Denmark went into the match with a 5.3-point lead on USA 2, the result of the carryover formula. That margin represented one-third of the 16 IMPs by which Denmark defeated USA 2 in their round-robin meeting. After three boards the Danish lead was up to 22.3 points.

Both teams played in 1NT on Board 2, but Denmark gained 5 IMPs by holding the American declarer to four tricks.

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

Kasper Konow led a diamond to the ace, and Chris Willenken immediately attacked spades, losing to the king. The defense took their three diamond tricks, ending in East, and Marten Madsen shifted to a heart, taken with the ace. A second spade went to the queen, and a heart return knocked out the king (declarer had pitched a heart on a diamond). Konow won the next spade and led a heart to partner's queen. Madsen took his ©8 and still had to score his §A. Nine tricks for the defense.

At the other table, Mik Kristensen held onto all his hearts, pitching a club and a spade, so he was able to control the play and go down only one.

Willenken opened an offshape notrump on Board 3, a tactic that backfired.

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

Willenken opened 1NT in first seat and wound up in 3NT after a Stayman auction. Konow led and spade and the defense ran off the first six tricks. When Madsen led a heart, declarer guessed wrong, going up with the king, and so was beaten four tricks.

This was the auction in the Closed Room:

Wooldridge underled his ©A, so declarer had no trouble making 11 tricks, losing only a heart and a spade for a 12-IMP pickup. Even without the heart lead, chances are declarer would have made the right guess in the suit.

The Americans got on the scoreboard on the next deal.

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

Nohr won the ªK opening lead and led a diamond to the king and ace. Carmichael returned a club, ducked to the king, and Wooldridge led another top spade. This guaranteed a trump trick for the defense, so the contract was set two tricks.

Konow didn't know whether 4© would be a make, but he felt sure 4ª would not be a big loser. Eric Greco cashed a heart and led a club to partner's ace. A club return established the setting trick while the defense still had the ace of trumps. 7 IMPs to USA 2.

Board 8 was strange in the Closed Room.

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

Kristensen led the ¨K and Wooldridge spread his dummy. Everyone at the table broke out laughing when they saw the six clubs. Carmichael was sure wishing he had passed instead of pushing on in spades. The defense switched to a trump at trick two, so Carmichael had to go down one, losing two hearts and a diamond.

At the other table Madsen jumped to 4ª at his first turn and played it there, making four for an 11-IMP gain.

On Board 10 Wooldridge and Carmichael stretched a bit, as is their style, to bid 3NT.

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

The weak stoppers in both major suits and the lie of the major suitsmade it a given that this contract would succeed. In the other room the Danes stopped in 3¨, which made, but that still represented a 10-IMP gain for USA 2.

The Americans gained another 8 IMPs on Board 11 when Willenken went on to 5© over 4ª in the Open Room, making 11 tricks. At the other table, Nohr chose to double 4ª instead of bidding on, and the Danes could beat this contract only a single trick.

The American streak continued into Board 12.

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

Carmichael with only one spade decided his ©K and §A would be useful enough to make the spade game a good possibility, so he bid it. Wooldridge lost only a heart, a diamond and a trump - the ©K let him get rid of a club from his hand.

In the other room the Danes played in 3NT, going down one on a heart opening lead - 11 more IMPs to USA 2.

But those 11 IMPs all went back to Denmark on the next deal.

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

The Danes stole this one. This was the bidding in the Closed Room.

Nohr attempted to make this on a crossruff, but he fell one trick short.

The opening spade lead rode to Madsen's jack, and he immediately went after diamonds. Willenken ducked the ¨Q, so Madsen had three diamond tricks to go with his five clubs, a spade and a heart for plus 630.

Carmichael showed amazing restraint on Board 15.

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

Carmichael of course opened 1ª and Wooldridge raised him to two with his meager holding. Instead of jumping to game, Carmichael bid 3§, asking for help in that suit. Wooldridge didn't have anything good enough to bid on, so he said 3ª. Carmichael thought for a few seconds, then finally put the green card on the tray. He took the opening spade lead and led the ¨A and another. South took the king, and now Carmichael had his nine tricks. After the hand was over, he turned to your reporter and said, "I really didn't want to play a partscore on that one." But he did and he was right. Not surprisingly the Danes got to game in the other room - 5 IMPs to USA 2.

USA 2 was ahead going into the last board, but Nohr turned that around.

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

In the Open Room the Americans stopped in 3ª, made exactly when East was able to score his ªQ on a club overruff. This was the bidding in the Closed Room.

Carmichael started with the ©K, then switched to the ace and another club, Wooldridge winning and leading a third club. But Nohr wasn't having any part of this - he ruffed with the king! Then he led a spade and finessed the jack, and he had his game for 7 crucial IMPs.