Dramatic Conclusion
Newcastle Herald
Friday November 21, 2003
USA1 defeated Italy by just 1 imp in the Bermuda Bowl completed last Saturday. Italy actually outscored USA1 in the final by 303 to 291 imps but USA1 had a 13 imp carry-over going into the final.
However, the real drama came with just one board remaining.
Italy were 11 imps ahead. At one table USA1 had scored 400 (4H by Italy down four). At the other table Lorenzo Lauria was playing in 5D doubled. His partner had left the table.
Lauria had already lost two tricks and the trump ace was still outstanding. He also had a losing heart in his hand. He led the spade king from king/queen to five in dummy and Paul Soloway won the ace.
Soloway could have cashed a winning heart for a two trick defeat but instead returned a spade. Lauria, assuming Soloway would play the heart back, did not look when he played the spade seven from dummy. Bob Hamman covered with the spade ten.
Lauria could have played the spade queen and discarded his losing heart for a one-trick defeat and an overall draw.
The director was called and ruled that the spade seven had been played. The appeals committee correctly upheld the director's ruling and so Italy was defeated.
Both teams had many opportunities to seal a win.
The deal shown provided a huge opportunity for Italy. At one table Meckstroth for USA1 was South and played in 4S. He ruffed the opening club lead and then played ace of hearts and another heart and claimed 12 tricks.
West pointed out that on a third round of hearts dummy would ruff high and West would come to a trump trick. The score was adjusted to making 11 tricks.
At the other table Duboin for Italy was playing in 6S redoubled! West led the diamond 10. Duboin won the ace in dummy and crossed to his ace of hearts. Then he played another heart. West won and returned the heart king.
Duboin called for the trump jack and led the trump ace. Oops, East showed out and now had to concede a trump trick. Ace of trumps at trick two solves all the problems.
I suppose both declarers were trying to cope with a bad break in hearts but not in trumps!
© 2003 Newcastle Herald