USA2 - China Long Zhu (Bermuda Bowl Semifinal 5)

The end of the line - by Brent Manley

In their semi-final Bermuda Bowl match against USA2, China Long Zhu had ended on a high note on Tuesday with a 45-18 win in the third of six sets. Starting the day on Wednesday, they had played the Americans virtually even, although they still trailed by 59 IMPs. With 32 boards to play, China was still optimistic about their chances of making the final.

China’s hopes came unravelled in the fifth set, however, as they were thumped, 56-14, leading to their withdrawal down by 101 IMPs.

Four boards accounted for nearly all the American scoring, starting with the first deal.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ K 9 7 6 5 ♥ 2 ♦ Q 7 6 3 2 ♣ J 10
♠ J 10 8 ♥ A K 10 9 4 3 ♦ J 9 ♣ Q 9		♠ ♥ 6 5 ♦ A K 10 8 5 ♣ A K 7 5 4 2
	♠ A Q 4 3 2 ♥ Q J 8 7 ♦ 4 ♣ 8 6 3

Dai Jianming’s aggressive 2♠ opener seemed to propel Nick Nickell and Ralph Katz to the optimum spot, although Katz had a nervous moment after ruffing the opening spade lead. Considering all the bidding, a bad break in clubs would not have been surprising, and Katz considered the situation for some time before playing a club to dummy’s queen. The appearance of the ♣J from North gave Katz pause again, but he eventually played another round, breathing easier when North followed a second time. Katz had the spots in the diamond suit to assure only one loser and therefore the contract.

1♣ Strong
Dble Majors
2NT Cuebid for spades

There was nothing to the play, and Zhuang Zejun recorded plus 420 for an 11-IMP loss.

It was 17-8 in the set, 185-117 overall, when more bad news came China’s way.

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

2♦ Hearts.

Yang Lixin led a club, taken in hand by Katz with the queen. He played his singleton diamond to Yang’s ace and took the club continuation in dummy. He ruffed a diamond low, then played the ♥A and another heart. The defenders got two trump tricks and the ♦A, but Katz had plus 620.

Zhuang no doubt regretted his decision to open that 9-point hand. It was not a good dummy for the contract Wang had to play.

Rodwell led a low heart, ducked to Meckstroth’s king. Meckstroth returned the ♥10, covered by the jack and queen, declarer playing low. Rodwell switched to a club, taken in dummy with the queen, and the ♦9 was run through South. Declarer cashed the ♥A, played a club to hand, then followed with the ♦K to Meckstroth’s ace. Two spade tricks put the contract one down to earn 12 IMPs for USA2.

Two boards later, Nickell made a nice play on defense to help his team to more IMPs

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

Nickell started with a low heart, taken in dummy with the queen. Yang played the ♠J at trick two, ducked by Nickell. Yang repeated the spade finesse at trick three, and Nickell won to clear the suit. When he later got in with the ♥A, Nickell put Katz in with the ♣A to cash two spade tricks for one down.

The play to trick one was the same, dummy’s ♥Q winning the first trick, but when Meckstroth played the ♠10, Wang won to cash the ♥A and clear the suit. Meckstroth had his nine tricks then, however, and another 11 IMPs went to the Americans.

The last straw in the match for China occurred on the final deal of the set and, as it turned out, the match.

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

Katz led a low heart, won by Nickell with the jack. Nickell played a low heart to Katz’s king and ruffed the club return, getting out with a spade. Dai won in dummy, played a spade to hand and followed with the ♣J, which Nickell ruffed. He cashed his top diamonds for plus 50.

Wang’s redouble no doubt expressed a maximum or near maximum opener in the context of their strong 1♣ system. The only problem was that Rodwell had an easy nine tricks after discovering the 4-0 trump split. He took the opening spade lead in dummy, cashed the ♣A, then entered his hand with a spade to play the ♣J and claim.

Plus 470 was good for another 11 IMPs in a 56-14 set for USA2 that increased their margin to 224-123, which became the final score when China conceded.