U.S. beats France in the World Championships

In a thrilling final, the United States won the 2017 Bermuda Bowl — the World Open Teams — defeating France 278 to 276.

Martin Fleisher-Chip Martel, Joe Grue-Brad Moss and Jacek Pszczola-Michael Rosenberg survived a missed slam on the next-tolast deal and a failed grand slam on the final deal.

When two IMPs decide a 128-board match, both teams can look back on deals that could have made a difference. In a wild seventh segment, the U.S trailed by as many as 44 IMPs. They still trailed by 31 entering today’s deal, in which Grue-Moss bid the North-South cards to seven clubs. Declarer set up dummy’s diamonds and won 13 tricks, plus 1,440.

In the replay, NorthSouth for France reached 7NT, an only slightly inferior spot that would gain two IMPs if it succeeded. (North’s second bid of two diamonds was an artificial force.)

South had 12 top tricks and many chances for one more, and with a lead of a club or a red suit, he could have made the grand slam. The run of the clubs would squeeze East in three suits, and if he bared his king of spades, South could guess to lead to the ace.

West for the U.S. was Pszczola (known to all as “Pepsi”), and his opening lead was ... a spade. That lead ruined the timing for any squeeze — take my word for it — and doomed South to fail.

The U.S. gained 16 IMPs, dominated the rest of the set, went up by six IMPs and held on.