Australia got off to a fast start against Norway and never were caught. It started on Board 1 when Norway found their 4-4 spade fit, then had to deal with a 5-0 trump split.

Board 1. Dealer North. Love All ª A 9 7 6 © K 7 ¨ K Q 6 2 § K 7 4 ª — ª 10 8 4 3 2 © J 10 9 8 5 4 3 © 2 ¨ J 7 4 ¨ A 9 8 § 10 9 5 § A 8 6 3 ª K Q J 5 © A Q 6 ¨ 10 5 3 § Q J 2

Kylie Robb of Australia underled her §A, and Oyvind Saur started trumps by winning the king. After getting the bad news, he led a diamond to the queen and ace. Robb cashed her §A and got out with a club. The defense came to two diamonds, a trump and two clubs when declarer played four rounds of spades. Robb ruffed the second heart and cashed her §8 for down two.

. N.K. Kvangraven decided to lead a spade despite the opposition bidding. Luke Matthews led a club to the queen and a diamond to the king, ducked. A second club went to the jack, but East took the ¨K at the next trick. He cashed his two clubs and led a diamond to partner's jack for the fourth defensive trick. But Matthews had the rest for his game and an 11-IMP pickup.

Australia increased their lead to 28 on the next deal.

Board 2. Dealer East. NS Game ª K J 5 2 © K 10 9 ¨ A 10 9 7 2 § 7 ª A 10 7 ª 3 © Q 8 7 4 2 © J 5 3 ¨ J 8 5 3 ¨ K Q 6 4 § 6 § J 8 4 3 2 ª Q 9 8 6 4 © A 6 ¨ — § A K Q 10 9 5

The opening heart lead went to the jack and ace and Boye Brogeland led a trump to the jack. He ruffed a diamond and led a second trump, taken by Leigh Gold. After considerable thought Gold led another heart - and it was Brogeland's turn to go into the tank. Finally he rose with the king and led a club to his ace. When he tried to cash the §K, West ruffed with the 10 and Brogeland overruffed. He cashed the ¨A and ruffed a diamond, but in the end game he had to lose a club to the jack for down one.

The opening lead was the same - a heart to the jack and ace. Nicholas Croft led a spade to the king and a second spade to West's ace. But Gunnar Harr switched to a diamond instead of trying a second heart. Declarer won the ace, drew the last trump and cashed three top clubs. He ruffed a club and then ruffed a diamond. When he took his last trump he was down to a club and a heart and dummy had the ©K-10. Croft had no choice - he had to take the finesse. When it worked his side was 17 IMPs richer. Harr could have made it much tougher for declarer if he had returned a heart instead of a diamond - as in the Open Room, declarer would have had to make his decision long before he was able to test the situation in clubs. Norway got to a grand slam on the next board - a slam that could have made, but...

Board 3. Dealer South. EW Game ª Q 9 5 4 3 © — ¨ 9 7 5 § J 8 6 4 2 ª K 7 2 ª A J 10 © A © K 8 7 5 4 3 ¨ A K J 10 6 ¨ Q 3 2 § A K 5 3 § Q ª 8 6 © Q J 10 9 6 2 ¨ 8 4 § 10 9 7

The auction was short and sweet - well, maybe not so sweet - in the Open Room. Gold took a conservative view and bid only 3NT over the heart preempt. He had no problem taking 12 tricks.

Looking at all four hands, it's easy to see how to take all 13 tricks, but Harr could see only two hands. He won the opening club lead with the queen and tried to cross to his singleton ©A. What a shock when Matthews ruffed! Later on there was a spade overruff for the defense, so the good grand slam actually was set two tricks - another 13 IMPs for Australia, now ahead 41-0 after only three deals. Norway got a big hunk back on Board 6.

Board 6. Dealer East. EW Game ª A Q J 10 6 4 © Q 10 ¨ Q 10 § A Q J ª 9 5 3 2 ª K 7 © A K J 2 © 8 7 5 4 3 ¨ A K 8 2 ¨ 9 § 9 § K 10 6 4 2 ª 8 © 9 6 ¨ J 7 6 5 4 3 § 8 7 5 3

Robb led her singleton diamond, and Gold won the ¨K and continued with the ace as Robb discarded the §2, using upside down signals. Gold then led the TWO of diamonds, asking for a club return. Robb ruffed as declarer sluffed a heart. She was surprised by the ¨2, but after a little thought she returned a club. Now declarer was able to draw the trumps and lose just a club and a heart for down two - minus 300.

