At the half-way point in the battle of the American Ladies' teams, USA2 had a useful but not yet decisive lead of 41 IMPs, 110-69. USA1 needed to pull back some points in the last set of the day to help them sleep well. The first swing of the set duly went in favour of the trailing team.

Board 50. Dealer East. N/S Game Q 9 8 7 6 4 K 9 3 A 8 4 4 J 5 3 10 7 6 2 A 10 8 4 K 10 7 5 J 9 6 3 Q 9 8 A K 6 3 A K 2 Q J 5 Q 2 J 10 7 5 2 Closed Room West North East South Sanborn Sokolow Levitina Breed 1 Dble Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Irina Levitina, for USA2, opened 1, Precision, and Mildred Breed doubled. North, Tobi Sokolow, cuebid then jumped to 4. She was able to ruff a diamond in the dummy so just lost one trick in each side suit; +620. In the Open Room, Randi Montin, for USA1, also opened 1, playing standard methods. Beth Palmer did not make the takeout double and Jill Meyers responded 1NT. Nobody had anything to say over that so USA2 had missed their vulnerable game. Juanita Chambers led a spade and the defence cashed six of those then switched to hearts. As Palmer had kept a club guard, Meyers could take only four tricks; -150 but 10 IMPs to USA1, who needed them.

Board 52. Dealer West. Game All Q 9 K Q 10 7 A K A 6 4 3 2 K J 6 3 2 A 8 5 4 8 A 6 3 2 Q 6 4 10 7 5 2 K 9 8 7 5 10 7 J 9 5 4 J 9 8 3 Q J 10

Jill Meyers (USA1)

In the Closed Room, Sokolow opened 1 in second seat and was left to play there, making nine tricks for +110. West had five spades and it was a slight surprise that she did not overcall in the pass-out seat but she had club length and partner had to also have some clubs or be quite weak for her pass over 1.

Chambers also opened 1 but this was Precision. She rebid 1NT with her awkward hand over the 1 negative and played there. Montin led a low heart and Chambers won the queen and played back the K. This was ducked and now Chambers tried a low club from hand. Meyers won the K and switched to a spade to the ace. Montin returned a spade and Meyers won the king and led a low one to Montin's eight, allowing her to cash the A before leading a fourth spade; one down for -100 and 5 IMPs to USA1.

Chambers could have made her contract by continuing to play on hearts to get to dummy then taking the club finesse.

Board 53. Dealer North. N/S Game K 9 7 2 — Q 7 4 3 K 8 5 4 2 4 3 Q J 10 6 5 7 5 4 3 Q J 6 2 10 8 6 2 5 A 10 9 Q 6 3 A 8 A K 10 9 8 A K J 9 J 7 Closed Room West North East South Sanborn Sokolow Levitina Breed Pass Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 5 All Pass

Breed opened 1 then jump-shifted in diamonds. When Sokolow raised those, Breed had no convenient cuebid as both 4 and 4 would have sounded natural. With no club control she just bid 5 and played there, making exactly; +400.

Open Room West North East South Meyers Palmer Montin Chambers Pass Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 6 All Pass

Palmer opened a strong club and Chambers made a natural positive response. Chambers got to show all three of her suits and now Palmer took a long time before shooting the slam. Montin led a spade and Chambers won the ace and continued with a club to the king and a second club for the jack and ace. Meyers continued spades and Chambers won the king. She ruffed a club high, then played K and 9 to the queen. A third diamond to the jack was followed by three rounds of hearts, declarer ruffing the third round. As Montin had pitched a heart on the diamonds, when Chambers now played a winning club and Meyers ruffed, she had to give the last trick to dummy's established heart; one down for -100 and 12 IMPs to USA1.

Board 54. Dealer East. E/W Game A 9 2 Q 9 7 3 2 K 8 2 K J Q 10 7 5 4 A 6 K J 10 8 4 7 6 5 4 3 9 A 10 8 3 2 Q 9 5 K J 8 6 3 5 A Q J 10 7 6 4

Both North/South pairs began 1 - 2 - 2 . Now Chambers jumped to 4 while Sokolow preferred a forcing 3, which Breed raised to game. The opening lead was critical. Against Breed, Sanborn led the A then switched to ace and another heart. The friendly trump position meant that Breed had no further problems; +450.

Meyers led a diamond against Palmer. Declarer won in hand and played a club towards the king, jack. Meyers played low but Palmer guessed right, playing the king. Palmer played a second club and Meyers won the ace. She gave Montin a diamond ruff, won the heart return and gave a second ruff for one down; -50 and another 11 IMPs to USA1. Having gained 37 IMPs in six boards, USA1 had almost levelled the match.

