WHILE the locals have been toiling away down at the Bridge Club, the big guns of world bridge have been battling away at the Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup in Estoril, Portugal. The event has ended and in a gripping final Italy (Norberto Bocchi, Giorgio Duboin, Fulvio Fantoni, Larenzo Lauria, Claudio Nunes and Alfredo Versace) finished 268-250 to edge USA I (Dick Freeman, Bob Hamman, Nick Nickell, Paul Soloway, Eric Rodwell, Jeff Meckstroth).

Also, Russ Ekeblad, who is a regular Bermuda visitor, was one of the USA II team which beat Sweden for the bronze medal.

The Italians, captained by Maria Teresa Lavazza, were the same team that lost to the USA on the last board in Monte Carlo two years ago, so this was a great result for them.

In the Venice Cup, the French team of Sylvie Willard, Vanessa Reess, Catherine D’Ovidio, Nathalie Frey, Benedicte Cranier and Daniele Allouche-Gaviard (non-playing captain Gerard Tissot) were aggressive and brilliant in beating Germany 191-136 to score an emphatic win.

This was a nail-biter from the Bermuda Bowl final.

Dealer: NorthNorth

[spade]J 10

[heart]A 9 5

[diamond]Q J 10 5

[club]8 7 5 4

West East

[spade]K 9 8 4 [spade]7 6 5 3

[heart]K J 4 [heart]10 8 7 6 2

[diamond]9 7 6 2 [diamond]A 8 3

[club]Q 3 [club]A

South

[spade]A Q 2

[heart]Q 3

[diamond]K 4

[club]K J 10 9 6 2This board came up with just three boards to go and Italy leading by a slender 12 imps.

In the closed room the USA 1 pair had played in 1NT making plus 150.

The Open Room was a bit more exciting.

North East South West

(Nunes) (Rodwell) (Versace) (Meckstroth)

Pass Pass 1[club] Pass

1[diamond] Dbl 2NT Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

Rodwell’s double was for the majors and once Versace found the hugely aggressive jump to 2NT, North was only too happy to put him in the game.

I must say that I would not have looked beyond the king of hearts for a lead when my partner shows the majors, and though this gives declarer two tricks it beats the contract. Meckstroth, however, led a low spade and declarer was alive.

Declarer won in dummy and led a low club and Rodwell won the stiff ace. He now has to find a heart shift to beat the hand — after thinking for along, long time he . . . continued spades! Versace grabbed this and when the smoke had cleared he had nine tricks and the Bermuda Bowl just two boards away.

I realise that bridge is easy double dummy, but I bet Rodwell would find the heart switch most other times. Declarer almost certainly started with AKX or AQX in spades so the bidding and play suggest Meckstroth has four spades which is not enough to beat the hand.

That, however, is what it is all about at this level — constant pressure which sometimes affects even the best. And Meckstroth-Rodwell played ever board in the final!

[bul] Some late news from the local scene. The trials for next year’s World Pairs Championships in Verona, Italy were held at the Bridge Club over the weekend. There were no entries for the Open Event after Smolski-Petty and Wakefield-Saunders withdrew at the last moment. In the Ladies event Stephanie Kyme and Judy Bussell finished first and Lynn O’Neill and Audrey Smith second, so these two pairs will travel to Verona next June.

We wish them the best of luck — and remind them of the Gary Player remark: “The more I practise, the luckier I get!”LATEST RESULTS

Bermuda Bridge ClubMonday afternoon, October 31, N/S:<$> 1. Richard Gray-Wendy Gray, 2. Gillian Gray-Mary Arton, 3. Pat Siddle-Vivian Siddle. E/W: 1. Magda Farag-Diana Diel, 2 (jt) Eileen Sharpe-Alice Palmer and Margaret Way-Gill Butterfield.

Monday evening, N/S:<$> 1. Margaret Way-Lynanne Bolton, 2. Richard Gray-Wendy Gray, 3. Mona Marie Gambrill-Oswald Dietrich. E/W: <$>1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. Jane Smith-Alan Douglas, 3. Charles Pearman-David Sykes.

Wednesday afternoon, N/S: 1. Mona Marie Gambrill-Patricia Hayward, 2. Anthony Buckley-Katrina Van Pelt, 3. Pat Siddle-Vivian Siddle. E/W: 1. Jeanette Shaw-Donna Leitch, 2. Michael Bickley-John Hoski, 3. Magda Farag-Elizabeth McKee.

Wednesday evening, N/S: 1. Charles Pearman-Ernest Payner, 2. Heather Woolf-Anelise Scheland, 3. Annabella Fraser-Patricia Colmet. E/W: 1. Erica Hendricks-Anna Diethelm, 2. Gwen Christensen-Gillian Gray, 3. Alice Palmer-Don Airey.

Friday: 1. Alan Douglas-Charles Hall, 2. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 3. Diana Diel-Magda Farag.