The home team left the starting blocks faster than Linford Christie. The first six boards provided a feast of massive swings. The outcome of the first deal of the championships depended principally on whether North opened with one of a suit or One Notrump:

Board 1. Dealer North. Love All ª 10 3 2 © A K Q 7 ¨ 10 3 § A Q J 10 ª K Q 7 5 ª A 9 8 6 4 © 6 © 8 3 ¨ Q J 9 8 6 5 ¨ A K 4 § 4 2 § 9 8 7 ª J © J 10 9 5 4 2 ¨ 7 2 § K 6 5 3 Closed Room West North East South Kornek Lindermann Huesken Puerstl 1NT Pass 4§ Pass 4© All Pass

Advocates of the weak notrump often claim one of its advantages as its pre-emptive effect. However, we have noticed the strong notrump, though less frequent, often gains by keeping out the opposition. Here, the pre-emptive effect of the strong notrump prevented East from entering the auction, so Austria, via a high level transfer, reached Four Hearts without opposition. On VuGraph the lower opening by North let East in with One Spade. North-South now had to go to Five Hearts over the solid Four Spades.

Both defences took the obvious three tricks, but Austria recorded a 10 IMP gain. The next board was a bigger swing. This time it was the lead that made the difference:

Board 2. Dealer East. NS Game ª 4 3 © 6 4 3 2 ¨ A J 8 5 § A 5 4 ª A 7 6 2 ª J 8 5 © K 8 © Q J 10 ¨ 7 6 3 2 ¨ 10 9 4 § J 8 2 § K 7 6 3 ª K Q 10 9 © A 9 7 5 ¨ K Q § Q 10 9 Closed Room West North East South Kornek Lindermann Huesken Puerstl Pass 1NT Pass 2§ Pass 2© Pass 4© All Pass

On VuGraph South's Three Club response to Stayman promised both majors, and North then transferred to Four Hearts, which was also reached at the other table.

In the Closed Room the defence led a diamond. Declarer needs the trumps to break so it looks right to unblock the second diamond, and follow with ace and another trump. However, if the defence get to draw the third trump declarer could be in trouble… on a club switch he can win and take two discards but then has to get the spades right.

In practice, declarer won the diamond lead, and ducked a trump without unblocking the diamond. East won and played a spade to the king and ace, and West played a second diamond. Declarer simply drew a second trump, and made sure of his game without the spade guess.

On VuGraph the camera showed West hesitating over his lead, but eventually he hit on the dangerous but highly successful club from J82. Declarer naturally played low from dummy. East won and returned a spade taken by West, and the defence later made two trump tricks to set the game. This was a further 12 IMPs to Austria. They led 22-0.

The deal makes a good double-dummy problem. Could South have made Four Hearts even on the club lead? Suppose, double-dummy, declarer rises with the ace, plays a diamond to hand, and overtakes the next diamond. He can discard a club on the third diamond, and thanks to the fortunate fall of 109x can play a fourth diamond discarding another club. If East trumps this diamond, declarer can clear trumps in two rounds, so East does best to discard. But now declarer follows with a spade finesse, and later plays two rounds of trumps. Board 3 was an oddity….. no swing! But here was the next biggy….

Board 4. Dealer West. Game All ª A 9 © 6 ¨ K 10 8 § A K J 9 8 5 4 ª 8 7 5 4 2 ª K Q J 3 © K 10 5 3 © Q J 7 4 ¨ A Q 9 ¨ 7 2 § Q § 10 3 2 ª 10 6 © A 9 8 2 ¨ J 6 5 4 3 § 7 6 Closed Room West North East South Kornek Lindermann Huesken Puerstl Pass 1§ 2§ Pass 4ª 5§ 5ª Dble All Pass

East's Two Clubs was a Michael's Cuebid showing both majors. This is supposed to be 5-5 so his sacrifice in Five Spades with a flat hand violated more than the Law of Total Tricks.

Three Clubs showed a raise to at least three spades. The winning spot for North-South is Three Notrumps, but this is difficult for North to find, and Linde was not unhappy with Four Clubs just making. He lost a spade and two diamonds. In the Closed Room West was in Five Spades Doubled. Lindermann led a top club and continued the suit. West ruffed and led a trump. Now Lindermann showed imagination by rising with the ace and leading a third club, relying on South for the ten of trumps. South duly made his remaining trump. Suppose he now gives North a heart ruff. North is endplayed to lead away from the king of diamonds, or give a ruff and discard. So South did best by playing a diamond. Declarer actually finessed so North won and had the chance to take a heart ruff. This he missed by playing another diamond, but the penalty was still 800 and a 12 IMP swing to Austria who led 34-0. The misery for Germany was not yet over, for this deal came next, on which a bidding misunderstanding was the culprit….

