This was the one close match out of the four semi-finals overnight, with USA2 leading by just 3 IMPs. As it turned out, it was to remain tight right down to the wire.

Board 66. Dealer East. N/S Game J 7 4 J 9 2 A 10 7 4 2 K 10 A Q 10 5 K 6 3 6 K Q 10 7 5 3 — J 8 3 Q J 9 8 7 6 4 2 A 9 8 2 A 8 4 K Q 9 6 5 5 3

Both East/West pairs handled this awkward deal well.

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

Tobi Sokolow suggested the 4-3 spade fit on the way to 5 but Mildred Breed rightly didn't fancy that and corrected to the top spot.

Closed Room West North East South Deas Meyers Palmer Montin 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 5 All Pass

Beth Palmer didn't bother offering 4 as a possible contract, preferring to take the pressure off her partner. Both declarers made eleven tricks; +400 for a push.

Board 67. Dealer South. E/W Game 10 9 8 J 9 J A Q 9 8 7 5 3 K 6 2 J 4 A K 8 4 Q 10 2 9 8 7 2 A 10 5 4 3 10 2 J 6 4 A Q 7 5 3 7 6 5 3 K Q 6 K

It was the turn of the North/South pairs to have a bidding test and neither handled it very well, though USA2 would not be too worried about that.

Montin/Meyers bid 1 - 1NT - 2 - 4. Lynn Deas cashed her top hearts and played a third round, forcing dummy to ruff. Randi Montin passed the 9 next, Losing to the king. The play record ends there with declarer failing by one trick when it appears that a fourth heart would net down two; -50.

Sanborn/Levitina bid 1 - 1NT - 2 - 3 - 3NT - 4. That looks a bit nearer the mark with the North cards, though we can imagine that not everyone would raise to more than 2. Breed didn't want to lead out the hearts, given that hearts was declarer's second suit. She led the 9 instead and Sokolow won the ace. Now Sokolow had trouble putting her partner with the ace and king of hearts. As you can see that there is a danger od dummy's hearts going on the diamonds, perhaps East should switch to a heart anyway, but that didn't have to be right. Sokolow switched to a club. Sanborn won the king and pitched dummy's hearts on the diamonds then ruffed a heart. Next she threw two more hearts on the ace and queen of clubs. Breed could ruff the Q but trumps were now 2-2 and declarer was in control; +420 and 10 IMPs to USA2.

Board 70. Dealer East. E/W Game K 2 9 8 6 3 Q J 6 4 3 10 4 Q 10 5 4 A 9 7 A Q 7 2 J 5 4 10 9 8 2 K 8 6 A J 9 7 5 J 8 6 3 K 10 A K 7 5 Q 3 2

In the Closed Room, Montin/Meyers bid 1 - 1 - 1 - 2. Nobody saw fit to intervene at any stage so Montin played there on a trump lead. There were two losers in each side suit; one down for -50.

Open Room West North East South Sokolow Sanborn Breed Levitina Pass 1 Dble 1 3 All Pass

The board was placed on the table incorrectly in the Open Room. Sokolow dredged up a takeout double, which resulted in her partner declaring 3. That contract looks quite easy. You expect to lose two diamonds and a club but should have all the information you need by the time you come to the spade guess. But Irina Levitina led the A, collecting the queen from Kerri Sanborn, and switched to a devilish 10. Considering the bidding, Breed paid Levitina a big compliment by thinking for quite a while before rising with the A - many of us would have assumed the heart to be a singleton and risen immediately. Having generated a heart loser, Breed needed to pick up the trumps. She did just that, leading to the ace and returning the jack to pin North's ten. Breed wasn't about to get the spades wrong after that; +110 and 2 IMPs to USA1.

Board 71. Dealer South. Game All 9 K 8 K 6 3 Q J 9 7 6 5 2 Q J 10 6 7 4 3 2 A 10 7 3 2 4 2 A J 9 8 5 A K 8 4 10 3 A K 8 5 Q J 9 6 5 4 Q 10 7 — Closed Room West North East South Deas Meyers Palmer Montin 1 1 2 3 Pass Pass 4 Pass 4 All Pass

Montin made a huge decision for her side when she converted to 4, perhaps just assuming that Meyers, who had to be very short in spades, had to have some heart tolerance. A spade lead didn't cause Montin any problems. She took the ace and king then ruffed a spade, ruffed a club and ruffed her last spade. With the J onside, the defence was powerless; +620.

In the Open Room, Sanborn opened 1 and Breed passed. Levitina jumped to 3, natural and invitational, and Sanborn left her there. Levitina had to lose three trumps and two red aces; -100 and 12 IMPs to USA1.

