November 2017 - 22

Dlr: West ♠ K 7 6 3 2
Vul: E-W ♥ -
♦A952
♣9873
♠AQJ9
♠ 10 4
♥Q54
♥ A K J 10 9 7 3
♦ 10 6
♦K
♣ 10 6 4 2
♣KJ5
♠85
♥862
♦QJ8743
♣AQ
West
Mihov
Pass
2♥
Pass
Dbl

North
Moss
Pass
2♠
5♦
All Pass

East
Kar'lev
1♥
4♥
Pass

South
Grue
2♦
Pass
Pass

Mihov led the ♦6 and Grue went up
with dummy's ace, dropping the singleton king. He played a club to his queen,
ruffed a heart, played another club to
his ace and ruffed another heart, then
ruffed a club to
hand, followed
by a third heart
ruff. A club ruff
was followed
by the ♦Q.
Grue lost only
a spade trick
for plus 650. At
the other table,
Fleisher, East,
played in 3♥
after Stefanov's
second-seat
Chip Martel
2♠ opener. He
made an overtrick when Stefanov underled the ♦A after getting in with the
♠K. That was 13 IMPs to USA2.
USA2 won every set except the
first, and advanced to the final with a
216-182 victory. Standing in their way
of the championship was France, the
leading team in the qualifying roundrobin. The Frenchmen advanced to
the final with a 187-48 win over New
Zealand, who withdrew after four sets.
Bermuda Bowl final
In the opening set, Grue, Moss,
Pepsi and Rosenberg for USA2 op-

22 Bridge Bulletin November 2017

posed Francois Combescure, Jerome
Rombaut, Cedric Lorenzini and JeanChristophe Quantin for France.
The first set ended in a 33-33 tie.
USA2 won the second set 38-28,
thanks in part to this deal:
Dlr: North ♠ J 10 8
Vul: Both ♥ K Q J 4
♦KJ74
♣A9
♠A654
♥ 10 5 3
♦982
♣J74
♠Q732
♥986
♦ A 10 6
♣K85

♠K9
♥A72
♦Q53
♣ Q 10 6 3 2

West
North
East
South
Com'cure Fleisher Rombaut Martel
1NT
Pass
3NT
All Pass
Rombaut led the ♣2, taken in
dummy with the king. At trick two,
Fleisher played a heart to the king.
Rombaut won the ♥A and continued with a club to West's jack and
Fleisher's ace. He cashed three hearts
then played a diamond to dummy's
10. When that held, he could cash two
high diamonds and claim nine tricks
for plus 600.
At the other table:
West
Moss
Pass
All Pass

North
Bessis
1NT
3♦

East
Grue
Pass
Pass

South
Volcker
3♣ (1)
3NT

(1) Puppet Stayman (checking for a
five-card major).
Bessis also got a low club lead. He
played low from dummy and from hand
when Moss contributed the ♣J. Bessis
took trick two with the ♣A and played
the ♥K. Grue won the ♥A and played
the ♣Q, suit preference for spades, to
dummy's king.
Bessis then ran dummy's ♦10 to
Grue's queen. The defenders had three
clubs, a heart, a diamond and two
spades, which meant three down and

14 IMPs to USA2.
France turned the tables in set three,
winning 35-25 to leave the match tied
at 96. The key deal from that set:
Dlr: East
Vul: Both

♠AQJ8643
♥7
♦3
♣AK53
♠972
♠5
♥J84
♥ K Q 10 6 5 3 2
♦ K Q 10 7 6
♦J9
♣J2
♣Q94
♠ K 10
♥A9
♦A8542
♣ 10 8 7 6
West
Pepsi

North
East
Lorenzini R'berg
2♦(1)
3♥
4♠
Pass
Pass
5♠
Pass
All Pass

South
Quantin
Pass
4NT
6♠

(1) Weak two-bid in a major.
Rosenberg led the ♥Q and Lorenzini
won with the ♥A. He pulled trumps,
cashed three more trumps, then played
the ♣A and ♣K. When West followed
with the ♣J, Lorenzini claimed for
plus 1430. At the other table:
West
North
East
South
Volcker Fleisher Bessis
Martel
3♥
Pass
4♥
4♠
All Pass
Fleisher took the same 12 tricks via
the same route for plus 680 and a 13IMP loss.
USA2 won the fourth set 49-28
despite giving up 10 IMPs on this deal
midway through the set.
Dlr: East ♠ Q J 10 5
Vul: E-W ♥ A 7 3
♦K8
♣J843
♠9762
♠4
♥QJ
♥ K 10 8 6 4 2
♦ 10 7 4 2
♦J95
♣A76
♣K92
♠AK83
♥95
♦AQ63
♣ Q 10 5
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2017
