American team chosen after tough trial

Press, 10 September 1985, Page 8

American team chosen after tough trial

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

It will be a very strong team that represents the United States in the world championships in Brazil next month. All the members have already won one world title, and most of them more than one. The final trial was an amazing game, in the words of one of the losers “the most exciting match ever.” It pitted a sponsored team

of young professionals with an average age in the mid-to-late twenties, against a side of seasoned veterans, aged nearly 40, typical profession, computer systems analyst. The oldsters started the 128 deal match with a rush, running up a lead of 90 international match points after 48 hands. No-one was prepared to bet against them. Then the tide turned with a vengeance, the younger side wiping out the deficit and surging 44 imp’s ahead, with only 32 deals to go. Again it looked to be all over. But again there was a startling recovery. In a close and hard-fought finish the more experienced team slowly over-hauled their rivals to snatch a breathless victory by 5 imp’s, 339 to 334. It hardly seemed fair that there had to be a loser.

The score was very high, even allowing for the fact that both teams were at one time employing desperation tactics to fight their way back into the match. This hand dealt by East with only North-South vulnerable shows the sort of antics that were from time to time in evidence:

At the first table after a pass from East, South opened three clubs, West overcalled with a conserva-

tive three diamonds and was left to play there. The defence was very good so the declarer took only eight tricks, five in trumps and three aces, to concede a 50 point penalty.

When the board was replayed, the auction had a surrealistic air:

The two diamond opening bid showed a weak hand with a long spade suit, but by partnership agreement could be very weak indeed. Two hearts by West enquired, the two spade rebid showed a bad hand (which was certainly true) so West passed smoothly without hesitation leaving North with quite a problem. The enemy action might have shut his partner out when he had quite a fair hand, and his side could conceivably have the values for game. Eventually he talked himself into bidding three hearts. Happily West doubled this, and doubled South’s escape into four clubs even more happily.

The defence took all its tricks and one more. After cashing the ace of hearts, West made the ace of spades, then his two top diamonds. He led a third diamond for his partner to ruff, and a heart back suddenly promoted the nine of trumps. That was a penalty of 1400 out of virtually nothing to the young Turks.

Luck seemed to even itself out over the match, but it certainly helped the older side when they were desperate. North was the dealer with East-West vulnerable:

When his partner opened the bidding South used Blackwood to check on aces, found one missing so settled for six clubs. Understandably, with all those extra values North tried seven. West guessed to lead a spade and it was all over. The declarer discarded all dummy’s hearts on his top spades, drew trumps and ruffed his singleton heart in dummy. That was a fortunate swing to the old guys for in the other room NorthSouth stopped in six.

But East should have doubled the five heart response to Blackwood, then West would have known to lead a heart, and there would have been a different team representing North America.

w. N. E. S. — — 2$ No 2V No 24 No No 3V No No Dble No No 44 Dble All Pass