Board 73. Dealer North. E/W Game 7 5 9 8 2 K J 9 8 7 10 6 4 K Q J 10 8 2 9 4 K 7 5 J 6 4 3 6 5 Q 3 Q 5 K J 9 8 7 A 6 3 A Q 10 A 10 4 2 A 3 2

Both Souths played in 3NT after West had overcalled in spades and North had shown a weakish hand with long diamonds. West led spades and both declarers ducked until the third round. They then got the diamonds right but had nothing better than the heart finesse for their ninth trick; one down for a dull push. But suppose that declarer wins the second spade and cashes five diamond tricks. What is West to discard? If she keeps two hearts and a club, she cannot keep sufficient spades to beat the contract. Declarer now comes to the A and throws her in with a spade to lead into the heart tenace at trick twelve. Of course, declarer has to read the ending correctly, but she has a real chance.

Board 75. Dealer South. Love All 10 5 Q 9 6 K 3 A K J 10 9 3 Q 9 6 4 3 J 7 2 A K J 5 10 8 7 3 10 9 7 6 5 2 2 8 6 4 A K 8 4 2 A Q J 8 4 Q 7 5

Both Souths played 3NT. Deas played ace, king and a third heart; +460.

In the Open Room, Sanborn had opened 1NT, Breed overcalled 2 to show both majors, and Levitina had shown a heart stopper. Breed led the J! Sanborn didn't like the look of that at all. Though she didn't know it, the hand was only a matter of overtricks, but ducking would have given Breed bragging rights for a while. Hearts could hardly be 6-2, the only time that ducking would gain, so Sanborn eventually put up the queen and looked mightily relieved when it held; +520 and 2 IMPs to USA2.

Board 76. Dealer West. N/S Game 9 6 4 A 8 7 6 Q 5 K J 9 8 K 3 Q 10 8 7 5 2 K 10 5 9 3 2 10 4 K 8 3 A 7 6 4 3 2 10 A J Q J 4 A J 9 7 6 2 Q 5 Closed Room West North East South Deas Meyers Palmer Montin 2 Pass 2 3 Pass 3NT All Pass

The Precision 2 opening got the auction up to the 2 level before Montin had a chance to bid. With 2 non-forcing, is this a kind of pre-balancing situation? If so, Meyers did well to go 3NT. I suspect, however, that she assumed a sound hand for the vulnerable overcall. Even a spade lead doesn't threaten the contract as the cards lie but the 2 opening actually attracted a club lead, putting declarer under no pressure at all. Meyers made ten tricks; +630.

Open Room West North East South Breed Levitina Sokolow Sanborn Pass Pass 2 2NT 3 Dble 3 Pass Pass 3NT Pass 4 All Pass

Breed did not see an opening bid in the West cards so it was left to Sokolow to open with a multi 2. Breed caused problems for her opponents when she bid 3 to compete in partner's major. Levitina doubled and that convinced Sanborn that she had better hearts. Worried about her spade holding, Sanborn converted 3NT to 4. Breed led the K and Sanborn ducked. Alas, Sanborn's 2NT overcall made it very easy for Breed to work out who had the club shortage and she wasted no time in switching to two rounds of clubs, Sokolow ruffing. Sanborn was one down for -100 and 12 IMPs to USA1.

Board 79. Dealer South. N/S Game 7 5 4 Q J 8 5 3 5 4 7 5 3 A 10 9 K Q 3 2 A 4 A Q J 7 3 K 8 6 2 K Q 9 8 A 10 6 2 J 8 6 2 K 10 9 7 6 10 9 J 4 Closed Room West North East South Deas Meyers Palmer Montin 1 Pass 1NT Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4 Dble 4NT Pass 7NT All Pass

1 was strong and 1NT a balanced positive. Their convention card doesn't go far enough to explain 3 but it looks like both minors and duly attracted a club raise from Palmer. Sorry we can't translate the auction but the teams were quite busy yesterday, in case you hadn't noticed.

Open Room West North East South Breed Levitina Sokolow Sanborn 1 Pas 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4NT Pass 7 All Pass

We are a bit better placed this time. 3 was a splinter bid and 4 asked for key cards. 4 showed three key cards for clubs, 4 asked about the Q and 4NT showed that card but an inability to show anything extra. Sokolow decided to gamble on the Q and was duly rewarded when Breed held it; +1440 but 2 IMPs to USA2.

With 16 boards to play, USA1 had moved into the lead by 154-142.