This match was all about reaching a series of marginal slams. Norway drew first blood.

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

In the Closed Room Jian Hou, South, treated his hand as a 16-18 notrump (it's a bit good, don't you think?) A simple Stayman auction led to 4ª. By contrast Boye Brogeland opened 1§ and jumped to 4ª over the 1ª response. Now Oyvind Saur drove to 6ª, and he was able to cope with the 4-1 trump break easily enough. He got his 12th trick from the heart ruff.

Board 9 saw the other side of the coin.

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

Haomin Xu opened a 16-18 notrump with the North hand and was raised to 3NT. But Saur started with 1¨ and got to rebid 2NT after an inverted raise. Brogeland bid 3¨ and Saur tried 3NT. Brogeland might well have passed at this point - or he could have bid 4NT. Instead he cuebid 4§, and that led inexorably to a hopeless slam.

The next swing was a judgment issue.

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

5§ went one down on the diamond ruff. But 5¨ was a disaster! Kristoffersen could take all his black suit winners and exit with the second top club. When he got in again with the ¨K, he could exit in clubs safely and sit back and wait for three heart tricks - and 800.

Another patented Thomas Charlsen weak two got in his opponents' way on Board 14.

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

The Chinese bought the hand for 4©, making six. Meanwhile in the other room:

Brogeland's jump to 6§ was sensible since he had a good hand for clubs if 4¨ was a cuebid for clubs, and he had enough for slam if Saur was setting hearts as trumps. That was a further 11 IMPs to Norway.

Two boards later there was even more to come.

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

Kristoffersen and Charlsen stole the pot by opening 2ª and responding 3©, non-forcing. That ended it for minus 200. In the other room it went:

A rather speculative bid, but a solid 920 added 12 more IMPs. That left Norway with 30-IMP lead. They upped the margin on the next deal.

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

While Kristoffersen stole the hand in 3© as West, Saur judged the auction well as North:

Brogeland gave 5¨ a thought (you can make it on the club finesse), but even plus 130 was worth 7 IMPs.

The Norwegians attempted to hand some of their lead back by bidding 3NT with a "stopper" of Q-10 facing two small, then opening 3¨ with six to the 9-8 and a singleton ©K as the only high card. That should have cost 1100, but Brogeland escaped for 800. But on the last deal the Chinese doubled a partscore and did not find the toughest defense. The 7 IMPs to Norway left Norway as the victor, 21-9.