Both teams were very much in the battle for semifinal qualification as this match got under way. Chinese Taipei was in second place after an excellent record the day before. Denmark was tied for fourth, the last qualifying position.

Chinese Taipei got to an odds-against slam on Board 2 - and the odds prevailed.

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

The opening lead of a club saw Mik Kristensen going up with the queen to eliminate a loser in that suit. He took a finesse to the ©10, losing to the king, but eventually he still had to lose a trump. He also lost a spade, making five.

Jim Wu, South, chose to rebid 3NT instead of 3©. When Tony Yang then leaped to 5¨, Wu felt he was good enough, with all his controls, to go to six. The opening spade lead went to the queen and ace, and declarer immediately took a losing heart finesse to the queen. He gave up a spade to the king to set up a pitch for his club, but he still was one down for a 13-IMP loss.

After a series of boards with no particular points of interest, Yang and Wu ran into trouble on Board 9.

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

Kristensen played a prosaic 3§ in the Closed Room, making three. The action was in the Open Room where Wu was declaring 2NT. He won the opening lead of the ¨Q with the ace and finessed the ©J, losing to the queen. The defenders collected their four diamond tricks, then switched to spades. With the queen in the gate and with dummy down to the stiff 9, the defense took four spades to inflict a four-trick defeat. Seven IMPs to Denmark.

It was Denmark's turn to go overboard on Board 10.

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

In the Open Room Yang and Wu stopped in 4¨, just making. However, this was the bidding in the Closed Room.

Wong found the spade lead that let the defense take the first four tricks. When the diamond finesse lost later on, Kristensen was two down since he also lost a club. That was 8 IMPs back to Chinese Taipei.

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All ª K 4 © 9 4 2 ¨ A K 8 5 § 10 6 4 2 ª J 7 3 ª Q 9 6 2 © A K Q 10 8 5 © 7 6 3 ¨ 3 2 ¨ J 9 7 6 § 8 5 § A 7 ª A 10 8 5 © J ¨ Q 10 4 § K Q J 9 3

Konow's heart preempt backfired here. Wu opened 1§ as South, and Konow leaped to 3©. Yang felt he had enough to go to the four level in clubs, and Wu thought he had enough in reserve to go to game. He was right! He lost only a heart and the ace of trumps. This was worth a gain of 6 IMPs because Denmark stopped in a club partial in the Closed Room.

On Board 12, once again there was a fairly normal result in one room and a disaster in the other.

Board 12. Dealer West. NS Game ª J © Q J 7 5 ¨ K 5 3 § Q 10 5 4 3 ª 8 6 ª K 10 2 © A 8 6 4 3 2 © K ¨ 7 4 ¨ A Q J 8 6 2 § J 6 2 § K 9 7 ª A Q 9 7 5 4 3 © 10 9 ¨ 10 9 § A 8

In the Open Room Wu played in 3ª. Konow started with a diamond to the jack, and Morten Madsen cashed his ©K before shifting to a spade, which rode to the jack. Wu crossed to the §A and cashed the ace of trumps before putting East in with the ªK. Madsen cashed the ¨A and §K, the last tricks for the defense. Down one. The story was a lot different in the Closed Room.

Cheo had a very fine hand indeed, but he decided to take it easy over his partner's Multi. This worked fine - it gave him the chance to exact a major penalty. Wong led a diamond to Cheo's jack, and Cheo took his ©K. Next came the ¨A and a third diamond. Declarer sluffed a heart as Wong ruffed. Wong attempted to cash his ©A but declarer ruffed. Declarer led a spade to the jack and Cheo's king, and Cheo got out with the ¨Q, ruffed. Declarer cleared trumps but eventually had to give up a club for minus 800 - a 12-IMP loss.

Chinese Taipei really missed the boat on Board 13.

Board 13. Dealer North. Game All ª J 10 7 6 5 3 © 9 5 4 ¨ J 5 § 10 9 ª A 9 4 2 ª 8 © — © A Q 10 3 ¨ K 7 6 2 ¨ A Q 10 8 4 3 § A Q J 5 4 § 6 3 ª K Q © K J 8 7 6 2 ¨ 9 § K 8 7 2

Cheo scored up 660, but he was not at all happy about it. The result in the Open Room shows why.

A fine auction to a reasonable grand slam - declarer needed to find §K onside - and he did. The opening lead was the ªK to the ace. Madsen drew two rounds of trumps and took the club finesse. He ruffed a spade and finessed clubs again. He cashed the §A and ruffed a club - and the defense conceded. 16 IMPs to Denmark.

If you decide to open these cards third hand, what do you open?

Even if you're playing five-card majors, 1ª stands out. There is no guarantee your side is going to declare this hand, so at least you're giving your partner an idea of where your strength is. Yang got into a bit of trouble when he opened 1§. Chinese Taipei played in 2§ down two. At the other table, North passed with those cards, and it was East who opened 1ª in fourth hand! Wang responded 1NT, made with an overtrick.

On Board 17 E/W were cold for 6©, but neither pair came close to that contract.

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

Nohr's preempt sure did its work. But does 3© really portray Cheo's hand? He had a multitude of tricks in his own hand, and he needed practically nothing to make game and not much more for slam. He had no problem making plus 230 with the ©Q singleton, but he wasn't happy about it.

The Danes probably thought they lost heavily here where they scored 300 for beating 5§ two tricks. They must have been mighty surprised to learn they actually had gained 2 IMPs.

Again on Board 19 the Danes in the Open Room probably were sure they had lost bushels of IMPs when they failed to get to their heart slam. But it didn't work out that way.

Board 19. Dealer South. EW Game ª K Q J 10 7 5 4 2 © 6 3 ¨ 7 4 § 2 ª A ª 9 8 © A K Q 9 5 © J 10 8 4 2 ¨ A K 10 5 2 ¨ 8 3 § J 10 § A 8 5 3 ª 6 3 © 7 ¨ Q J 9 6 § K Q 9 7 6 4

Konow figured he had done all he could and passed 5©. But things got totally out of control at the other table.

Nohr started slowly merely bidding 3ª over Wong's takeout double. When Cheo was able to bid 4© freely, Wong trotted out Blackwood. Nohr interfered with 5ª and Cheo showed his one control. That was all Wong thought he needed - he leaped to 7©. This was destined to go one down because there is no way to avoid a club loser. But Nohr thought the chances were good that the grand slam would make - he had nothing for defense and his partner had preempted. So he bid 7ª. Cheo of course doubled this, but Wong thought the IMPs lost by defending 7ª would be too great. After a bit of thought, he put the 7NT card on the table.

Nohr led the ªK to the ace, and Wong played two rounds of hearts, ending in dummy. He led a diamond and was happy when his 10 took the trick. He took the rest of his hearts, ending in dummy, and led another diamond. This time Kristensen put in the jack, forcing the king. Wong hopefully cashed the ¨A - no luck. He cashed the §A and gave up the rest - down 300. That was 14 more IMPs to Denmark en route to their 20-10 victory.