USA2 - Italy (Bermuda Bowl Final 1)

Fast start - by Brent Manley

The Nick Nickell team has changed since defeating Italy to win the Bermuda Bowl in 2003, but four of the six members are still playing Nickell, Bob Hamman, Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell. The new members are Zia Mahmood and Ralph Katz in place of the late Paul Soloway and Richard Freeman.

Italy, winners over Nickell in 2005, have one new face Antonio Sementa, replacing Norberto Bocchi. The rest of the team is intact: Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace, Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes and Giorgio Duboin.

Neither team was around at the end of the Bermuda Bowl in 2007, when Norway claimed the crown, so USA2 and Italy are happy to be playing a rubber match of sorts in Sao Paulo.

Naturally, both wanted to get off to a good start. USA2 struck first.

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

Katz started with a low heart, taken by Nickell with the king when Nunes ducked. The diamond shift went to the 5, queen and 6, and the ♠6 was returned, Nickell playing the ♠5 when Nunes put up the king. Nunes played the ♥J to his queen and played a club to dummy’s 10 and Nickell’s jack. A second diamond play was ducked to Katz’s king, and a spade through gave the defenders seven tricks for plus 300.

Versace started with a low heart, won in dummy with the queen. Meckstroth played a club to his 10 and Versace’s jack. Now a spade went to the 8, 9 and king. Meckstroth then cashed three rounds of clubs, ending in dummy, cashing the ♦A and playing a heart to his ace. In the end, Versace was down to the ♥K 8 and the ♠A J. Meckstroth put him in with a heart, and Versace had to concede a trick to Meckstroth’s ♠K at the end. That was 9 IMPs to USA2, who were up 20.33-0 at that point, including carryover.

The Americans scored again on the next deal.

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

The defenders had to grab all their tricks before letting declarer in, but they managed it. Nunes led the ♦A and it was over quickly. Five tricks in the red suits meant plus 100 for East-West. At the other table, Versace didn’t have the protection of a trump suit.

Rodwell led a low heart and soon realized four tricks in that suit. Left on lead after trick four, Rodwell led a low diamond in case declarer had the queen and Meckstroth had some holding such as KJ10x. Soon there were four more tricks for the defense for plus 200 and another 3 IMPs.

USA2 picked up 10 IMPs on the following deal.

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	♠ 7 3 ♥ A K 5 ♦ 9 7 5 3 ♣ K 10 8 3
♠ A Q ♥ Q J 8 4 3 2 ♦ 10 8 2 ♣ 6 2		♠ J 10 5 ♥ 7 ♦ A K Q J 4 ♣ A J 9 5
	♠ K 9 8 6 4 2 ♥ 10 9 6 ♦ 6 ♣ Q 7 4

Nowadays, when players open the bidding on all manner of bad hands and bid game on any excuse, it is surprising to see two world champions stop in a partscore with 25 high-card points between them. It turned out to be the right level, more or less, for a heart contract, but that was small consolation.

Katz led the ♠7 to the 10, 2 and queen. Nunes played a diamond to dummy and played the heart to the 9, queen and king. Katz exited with a club to the 9 and Nickell’s queen, and Nickell played a second spade to declarer’s ace. A low heart went to Nickell’s 6, and when Katz ruffed the third round of spades with the king, he could have defeated the contract by playing a diamond for Nickell to ruff. Katz played a club, however, and Nunes escaped with plus 140.

Versace led a low club to the king and ace, and Meckstroth played a heart to the queen and king. Lauria returned a club to the 9 and queen, and won the ♣J at trick four. Meckstroth played a spade to the queen, cashed the ace and his five diamond tricks for plus 600.

