China started the set up by 12 IMPs, 73-61. That lead didn't last for long.

Board 49. Dealer North. Love All A K Q 10 5 5 3 A 8 6 5 4 3 8 2 J 4 3 Q J 10 6 4 9 8 K 10 9 2 J 7 3 Q 5 A J 8 7 4 9 7 6 A K 7 2 Q K 10 9 6 2 Open Room West North East South Sun Sokolow Lu Breed 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Lu Yan led the 9 to dummy's ace. Tobi Sokolow played a diamond to the ace, the a club towards the king. Lu rose with the ace and continued hearts. Sokolow won the A, took a diamond pitch on the K and ruffed a club. She cross-ruffed the minors now until Lu finally ruffed in with the J in front of dummy. That was eleven tricks for +450.

Closed Room West North East South Berkowitz Zhang Letizia Gu 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 4 All Pass

Marinesa Letizia led a trump. Zhang Yalan won in hand, played ace and another diamond, ruffing, then three rounds of hearts. The third heart was ruffed and over-ruffed and now Letizia played her last trump. With no trumps left in dummy and no entries to that hand, Zhang had to lose two diamonds and a club from here for one down; -50 and 11 IMPs to USA1. A great start for them.

Board 52. Dealer West. Game All Q 8 A K Q 8 2 9 6 5 2 J 6 9 5 K 6 4 2 J 10 6 5 9 A Q J K 10 8 A 9 4 3 K Q 10 7 5 A J 10 7 3 7 4 3 7 4 3 8 2 Closed Room West North East South Berkowitz Zhang Letizia Gu 1 1 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 All Pass

A curious looking contract. Zhang cashed a top heart and switched to a trump. Lisa Berkowitz won in hand and ruffed a heart. She came back to the A to ruff another heart then cashed a second club. From there she could only take two trump tricks; one down for -100.

Open Room West North East South Sun Sokolow Lu Breed 1 1 1 2 Pass Pass Dble Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 5 All Pass

The Chinese pair found a rather better trump fit, giving them an opportunity to win the board. But they got a level too high - reasonably enough as 5 needs little more than the A onside. When it was offside Lu had to go one down for a push.

USA1 picked up two more IMPs on the next board to scrape into the lead. The boards were pretty dull for a while. The match was an exact tie midway through the set, then China moved back into the lead.

Board 57. Dealer North. E/W Game A 9 Q 9 7 3 A 9 8 7 5 Q 6 8 7 6 3 K Q 10 10 5 4 2 K J 8 6 J 6 2 K 4 9 5 A 8 7 2 J 5 4 2 A Q 10 3 K J 10 4 3 Open Room West North East South Sun Sokolow Lu Breed 1 1NT Dble Rdble Pass 2 Dble Rdble Pass 2 Pass Pass Dble Pass 3 All Pass

When Mildred Breed doubled the 1NT overcall, Sun Ming redoubled for rescue then redoubled again when 2 got doubled. Now Lu bid hearts, the partnership's best fit, and Tobi Sokolow doubled. She intended this to be for penalties but Breed was not so sure and removed to 3. Sun led a heart to the jack and ace and Breed ducked a spade to East. Lu played ace and another trump to prevent spade ruffs but now Breed just switched to Plan B. She won the second club in dummy and led a low diamond. Lu won the king and Breed carefully unblocked the ten. She won the spade return, played a diamond to the queen and claimed; +130.

The lack of dummy entries would have made 2 doubled an uphill struggle for declarer. Ah well, they will know what this sequence means next time.

The Closed Room auction was short and to the point. Letizia made the same 1NT overcall and Gu doubled. Lisa Berkowitz elected not to run, which could have been right but not this time. Gu led a low club to the queen and the defence continued clubs. Letizia won the third round and played the K to Zhang's ace. Zhang switched to a low diamond, ducked to the queen, and Gu cashed her clubs. Now, however, she erred by returning a spade into the Q10 and declarer got a fourth trick also for three down; -800 and 12 IMPs to China.

Again the boards ran quietly for a while. Then two consecutive pick-ups gave USA1 the lead.

Board 62. Dealer East. Love All 5 4 J 8 4 3 10 7 6 2 K 6 3 A 7 6 3 J 9 8 7 5 2 — K 5 4 3 A Q 9 8 A 8 Q J 9 7 5 2 K Q 10 2 A K Q 10 9 6 J 10 4 Closed Room West North East South Berkowitz Zhang Letizia Gu 2 Dble Rdble 2 Pass 2 Pass Pass 3 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Open Room West North East South Sun Sokolow Lu Breed 2 2 Dble 3 Pass 4 Dble All Pass

Both Easts started with a Precision 2. The difference came later when Sun decided that she hadn't bid all of her hand yet over 4 and doubled for a second time, while Berkowitz was content with just one effort in the other room.

Sun was right in a sense, because 4 proved to be unbeatable and East/West have a cheap save in 5. Alas, Lu chose to defend 4 doubled, though the double must be more cards than hearts given the previous negative double. Both declarers made ten tricks; +420 for Gu but +590 for Breed and 5 IMPs to USA1.

Board 63. Dealer South. N/S Game J 10 9 8 7 5 3 A 10 6 2 K 4 K A Q K J 8 7 9 5 3 9 4 A Q 6 5 K J 9 6 3 2 A Q 8 5 6 4 2 Q 4 J 10 8 7 3 2 10 7 Open Room West North East South Sun Sokolow Lu Breed Pass 2 2 Dble Pass 3 Pass 4NT Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Berkowitz Zhang Letizia Gu Pass 2 2 4 Pass 4 Dble 6 All Pass

Again both tables began with a natural 2 opening with their 'wonderful' hand. Both Norths overcalled 2 and the two Easts took effectively the same route to slam. Lu made a negative double then used RKCB, with hearts temporarily agreed, then bid 6 when she found one key card. Letizia's 4 was Kickback, also asking for key cards but with clubs agreed. She also found one key card and jumped to slam.

In the Open Room, Sun had shown a heart suit and there was nothing in the auction to suggest that defensive heart tricks were going anywhere. Sokolow led a safe spade and Sun was left having to play hearts for one loser. Having drawn trumps, she tried a low heart to the eight. Sokolow won the ten and ace of hearts for down one; -50.

In the Closed Room, the hearts had not been bid and dummy had blasted the slam without revealing anything about itself. Perhaps Letizia had a concealed side suit? Zhang cashed the A at trick one and now the slam was home; +920 and 14 IMPs to USA1. After a fairly dull set of deals, USA1 had moved into a narrow lead. They won the set by 35-14 and the overall score was 96-87 in their favour.