Second World Mind Sports Games in France

LILLE, France — At the Second World Mind Sports Games here the United States senior team (Richie Schwartz, Lew Finkel, Neil Chambers, John Schermer, Steve Landen and Sam Lev; I was its nonplaying captain) failed in its bid to win the world title. In the 96-board final on Tuesday and Wednesday against Hungary (Mikos Dumbovich, Mihaly Kovacs, Peter Magyar and Geza Szappanos, with its nonplaying captain, Gyorgy Barany), the United States lost by 247 international match points to 166. France came in third.


England won the Women’s Teams against Russia by 209 imps to 140. China was third.
After 96 of the 128 boards in the open teams final, Sweden led Poland by 80 imps. After 48 of the 80 boards in the final of the Transnational Mixed Teams, Canada led the international team Reese Milner by 17.7 imps.
These two events will end at 10:20 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday. The results can be found at worldbridge.org.
In the senior final, after the United States took a 5-imp lead in the first set, Hungary bid more accurately in the next two sessions to lead by 70 imps overnight. On Wednesday morning the United States recouped 22 imps, but it could have been a lot more. In the fifth set Hungary won 23 imps, but again chances were missed by the Americans. In the final session there were few opportunities.
One lost opportunity in the fourth set was the diagramed deal, Board 61.
At both tables South was in four hearts after the given auction. What should West have led?
I have always been a believer that strong suits make better leads than weaker ones, and would have selected the spade king. Of course I might be influenced by knowing that that lead would have worked well, establishing a defensive spade trick to go with three heart winners. But it is true that the lead could have cost a spade trick.
At both tables the play started identically. West led the club jack and got back in at Trick 2 with his heart jack. Each West persevered with clubs, so the declarers won in the dummy (discarding a spade from hand) and played another trump. East won and shifted to a spade, but it was too late, because South won and ran his diamonds, throwing dummy’s second spade on the fourth round.
What would have happened if West had switched to the spade king at Trick 3? At first glance that looks good enough, but wouldn’t have been. South would have won and played diamonds, discarding dummy’s remaining spade. If East ruffed, it would have been with his king, a natural trump trick. And if West ruffed, then the heart king and heart ace would have fallen together.
After the club lead the only way to defeat the contract was for East to win the second trick with his heart king and shift to a spade.