The Americans gained 5 IMPs on board 12 in unusual fashion.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ 8 7 5 ♥ 8 5 4 3 ♦ J 8 6 2 ♣ 9 3
♠ 10 2 ♥ A J 9 7 2 ♦ 9 7 ♣ K 7 4 2		♠ 9 6 4 ♥ 10 6 ♦ A K Q 10 3 ♣ J 8 6
	♠ A K Q J 3 ♥ K Q ♦ 5 4 ♣ A Q 10 5

That was not a useful dummy for Nickell. Nunes led the ♦9 to Fantoni’s 10. Nickell ruffed the third round of diamonds with the ♠J and exited with the ♥K. Nunes won the ♥A and returned a heart. Nickell cashed two high spades the played a low club to dummy’s 9 and Fantoni’s jack. A trump return left Nickell with another loser, so he was two down for minus 200.

1♦ Precision: possibly short.

Lauria’s pass of 2♦ is curious. If Versace had a natural diamond bid, he surely would have be willing to take his chances against 1♦ redoubled.

Rodwell led the ♠10 to Versace’s jack. He cashed the ♠K next, but Rodwell ruffed the ♠Q and pushed a trump through dummy. Versace took two spades, one heart and one club for minus 400.

Italy struck back on board 14.

Board 14. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ 8 4 ♥ 9 5 4 ♦ Q 7 4 ♣ Q J 6 4 2
♠ A K J 7 3 2 ♥ 6 ♦ J 6 ♣ 10 8 7 3		♠ Q 10 6 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ A K 9 8 ♣ A K 5
	♠ 9 5 ♥ A Q J 10 7 3 ♦ 10 5 3 2 ♣ 9

3♥ Spades.

Nickell started with the ♥A, which didn’t hurt declarer’s cause. Fantoni discarded a club from dummy on the heart continuation, played the ♠Q, spade to the ace and a third high spade. He called for the ♦J, covered by Katz with the queen. Now a heart was ruffed in dummy. Declarer then played a diamond to his king and played the ♦9 from hand. When Nickell covered, that was it. The ♦8 was declarer’s 12th trick for plus 980.

3♦ Hearts

Lauria started with the ♥9, which held the trick. Rodwell ruffed the heart continuation, played two rounds of spades, ending in hand, then played the ♦J to the queen and ace. Rodwell cashed the top clubs in dummy, then played the ♠10 to hand and ran the rest of the suit, hoping for a squeeze. It did not materialize, however, and Rodwell was one down for minus 50 and 14 IMPs to Italy.

The Americans got almost all of that swing back on the next-to-last deal.

Board 15. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ Q 10 ♥ K 10 9 2 ♦ A K 9 8 ♣ K J 7
♠ ♥ A Q J 6 ♦ Q 10 7 5 4 ♣ Q 8 4 3		♠ 9 7 6 5 3 ♥ 8 5 3 ♦ 2 ♣ A 10 9 6
	♠ A K J 8 4 2 ♥ 7 4 ♦ J 6 3 ♣ 5 2

2♦ 10-13, 5+ diamonds, unbalanced
Dble Don’t lead a diamond

Fantoni started with the ♦2, and when Katz played low, Nunes would have done better to play the 7 declarer’s entries to dummy were severely limited. Nunes inserted the 10, however, taken by Katz with the king. When Katz cashed the ♠Q, he got the news that the spade suit would provide only four tricks. That was the bad news. The good news was that Nunes was already having trouble finding discards.

Nunes threw the ♥6 on the first spade, but then he discarded three clubs on the next three. Katz played the ♦J, covered by the queen and ace. Katz cashed the ♦9, then played the ♣K, smothering Nunes’ queen. Fantoni cashed the ♠9 and could have held Katz to nine tricks by exiting with a club, but he played a heart to his partner’s ace, and Katz claimed plus 630.

Meckstroth started with a low club to the queen and king. The pace of play slowed after Rodwell discarded on the ♠Q, but Lauria cashed his spades and played the ♦J to the queen and ace. Lauria cashed the ♦K, but that was his last trick. When he played the ♦9 to Rodwell’s 10, Rodwell played a club through declarer’s jack. Meckstroth had four black winners to cash and a heart to play to his partner’s ace. Plus 200 was good for 13 IMPs.

USA2 won the opening set 54-19.