At half time, the score in both the semifinal matches was very close. Schaltz were leading Welland by 3 IMP’s and Bertheau was 4 IMP’s up against Hauge. In the second half, however, in both matches we mainly saw one way traffic. Not that either of the losing teams were playing really badly, but somehow the IMP’s kept going to the same teams most of the time.

It was all about the knack of knowing in advance when to rely upon a finesse (or two).

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª 7 © 9 6 ¨ Q J 10 5 § K J 9 6 3 2
ª A Q 5 © A J 10 8 5 ¨ K 3 2 § A Q		ª K J 10 9 8 4 3 2 © Q 7 3 ¨ 8 6 § -
	ª 6 © K 4 2 ¨ A 9 7 4 § 10 8 7 5 4

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Rosenberg	Auken	Rosenberg	Auken
2NT	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	6ª	All Pass

Well, if you go to slam, you better do so straight away. It might depend on a finesse, but who cares? Welland +1430.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Blakset	Welland	Schaltz	Levin
2NT	Pass	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

When you don’t go to slam, you probably are right, statistically speaking, so you will emerge winners in the long run. But not now…Schaltz +650 and 13 IMP’s to Welland. They had gone into the lead.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª A 9 6 3 © 6 2 ¨ A J 7 5 § J 8 5
ª K © A J 7 5 4 3 ¨ 8 6 4 2 § 6 3		ª J 10 8 7 5 2 © 9 8 ¨ Q 10 § 9 7 2
	ª Q 4 © K Q 10 ¨ K 9 3 § A K Q 10 4

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Rosenberg	Auken	Rosenberg	Auken
		Pass	1NT
3©	Dble	Pass	3NT
All Pass

An easy auction to a perfectly normal contract. Schaltz +660. Why does this simple hand appear at all in a Bulletin report?

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Blakset	Welland	Schaltz	Levin
		2¨	Dble
2ª	3NT	Pass	6NT
All Pass

The answer is, of course, that something happened in the other room. The Multi provoked a double from South, of course, followed by a bold jump to 3NT by Welland. Not knowing about this, Jill Levin made the obvious raise to slam.

Well, this contract is not so good. First of all, you should work out if there are any chances and next, what they are and how you can exploit and combine them. Life is made easier for you, however, when East leads the ªJ. This lead denying a higher honour, you have no option but to duck in dummy, only to see the king enter the scene. First hurdle taken. One might even say that only from now there are any chances at all, though this is not quite true. So you win the ªA and lead a heart, the king collecting the eight and the seven. Next come the clubs, on which East discards two spades and West three hearts. On the ¨K, East follows with the ten. What now?

It took Roy Welland a long time, but he found the right solution. He called for dummy’s ¨9 and put up the ace from his hand. Thank you for the queen. Over to the ªQ for a finesse of the ¨8. Nicely done for +1440 and 13 IMP’s, a big move towards a possible place in the final.

Two boards later, disaster was around the corner for Welland:

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª J 10 9 7 5 © 10 8 7 6 ¨ 8 6 2 § 8
ª 2 © 9 3 2 ¨ K J 5 § Q 7 6 5 3 2		ª A 4 3 © A K Q J 5 4 ¨ 10 9 § 10 4
	ª K Q 8 6 © - ¨ A Q 7 4 3 § A K J 9

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Blakset	Welland	Schaltz	Levin
Pass	Pass	1©	Dble
2©	Pass	Pass	Dble
3§	3ª	Pass	4©
Pass	4ª	All Pass

At a glance, this contract looks almost too easy. On a top heart lead, there are problems of communication, however. A likely solution might be to cash two top clubs, pitching a diamond, ruff a club and take a diamond finesse. This is exactly what happened, but when the finesse (for once) was wrong, declarer was in trouble. Schaltz had discarded a diamond on the third round of clubs and Blakset correctly returned another heart to put declarer in dummy. When dummy next played the ¨A, Schaltz could ruff this and play two rounds of trumps. Declarer now had to lose two more hearts and suddenly had gone down one.

In fact, the Danish had missed a good save, as 5© is down only one. In the Open Room, the save was duly found:

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Rosenberg	Auken	Rosenberg	Auken
Pass	Pass	1©	Dble
2©	Pass	3©	Dble
4©	4ª	5©	5ª
All Pass

When South decided to bid one more, the outcome of the hand once again hinged on a finesse. As we already saw from the play in the Closed Room, this crucial diamond finesse was wrong, so 11 tricks surely was asking too much, even on the revealing lead of the ¨10. One down, flat board.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª J 7 5 3 © A Q 9 8 ¨ K 4 3 § K 7
ª A K Q 8 © K 10 ¨ 9 7 6 § 10 9 6 2		ª 10 4 2 © 5 ¨ A J 10 § A Q 8 5 4 3
	ª 9 6 © J 7 6 4 3 2 ¨ Q 8 5 2 § J

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Rosenberg	Auken	Rosenberg	Auken
	1¨	2§	2¨
Dble	Pass	2ª	Pass
4ª	All Pass

The double of course was showing values outside the minors and 2ª was a simple preference. As a consequence, it was East who had to declare and South led a diamond to the king and ace. One round of trumps and the club finesse, the queen bringing down the jack. After one more top trump and a diamond to the queen, declarer was in an awkward position. South could push a heart through now, so declarer lost control and had to concede one down.

