The 44th World Team Championships

by Phillip Alder

These took place in Wuhan, China, from September 14 to 28. The United States had two entries in each of the four events: (open), (women), d'Orsi Senior Bowl and Mixed Teams. All eight teams were expected to be medal con- tenders, but in the end only one was on a podium, the USA-1 mixed team of Cheri Bjerkan-, Christal Henner-Uday Ivatury and Jill Meyers-Howard Weinstein, with Joe Stokes as the non- playing captain. Of the twelve nations that won medals, England was the only one to receive two – third in the women's and second in the senior's. (England was also the only European nation to qualify in all four divisions.) Let's have a look at the progress of USA-1 Mixed. But just before we start to do that, what would you have done here?

1. With only your side vulnerable, you are dealt:

‰ 4 Š J 9 8 5 3 2 ‹ K 9 2 Œ K 6 3

The auction starts artificially, but partner has just bid two notrump to show a with 25 or more points. How would you continue the auction?

2. With the opponents vulnerable, you, the dealer, pick up:

‰ A Q 10 7 6 5 Š K J 9 7 6 5 4 ‹ – Œ –

What would be your bidding plan?

In all four events, 24 teams started. They each played a 16- round robin from which eight teams qualified for the quarterfinals. After that, everything was head-to-head 96-board knockout matches, with the losing semifinalists playing off for the bronze medals. USA-1 Mixed qualified in eighth place, with a huge 58 international match points to 4 win over Egypt in the last round securing their qualification. They were chosen by China, who were third, for the quarterfinal. With sixteen boards to go, China led by 139 imps to 136. After a flat board, this was the second deal of the decisive set:

1 North Dlr: East ‰ 4 Vul: N-S Š J 9 8 5 3 2 ‹ K 9 2 Œ K 6 3 West East ‰ J 8 5 3 2 ‰ 10 9 Š 7 Š K 10 4 ‹ J 10 8 6 ‹ 7 5 4 3 Œ Q 4 2 Œ 10 9 8 5 South ‰ A K Q 7 6 Š A Q 6 ‹ A Q Œ A J 7 Closed Room: West North East South Xie Weinstein Liao Bjerkan Pass 2Œ Pass 2‹ Pass 2Š (a) Pass 2‰ (b) Pass 2NT (c) Pass 4‹ (d) Pass 4Š Pass 4NT (e) Pass 5‹ (f) Pass 5Š (g) Pass 5‰ (h) Pass 6Š All Pass (a) Very strong hand with long hearts or a game-forcing balanced hand (b) Almost forced (c) Balanced 25-plus (d) (e) Roman Key Card Blackwood (f) Four key cards (g) To play opposite no queen (h) Trump queen and spade king

After the RKCB auction, Weinstein knew that either the heart king or an ace was missing.

2 North Dlr: East ‰ 4 Vul: N-S Š J 9 8 5 3 2 ‹ K 9 2 Œ K 6 3 West East ‰ J 8 5 3 2 ‰ 10 9 Š 7 Š K 10 4 ‹ J 10 8 6 ‹ 7 5 4 3 Œ Q 4 2 Œ 10 9 8 5 South ‰ A K Q 7 6 Š A Q 6 ‹ A Q Œ A J 7 Open Room: West North East South Meyers Jie Chen Graves S Wu Pass 1Œ (a) Pass 1‹ (b) Pass 2Š (c) Pass 2‰ (d) Pass 2NT (e) Pass 3‹ (f) Pass 3Š Pass 5Š (g) Pass 7Š Pass Pass Pass (a) 16-plus points (b) 0-7 points (c) Very strong hand with long hearts or a game-forcing balanced hand (d) Almost forced (e) Balanced 25-plus (f) Transfer (g) Six-plus hearts, maximum, asking for good trumps

Jie Chen's sequence left his partner thinking that ace-queen-third was good enough support for seven. But when Wu made the of a low heart to the queen first, she had to go down one. Plus 1430 and plus 100 was a huge 17 imps to USA-1. There was one other potential seven-heart deal, with one hand being 6=7=0=0!

3 North Dlr: North ‰ A Q 10 7 6 5 Vul: E-W Š K J 9 7 6 5 4 ‹ – Œ – West East ‰ K J 8 3 ‰ 9 4 2 Š 8 2 Š – ‹ 10 8 3 2 ‹ A K Q 9 7 4 Œ Q 7 4 Œ J 8 5 3 South ‰ – Š A Q 10 3 ‹ J 6 5 Œ A K 10 9 3 2 Open Room: West North East South Meyers Jie Chen Graves S Wu 1‰ 2‹ 3Œ 3‹ 6Š Pass 7Š Pass Pass Pass

Closed Room: West North East South Xie Weinstein Liao Bjerkan 1Š 2‹ 3‹ (a) Pass 3‰ (b) Pass 4Œ (b) Pass 4‹ (b) Pass 4‰ (b) Pass 4NT (c) Pass 6Š (d) Pass 7Š All Pass (a) Heart support with at least game-invitational strength (b) Control-bid (c) Roman Key Card Blackwood (d) An even number of key cards and a

Well done both pairs. I think I would have duplicated the Chinese sequence, but whatever gets the job done! Apart from that first deal given, the set was quiet. USA-1 took it by 36 imps to 12 and won the match by 172 imps to 151. Next up England in the semifinal.

To be continued

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