The great Italian player Giorgio Belladonna was sitting North, and Benito Garozzo, South. On this less than ideal and lengthy auction, Belladonna ended up in 7, not a good contract. Belladonna was astonished when he saw dummy's club holding.

Eddie Kantar, was sitting East. In one of his many books, he relates the story in a chapter called "The Short Life of the King of Clubs."

As Kantar explains it, he knew the match was close, and before dummy came down, he was optimistic. Here he sat, with the K safely (he thought) tucked behind the original club bidder. He was going to be a world champion! And then the dummy hit the table.

Belladonna, of course, played the hand the only way he could, hoping for the doubleton K on his left. He won the opening lead, led a club to the Q and held his breath as Kantar's partner, Billy Eisenberg, played low. The A brought down the K and brought home the contract. When the K dropped, Belladonna, a devout Catholic, made the sign of the cross and smiled.

At the other table, the Americans with the North-South hands, played six notrump, making seven, after a much simpler auction:

So, the Italians won the world championship. Down one in 7 would have cost 17 international match points and the match.

But the loss of the Bermuda Bowl wasn't just unlucky. The Americans should have defeated 7. Can you see how?
 

Scroll down to see the answer.