Two mostly American teams met in the quarterfinal round of the Mixed Teams: Lou Ann O’Rourke and Roy Welland, two strong squads. A tough battle could be expected.

In the first half, Robert Levin and Christal Henner-Welland opposed Becky Rogers and Jeff Meckstroth, while at the other table Hjordis Eythorsdottir and Peter Fredin (he of Sweden, she formerly of Iceland) opposed Michael and Debbie Rosenberg.

The match was quiet early on, the first swing coming on a deal in which Henner-Welland went minus 100 in 4©. Disa took one more trick at the other table, but she was two levels higher at 6©. That was 3 IMPs to Welland.
The next deal was another swing for Welland.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª A K 10 9 © 9 8 6 ¨ A 8 2 § 8 7 6
ª J 2 © K Q 7 ¨ Q 5 4 § K Q J 9 4		ª 8 7 6 4 3 © 10 5 4 ¨ 10 9 7 6 § 3
	ª Q 5 © A J 3 2 ¨ K J 3 § A 10 5 2

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth	R. Levin	Rogers	Henner-W.
1NT	Pass	2©	Pass
2ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

With an excellent chance for three, perhaps four trump tricks and a side ace, Levin didn’t have to think very long to convert his partner’s balancing double. Levin led the §6 to Henner-Welland’s ace, and she returned a club. Meckstroth won the king, discarding a diamond, then played the §J, discarding another diamond. A fourth round of the suit was ruffed by Levin as another diamond went away, and the ©9 went to Henner-Welland’s ace. Levin was back in with the ¨A, and the defenders still had three trump tricks to come. That was two down and plus 500 to Welland.

At the other table, Debbie Rosenberg thought the one level was high enough with her hand. She was right.

West	North	East	South
M. Rosenberg	Fredin	D. Rosenberg	Disa
1NT	Pass	Pass	Pass

There was little Michael Rosenberg could do with that hopeless dummy. He ended with four tricks for minus 300, but a 5-IMP pickup for his side.

Levin and Henner-Welland nailed Rogers for another 500 in a low-level contract (1ª) on the next board, but it was a loss because North-South at the other table racked up plus 660 in 3NT.

The first big swing for O’Rourke came on board 8.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª A 7 6 4 © Q 10 9 2 ¨ Q 7 6 2 § 9
ª J © A K 8 ¨ J 8 3 § Q 8 6 5 4 3		ª K Q 5 2 © J 7 5 4 ¨ A 9 4 § A 7
	ª 10 9 8 3 © 6 3 ¨ K 10 5 § K J 10 2

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth	R. Levin	Rogers	Henner-W.
1§	Pass	1©	Pass
2§	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Henner-Welland led the ª10 to the jack and ace, and Levin returned a spade. Rogers won with the king and played the §A and a club to Henner-Welland’s king. She considered her next play carefully, but eventually continued the attack on spades, a move that was fatal to the defense. Rogers won, played a heart to the ace, followed by the §Q and another club. She was home with four clubs, two hearts, two spades and a diamond. It was a different story at the other table, where the contract was also 3NT from the East seat.=

The opening lead and continuation were the same, but when Disa came in with the §K, she switched to the ¨10, which seems to deal declarer a fatal blow, but in fact should have allowed her to make the contract. Interestingly, a low diamond or the ¨K would have scuttled the contract, but the ¨10 was a thoughtful play nonetheless.

As it happens, the winning play on the ¨10 switch is the jack, taken by the ace. Declarer enters dummy with a high heart and cashes the §Q and puts South in with a fourth round of clubs. The defense cannot play diamonds without giving declarer another trick in the suit – not to mention the entry to her hand so she can cash the good spade. A heart doesn’t help either. Declarer simply cashes clubs, coming down to the ªQ and ¨9 with the ¨8 3 in dummy. South must make a discard from the ª9 and ¨K 5. If she pitches a spade, declarer plays a diamond to the 9 and South must given declarer trick nine with dummy’s ¨8. If South pitches a diamond, declarer plays to South’s king and takes the ªQ for trick number nine at trick 13.

On a low diamond return by South, North puts up the queen, killing the entry to the East hand. Declarer cannot cash the ªQ to be sure she gets it because doing so squeezes dummy – a club pitch is at the cost of a winner, a heart is the same and throwing a diamond allows South to take two tricks in that when he comes in with a club later on.

Nor does it profit East to fire back a diamond right away. South simply wins and establishes a second winner in spades, cashable after she gets in with the fourth round of clubs.

It’s all pretty complicated, so it’s not surprising that Debbie R. did not work out the correct play at the table, ducking the ¨Q. North returned a spade, establishing a second spade trick for the defense to go with two clubs and a diamond. Debbie R. actually finished two down for an 11 IMP swing to O’Rourke.

