This was an important match for both teams, though more so for Australia. USA1 went into the match in a battle with the other USA team for top spot in the round robin and the first pick of quarter-final opponents that went with it. Australia lay ninth, right on the edge of the qualifying positions, and needed a good result to keep their hopes alive.

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

Both Easts played 1NT on a heart lead and club switch. For Australia, Seamus Browne drifted one off for -50. The play was more entertaining on vugraph. Bobby Richman led a heart to Stephen Burgess's jack. Burgess switched to a low club, ducked to the queen, and back came a second club to the jack, king and ace. Michael Rosenberg crossed to the A to lead a diamond to his queen. Richman ducked smoothly. Next, Rosenberg tried the J and both defenders ducked that also! A third round of diamonds brought an embarrassing crash of defensive honours. Burgess won the A and cashed his club winner before exiting with a spade but now three rounds of those left Richman endplayed to give dummy the last trick with the 10; +90 and 4 IMPs to USA1.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Game 10 9 4 2 2 A 8 7 4 6 5 3 2 A 5 3 Q J 8 7 K 8 7 4 Q 10 5 3 J 5 3 6 2 K Q 9 10 7 4 K 6 A J 9 6 K Q 10 9 A J 8

In the Closed Room, Chip Martel opened 1 as dealer and, over Khokan Bagchi's takeout double, Lew Stansby made a pre-emptive raise to 3, ending the auction. Bagchi led a trump, the best start for the defence. Martel won in hand and played ace and a small heart, ruffing in dummy. It seems that he should be able to get a second heart ruff even after the trump lead but somehow he was two down; -100.

In the Open Room, Richman had a strong club opening (though strong only means 15+ in his methods), which silenced West, Zia. Richman rebid 1NT, 15-19, over the 1 negative response and that ended the auction. Zia led a low heart to the queen and ace and Richman cashed three rounds of diamonds ending in dummy and led a club to the eight and nine. He seemed to have gone wrong when he ducked the K return and was then put on lead with a third club, but Richman cashed his diamond then exited with the J to Zia's king and now Zia played a heart to his partner's ten. Rosenberg switched to a low spade and the critical point of the hand had been reached. Had Richman risen with the king, the defence would have taken three spade tricks for one down. In practice, he played low and Zia won the ace. Richman had the last two tricks; +120 and six IMPs to Australia.

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

How to get to 6NT? A few teams managed it, and one in the Venice Cup made 6 when East unwisely doubled, exposing the trump position. Both our teams got to 6 without really considering no trump; one off for a push.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Game A K 6 3 J 9 5 4 3 6 9 6 3 10 8 5 4 Q 9 7 2 A Q 7 2 K A J 3 Q 7 5 4 K 2 A Q 8 5 J 10 8 6 K 10 9 8 2 J 10 7 4 Closed Room West North East South Bagchi Stansby Browne Martel 1 Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 4 All Pass

Martel led the 10, which seemed to have solved declarer's problems in that suit, but when Browne lost a trick to the bare jack of spades Martel was able to give Stansby a diamond ruff for one down; -100.

Open Room West North East South Zia Burgess Rosenberg Richman 1 Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 All Pass

Michael Rosenberg (USA1)

It looked for a moment as though Zia/Rosenberg were going to play in 3NT, as Rosenberg's sequence appeared to have described his hand rather nicely, three-suited with a singleton heart honour.

3NT would probably have made but Zia alerted 3NT as forcing and went back to 4.

As we have seen, that contract is in serious jeopardy, but Richman had listened to the bidding and assumed his opponents had a good reason to play in 4 rather than 3NT. In that case perhaps he should start to draw trumps.

The J was a disastrous opening lead and when Rosenberg found the minor-suit squeeze against South in the endgame he even made an overtrick; +650 and 13 IMPs to USA1

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

Both North/South pairs reached 3NT but there was an important difference. For USA1, Stansby was declarer from the North seat and Browne selected a small diamond for his opening lead. With a third diamond trick in the bag, all Stansby had to do was play three rounds of hearts to establish a ninth trick; +400.

In the other room Richman was declarer from the opposite side. Zia led the Q to Richman's king. Declarer's best chance is to return the 10 to establish a third spade trick and hope that West does not find the club switch. Even now, declarer has to judge which red suit to play on for his ninth trick. Richman won the opening lead and played three rounds of diamonds and there was no recovery. Rosenberg cashed the fourth diamond and switched back to spades so Richman could establish an eighth trick but there was no ninth; -50 and 10 IMPs to USA1.

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All Q 8 6 2 Q J 9 8 5 2 K 10 9 A J 9 5 2 A 9 J 10 8 7 6 5 4 10 6 K 7 4 3 J 8 5 4 3 2 — K 10 7 4 3 K Q 3 A A Q 7 6 Closed Room West North East South Bagchi Stansby Browne Martel 1 Pass 1NT 3 3NT Pass 4 Pass Pass Dble All Pass

Bagchi liked the look of his spade holding and tried a speculative double of 4. He led the 10 to Martel's ace and declarer led a spade to the queen then a heart for the king and ace. Now Bagchi found the club switch and Browne got his ruff; one down for -100.

Open Room West North East South Zia Burgess Rosenberg Richman 1 Pass 1 3 Pass Pass Dble Pass 4 Pass Pass Dble All Pass

1 was strong (15+) and 1 a negative. When Rosenberg pre-empted, Richman passed but burgess reopened with a double and now he jumped to 4. Rosenberg doubled, looking for an unusual lead, and of course it was not difficult for Zia to see what was required. He led a careful 8, suit preference, and Rosenberg ruffed. He returned the 8 to the king and ace and Zia gave him a second ruff. There were still two trump tricks to lose so Richman was down two; -300 and 5 IMPs to USA1.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Game 10 2 A J 6 4 A K 10 9 6 A K J K 9 6 5 4 3 10 8 7 5 3 2 9 4 J 8 2 10 9 6 5 3 Q 8 7 A Q 8 7 K Q Q 7 5 3 J 4 2

It says something about the modern game that both Bagchi and Zia opened the West cards with a 3 pre-empt. Stansby and Burgess both overcalled 3NT. That is quite a wide range bid, of course, and the respective Souths had different views as to whether to continue. Martel raised to 4NT, invitational, and Stansby had an easy acceptance. He showed his diamonds but Martel went back to 6NT; +1470.

Richman passed over 3NT and the Australians suffered the embarrassment of playing in game when seven was on a finesse; +720 but 13 IMPs to USA1.

Australia's qualification hopes were in ruins. They had one modest gain to come but the rest of the set consisted of a series of pushes. This was the Australian gain.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All 8 6 J 3 A K Q 7 6 A 10 8 7 5 A 4 2 A K Q 10 9 8 6 2 7 5 10 2 9 5 4 3 3 2 J 9 6 4 K Q J 10 9 7 3 4 J 8 K Q 5

In the Closed Room, Martel opened 4, Bagchi overcalled 5 and Stansby doubled. Minus 300 was a slightly soft result for the Americans as they could have made 5.

In the Open Room, Richman also opened 4. Zia' s imagination over-ruled his discipline now and he overcalled 5! Burgess doubled and when that got back to Zia he ran to 5. Again Burgess doubled. Rosenberg thought for quite a while before converting to 6 and Zia had to run back to 6. That was doubled, of course, and you could tell that Rosenberg was not impressed with his partner's antics. Zia lost the inevitable five tricks for -500 and 5 IMPs to Australia.

USA1 won the match by 46-16 IMPs, 21-9 VPs. They still led the qualifying table while Australia were down to tenth and effectively out of contention.