Italy - USA2 (Bermuda Bowl Final 4)

The battle is joined - by Brent Manley

In the Bermuda Bowl final on Thursday, USA2 and Italy went back and forth, the Americans taking the lead after one set but then getting clobbered in the next 57-1. USA2 rallied in set three to win 47-17. Would it be Italy’s turn in the fourth stanza on Friday morning? In a word, no.

The Italians started off with a 6-IMP gain to cut the USA2 margin to 102.33-99.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ J 8 7 2 ♥ 9 8 6 3 ♦ 10 8 5 ♣ A 3
♠ K 5 4 ♥ 10 7 4 ♦ A ♣ Q 10 8 5 4 2		♠ A Q 10 6 ♥ Q 2 ♦ K Q 6 4 3 ♣ J 7
	♠ 9 3 ♥ A K J 5 ♦ J 9 7 2 ♣ K 9 6

2NT Puppet Stayman (asking about five-card majors)

Alfredo Versace started with the ♥A, switching to a low diamond at trick two. Meckstroth played a club to his jack and Versace’s king, followed by the ♥K and two more heart tricks. Lorenzo Lauria did not immediately cash his ♣A, but he got it soon after for plus 100.

Nickell also started with the ♥A and a diamond switch, but he ducked when Fulvio Fantoni played a club to his jack. The play record is obscured, but Fantoni ended with nine tricks for plus 150, a good start for Italy.

Not much went well for them after that, however.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ A 3 ♥ A 10 7 6 ♦ A J 7 6 ♣ 8 7 3
♠ K J 7 4 ♥ 2 ♦ Q 2 ♣ K Q 10 9 4 2		♠ Q 10 9 5 ♥ Q 4 ♦ K 10 9 5 4 ♣ A 5
	♠ 8 6 2 ♥ K J 9 8 5 3 ♦ 8 3 ♣ J 6

In the closed room, Fantoni played a calm 4♠ after opening 1NT and getting a 2♥ transfer bid from Claudio Nunes. The defenders got their three aces, but that was all. Plus 420 to Italy.

Perhaps Lauria thought his partner would have more to offer on defense considering his vulnerable overcall. It was not to be. North took three aces but Meckstroth had plus 590 and another 5 IMPs.

There was a swing on the next deal that resulted from an accident in the bidding.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ A 6 5 4 ♥ Q 7 2 ♦ Q 9 ♣ A Q 7 3
♠ J 10 2 ♥ K ♦ 10 7 5 ♣ J 9 8 6 4 2		♠ Q 9 7 ♥ J 9 8 ♦ K 8 4 3 2 ♣ K 10
	♠ K 8 3 ♥ A 10 6 5 4 3 ♦ A J 6 ♣ 5

You wouldn’t want to be in slam on the North-South cards unless you could see all four hands. Everything works diamond finesse, singleton trump king, doubleton ♣K offside. Nickell got a low diamond lead, and Fantoni put up the king. Nickell won and cashed the ♥A, felling the king, and when he took the right view in clubs, he was home with an easy plus 480.

2♠ Minimum without three clubs or four spades

There were so many bids on the tray as it moved back and forth that Versace’s opening 1♥ bid become obscured in the pile, and after Versace bid 6♥, Lauria momentarily forgot that his partner had opened 1♥, thinking instead that it was 1♠. Lauria attempted to change his 6♠ bid but was not permitted to, thus Versace was obliged to play a 4-3 fit with at least one guaranteed trump loser, among many problems.

Rodwell led a diamond, and dummy’s 9 held. There was no chance to play the heart suit for no losers even if Rodwell had a singleton ♥J, Meckstroth would cover the ♥Q. Even so, that was Versace’s play at trick two. Rodwell won the ♥K and exited with a club. Versace won the ♣A and played a heart to the 10, ruffed by Rodwell. On the club continuation, Versace played low and ruffed out the king. He still had a trump to lose, however, and was two down for an 11-IMP loss. USA2 were now leading 118.33-99.

A couple of boards later, Versace and Nickell both bid to hopeless contracts, but Meckstroth and Rodwell did the Italians one better on defense.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ A K 6 3 ♥ 3 ♦ 9 8 6 5 3 ♣ 10 7 6
♠ 9 7 4 ♥ J 10 9 7 2 ♦ Q ♣ A K 9 2		♠ 5 2 ♥ Q 8 6 5 4 ♦ A K J ♣ 8 5 3
	♠ Q J 10 8 ♥ A K ♦ 10 7 4 2 ♣ Q J 4

2NT Limit raise in hearts.

Rodwell started with a high club. He cashed the other and switched to his singleton ♦Q. Meckstroth overtook with the ♦K and cashed two more diamond winners, on which Rodwell discarded his two low clubs. A club ruff finished off a nice defensive effort that resulted in plus 300 for USA2.