Henner-Welland and Levin bid to just the right spot on Board 13 for a major gain near the end of the set.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª 9 6 3 2 © A 8 5 ¨ 10 7 2 § 7 5 4
ª 7 4 © J 7 4 ¨ A 6 § K Q J 9 6 3		ª J 10 8 5 © 9 6 3 2 ¨ 9 5 § A 10 2
	ª A K Q © K Q 10 ¨ K Q J 8 4 3 § 8

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth	R. Levin	Rogers	Henner-W.
1§	Pass	1©	Dble
Redbl	1ª	Pass	2¨
3§	3¨	Pass	3©
Pass	4¨	Pass	5¨
All Pass

Meckstroth’s redouble indicated three-card heart support. Rogers overtook her partner’s lead of the §K with the ace to switch to a heart, but Henner-Welland won in dummy and knocked out the trump ace, claiming for plus 600. At the other table, Fredin and Disa languished in 4ª, drifting two off for minus 200 and 13 IMPs to Welland.
At the break, Welland led 39-17 – comfortable but in no way secure.

The first four boards of the second half featured two pushes and two small swings. The first big swing came on Board 19.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª 9 8 © 10 7 4 3 2 ¨ 10 § Q 8 6 4 2
ª 10 7 5 3 2 © Q J 9 ¨ J 8 7 4 § 3		ª 6 4 © K 8 6 5 ¨ 9 5 3 § A J 9 5
	ª A K Q J © A ¨ A K Q 6 2 § K 10 7

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Welland	Disa	J. Levin
			2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	3¨
Pass	3©	Pass	3ª
Dble	Pass	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Fredin started with the ©J to Jill’s singleton ace. She played a club to the queen and ace and claimed after East-West finished cashing hearts. That was plus 400 for Welland.

At the other table, Rogers and Meckstroth got considerably higher.

West	North	East	South
Michael R.	Meckstroth	Debbie R.	Rogers
			2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	3¨
Pass	3©	Pass	3ª
Pass	3NT	Pass	4§
Pass	5§	Pass	5NT
Pass	6§	All Pass

5NT was “pick a slam” and Meckstroth had an easy choice among the suits Rogers had mentioned to that point. What she needed, however, was better spots, which Meckstroth could not provide.

Rogers won the opening lead of the ©Q with her ace, cashed the ¨A and ruffed a diamond, then played a low club from dummy to her 10, which held. So far, so good, but when she continued with the §K, she got the bad news. Debbie Rosenberg won the §A and played the jack to dummy’s queen. No matter what Rogers did, she still had to lose two more hearts to finish at minus 150. That was 11 IMPs to Welland.

Late in the match, there was a 14-IMP swing for O’Rourke, but it was not enough.

Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª A K J 9 8 3 © 4 ¨ - § Q J 10 8 7 5
ª 10 7 © K J 8 6 5 ¨ Q 7 6 5 3 § A		ª Q © Q 10 9 7 2 ¨ 10 9 4 § K 9 3 2
	ª 6 5 4 2 © A 3 ¨ A K J 8 2 § 6 4

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Welland	Disa	J. Levin
1©	2©	4©	4ª
4NT	6ª	All Pass

Welland brushed aside Fredin’s psychic 4NT, simply blasting to the slam. Fredin led a low diamond to the jack and Levin gave it the best shot. She played a spade to the ace, cashed the king, then played a heart to her ace, cashed her two high diamonds, ruffed a diamond, then played a heart to the ace, followed by a heart ruff. She came off dummy with the §Q to Fredin’s singleton ace. If he had been out of diamonds at that point, he would have been forced to give Jill Levin a ruff-sluff and the club loser would have gone away. Fredin, however, simply played the ¨Q and the slam was down.

At the other table, the issue was settled quickly.

West	North	East	South
Michael R.	Meckstroth	Debbie R.	Rogers
Pass	1ª	Pass	2NT
3©	3ª	Pass	4NT
Pass	5ª	Pass	6ª
All Pass

Meckstroth’s response to 4NT showed two key cards plus the ªQ, so Rogers obviously was hoping the key cards were the two black aces. Michael Rosenberg led a heart to Rogers’ ace, and she cashed dummy’s two high spades, pulling trumps, then called for the §Q from dummy. Debbie Rosenberg covered, perhaps envisioning a singleton in the South hand and hoping declarer would play her for both club honors. When three club honors fell on the same trick, Rogers had her slam and a big swing.

There was another freakish sort of deal later in the match, but it was push that was interesting only for the contrasting styles of the principal bidders.

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª K 9 7 5 4 2 © 7 3 ¨ J 10 4 § J 3
ª Q © A K 6 ¨ A K Q 5 2 § A K 5 4		ª J 6 3 © 8 4 ¨ 8 7 6 3 § Q 10 6 2
	ª A 10 8 © Q J 10 9 5 2 ¨ 9 § 9 8 7

West	North	East	South
Fredin	Welland	Disa	J. Levin
			2©
4NT	Pass	5§	Pass
6§	All Pass

Fredin liked his hand so much that all he wanted Disa to do was select a suit. With everything breaking well, it was trivial to take 12 tricks for plus 920.

Michael Rosenberg was considerably more cautious.

West	North	East	South
Michael R.	Meckstroth	Debbie R.	Rogers
			2©
Dble	Pass	2NT	Pass
3©	Pass	4§	Pass
4NT	Pass	5¨	Pass
6§	All Pass

2NT was a relay, showing a bad hand, an accurate description of the East cards. When Michael cuebid and Debbie bid clubs, he could be reasonably sure they had at least an eight-card fit. The auction might have been longer in duration and in the number of bids, but the same spot was reached.

The O’Rourke team picked up 8 IMPs in the second half, winning 25-17, but it was Welland who were through to the semifinal round.