Two real heavyweights, the European champions and the Bermuda Bowl holders, met on vugraph in Round 10, with the Americans having the better of the early going.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Game A K 5 3 2 K J 7 A Q 8 3 K Q J 8 4 9 6 A 5 Q 10 9 8 6 4 3 10 7 6 K 5 A 9 7 3 8 4 10 7 2 J 9 4 2 Q J 10 6 5 2 Closed Room West North East South Lanzarotti Hamman Buratti Wolff 2 Pass 2 Dbl 3 Pass Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Andrea Buratti under-pre-empted with a hand which looks like a normal three-level opening and this allowed Hamman/Wolff space to find a tolerable spot. There are only three obvious losers in 4 but declarer's lack of entries to hand means that he cannot avoid a trump promotion one way or another. 4 was one down; -100.

Open Room West North East South Meckstroth Versace Rodwell Lauria 3 Pass 3 3NT All Pass

Eric Rodwell's transfer pre-empt left Alfredo Versace no room to explore and he guessed to bid 3NT. Clearly, this can go several down on a heart lead to the ace and heart return, but Jeff Meckstroth switched to the Q at trick two. Now Versace had a chance. The winning line is to win the spade and play ace and queen of diamonds, creating two dummy entries. If East continues spades, West cannot afford to overtake so declarer can duck and later knock out the A to establish nine tricks. He is also O.K. if he wins the spade and plays K - but only if West ducks. If he wins the club and switches back to hearts the contract is several down.

Anyway, all of that was academic because Versace ducked the Q and Meckstroth promptly switched back to hearts. Versace won the K and cashed the top spades, Rodwell pitching a club. On seeing that spades were not breaking evenly, Versace played the K but Meckstroth knew he could afford to win that and he duly did so and played a diamond through. Versace finessed, hios only hope, and Rodwell had all the hearts to cash; five down for -500 and 9 IMPs to USA2.

Board 4. Dealer West. Game All A K 7 Q 8 3 Q 10 9 4 2 7 5 J 6 Q 8 2 K J 7 6 2 10 K 6 A J 8 7 5 3 K 10 4 2 9 8 3 10 9 5 4 3 A 9 5 4 — A Q J 6 Open Room West North East South Meckstroth Versace Rodwell Lauria 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2 Dble All Pass

1NT was forcing and 2 could have been as few as two cards on a bad day (4-5-2-2 distribution). When Lorenzo Lauria doubled 2 for takeout, Versace had an easy enough pass and it appeared that the contract should go one or two down. However, the defence lost its way.

Lauria led a spade and Versace won the king and switched to the 2. Rodwell put in the eight and led his heart to Lauria's ace. Lauria cashed A and led a spade to the ace and Versace exited with a diamond to dummy's king.

Rodwell cashed the K and K and the contract hinged on which suit he ruffed at the next trick.

If he chose a club, Versace would pitch his spade and make two trump tricks in the endgame for one down. But Rodwell correctly ruffed a heart, cashed the spade and exited with his low diamond to force a lead into the AJ at trick twelve; +180.

In the Closed Room, Massimo Lanzarotti did not open the West hand and Bobby Wolff opened 1 after three passes. Bob Hamman responded 2, Drury, and Wolff bid 4 over Buratti's 2 overcall.

The lead was the K. Wolff ruffed and crossed to the A to take the club finesse. Lanzarotti took his king and exited with a spade to dummy's king. Wolff led the Q, covered and ruffed, then came the A and a club ruff. The 10 was covered and ruffed, establishing the nine, and Wolff played J, throwing dummy's small diamond. Buratti had the Q but with the K well-placed it didn't matter whether he ruffed or not as declarer could always lead up to the Q for his contract. An excellent +620 and 13 IMPs for USA2.

