needed to make 10 tricks legitimately, but Garner ended up with an overtrick. He won the heart lead in hand, played the ♠K and a spade to the ace, getting the bad news. He then called for a low diamond from dummy, and when Helgemo went in with the ace, Garner was up to 10 tricks. Number 11 came on the underlead of the ♣A. Plus 650 meant 13 IMPs for USA 1.

It was the last substantial gain the Americans would make, however.

This deal was one of the bad ones for USA 1.

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

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Garner	Helness	Weinstein
1NT	2♥	3♣	3♠
Pass	4♠	5♣	Dble
All Pass

Helgemo’s 1NT was nominally 15-17. Garner’s 2♥ showed the majors, which dissuaded Helness from introducing his second suit. Weinstein’s opening lead of the ♥9 did not hinder declarer’s efforts. Helness put up the ♥10 at trick one and later finessed the 8 to hold his losers in the suit to one. He lost one club, one spade and one heart for minus 100.

West	North	East	South
Zia	Tundal	Rosenberg	Groetheim
1♦	1♠	2♥	3♠
4♦	4♠	5♣	Pass
5♥	Dble	All Pass

Zia naturally went back to his partner’s first suit, with devastating consequences. Groetheim hit on a forcing defense by leading a low spade. The second spade was ruffed, and Rosenberg played a club to the ace and a heart to his king. A second club to the queen was ruffed by North, who continued playing spades. Rosenberg ruffed and ruffed a club with dummy’s 10. That was overruffed by Tundal, who continued with spades. At that point, Rosenberg was down to the lone trump queen, so he couldn’t play another trump. When he played the ♣K and it was ruffed by North with the ♥A, Tundal was able to punch out declarer’s last trump, promoting Groetheim’s 9 to a winner. That was three down, minus 500 and 9 IMPs to Norway.

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

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Garner	Helness	Weinstein
			1♠
Pass	2♠	Dble	Pass
2NT	Pass	3♣	All Pass

Helgemo had a trump stack, but the spots were not to his liking, so he made the excellent decision to pull the double to 2NT, directing partner to bid something.

West	North	East	South
Zia	Tundal	Rosenberg	Groetheim
			1♠
Pass	2♠	Dble	All Pass

Zia went for the gusto, passing the takeout double and leading the ♥9. Rosenberg played the jack, taken by declarer with the king. Groetheim played a diamond at trick two, and Zia won the ace to continue hearts. Rosenberg won the ♥Q and cashed the ace, then played a low club. Groetheim went up with the ♣A, played the ♠10 to the jack and king, and he discarded his losing clubs on the high diamonds. Zia, who had discarded a diamond on the third round of hearts, ruffed the ♦Q, but the only other trick his side was taking was the high spade. That was plus 470 and another 9 IMPs to Norway.