The 44th World Team Championships (XXXIX) by Phillip Alder These took place in Wuhan, China, from September 14 to 28 last year. To begin, here are two bidding problems. 1. With only your side vulnerable, you are dealt: ‰ 7 6 Š K 8 3 ‹ Q 6 2 Œ J 9 8 5 4 The bidding starts like this: West North East South Opener Partner Responder You Pass Pass 1‰ (a) Dble 1NT (b) Pass 2Š Pass Pass ?? (a) 11-15 points (b) Clubs Would you do something? 2. With only the opponents vulnerable, you pick up: ‰ 10 8 Š A Q J 9 8 7 4 2 ‹ 2 Œ K 6 After a pass on your right, what would you open? One choice is four clubs, Namyats, your agreement being that it show an excellent suit and nine winners. The Bermuda Bowl bronze medal playoff took place over 80 boards between Norway (Terje Aa-Allan Livgard, Boye Brogeland-Espen Lindqvist and Nils Kare Kvangraven-Ulf Haakon Tundal) and USA-1 (Nick Nickell-Ralph Katz, Bobby Levin-Steve Weinstein and Jeff Meckstroth-Eric Rodwell). After three of the five sessions, Norway led by 98 international match points to 92. Norway gained an overtrick imp on the next deal. Then came Board 50: 1 North Dlr: East ‰ K Q 8 4 3 Vul: N-S Š A 5 2 ‹ K J 5 Œ A K West East ‰ A J 10 9 5 ‰ 2 Š Q 10 9 7 Š J 6 4 ‹ 10 8 7 3 ‹ A 9 4 Œ – Œ Q 10 7 6 3 2 South ‰ 7 6 Š K 8 3 ‹ Q 6 2 Œ J 9 8 5 4 Open Room: West North East South Rodwell Lindqvist Meckstroth Brogeland Pass Pass 1‰ (a) Dble 1NT (b) Pass 2Š Pass Pass Dble Pass Pass Pass (a) In theory, 11-15 points (b) Clubs Closed Room: West North East South Tundal Weinstein Kvangraven Levin 3Œ! Pass Pass Dble All Pass Two interesting auctions. In the Open Room, Rodwell opened very light in third position. Then, after Lindqvist's takeout double, Brogeland lay low, waiting to start doubling. He knew two hearts would be at best a seven-card fit; and if East ran to three clubs, even better. North led a trump. South took the trick and shifted to a diamond. Declarer won with dummy's ace, ruffed a club, cashed the spade ace, ruffed a spade, ruffed another club, ruffed a spade with the heart jack and tried to ruff a third club. But North overruffed and the defenders had the rest of the tricks for down two. (The result would probably have been the same if the defenders had started with three rounds of trumps.) At the other table, Kvangraven chose a bad moment to open with a light pre-empt. In the end, he took only four tricks, two aces and two trumps. He could have saved one trick at the end, but when North took a ruff with the club ace at trick eleven and returned a spade, declarer ruffed with his club ten, not the queen, and South overruffed with the jack. Minus 300 and plus 1100 gave 13 imps to USA-1 and that team's first lead in the match, by 105 imps to 99. Norway recouped one overtrick imp over the next two deals. This was Board 53: 2 North Dlr: North ‰ Q 9 5 2 Vul: N-S Š 6 ‹ Q 9 7 5 Œ 8 7 4 3 West East ‰ K 6 ‰ 10 8 Š K 3 Š A Q J 9 8 7 4 2 ‹ A J 10 6 3 ‹ 2 Œ A 10 9 2 Œ K 6 South ‰ A J 7 4 3 Š 10 5 ‹ K 8 4 Œ Q J 5 Open Room: West North East South Rodwell Lindqvist Meckstroth Brogeland Pass 4Š All Pass Closed Room: West North East South Tundal Weinstein Kvangraven Levin Pass 4Œ (a) Pass 4NT (b) Pass 5‹ (c) Pass 6Š Pass Pass Pass (a) Namyats – a strong four-heart opening with nine winners (b) Roman Key Card Blackwood (c) One key card Meckstroth and Rodwell do not employ Namyats. But even so, it is hard to find nine winners in that East hand! (That's what the Norwegians' convention card states.) With the spade ace onside, both declarers took twelve tricks, giving Norway 10 imps and the lead again, by 110 imps to 105. To be continued 3 .