Board 7. Dealer South. Game All A 7 6 A 8 5 2 J 5 A K 6 5 K J 10 5 3 2 K Q J 10 7 4 9 3 Q 4 A 6 2 Q J 10 3 9 8 4 Q 9 8 4 6 K 10 9 8 7 3 7 2 Open Room West North East South Meckstroth Versace Rodwell Lauria Pass 1 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

2 was Stayman and 2 showed either four spades or a minimum without four spades. 2 enquired and 2NT showed the latter hand-type and now Lauria took an aggressive pot at game. Rodwell led hearts and Versace won the second round and led the J to dummy's king, hoping for a miraculous bare queen with West. No such luck. Next he led a low spade and got some good news when the king appeared. He took the ace and returned a spade, ducking when Rodwell split his honours. It would seem that declarer's play marks West with the Q, but Rodwell played safe and returned a club so Versace escaped for two down when a low diamond to the queen would have netted an extra trick for the defence; -200.

Closed Room West North East South Lanzarotti Hamman Buratti Wolff Pass 1 1NT Pass 2 2 Pass Pass 2 All Pass

In contrast to Lauria's drive to game, Wolff simply bid a natural and non-forcing 2 over 1NT. When Lanzarotti repeated his hearts, Wolff showed his spades and played in 2 on the lead of K to the ace. Wolff ran the J at trick two, ruffed the next heart and cleared the diamonds. With the K falling, his spade pips were just good enough to allow declarer to scramble home with eight tricks; +110 and 7 IMPs to USA2.

The Americans had a useful lead of 33-6 at this point but now Italy started to come back.

Board 8. Dealer North. Game All A K 9 6 2 K Q 3 2 K 7 4 3 Q J 4 3 10 7 5 6 5 A J 9 7 10 9 A Q J 7 2 A J 10 6 2 K 8 10 8 4 8 6 5 4 3 Q 9 8 5

In the Open Room, Versace opened 1 after a pass by West and Rodwell doubled. Meckstroth responded 1NT to the double and played there, making an overtrick; +120.

In the other room, Hamman had a hand worth a canape sequence in his methods so opened 1. Buratti overcalled 2 and Lanzarotti responded 2, an unassuming cuebid. Now Hamman thought he had an opportunity to show his main suit and bid 2. But Buratti doubled to show his extras and Lanzarotti was delighted to pass. A slightly strange looking auction from the Italian pair but highly effective. Buratti cashed the K and switched to ace and another diamond and the defence had no difficulty in coming to two spades, two hearts and two more clubs for three down; -500 and 9 IMPs to Italy.

Board 10. Dealer East. Game All J 9 6 4 3 10 8 6 K J 2 K Q A 10 8 2 Q 5 2 A 7 4 3 A 10 9 4 3 8 6 10 8 4 2 J 7 6 5 K Q 7 5 K J 9 Q 7 5 A 9 3

A systemic triumph for Lauria/Versace or, perhaps more accurately, an unlucky board for the Hamman/Wolff methods. In the Open Room, Lauria opened 1NT, 15-17, and Versace bid 2, transfer. Lauria jumped to 3, showing four-card support but a minimum, and Versace suggested 3NT as an alternative spot. With his flat hand, Lauria was happy to accept the suggestion. Meckstroth led a diamond against 3NT and Lauria put in dummy's jack then played on spades. Meckstroth won the A and switched to hearts, establishing Lauria's ninth trick; +600.

Wolff also opened 1NT but this was wide-range, Blue Club style, and Hamman had to start with a 2 enquiry. Wolff bid 2, showing a strong no trump with four spades, but Hamman did not have the same options as had Versace in the other room and simply raised to 4. Lanzarotti led a heart to the ace and Wolff had no option but to finesse on the heart return. When Lanzarotti won the Q, he promptly switched to ace and another diamond so was able to give Buratti a diamond ruff when he got in with the A; two down for -200 and 13 IMPs to Italy.

