The King is Dead!!...Long Live the King!!!

by Ana Roth y Fernando Lema

 After beating some of the best teams in the U.S.A., for the right to be USA2 in the next Bermuda Bowl in the Netherlands, the two youngest teams met in the final. Bathurst, with an average of 31 years and Diamond (who for years was considered the  young star USA team) with an average of 40 and. ..

 BATHURST  defeated DIAMOND and is USA2

 The guys did it...the  BATHURST team had to overcome the American Bridge History to become USA2 and participate in the 2011 Bermuda Bowl representing U.S.A. After beating teams: Mahaffey, Nickell (Winners of the last Bermuda Bowl in Sao Paulo, Brazil 2009), WOLFSON, and Diamond,  there is no doubt ... they are no longer a promise they are a reality .. . All team members are under 40 years: Kevin Bathurst: 32, Dan Zagorin: 39, Joe Grue: 29, Joel Wooldridge: 31, John Hurd: 31, and Justin Lall 24. This group of young Americans have made history ... has shown everyone that bridge is a game for young people .... something that bridge was needing since long time ago ... The King is Dead ... Long Live the King !!!....

 The two teams played 120 hands, in the two days final ... at the end the difference between the teams was only 31 IMPs. This last number was undoubtedly composed of many twists and turns but considering the 120 hands we distinguish some in which the champions were the only ones who arrived to slam, showing us that this young team handle this art with supreme excellence and other hands where we saw that Grand Slams ... aren't so friendly yet to them... The slams added 54 IMPs for the champions, the failed Grand Slams totaled 28 ... If we also take into account 4 IMPs for Bathurst, on one slam they played in spades, while Diamond played it in diamonds of course .... 54 - 28 + 4 = 30 IMPs ... almost the 31 IMPs difference... 

 Set 1, Hands 1-15  

Hand Nº 4 :

Open Room:

This hand was fun ... In one of the tables after two pass, Bathurst in East opened 1, Gitelman decided to start with 1 ... the problem was that it also was... THE END ... after the cart came back with pass ... pass ... pass

Close Room:

 Greco, after two pass, also opened 1, but Lall choose to show his two suited hand with Michaels: 2, when Grue showed support to minors and some values there he declared the slam, 12 tricks...15 IMPs for Bathurst...

Hand Nº 11:

 Gitelman in South opened 1, Zagorin introduced 2, Moss decided his hand worth a simple support  2 bid, and Fred closed the contract in 4...12 tricks.

 In the other table Lall opened 1, precisión 16+ any distribution, Hampson also said 2, but now Grue's  2...had a very different meaning...controls... Lall showed his spade suit and Grue declared the game...no more to add... but Lall continued asking for key cards and when he saw 5 of them...he prefered a  Grand...two down...

11 IMPs for Diamond...but could have been 11 less ambicious IMPs for Bathurst...

Set 2, Hands 16-30

 Hand Nº 22 :

Open Room:

Greco in East opened 2=11-15 HCP, 4414 o 4405 (diamond singleton or void) ...Hampson, his partner, asked with 2NT, and Greco showed his void with 3NT, after some controls they decided to play 4...13 tricks

Close Room:

Hurd opened 1, and Wooldridge showed his diamond suit, Hurd his hearts, and after a 1, 4th suit forcing, Hurd mentioned his spade suit. Now  Wooldridge supported hearts...showing slam interest... They continued wiith control showing...and finished in 6...

 Diamond lead a heart, declarer won and ruff a diamond, a club to the J, and ruffed another diamond, Q and to the K. He continued with the K, pitching a spade from dummy, spade to the A y and through his 3 diamond loosers in the clubs, 12 tricks = 12 IMPs for Bathurst

Set 5, Handss 61-75

Hand Nº 74 :

Close Room:

 Platnick in East, opened 1, his partner answered him with a 4 splinter, and East closed the game. West insisted with 4NT, Platnick answered 2 keycards and Diamond defined a 6 contract...12 tricks...

Open Room: Hurd in East also opened 1, but his partner Wooldridge choose to show his 5 hearts ...possible source of tricks...with a 2 FG. East bidded 2NT and West showed his slam interest with a 3 bid. Hurd answered 3NT, alerted as a non serious slam try, after some minors controls, RKCB...and finished in 7...Cards didnt help...the Q on side would have been enough...but man propose and...

Set 7, Hands 91-105

Hand Nº 96:

Open Room

After three pass, Greco in South opened 1, precisión 16+ any distribution, Hampson answered 1 and South jumped to 3. Hampson showed  his diamond suit with 3, South 3NT, Hampson decided to support partner's clubs with 4...and partner bidded automatically 6, no play one down...

Close Room:

  Wooldridge opened with 2, and afterwards he treated his hand as balanced, with a 2NT call, this gave his partner de opportunity to show his  6 cards diamond suit and togetrher arrived to a 6 slam.

 The lead was a heart, declarer won the trick in dummy continued with  A y K, ruffed a heart and finished to play trumps: Q y J...Continued with the club finesse, the K was on side...Entered dummy again, repeated the club finesse....and claim...14 IMPs for Bathurst.           

 Hand Nº 100:

Open Room:

 South opened 1, Hampson in North, said 1NT alerted as a 5 cards heart suit and FG. South continued with 2 and when Hampson replied 3, they closed the contract in 4...12 tricks...

 Close Room:

Moss opened 2 and Hurd overbid 2, Gitelman bidded 3 and Wooldrige took the opportunity to make a 4 cue-bid...When Hurd closed to 4, showing no slam interest... Wooldridge didnt stop after they arrived to 6.

 Gitelman lead the 5, Moss played his Q, Hurd won the trick with the A and ruff a diamond in dummy. He continued with the K, A and K, where he pitched his last diamond. Overtook the 10 with  his Q and played theA...When he continued with his 10 Gitelman played his K, A and W. claimd 12 tricks= another 13 IMPs for Bathurst..