Bd: 14 Dlr: East Vul: None 1062 Q74 2 KJ9752 AKQ853 5 AJ643 10 974 K632 Q107 643 J AJ1098 K985 AQ8	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Jason H Ino Justin H Chen Pass 1 2(1) 3 3 4 4 All Pass (1) and minor Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Imakura Paul H Termoto Mavro Pass 1 1 2 Pass Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass
No swing at E/W plus 420. N/S's clubs, which might produce eleven tricks, never mentioned.
Bd: 15 Dlr: South Vul: N/S KJ932 86 97543 7 76 Q107 J86 A10632 A84 AK93 Q102 Q98 Q105 J542 AK KJ54	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Jason H Ino Justin H Chen 1 Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 All Pass Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Imakura Paul H Termoto Mavro 1NT Pass 2* Dbl 2 3 All Pass
Ino-Chen found the wrong strain but a practical level; plus 90. Imakura-Teramoto also found a seven-card fit where an eight-card fit was available, but they went minus when Imakura got a club lead and let Brigitte win the first trick. The defense got a club ruff and several other tricks for two down; minus 100. No swing. A busy first set concluded with JAPAN ahead by 18 imps, 50-32.
Second Quarter(Boards 17-32):
Bd: 17 Dlr: North Vul: None 85 7 A10982 J10743 1062 AK1065 K65 K6 A9743 Q942 Q4 82 KQJ J83 J73 AQ95	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Hirata Armstrng Chen Pass Pass 1 1 2 3 All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Termoto Justin H Ino Jason H 2 Pass Pass 2 Pass 3 AllPass
3 was cold; a push at plus 140. We mention this deal so you can appreciate the Hackett weak two-bid approach. Settling for one quiet raiselet didn't do the North hand justice, but Takihiko Hirata was surely planning to do more if the auction hadn't gotten so high.
Bd: 18 Dlr: East Vul: N/S 95 K82 KJ5 KJ942 76 Q9 1098742 Q103 AKQ8 J65 Q6 A765 J10432 A10743 A3 8	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Hirata Armstrng Chen 1NT 2(1) 2NT(2) Pass 3 Pass 3 All Pass (1)+ lebensohl puppet to 3 Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Termoto Justin H Ino Jason H 1 2(1) Pass 3NT! all Pass (1)+
Three looks like a whole lot of notrump; it appears that Justin was expecting a bit more from his brother for his two-suited intervention at these colors. In any case, 3NT proved to be an exciting contract. K, low club to the eight, queen, and king, 9 to the queen, low club to the ten and jack, establishing a major tenace. Justin crossed to the A and knocked out the A. Ino played a heart to the queen and king and Justin crossed to the A to cash the two good spades. Now he needed the diamond finesse, more or less, and so he took it and went minus 200. Once he knew that Ino's hand was balanced, we believe he should have known that it had to contain the Q (with 15-17 HCP they have to start with a minor in this position). Papa's 3 went minus 100 at the other table, so JAPAN gained 7 imps, 57-32.
Bd: 20 Dlr: West Vul: Both A986 108 KQJ7 963 Q1054 2 108652 AK10 J3 AKJ743 9 QJ42 K72 Q965 A43 875	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Hirata Armstrng Chen Pass Pass 3 All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Termoto Justin H Ino Jason H Pass Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass Pass Dbl Pass 2NT(1) Dbl 3 Pass Pass Dbl All Pass (1)Pick a minor
John Armstrong's 3 was one down without any complexity; minus 100. Justin was caught speeding in the Closed Room when Teramoto smelled blood and pounced. 3 doubled was two down; minus 500, so GB turned over 12 imps and trailed by 37 imps, 32-69.
Bd: 21 Dlr: North Vul: N/S K92 843 AQJ65 82 63 QJ1096 K32 KQ3 J10874 K7 10984 104 AQ5 A52 7 AJ9765	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Hirata Armstrng Chen Pass Pass 1 1 2 2 2NT Pass 3 Dbl Rdbl Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 5 All Pass (1)Moderate 3 bid Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Termoto Justin H Ino Jason H 1 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3NT Pass Pass Pass
Ino led a spade against Justin's 3NT, which ran to the king. A club went to the seven and queen, and now it seemed that Teramoto would switch to hearts and defeat the contract. That would be the wrong play, however, if Justin held the K, as he figured to hold for his 2NT rebid (note that, as is often the case, Justin held no hand at all). In truth everything looked futile to Teramoto, who switched to a low diamond. Justin took no chances; he put up he ace and knocked out the K. Teramoto cashed the K but Justin had the rest; plus 630. Really, the diamond switch could not defeat the contract; declarer would duck twice if he had to. Chen and Hirata would not have made 3NT at their table, so 5 was their best shot at the game bonus. That had to fail on a heart lead also and Chen finished minus 200, taking the ruffing finesse in diamonds. 13 imps to GB, 45- 69.