Board 13. Dealer North. Game All A J 9 5 4 A 9 7 9 7 Q 8 2 K Q 10 2 — 8 4 2 K Q J 10 10 6 5 A K Q J 8 2 J 9 4 K 10 3 8 7 6 3 6 5 3 4 3 A 7 6 5

In the Closed Room, the Italians had a free run to 5 by East after Hamman had passed as dealer. Wolff led a trump and Buratti won in hand and advanced the K. Hamman took the ace and returned a second trump and Buratti carefully played his eight and won with dummy's ten, leaving himself with a second diamond entry to the table. The obvious play now was to finesse North for the Q and when that worked Buratti was home; +600.

Open Room West North East South Meckstroth Versace Rodwell Lauria 1 Dbl 3 Pass Pass 4 Pass 4NT Pass 5 All Pass

Versace opened the North hand and Lauria made a normal pre-emptive raise over the double. Had Rodwell doubled again, Meckstroth would have been happy to pass and it would have been a question of two or three down. But Rodwell had such playing strength that he preferred to cuebid 4 and, over the 4NT response, bid his long suit.

Lauria led a spade, of course, and the king forced the ace which was ruffed. And that established spade trick in the dummy had a major role to play in the hand because, of course, it gave declarer a club guess instead of a simple finesse. Rodwell drew trumps, threw a club on the Q and led the J to …. The king! Down one and 12 IMPs to Italy, who had moved into the lead.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Game A 10 6 3 2 6 3 A 9 8 Q 9 6 7 4 J 5 7 2 K J 9 8 5 Q 10 2 K 6 5 A K J 4 3 2 10 8 5 K Q 9 8 A Q 10 4 J 7 4 3 7 Open Room West North East South Meckstroth Versace Rodwell Lauria 1 2 Dble 2 Dble Pass 2 3 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Versace's double was negative while Lauria's showed hearts. When Versace removed that double he had to have long spades and Lauria had an easy raise. The defence attacked diamonds early and the favourable breaks meant that Versace was able to throw his second heart on the long diamond and didn't need the heart finesse, though he was sure it was onside, of course.

In the other room Wolff opened 1 on the South cards and Lanzarotti overcalled 1NT, showing either a normal 1NT overcall or a weak hand with a long minor. Hamman jumped to game and Buratti bid 4NT, trying to cater to whichever hand-type his partner held. The five-level rates to be dangerously high looking at the East hand, even given the favourable vulnerability, and so it proved. Lanzarotti corrected to 5 and was doubled for -800; 5 IMPs to USA2.

Board 20. Dealer West. Game All A Q J J 7 6 2 A Q 7 4 A 6 9 7 K 10 8 5 4 2 K 10 5 4 A 9 J 10 3 2 K 9 5 Q 8 3 K 5 6 3 Q 8 3 8 6 J 10 9 7 4 2 Closed Room West North East South Lanzarotti Hamman Buratti Wolff Pass 1 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3NT 4 All Pass

It is unclear what was going on here as Hamman's 1 opening was strong and one or other of the Italians seems to have taken a wild gamble. That gamble paid off when Wolff decided to save in 4, fearing that the spades might be running and East/West actually have nine tricks. Hamman was declarer, of course, and the lead of the 9 into his tenace did him no harm. But there were still far too many losers to worry about. He won the Q and played two rounds of clubs. The defence had two clubs, two hearts and a spade for two down; -200.

In the Open Room, Versace opened 2, showing a balanced 18-20, in second seat. Lauria bid 2NT, demanding 3, and passed the response. 3 should fail, of course, but it is as good a contract as is likely to be reached on the North/South cards. The lead was a spade away from the king and Versace won the queen and played a low heart. Rodwell went in with the ace of hearts and played back the nine and Meckstroth gave him a heart ruff. But that was at the expense of a trump trick and worse was to follow for the defence when Rodwell switched to a diamond into the ace-queen. From here, Versace had only to lose a trump trick; +110 and 7 IMPs to Italy.

Italy had come back well from their poor start and gained a narrow win; 16-14 VPs.