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Blakset	Welland	Schaltz	Levin
	1¨	2§	3¨
3ª	Pass	4ª	All Pass

In a more crowded auction, Blakset introduced his spades at the three-level, but as he implied a club fit, he was never in danger. With the lead in North, he was far better placed to stay in control and so it proved. A diamond went to the queen, but if South plays a heart now it’s too early to disturb declarer. So South elected a more passive club return. From there, it was plain sailing. Three rounds of trumps, followed by the clubs. North can ruff, but with the ©K protected, the contract was safe. Schaltz +420 and 10 badly needed IMP’s back to trail by 13.

Welland’s lead had gone up to 18 when the last two boards arrived, and they were quite exciting:

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª A K J 6 2 © A K 9 6 ¨ J § Q 9 8
ª 10 9 7 4 © 4 2 ¨ K 4 3 § J 10 6 2		ª Q 5 3 © J 10 7 5 ¨ A 8 7 5 § K 3
	ª 8 © Q 8 3 ¨ Q 10 9 6 2 § A 7 5 4

At both tables, the bidding had been the same:

West	North	East	South
			Pass
Pass	1ª	Pass	1NT
Pass	3©	Pass	4©
All Pass

Both Easts led the ¨A, but what next? As you see, every card you play might cost you a trick. Dorthe Schaltz, in the Closed Room, put her money on an immediate return of the §K – it looked as if she would have to open up the suit anyway sooner or later. Welland won the ace and passed the ¨Q, throwing a club and scoring an unexpected trick. Suddenly, the prospects were looking good. ªAK, spade ruff bringing down the queen, three rounds of trumps and that’s it. One overtrick, Welland +450.

Debbie Rosenberg continued a sneaky ©10. How would you continue? Jens Auken won the queen, played a spade to the ace and ruffed a spade. Next, he led a trump and finessed the nine…only to see East win her jack and continue the §K after all. Locked in dummy, he could do little better than play the ¨Q, but now West covered and declarer was short in trumps when they did not break 3-3. One down and 11 IMP’s more to Welland who were through to the final.

The beating was not over yet:

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª 10 9 2 © 9 6 ¨ A K Q 9 7 4 § J 2
ª Q J 8 7 5 © K 3 ¨ J 2 § Q 8 7 3		ª K 4 3 © J 10 7 4 ¨ 10 8 3 § A 10 6
	ª A 6 © A Q 8 5 2 ¨ 6 5 § K 9 5 4

Closed Room:
West	North	East	South
Blakset	Welland	Schaltz	Levin
Pass	2¨	Pass	2©
2ª	3¨	All Pass

The conservative weak two led to a conservative contract. Nine easy tricks for +110 to Welland, but 3NT looked a fair enough proposition. Or was it?

Open Room:
West	North	East	South
Rosenberg	Auken	Rosenberg	Auken
Pass	Pass	Pass	1©
1ª	3¨	Pass	3©
Pass	3ª	Dble	Pass
Pass	Redble	Pass	3NT
All Pass

As North did not open, West could introduce his spades after the one-level opening by South. The Aukens still ended up in the proper contract, as they were able to ask for a spade stopper twice – the redouble simply confirming the enquiry about a stopper in the suit.

The play’s the thing, however. You win the second spade, so the defenders’ communications are intact. It will not help you to find the §A onside, so you will have to rely on the ©AQ coming in. As West was all too likely to hold at least the §A or the ©K, and maybe both, it would mainly be a matter of watching the discards. Well, East had discarded a low club, a heart and the §10 and West a club, a heart (blanking his king early on – the best time to do it!) and two more clubs in that order. This was the position:

	ª 10 © 9 6 ¨ - § J 2
ª Q J 8 © K ¨ - § Q		ª 4 © J 10 7 ¨ - § A
	ª - © A Q 8 ¨ - § K 9

As you can see, West could not afford to throw his last club and keep a heart, as he would be put on play with a spade. But how can declarer know? He exited with his last spade alright, only to see the defenders cash four more tricks for one down. Another 5 IMP’s to Welland, where it might have been 10 IMP’s the other way. So Welland emerged clear winners by 91-57, a margin of 34 IMP’s.