East-West vulnerable.  
South deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: Q                
                              H: 9 6 4 3 2   
                              D: A 10 6 3    
                              C: J 9 3   
            WEST                             EAST
            S: K J 5                         S: A 10 8 7     
            H: 8 7                           H: A J        
            D: Q 9 2                         D: 7 4               
            C: Q 10 7 4 2                    C: A K 8 6 5   
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: 9 6 4 3 2
                              H: K Q 10 5   
                              D: K J 8 5   
                              C: V o i d  
                  SOUTH    WEST    NORTH    EAST                  
                   1S      Pass     1NT      2C 
                   2H      Pass     4H      Pass
                   Pass    Pass 
     I picked up the South hand in the seventh match of the
flight B swiss teams at the Ohio Masters Sectional tournament in
Solon on February 5th.  Mort Pierce of Chagrin Falls held the
North cards.  Mike Ellis of Beachwood and Virginia Young of
Hudson were our teammates at the companion table.  The event was
being contested with victory point scoring and we were one of the
leading teams (as were our opponents) going into the last two
matches.
     In my opinion, opening one spade with the South hand at this
type of competition and vulnerability is mandatory.  Many  will
disagree, but that is what makes this game so exciting, everyone
can have a position that they can support.
     After West passed, Pierce bid one no trump.  East, with the
best hand at the table, bid two clubs.  I decided to continue
showing the shape of my hand and bid two hearts.  West passed
again.  Pierce revalued his hand and jumped to game in hearts.  I
was surprised to hear this after he had limited his hand, but it
was a great bid that could not lose.  The play was easy and game
was made in spite of taking the diamond finesse the wrong way. 
(I have a bad history with finesses, you may recall.)
     Ellis and Young had no opposition bidding to contend with
when the hand was replayed at the companion table and wound up in
three no trump, making four.  The result was a double game swing
and a pickup of fourteen international match points (IMPs).  Our
team won this match and the next but had to settle for a close
third place as a result of the differences in victory point
scoring.
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