Both rooms found their Moysian fit in hearts on Board 2. They played that game instead of 3NT or 5§ in their 6-2 fit. The notrump game comes in because of the location of the ©A -- duck spades until the third round and drive the ©A. The club game is just as easy -- you get a side suit pitch on the long heart. So much for that analysis - on to the real world.

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

In the Closed Room North hand found himself on lead. His spade holding was not as attractive as his partner's so he led a low trump. This made declarer's task easy. The third round of trumps was won and the spade shift came too late for the defense.

In the Open Room the contract was declared from the normal side with the ªK lead. Yu Wei won the second round, hoping for something good in the suit, and led the ©K, which Morten Madsen ducked. He also ducked smoothly as the ©J held the next trick.

However, his partner let him down when he won the third round of trumps and played the ª9. Konow needed to overtake and lead another spade, forcing declarer to ruff or pitch -- either way, the contract would have been set. Madsen did his best and led a diamond, but declarer was able to go up with the ace, pull the last trump and claim. What could have been a 10-IMP gain turned into a push.

On Board 5 Madsen uncharacteristically missed his chance to beat a game.

In the Closed Room, it wasn't clear to whom the hand belonged. Hagen and Bjarnarson went to 5¨ over the spade game that was going to make because of the spots in the trump suit. In the Open Room, however, the spade suit became what should have been a source of tricks for the defenders against 4©.

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

5¨ went off two vulnerable tricks, 500 to Denmark. In the Open Room the ¨A was trumped in dummy, followed by the ©A and king. The §K held the next trick and a diamond was trumped to lead another club. But Madsen ducked again and declarer won the queen, felling the jack. However, he was in trouble when he played a club to the 10. Again, because of the spade spots, the contract would come home by playing a spade to the queen and king. When the other spade honor shows up doubleton, the 9 becomes the game-going trick. Madsen gave declarer a ruff-sluff with the ¨K, ( Konow played the ¨J under it), taking dummy's last trump. The §9 would have produced the same result - down one - as long as Wei played a low spade off dummy. He did that and Madsen just needed to duck to his partner's jack or 10. But he went up with the king and the game came in. So Denmark gained only 2 IMPs when they could have won 11.

The next board was a lost slam opportunity for both sides.

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

You have to hand it to Yinlei Chen -- he sure gave it the old college try. In the Open Room the Danes never showed any slam interest.

On the next board China lost a chance in the Open Room. In the other room China had a power auction that revealed they were off the whole spade suit for notrump, so they rested in their minor. It also kept their opponents silent.

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

Yu Wei got a raise from his partner but still refused to bid on. Several sayings fit this hand - "6-5 come alive" and the newer "points schmoints". Both are true as a general rule.

A notrump game bid in both rooms but made in one produced the next swing.

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

Konow, South, decided to go after the spade suit and his counterpart, Chen Shen , North, went after the other black suit.. Both players got a diamond lead. Konow won the diamond in dummy and rode the §9. If spades were no worse than 4-3, he had only to lose one and knock out the ¨A for his nine tricks. That came to pass when he played a small spade off the dummy. East was quite helpless now. In order to get his tricks he had to give declarer one, so declarer ended up getting nine before the defense got their five. In the other room the first two tricks were the same, but the declarers parted ways here, Chen went to dummy with the ©A and played on clubs before working on spades. This seems like a give-up play, but maybe he miscounted his tricks.

Another game swing came on the very next board for Denmark. Both sides made 11 tricks in clubs but the Closed Room pair got to game.

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

There was virtually nothing to the play. The differences came in the bidding. In the Open Room Wei made a game try in clubs and Ma declined, whereas in the Closed Room, Hagen refused to play 3NT and jumped to 5§.

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

China got to 4ª, the wrong major suit game on Board 14 in the Open Room, but the Danish pair went on to 5§ as a possible make. The same thing that allows 4© to make defeats 5§ -- namely the division of the diamond suit. The Danish E/W got to 4© and made it, so Denmark gained 9 IMPs.

On the next board Ma tried to create a swing for his side with a non-standard preempt.

Board 15. Dealer South. NS Game ª K 8 7 © J 9 5 4 3 ¨ J 8 7 § 8 6 ª J 10 9 5 2 ª A 6 4 © 7 2 © A K 10 6 ¨ 10 9 4 ¨ Q 5 3 § Q J 10 § K 9 7 ª Q 3 © Q 8 ¨ A K 6 2 § A 5 4 3 2

The auction was normal enough in the Closed Room and that contract just made. In the Open Room Wei no doubt thought he had a great hand opposite a source of tricks. When the dummy came down everyone got a chuckle. He was doomed from the start but managed to come up with eight tricks. That, however was not a huge loss.

More action came on the very next board. This one teetered on the brink both ways.

Board 16. Dealer West. EW Game ª A J 6 4 © — ¨ 10 6 4 2 § A K J 4 2 ª 10 8 ª K Q 7 5 3 2 © Q 10 7 2 © A 9 8 ¨ A J 3 ¨ 9 5 § Q 10 9 3 § 8 5 ª 9 © K J 6 5 4 3 ¨ K Q 8 7 § 7 6

Shen decided not to try for another fit while they were not doubled. This inelegant contract went off one trick. Wei meanwhile decided on one level higher. Madsen passed the negative double and now had to find six tricks. The opening club lead from Konow went to the jack. Next came the §A and §K, setting up the queen in the dummy but strongly suggesting a heart shift. Wei ruffed with the 7 and Konow with the 9. Konow went into a long think and finally led a heart. It was Wei's turn to think for a while. He was guaranteed only one looser (in spots) by playing low, but he finally called for the lady. Madsen was happy to trump that and get out with a fourth club. Wei pitched his diamond loser but had to give up another spade and a heart in the end for down one. Declarer would have succeeded if he had played low on the heart. Madsen would have been trumping air with a natural trump trick. It was only a 6-IMP loss for China but it could have been a 12-IMP gain.

The last board of the set ended with a gain for China.

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

Denmark in the Closed Room got to a notrump game with a simple auction. West opened 1NT, North sat still and East naturally raised to game. North led a heart and that was that - down two when North shifted to a diamond after cashing his hearts.

. In the other room the notrump opening was overcalled with 2©, West bid a Lebensohl 3NT showing the values for game but no stopper in hearts, and Ma pulled to 4§. This was passed out and just made. That was 8 IMPs for China.

The final score of this hard-fought match was Denmark 19, China 11. Both sides had lost opportunities. As always, those who miss the least usually wind up the victors.