Nickell had a nice gain in hand by simply passing 4♥ doubled with his two trump tricks, but he soldiered on with 4♠. Nunes also started with a high club, but he switched to the ♦Q at trick two. Now the club ruff was impossible. Down two looked like a good result, but it was a 3-IMP loss.

Ralph Katz helped his team to an even better swing on the next deal.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	♠ 4 3 ♥ 9 2 ♦ K J 8 6 5 ♣ A 4 3 2
♠ J 10 5 ♥ Q 10 4 3 ♦ 10 2 ♣ K J 10 8		♠ K 2 ♥ A K J 8 7 5 ♦ A 9 4 ♣ 7 6
	♠ A Q 9 8 7 6 ♥ 6 ♦ Q 7 3 ♣ Q 9 5

1♣ Strong
2♠ Game force, no good bid

Versace, with no indication from the bidding, started with a low club. Meckstroth inserted the jack, taken by Lauria with the ace to switch to the spade. Lauria ruffed the third round of spades with the 9, but Meckstroth overruffed and ran trumps, claiming when Versace discarded his other two clubs. Plus 620 for USA2.

2NT Heart raise

Nickell had no problem finding the killing diamond lead after Katz drew the roadmap with his excellent 3♦. Fantoni had to lose two spades, a diamond and a club for minus 100 and 12 IMPs to USA, now leading 133.33-99.

Italy got some back on this deal.

Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.
	♠ A Q 10 7 5 2 ♥ 7 ♦ Q 10 9 2 ♣ K 6
♠ 3 ♥ K Q J 8 6 5 4 3 ♦ 6 5 3 ♣ 7		♠ K 9 ♥ 9 2 ♦ K 7 ♣ A 10 9 8 5 4 3
	♠ J 8 6 4 ♥ A 10 ♦ A J 8 4 ♣ Q J 2

Meckstroth could have defeated 5♠ by leading the ♣A and giving his partner a ruff, but he started with the ♥9 and Lauria was soon wrapping up plus 650.

Fantoni did find the ♣A lead, but after Nunes ruffed there was only the trump king to come, so Katz had plus 420 for a 6-IMP loss.

Italy was trailing 133-107 when both USA2 pairs got the maximum out of board 29.

Board 29. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ 9 7 4 ♥ 10 6 ♦ Q 9 7 5 ♣ A 8 7 3
♠ Q J 5 2 ♥ J 9 3 2 ♦ K J 6 ♣ 10 6		♠ K 10 8 3 ♥ K Q 7 ♦ A 10 4 ♣ K Q 2
	♠ A 6 ♥ A 8 5 4 ♦ 8 3 2 ♣ J 9 5 4

1♣ Strong
2♦ 8-10 balanced

With his 4-3-3-3 distribution and Rodwell’s announced flat hand, Meckstroth had an easy choice of games. He lost three aces in 3NT for plus 630.

At the other table, Fantoni and Nunes reached 4♠ by East, against which Nickell made the inspired lead of the ♥A, followed by a second heart. Nickell took his ♠A on the first round of trumps and gave Katz a ruff. The ♣A was the setting trick, and USA2 had another 12 IMPs in the bag.

The next board also produced a useful swing for USA2.

Board 30. Dealer East. None Vul.
	♠ A J 10 8 2 ♥ K 10 6 3 ♦ 9 ♣ K 7 5
♠ 7 3 ♥ Q 5 ♦ K Q J 8 5 ♣ 9 8 6 3		♠ K Q 6 5 4 ♥ A 4 ♦ 6 3 2 ♣ Q J 4
	♠ 9 ♥ J 9 8 7 2 ♦ A 10 7 4 ♣ A 10 2

Versace’s pass in the balancing seat with support for all unbid suits was conservative, to say the least. Lauria started with a low heart to Rodwell’s queen. A spade was won in dummy and a diamond played to declarer’s king. The ♦Q was ducked, and another spade went to Lauria’s ace. The ♠J went to dummy’s queen, the sixth and last trick for Rodwell. Plus 50 to Italy.

Nickell took a rosier view of his hand in the other room, albeit in a different auction.

2♣ Majors

Nunes started with the ♦K to Nickell’s ace. He didn’t want to play on trumps in case Fantoni had three or four to the A-Q, which would allow him to play three rounds of the suit, so at trick two Nickell played his ♠9 to the ace and called for the jack, discarding a club when Fantoni declined to cover. The ♠2 was next, covered and ruffed by Nickell with the 7. Nunes was able to overruff with the queen and play his other trump to Fantoni for a second round of the suit. That defense kept Nickell from making the overtrick, but he had 10 tricks for plus 420.

USA2 picked up another 5 IMPs on the last deal of the set to take the lead 159.33-107.