While we were waiting for the gladiators to enter the arena for the second session of the semi-final we discussed the possibility of the USA teams being designated in some way other than by numbers. Earlier this year, at the World Junior Championships in Hamilton, the Canadian teams, taking the colours of their flag, adopted the suffixes red and white. Unfortunately the American flag has three colours, but Erik Kokish found the perfect solution - USA Stars and USA Stripes!

Board 17. Dealer North. Love All A 5 4 Q 9 5 3 2 J 9 7 3 2 Q J 9 6 3 2 8 7 4 K J 6 K Q 4 2 A 10 8 6 3 Q 7 K 6 4 K 10 A 10 8 7 5 A J 10 9 8 5 Open Room West North East South Freeman Deutsch Nickell Soloway Pass Pass 1 2 Dble Pass 4 All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Martel Meckstroth Stansby Rodwell Pass 1NT Dble Rdble Pass 2 Dble 2 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Both teams reached a thin four hearts, but with different declarers. In the Closed Room the auction was straightforward and West led the queen of spades. South won and ran the eight of hearts to East's jack. East laid down the ace of diamonds and continued the suit. With no immediate entry to the dummy, declarer could not avoid losing a trick to the king of trumps, as soon as the defenders win a club trick they can force declarer with another diamond. USA2 +50.

When Stansby opened a notrump, Rodwell doubled to show 14+. Martel's redouble commanded two clubs and the meaning of Rodwell's second double was not clear from the convention card. Whatever, Meckstroth came in to the auction and was raised to game. East led the eight of spades and declarer, with rather more information than had been available to Soloway, allowed that to run to his hand. He advanced the queen of hearts which was covered by the king and ace. He turned his attention to clubs, playing the ace and jack.. West won and the defence played two rounds of diamonds. Declarer ruffed and played the ten of hearts. As East had the missing club he was able to ruff the next diamond and return to hand with a club ruff to draw the last trump, leaving dummy high. +420 and 10 IMPs.

Board 20. Dealer West. Game All A Q J 10 3 J 7 A 10 5 10 6 5 K 9 6 7 5 4 2 Q 5 3 2 K 10 9 8 8 7 4 3 Q 9 6 8 2 K 4 8 A 6 4 K J 2 A Q J 9 7 3 Open Room West North East South Freeman Deutsch Nickell Soloway Pass 1 Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Martel Meckstroth Stansby Rodwell Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

USA1 picked up 12 Imps by bidding and making a thin slam in the closed room. Soloway used an old fashioned force and that persuaded Deutsch to go on over 3NT. West led the two of hearts and declarer ducked the first round of the suit, won the second and ruffed the third. At this point the play record ceases, but we imagine declarer ran the ten of clubs and then drew the remaining trumps. There are plenty of ways to go wrong, but Soloway did not follow a losing line and he recorded +1370. Slam was never in the picture in the other room.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Game A Q 5 J 8 4 K 8 4 8 7 6 5 K 9 2 J 8 7 4 6 2 K 5 3 A 10 7 2 Q 6 K J 10 4 Q 9 3 2 10 6 3 A Q 10 9 7 J 9 5 3 A Open Room West North East South Freeman Deutsch Nickell Soloway 1 Dble Rdble 1 2 Pass 2 2 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Against four hearts, West led the two of spades which was allowed to go to East's jack. He switched to the two of clubs, so declarer won and played a diamond to the king. He needed a favourable position in both red suits, but here there was nothing he could do. -100.

Closed Room West North East South Martel Meckstroth Stansby Rodwell 1 Dble 2 2 3 Pass 3NT All Pass

Meckstroth's bid of two diamonds promised three card heart support, but when he suggested a nine trick game Rodwell decided to go along with him. Right! With clubs 4-4 and the three key cards well placed declarer actually came to ten tricks when the defenders parted with too many spades. +630 and 12 IMPs. The next three boards appeared to offer little scope, but on one of them USA2 had an accident in the closed room.

Board 23. Dealer South. Game All K 10 7 6 2 7 5 4 4 2 6 4 2 Q 5 3 8 10 8 A K Q J 3 2 A K Q J 6 5 10 3 K J Q 10 8 3 A J 9 4 9 6 9 8 7 A 9 7 5 Open Room West North East South Freeman Deutsch Nickell Soloway Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2NT Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4NT All Pass

Two notrumps promised a little more than West had and four clubs was Gerber. Perhaps East should have passed the response, but he thought 4NT would be safe so he signed off with that. North led a spade and South won and cashed the ace of clubs before reverting to spades. Three down, -300.

Closed Room West North East South Martel Meckstroth Stansby Rodwell Pass 1 Pass 1 Dble 1NT 3 4 All Pass

As is so often the case, 'Meckwell' managed to get into the auction, but they could not do any serious damage. Rodwell went for broke with the lead of the seven of clubs and thirteen tricks were scored. 14 out of the blue IMPs for USA1.

