1989 Bermuda Bowl: Brazil World Champion

Source: Kentucky New Era – 20 Sep 1990

This deal is from the 1989 Bermuda Bowl final between Brazil and the United States. It added to the Brazilians already substantial lead at a time when the Americans were hoping to make a comeback. That hope never materialized, and Brazil went on to capture the world title.

East Dealer None vulnerable

	K Q 4 A 10 8 7 5 4 Q J 10 5
10 9 8 7 K J 9 6 3 8 6 3 J		6 5 Q K 9 7 4 2 Q 7 6 5 2
	A J 3 2 2 A A K 10 9 8 4 3

West	North	East	South
Pass	1	Pass	1
Pass	2	Pass	3
Pass	3NT	Pass	6
The End

Lead: 8

When Mike Lawrence and Kit Woolsey of the United States held the North-South cards, they reached six spades as shown. Woolsey’s second round jump-shift understandably caused Lawrence to think of slam. However, Lawrence had an awkward choice after Woolsey rebid three notrump.

He finally opted for six spades, even though he knew his partner had only four spades. Six spades is not an unreasonable contract, but the opening diamond lead – which knocked a vital entry out of the declarere’s hand – and the uneven divisions in the black suits gave Woolsey no chance.

He won the diamond lead with the ace, East following low, and ruffed a club with the queen of spades. The A-K-J of spades came next, but when the suit broke 4-2 and the queen of clubs didn’t fall the hand felt apart, and Woolsey finished down three.

At the other table, where Pedro Branco and Roberto Mello of Brazil were North-South, the bidding went:

West	North	East	South
Pass	1	Pass	1
Pass	1	Pass	3
Pass	4	Pass	4
Pass	4NT	Pass	5NT
Pass	6	The End

Four notrump was Blackwood, and five notrump showed one ace and a void. With the jack of club falling on the first round of trumps, Mello had no trouble. He simply conceded a trump trick to East’s queen and easilly took the rest, scoring a 14 IMPs pickup for Brazil.

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