USA1 - AUSTRALIA (BERMUDA BOWL Round 1)

Big Swings - by Brent Manley

In the opening round of the Bermuda Bowl, the USA1 Australia match produced 67 IMPs, and 60 of them came from just five deals. The final score was 43-24 in favor of Australia, who earned the first of their double-digit swings early on.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ K Q 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 ♥ 10 ♦ 3 2 ♣ 2
♠ J ♥ A J 7 4 ♦ A 9 8 4 ♣ 9 6 5 4		♠ A ♥ K 8 6 2 ♦ K J ♣ A K Q J 8 7
	♠ 9 2 ♥ Q 9 5 3 ♦ Q 10 7 6 5 ♣ 10 3

Steve Robinson obviously thought he had told his story with the 4♠ bid and, for all he knew, bidding 6♠ might push the opponents into a cold grand slam. Indeed, on the lie of the cards, East-West can make 13 tricks in clubs, hearts or notrump. Arjuna de Livera won the opening spade lead, played two high trumps, then the ♦K and ♦J, covered by South.

Declarer won the ♦A and played the ♦9, ruffing with the queen when North showed out. A third round of trumps to dummy allowed declarer to ruff dummy’s last diamond. At that point, de Livera could claim, planning to play a heart from hand and cover any card played by South. As you can see, seven can be made by guessing the heart layout or by squeezing South in the red suits. In any case, it was plus 1370 for the Aussies.

With a nine-card suit and with favourable vulnerability, Ian Thomson didn’t mind taking one more bid and it was profitable. He had to lose five tricks for minus 800, but it was 11 IMPs to Australia.

Two boards later, Australia struck again.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ 10 7 2 ♥ 9 ♦ A J 10 6 2 ♣ A 7 3 2
♠ K 9 3 ♥ A Q 8 ♦ 9 8 7 4 ♣ 9 8 4		♠ Q 5 ♥ K 10 6 3 ♦ K 5 ♣ K Q J 6 5
	♠ A J 8 6 4 ♥ J 7 5 4 2 ♦ Q 3 ♣ 10

Steve Robinson’s 3♦ apparently was a game try in spades, which Peter Boyd declined. He had the shape but nothing in reserve.

Ian Robinson led the ♣9, taken in dummy with the ace. Boyd played dummy’s heart at trick two, ducked around to West’s queen. A second club was ruffed by South, who then ruffed a heart, ruffed a club and ruffed a heart. Boyd then ruffed dummy’s last club with the ♠8, but was overruffed by West, who exited with a diamond, ducked to East’s king. Boyd won the diamond continuation in hand, ruffed a fourth heart with dummy’s 10, but when he tried to cash the ♦A, de Livera ruffed with the queen. Boyd finished one down for minus 100. There was more action at the other table.

*Precision: possible doubleton.

Kit Woolsey started with the ♣9, taken by the ace. When declarer, Richard Brightling, called for dummy’s heart, Fred Stewart went up with the king to switch to a spade. Declarer ducked to Woolsey’s king, winning the spade continuation in hand. South then rode the ♦Q to Stewart’s king, which was the last trick for the defense. Brightling ruffed the club return, ruffed a heart, ruffed another club to hand and played the ♠J, picking up Woolsey’s trump. Dummy was now all diamond winners. The overtrick meant plus 930 and 14 IMPs to Australia.

When board 9 rolled around, Australia was ahead 28-1 and the situation was about to get a lot worse for the Americans.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ A 5 ♥ A K 10 6 3 ♦ K J 6 ♣ A K 7
♠ K J 6 4 ♥ 8 7 ♦ A Q 10 7 ♣ Q J 2		♠ 10 9 7 2 ♥ ♦ 5 4 3 ♣ 10 8 6 5 4 3
	♠ Q 8 3 ♥ Q J 9 5 4 2 ♦ 9 8 2 ♣ 9

The North hand is powerful, but one of the hands needed a source of tricks other than trumps. Declarer, Steve Robinson, had no chance on the lead of a low club by de Livera. The ♣J was taken with the ace, and two high trumps were cashed, followed by the ♣K for a diamond pitch. Robinson ruffed his last club in dummy and played a diamond. West won the ace and exited with a diamond. Robinson won the king, ruffed the ♦J in dummy and played a spade to the ace, his only hope being a singleton ♠K. That didn’t happen, so he was one down for minus 50.

Ian Thomson would have had no chance had Stewart found the club lead, but he started with a low diamond. Woolsey won the ♦A and returned the suit. Thomson desperately put in the jack, which held, and he continued with the ♥A, ♥K and ♥10 from hand, Stewart discarding a club, his last diamond and another club on the three hearts.

On a fourth round of hearts to dummy, Stewart discarded a third club, and when declarer played a diamond to the queen and his king, Stewart fatally discarded a fourth club. Now Woolsey was subjected to a black-suit squeeze, and declarer did not err in the play. He cashed the ♠A (Vienna Coup) and played his last heart to dummy. Woolsey could not stand the pressure, and declarer took his slam-fulfilling trick with the ♣7. Plus 980 was another 14-IMP swing to Australia. The Americans finally recorded their own double-digit swing two boards later.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ A K 9 6 5 ♥ Q 3 ♦ 6 5 ♣ K 8 7 3
♠ 7 2 ♥ K J 4 2 ♦ K 8 ♣ A 9 6 5 4		♠ 10 3 ♥ 9 8 7 5 ♦ A 9 7 3 2 ♣ J 2
	♠ Q J 8 4 ♥ A 10 6 ♦ Q J 10 4 ♣ Q 10

De Livera started with a low heart, ducked by Robinson to West’s king. The defenders now had three more tricks to cash but would they get them all? Not on this deal.

West cashed the ♣A and continued the suit, allowing declarer to win in dummy and return to hand with the ♥Q. Now a trump to dummy allowed declarer to cash the ♥A for a diamond pitch, enough for 10 tricks and plus 420. There was no slip-up on defense at the other table.

Stewart also led a heart, ducked to Woolsey’s king. Woolsey cashed the ♣A, then switched to the ♦8. Stewart won the ace and returned the suit one down and 10 IMPs to USA1.

It was 43-13 Australia with one deal to play

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ A K Q 10 5 ♥ A 5 2 ♦ K J 8 ♣ 7 6
♠ 9 7 2 ♥ Q J 9 8 3 ♦ Q 9 6 5 ♣ A		♠ J 8 4 ♥ 7 6 ♦ A 7 4 3 ♣ K Q 10 4
	♠ 6 3 ♥ K 10 4 ♦ 10 2 ♣ J 9 8 5 3 2

Steve Robinson cashed three high spades, Boyd discarding the ♦10 on the third. North got out with a club to declarer’s ace. With only one entry to dummy, declarer played the ♥Q from hand. Boyd won the ♥K and played the ♦2 to the five, eight and ace. The ♥7 went to North’s ace, and he cashed the ♦K and gave South a diamond ruff for plus 200.

With his strong club holding, Stewart was happy to convert his partner’s balancing double to penalty. Stewart started with the ♥7, taken in dummy with the king. Declarer cashed his top spades, pitching a heart from dummy, then played the ♣6 from hand. Stewart eyed that suspiciously but finally played low. Woolsey won the ♣A and played a low diamond. Declarer missguessed, putting up the king, so he could not avoid two down for minus 300. The net was good for an 11-IMP gain and a final score of 43-24 for Australia.