THE 1999 NEC CUP FINAL: GREAT BRITAIN vs JAPAN Bd: 56 North Dlr: West A732 Vul: None KQ10832 97 6   West   East    J8 Q1064    A6 J75    Q10432 AK6    K983 J52 South K95 94 J85 AQ1074 Open Room West North East South Imakura Justin Miyakuni Jason Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Arms Ino Paul Chen 1 1 1 2 Pass 2 3 All Pass   Miyakuni did not cash his diamonds and play a third against Justin's 4, a defense that would have beaten the contract easily on an eventual trump promotion. Instead he led a spade to the eight and ace. Justin finessed the Q and lost to the king, but when Imakura continued spades (as who would not?), Justin shook a diamond on the club ace and played a third spade. He was able to ruff his fourth spade with the 9 but Imakura overruffed and Miyakuni got the J and a diamond for one down; minus 50. Armstrong lost two clubs, a heart, and a spade in 3, also going down one. 3 imps to JAPAN, 120-97, halfway through the set. GREAT BRITAIN gained an overtrick imp in a low minir partial on Board 57, 98-120. Then ... Bd: 58 North Dlr: East A10863 Vul: Both J95 J83 92   West   East    J 75    K862 Q10    K6542 A1097    AJ4 K10853 South KQ942 A743 Q Q76 Open Room West North East South Imakura Justin Miyakuni Jason Pass 1 Dble 2 * 3 3 All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Arms Ino Paul Chen Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass Pass Dble Pass 2NT * Pass 3 All Pass   In 3, Jason was able to eliminate the minors and trumps before exiting with ace and another heart. The defense could not get out of its own way and had to concede a vital ruff-and-discard; plus 140. At the other table, Armstrong's 3 was extremely comfortable; he guessed neither clubs nor trumps and made three; plus 110. It looks very wrong for Ino to sell out so cheaply with a known ten-card spade fit. 7 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 105-120. Bd: 59 North Dlr: South 73 Vul: None Q103 10965 J854   West   East    AKJ Q1095    K2 J754    QJ8743 A2    107 A32 South 8642 A986 K KQ96 Open Room West North East South Imakura Justin Miyakuni Jason Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Arms Ino Paul Chen 1 1 Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass   At both tables, South led a high club against 3NT. Miyakuni ducked his ace twice, won the third round, dropped the K, played four rounds of spades, then three rounds of diamonds. The defenders had a high club and the A to take for one down; minus 50. Kenji would have made 3NT with the A offside and clubs five-three with the length in South. Paul took the A immediately, dropped the K, crossed to the Q, cashed his spades, and led a heart towards the king. Chen rose with the ace, but the defenders could take only three more clubs; plus 400. 10 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 115-120. Close enough for you? Bd: 60 North Dlr: West K Vul: N/S 109865 A1093 A75   West   East    A109854 6    AKQ7 42    7 KQJ8654    63 Q109 South QJ732 J3 2 KJ842 Open Room West North East South Imakura Justin Miyakuni Jason 1 Pass 1NT * Pass 2 Pass 3 All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Arms Ino Paul Chen 1 Pass 3 All Pass   Jason led the 4 against Miyakuni's 3. Justin won the ace and returned a trump, The queen won, removing Jason's vital trump. Miyakuni cashed two high hearts, the A (thoughtful play), and led the Q, throwing a club. Alas, Jason could not ruff, so Kenji lost only a club and two trumps for plus 110. Paul got the lead of the J from Chen. He should have started trumps but played three high hearts instead, throwing a club. Chen scored his singleton deuce of trumps, and the defense still had to get two tricks in each minor. Paul is debited with a second undertrick. Minus 100. 5 imps to JAPAN, 125-115 with four deals remaining. It was still anyone's match, but GREAT BRITAIN ran out of luck. The last four deals were dull, all played in the same contract at both tables, and all yielded the same number of tricks. JAPAN won the final set, 26-20 and won the 1999 NEC CUP by 10 imps, 125-115. It was a good match, between the two best teams in the event, on form. A great victory for the team that will represent Japan in the PABF Championships in China this spring. If they play as well as they did here, they will be strong contenders for a berth in the next Bermuda Bowl, slated for Bermuda itself in January, 2000. We wish the team nothing but success. They have earned their place in the sun (rising or otherwise).

THE NEC BRIDGE FESTIVAL IS ON THE INTERNET We are happy to announce that our Daily Bulletins are once again available on the Internet. Call your family and friends and tell them they can follow the adventures of the NEC Bridge Festival players by surfing the net to either of the following addresses: http://bridge.cplaza.ne.jp/necfest.html - or - http://www.jcbl.or.jp

TODAY'S AND TOMORROW'S SCHEDULES Today's/Tomorrow's Times 10:00-13:00 FOREIGN MINISTER'S CUP 1 ST Qual/Final 13:00-14:00 LUNCH BREAK 14:00-17:00 FOREIGN MINISTER'S CUP 2 ND Qual/Final Tomorrow 18:00-21:00 Closing Ceremony - Be there, or be square The two qualifying sessions of the Foreign Minister's Cup, as well as tommorows two final sessions, will be held on the Pacifico fifth floor, Rooms 501 and 502. The Closing Ceremony will be in Pacifico Rooms 301 & 302 tomorrow evening. The Secretariat is located in Room 417.

CHINA BESTS USA IN PLAYOFF FOR THIRD In a 32-board playoff for third place in the NEC Cup, CHINA defeated the USA team in a match which was never close or in doubt once the players took their seats. The grim final statistics, for those of you morbid enough to care to see them, were:

NEC Cup 3rd Place Playoff TEAM c/o 1st Half 2nd Half Total CHINA   87 78 165 USA 3 24 31 58 Congratulations to team CHINA!