Board 5. Dealer North. NS Game ª A K 5 3 © A Q ¨ K 7 3 § A 10 5 3 ª Q 10 8 6 ª J 7 2 © 10 9 7 4 © K 5 ¨ Q 5 4 ¨ A J 9 8 6 2 § Q 8 § 9 4 ª 9 4 © J 8 6 3 2 ¨ 10 § K J 7 6 2 VuGraph West North East South Gloyer Linde Saurer Balschun 2NT Pass 3¨ Pass 3© Pass 4© Pass 6© All Pass

In the Closed Room Austria reached the normal Four Hearts after a Strong One Club and complex sequence. Declarer had to lose a diamond and two trumps, but he guessed the clubs successfully to emerge with ten tricks and 620 to Austria.

By contrast Germany over-reached to an impossible Six Hearts. North's leap to slam looks odd, but he interpreted South's 3¨ transfer, followed by a raise to game, as a slam try with six hearts. If South had intended to bid Four Hearts without slam interest he should have used a high level transfer. The problem may have arisen because South, with only five poor hearts, decided first to use the low level transfer, and then changed his mind about continuing with Three Notrumps.

Whatever the reason for the mishap Austria had recorded another gain, this time of 13 IMPs. Their lead after a dramatic five boards was an incredible 47-0. Such a run could not last, and Board six gave Germany its first gain of the championships…

Board 6. Dealer East. EW Game ª J 9 5 © A J 6 ¨ A Q 9 8 4 § 10 5 ª 10 2 ª K Q 3 © K 10 9 8 7 4 © — ¨ J 10 ¨ K 7 5 3 § A 9 6 § K Q 8 7 4 3 ª A 8 7 6 4 © Q 5 3 2 ¨ 6 2 § J 2 Closed Room West North East South Kornek Lindermann Huesken Puerstl 2§ Pass 3§ 3¨ Dble Pass 3© Pass 3NT Dble Pass Pass 4§ Dble All Pass

Both Easts opened the equivalent of a Precision Two Clubs, a limited hand with at least five clubs. The Vugraph auction looks quite normal, and East did well in Three Clubs to make 11 tricks for 150 to Austria. The fireworks came in the Closed Room.

Kornek as West in the Closed Room decided to raise the clubs and this encouraged North to make a very bold overcall. This had the effect of pushing East-West into a Three Notrump contract which would surely fail. However, when South doubled East had second thoughts, and ran to Four Clubs. South, who had already doubled Three Notrumps, and had no club trick, should certainly pass this round to North. However, Four Clubs should fail on a trump lead and continuation when the defence next gain the lead. But South led a diamond, and North did not switch to a trump. East obtained three ruffs in dummy, for an overtrick and 13 IMPS to Germany. The relief for Germany did not last long.

Board 10. Dealer East. Game All ª A Q 10 7 © A 4 ¨ K Q 4 3 § A K 10 ª 8 6 4 3 ª 5 2 © J 9 6 5 © K 8 7 2 ¨ J 10 9 ¨ 8 6 § Q 9 § J 7 5 3 2 ª K J 9 © Q 10 3 ¨ A 7 5 2 § 8 6 4 Closed Room West North East South Kornek Lindermann Huesken Puerstl Pass Pass Pass 1§ Pass 1ª Pass 1NT Pass 2NT Pass 3¨ Pass 3ª Pass 4§ Pass 4¨ Pass 6¨ All Pass

We don't have sufficient details of the Austrian system to explain the sequence fully. North began with a Strong Club, and South showed three controls. They finished in the best spot of Six Diamonds where the heart ruff provided the slam trick even if declarer misguessed hearts. 1370 to Austria. The German auction reached Six Notrumps. Declarer has 11 top tricks. If he guesses the hearts right that will be the twelfth. Even if he plays a low heart to the ten and jack, it looks as if there is a successful second string. Declarer can win any return, lay down ace of hearts, then run spades and diamonds finishing in dummy, to squeeze East in hearts and clubs! This would make the headline Vienna Coup in Vienna. However, Saurer, East, found a club lead. Declarer won and led a low heart to the…. ten. First chance gone. Then West led a second club. End of squeeze! The Austrians had found the double-dummy way to beat the slam. The swing was 17 IMPs to Austria and the match was effectively over at half-time. Austria went on to win 108-46 a victory point result of 25-3.

Congratulations to the host team!