Board 55. Dealer South. Game All Q 6 3 9 8 A J 10 6 5 3 A 7 K 10 9 7 5 2 A J 4 J 7 5 4 3 K Q 10 6 Q K 9 7 4 10 K 4 8 A 2 8 2 Q J 9 8 6 5 3 2

USA2 earned themselves a little breathing space on this one. Both Souths opened 3 and, after two passes, both Easts doubled for takeout. Kerri Sanborn and Jill Meyers both responded 4 to the double and played there. Sokolow led A, A, then a heart; Chambers led A, A then a second diamond. It was all down to declarer's view in the trump suit and Sanborn viewed correctly while Meyers did not; +620 for USA2 but -100 for USA1 - 12 IMPs to USA2.

Board 57. Dealer North. E/W Game 9 4 3 A 8 6 2 K Q J 7 5 3 K 2 A 8 6 5 K 10 5 3 2 Q J 7 4 A Q J 8 4 10 9 6 10 9 2 Q J 10 7 9 6 K 7 5 3 A 8 4 Open Room West North East South Meyers Palmer Montin Chambers 2 Pass 3 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Chambers opened a Precision 2 and Palmer made a constructive raise to 3. Meyers bid her hearts and Montin raised to game. North/South had already done their bidding on the deal and were prepared to take their chances on defence. But there was no defence. 4 made an overtrick for +650.

Closed Room West North East South Sanborn Sokolow Levitina Breed 1 Pass 1 Dble Rdble 2 3 4 5 All Pass

Sokolow opened at the one-level and Breed bid her spades. Now Sanborn was able to get both her suits into the game via a takeout double. Breed redoubled, showing three spades, and Levitina bid her hearts. Breed showed her club support and when Sanborn jumped to 4 Sokolow could see that her side would not have much defence to that contract so saved in 5. But it wasn't completely clear to East/West that 5 was bid as a save as they had bid 4 more on shape than high cards. 5 slipped by undoubled, enabling USA1 to make a healthy profit on the board. Levitina led the 10 and continued with the 9, overtaken by the jack. Sanborn returned the 2 but Sokolow could ditch a heart on that while Levitina ruffed. A low spade switch would have led to four off but Levitina tried a heart in response to her partner's suit preference lead and now the contract was only three down; -150 and 11 IMPs to USA1.

There were no more major swings in the set, but a couple of minor ones came along at the end.

Board 63. Dealer South. N/S Game 9 7 6 3 A 8 3 A Q 10 7 4 3 A 10 2 Q 5 4 Q J 10 7 6 K 9 8 5 3 K 5 2 A Q J 10 8 6 4 K J 8 5 4 2 K J 9 6 2 9 7

The board was played the wrong way round in the Open Room, making Montin West. She opened a mini-no trump in second seat and Meyers just blasted 3NT. The opening diamond lead beat that easily enough; two down for -100.

Closed Room West North East South Sanborn Sokolow Levitina Breed Pass Pass 1 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 All Pass

Here it was Sokolow, in third seat, who got to open. Levitina overcalled 2 and the competitive auction finally ended in 5. This is a better contract than 3NT, as there are eleven tricks available if the defence don't establish their spade trick immediately. But Breed led a diamond to Sokolow's ace and back came the necessary low spade. Declarer could draw trumps and knock out the heart but she was one down and the swing was only 2 IMPs to USA2.

Board 64. Dealer West. E/W Game 5 A 8 K 10 9 3 K 9 8 5 4 2 A K Q 10 7 4 2 6 3 10 4 K Q 9 6 5 7 6 J 8 5 4 Q 3 A 6 J 9 8 J 7 3 2 A Q 2 J 10 7 Open Room West North East South Meyers Palmer Montin Chambers 1 2 Dble 3 Pass Pass Dble Pass 3 All Pass

Despite having seven running spades, Meyers took a slightly cautious line in the auction and waited for the second double before repeating her spades. Chambers led a low club which Meyers ran round to her queen. She drew trumps and had ten tricks; +170.

Closed Room West North East South Sanborn Sokolow Levitina Breed 1 2 2 3 3 Pass 4 Pass Pass 5 Dble All Pass

Here Levitina bid 2 rather than making a negative double. That encouraged Sanborn to bid 3 freely and the game was reached. On the auction, there was no reason for Sokolow to avoid the disastrous club lead to 4 so she probably did well to go on to 5. She got the trumps right so was just one down; -100 but 2 IMPs to USA1.

At the end of a great set for USA1, they had pulled back to trail by only 3 IMPs with 32 boards still to play. The overnight score: USA1 123 USA2 126. There would be all to play for the next day with a place in the Venice Cup final at stake.