Bd: 23 Dlr: South Vul: Both A432 76 J9864 65 J97 KQ842 A J1097 Q65 J10953 K1032 Q K108 A Q75 AK8432	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Hirata Armstrng Chen 1 1 Dbl* 3* Pass 4* Pass 4 AllPass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Termoto Justin H Ino Jason H 1 1 1 3* Dbl* Pass Pass 3 3 AllPass
Jason scrambled home in 3 on an obscure line that we can't quite follow from the play record, but we think it was more-or-less legitimate; plus 140. 4 had four obvious losers for minus 100. Perhaps that big 4 bid was an attempt to direct the defense against a spade contract, but no one had shown any real interest in that suit yet. 1 imp to GB, 46-70.
Bd: 26 Dlr: East Vul: Both J105 AQ832 32 852 9743 KJ5 K985 A7 AKQ6 7 AQ10 KQJ96 82 10964 J764 1043	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Hirata Armstrng Chen 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3 All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Termoto Justin H Ino Jason H 1 Pass 1 Pass 4* Pass 4 All Pass
How sad. With 6 or 6NT (by West) very good contracts, neither E/W pair got close. If Ino's 4 was the correct call, Teramoto's 4 was not, so we suspect a misunderstanding. Meanwhile, the real tragedy came in the Open Room, where Papa had a mechanical accident. He thought he had bid 1 at his first turn but had extracted the 1NT card and never noticed his error until it was too late. He thought 2 was a simple raise and that 3 over his own 2NT game try showed a moderate 3145 hand. That was particularly bad luck for GB, who lost 11 imps where they stood a fighting chance to gain 12 by reaching slam. JAPAN, 81-56. Standing Room Only in the VuGraph theatre
Bd: 27 Dlr: South Vul: None KJ10765 76 K32 QJ Q84 9853 976 985 A32 104 AQJ8 7632 9 AKQJ2 1054 AK104	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Hirata Armstrng Chen 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Termoto Justin H Ino Jason H 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3NT All Pass
Just an overtrick imp here, Justin getting a diamond lead around to his king. Consider, however, that Chen got a diamond lead through dummy's king. Had the A been in the West hand, a spade return would have beaten 3NT. Although you would be a bit unlucky to fail at 3NT from the South side, 3 is a much better choice than 2NT. JAPAN, 81-57.	"It's really a huge responsibility being so popular."
Bd: 29 Dlr: North Vul: Both 86 AKQ83 AK4 J54 J4 96 J9653 Q1083 A10532 10752 1087 2 KQ97 J4 Q2 AK976	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Hirata Armstrng Chen 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 5 Pass 6 AllPass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Termoto Justin H Ino Jason H 1 Pass 2* Pass 2* Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 6NT All Pass
Chen's 6 had no chance on the lie of the cards and he finished two down after cashing ace-king of trumps; minus 200. Jason's 6NT was more promising. He got a diamond lead (the honest five), won the ace, and led a spade to his king. He cashed the A, then the Q, and ran hearts, Ino discarding the 5 on the last. West discarded three-nine of diamonds and then the 8 after Jason threw his last small club. Had he cashed the K before leading a second spade, he would have made his contract easily. Instead, he led the spade first. Had Ino played low on the spade, he would have taken the last two tricks with the ace-ten. Instead he went in with the ace (Teramoto's jack falling) and exited with the 3. Suddenly, Jason was back in the running. But could he really finesse dummy's nine? To do so would mean that he had been given a chance to make a contract that had to fail with normal defense in a clear endgame. Meanwhile, playing the Q was entirely legitimate. If Teramoto had started with J104, there would be no defense in the endgame. If Ino ducks the spade, the king wins, and declarer cashes the K before exiting in spades to collect the K in the end. We can't tell you whether Jason was thinking of the Grosvenor Gambit possibilities in this torment-laden position, but in the end he put up the Q and lost the last trick to Ino's 10 for one down. Minus 100. 3 imps to GB, 60-81. On the last deal of the set, the nature of the competitive auction that led Hirata-Chen to 4 got them doubled. The contract was cold and the twins were not doubled. 4 imps to JAPAN, who won the quarter, 38-28 to lead at the half by 28 imps, 88-60.