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The 2007 U.S. Team trials to select a team for the Bermuda Bowl
in China was held in June (in a Chicago suburb). Our team made it
all the way to the final four, where we made our exit. The NICKELL
team (Nickell-Freeman, Meckstroth-Rodwell, Hamman-Soloway) won the
Bermuda Bowl berth (see: the USBF
website for more details)
Our quarterfinal victory may have knocked several years off my
life expectancy. At the least, it had to add some gray hairs. We
led by 105 IMPs with only 30 deals to play. Maybe our opponents
would withdraw? No. They played on. In the penultimate set of 15
deals they started to swing. They hit. They hit again. Everything
they did at both tables was working. They bid and made a grand.
They opened one diamond on a doubleton with a side five-card
major! They bid and made some ridiculous games and slams. For the
segment they scored 84 IMPs and gave up only 2! Our once
formidable lead had shrunk to 23.
What a horrible sensation! This must be what it feels
like when a prize fighter takes a few punches to the jaw. We tried
to compose ourselves and went back to play the final 15 deals. The
bad fortune continued. Our opponents played the first five deals
as if they had the hand records. I tried to push the thought out
of my mind: "Would we be the first team ever to lose a
triple-digit lead in 30 boards...?" Negative thinking. No
good. Think positive. Dig in. We did. Our next 10 boards were
quite good and our teammates also came through. We ended up
winning the match by more than 50, but I'll never forget the
horrible feeling of having that huge lead almost disappear.
Now, for some deals, which I
label as follows:
1) Round
of 16--Super declarer play by my opponent
2) Round
of 16--Strange situation in a slam
3) Round
of 8--Down to a miracle
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