What difference did Gold's lead of the ¨2 make? Watch what happened at the other table.

Kvangraven also led his singleton diamond, and Harr took his king and cashed two hearts. Then he took his other high diamond as partner discarded the §2. He shifted to a club and the finesse lost to the king. Harr was able to ruff the club return, and only now did he lead a third diamond. Declarer ruffed, but Kvangraven was able to overruff and give his partner another club ruff. Declarer had to be satisfied with five tricks for an 1100-point defeat. That translated to 13 IMPs for Norway.

Norway found a good defense against a partscore on Board 14, but they lost 3 IMPs because of arriving in a bad contract at the other table.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All ª 2 © A K J 8 4 ¨ J 6 5 4 3 § 8 7 ª K 10 ª Q 9 8 7 © 10 6 3 © Q 9 7 2 ¨ A K 10 9 8 ¨ Q 2 § Q 9 4 § A 10 5 ª A J 6 5 4 3 © 5 ¨ 7 § K J 6 3 2

After cashing the ¨A on opening lead, Gold switched to a trump. Robb won and led a second trump, ducked to the queen. A third trump put declarer on lead, and he took a heart finesse, losing to the queen. Declarer took the spade return with the ace and got out of his hand with a spade to West's king. Gold switched to a heart to dummy's ace, but all declarer could take from this point on were his ©K and two good trumps in his hand. He took only three clubs, two hearts and a spade for down three.

Croft decided to rebid his six-card spade suit instead of his clubs, and that's where he played it. Harr switched to a heart after winning the ¨A. Croft won this with the ace and lost a club finesse to the queen. He ruffed the diamond return and passed a club to East's 10. He pitched a club on the heart return as he won the jack. He got rid of another club on the ©K, then ruffed a diamond as East pitched the §A. He ruffed a club with the deuce, but East overruffed of course. Kvangraven led the ©Q, ruffed and overruffed. Herr led back the ¨K, and Kvangraven trumped in with the queen, overruffed by declarer with the ace. Declarer still had to give up a trick to the ªK - down one for a 3-IMP gain.

Sometimes it doesn't pay to find your 4-4 major suit fit after opening with 1NT.

Board 17. Dealer North. Love All ª A 8 © K Q 5 ¨ K 9 7 2 § Q 9 4 2 ª J 9 2 ª Q 7 3 © A 10 8 7 2 © J 9 3 ¨ 5 3 ¨ A Q 10 4 § J 6 3 § A 8 5 ª K 10 6 5 4 © 6 4 ¨ J 8 6 § K 10 7

East led a heart to partner's ace, and Gold continued the suit, the king winning. A finesse to the §10 lost to the jack, and Gold continued the attack on hearts. Declarer played the §K and another to East's ace. She was out of hearts and tried the ¨4, but this ran to the 7. Declarer cashed some tricks at this point - one club and two spades. When East failed to unblock in spades, she was thrown in with the queen and was forced to concede another diamond - declarer's eighth trick.

After cashing the ©A on opening lead, Harr switched to a diamond. Matthews put up the king, losing to the ace. Kvangraven cashed the ¨Q and gave partner a diamond ruff. Correctly reading the ¨4 as a call for a club, Harr returned a club to Kvangraven's ace and scored a second ruff. Later the defense came to another trump trick, setting the contract two tricks for a 6-IMP pickup for Norway.

The last board was another catastrophe for Norway.

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

Gold made an easy 11 tricks. Losing just a trump and a club. The excitement was in the Closed Room.

Harr rose with the ace on the lead of the ¨7. After cashing the ace of trumps, he led a heart to the king and cashed the ©A, Croft dropping the jack. When he cashed the ªQ, he got the news about the bad break. Next he pitched the ¨Q on the ©Q. However, he still had to lose the same two tricks as at the other table - the §K and the ªJ for down two. So Australia closed the set as they began with a big gain, this time 13 IMPs.

Australia won the match 24-6, and was in second place, one Victory Point behind Italy, after Match 2 of the round-robin.