This is one of the great pictures from Bermuda Bowl play. It was taken during trick five of the second hand of the finals. Paul Soloway is North for the U.S. (back to camera). John Swanson is South. The Italian opponents are Zucchelli in the East position and Facchini is West. At opposite corners of the table are the monitors who record each bid and play. Johannes Hammerich of Venezuela, a vice-president of the World Bridge Federation is stationed behind Zucchelli observing the action in an official capacity. There is a television cameraman at the left and a "play-by-play" announcer standing at the right.
There are a couple of accouterments not present at most bridge tables. The wooden structure placed diagonally across the table is the "screen". This was the first World Championship in which this device was used. The dark patch at the left part of the screen is actually a cloth curtain which could be drawn across the table during the bidding. The players bid by placing a card from a "bidding box" on the table. After both players on one side of the screen had bid the monitor on that side would call out the bids to the other side. After the opening lead was made the curtain was opened.
This system has since been extended and refined. The curtain is gone, replaced by a wooden panel which extends almost down to the table top. The bidding cards are placed on a tray which can be passed back and forth from one side of the table to the other (after both players on a side have bid). When the opening lead is made the panel is raised just slightly such that the players can see cards placed on the table but not the players on the opposite side.
The other enhancement to the equipment is a coffee table placed underneath the bridge table. This is visible by the white cloth used to cover the table which shows to the right of Soloway. These tables were so placed, according to the WBF, to "avoid rumors". This was after Facchini and Zucchelli were, "severely reprimanded for improper conduct with respect to actions of Mr. Facchini moving his feet unnaturally and touching his parntner's feet during the auction and before the opening lead". Some rumor!