Bridge - U.S. Team Set for World Mind Sports Games The United States open team at the World Mind Sports Games in Lille, France, in August will be Nick Nickell-Ralph Katz, Bob Hamman-Zia Mahmood and Jeff Meckstroth-Eric Rodwell. In the 120-board final of the trial played last weekend in Schaumburg, Ill., they defeated John Diamond-Brian Platnick, Fred Gitelman-Brad Moss and Eric Greco-Geoff Hampson by 267 international match points to 251. The Nickell team led from Boards 4 to 11. Then it fell as far behind as 66 imps on Board 44. But the team started a characteristic fight back, winning the fourth session by 64 imps to 19 to trail by 9. In the fifth set Diamond had stretched its lead to 17 when the diagramed deal, Board 69, was played. In the other room, after Hamman (South) opened one club and Greco (West) overcalled one diamond, Zia (North) immediately responded three no-trump. Hampson (East) led the diamond eight. North took West's ten with his king and played a spade. East, hoping his partner had six diamonds, correctly rose with the king and led his second diamond. Declarer took that trick and played another spade to the queen and ace. When West returned his last spade, North won in the dummy, played a club to his king and led the diamond nine to establish the seven as his ninth trick. Zia took two spades, one heart, three diamonds and three clubs. In the given auction Gitelman (North) responded three diamonds, which was a transfer to three no-trump, preferring to have the overcaller on lead. Meckstroth (West) started with the diamond jack, a Rusinow lead promising the queen. Moss (South) won with dummy's ace and played a spade to his queen, which held. After crossing to dummy with a club, declarer led another spade, West taking South's jack with his ace. Now West shifted deceptively to the heart queen. When declarer ducked this trick, West led the diamond ten. South won with dummy's king and played a third spade, Rodwell (East) winning with his king and leading a low heart. Fooled by West's queen-lead, declarer put in his jack, but West won with the king and cashed the diamond queen for down one. The defenders had taken two spades, two hearts and one diamond. Meckstroth put Moss under pressure. Here, though, if East had held the heart king, it was safe for South to win the second heart lead with his ace. If West followed with a low card, declarer could have crossed to dummy with a club and played a heart toward his jack. This would have been wrong only if East had the heart king and a third diamond, which was most unlikely. Plus 600 and plus 100 gave the Nickell team 12 imps on the board, leaving a deficit of 5, which was erased on the next board, the subject of Saturday's column.