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Game 9 8 7 4 4 6 A K Q 9 5 3 2 5 2 A Q 3 — K Q 10 7 3 2 A J 10 8 7 4 2 K 9 5 3 J 10 6 4 — K J 10 6 A J 9 8 6 5 Q 8 7 Open Room West North East South Freeman Deutsch Nickell Soloway 1 1 Pass 2 3 4 4 5 Pass 6 Dble All Pass

What a great effort to reach the laydown slam on the East/West cards. Only the foul heart break prevented an overtrick being recorded but that was still +1540.

Closed Room West North East South Martel Meckstroth Stansby Rodwell 3 4 Dble All Pass

Meckstroth's opening bid promised a solid suit somewhere. Stansby had a shrewd idea where, but it was hard to let his partner in on the secret. (In passing what do you think bids of 3NT and double by East should mean in this situation?) His choice of four hearts met with a cruel fate when Rodwell wielded his axe and everybody passed.

Should West run?

Whatever, declarer was doubtless charmed when he saw the dummy.

Rodwell led the eight of clubs which was ruffed. He took the queen of hearts with the ace and switched to the queen of diamonds. Declarer won in hand and tried the ten of hearts. Rodwell won and was allowed to hold the next trick with the eight of hearts. He exited with another heart and declarer won and played on diamonds. He ended up three down, -800 and a massive 20 IMPs for USA2, the biggest swing of the championships so far.

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Game J 7 K Q 9 8 Q 10 8 7 3 J 2 K Q 4 A 10 6 5 2 2 A J 10 7 6 K J 9 A K Q 10 7 6 4 A 9 9 8 3 5 4 3 6 5 4 2 8 5 3 Open Room West North East South Freeman Deutsch Nickell Soloway 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4NT Pass 5 Pass 5 Pass 6 Pass 6 All Pass

Its not clear what went wrong here, but 4NT was almost certainly RKCB and the response showed one or four key cards. Five diamonds was asking about the queen of spades and the rest of West's hand, and when he bid six diamonds East probably decided that the king of clubs was missing.

Closed Room West North East South Martel Meckstroth Stansby Rodwell 1 1 1 Pass 2 Pass 4NT Pass 5 Dble 5 Pass 6 Pass 6 Pass 7 All Pass

Even here North/South contrived to get into the bidding. North's double said don't lead a diamond, but West ended up as declarer, so he led the king of hearts. Martel won, ruffed a heart and played the king of clubs and a club to the ace. He was able to claim when the trumps behaved, but he had prepared the ground for a trump coup if South had happened to hold four trumps to the jack.

Board 31. Dealer South. N/S Game A Q 10 9 7 6 3 K 3 K 2 7 5 J 4 8 5 10 9 7 6 5 A J 4 2 Q J 10 9 7 8 5 3 3 A 9 4 2 K 2 Q 8 A 6 4 K Q J 10 8 6 Open Room West North East South Freeman Deutsch Nickell Soloway 1NT Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4NT Pass 5 All Pass

It was not unreasonable to look for a slam on the North/South cards, but there were not enough aces, and with South as declarer it was easy for the defence to find their club ruff. -100.

Closed Room West North East South Martel Meckstroth Stansby Rodwell 1 3 3 5 Pass Pass Dble All Pass

Rodwell's pass over 5 asked partner to say 'double' and he did as he was told. North led a club and declarer won and played the ace of hearts before playing a trump. North won and mysteriously cashed the king of hearts before reverting to clubs. That possibly cost his side a trick, but declarer was still three down and that gave USA2 12 IMPs.

The action packed session came to an end with a flat board, but it was not without interest.

Board 32. Dealer West. E/W Game Q 10 8 A 8 6 4 2 9 8 5 4 2 — 9 5 3 K J 7 6 2 10 K 7 3 A J 7 K 6 3 K Q 7 6 5 3 J 10 A 4 Q J 9 5 Q 10 A 9 8 4 2 Open Room West North East South Freeman Deutsch Nickell Soloway 1 Dble Rdble 4 Pass Pass Dble All Pass

East led the jack of clubs and declarer won, pitching a spade, and played the ten of diamonds. East won and played his remaining club. Declarer ruffed and cashed the ace of hearts before playing a second diamond. West switched to the nine of spades covered by the ten jack and ace. North ruffed a club with the eight of hearts and was overruffed by the king. At this point the play record stops, but the contract failed by two tricks, so it looks as if East exited with a spade. Although this gives a ruff and discard and dummy still has QJ9 and East only the 7 the defenders must make one more trick. Remarkable!

Closed Room West North East South Martel Meckstroth Stansby Rodwell Pass 2 Pass 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 Dble 5 Dble All Pass

Another hyperactive auction from North/South, but this time something went wrong. Perhaps three diamonds was just too pushy. West led the nine of spades and South won with the ace and passed the queen of hearts. East won and switched to a diamond. West won and returned the suit, leaving declarer in control. He was the same two town, a flat board.

USA2 had won the session 55-39 IMPs to lead 105-52 IMPs overall.