Going into Thursday morning's vugraph match, USA were lying second in Group B, while their opponents, Finland were eighth and in need of a solid result to keep their qualification hopes alive. The vugraph show started with Board 19, and it was soon clear that this was not to be Finland's day.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª A Q 5 © K 9 8 ¨ K Q 6 4 2 § K 4
ª 10 7 6 3 © 7 6 5 2 ¨ J § Q 8 7 2		ª J © A Q 10 ¨ A 8 7 5 3 § A J 9 3
	ª K 9 8 4 2 © J 4 3 ¨ 10 9 § 10 6 5

In the Closed Room, the Americans played in 2ª down two for -100. There was more action in the Open Room:

Garner's 1¨ over Kauko Koistinen's strong club opening showed either both majors or both minors, and Weinstein's 3§ was pass or correct, guaranteeing not only clubs but also support for at least on of the majors. When Osmo Kiema balanced with 3ª, Garner made a take-out double on his good hand and Weinstein judged correctly to convert for penalties.

Weinstein led his diamond and Garner won the ace and returned the three, asking for a club switch. Weinstein duly led a low club after ruffing the diamond and declarer played a hopeful king. Garner won the §A and returned a club to the king. Now came a heart switch. Garner took two hearts then played a third diamond, forcing Kiema to ruff high in hand. There was no way to avoid another loser from here. Kiema had unblocked the ©K to give himself an entry to hand but, if after a spade to the ace and a heart to the jack he played the ª9, Weinstein could cover and now the queen of diamonds could not be cashed for a club pitch. The contract was down three for -500 and 9 IMPs to USA.

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

The Finnish East/West pair bid to 3¨, which failed by a trick; -100. Howard Weinstein and Steve Garner were more optimistic:

Garner's sequence to 2ª was invitational with five spades, saying nothing about hearts. Two No Trump was non-forcing but allowed partner to show a second suit and when Garner showed hearts Weinstein had rather endplayed himself into playing 3NT. The lead was a low club to dummy's jack. Weinstein played a diamond to the jack and Koistinen ducked smoothly. Not having second sight, declarer could not play a low diamond to drop the ace now, but had to run the spades. He threw two diamonds and a club on the spades then led a second diamond to the ten and ace. Koistinen cashed the ace of clubs then took his only chance of breaking the contract, leading his heart in the hope that Kiema would hold the AKJ instead of his actual AQJ. That meant that Weinstein had an overtrick; +630 and 12 IMPs to USA. The Americans picked up another 5 IMPs on Board 1 when Weinstein/Garner stopped in 3© making while Leskela/Kurko were down one in the hopeless game.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª 7 4 3 © 10 4 3 ¨ Q 7 5 3 § K Q 5
ª 5 2 © A K J 7 2 ¨ 9 6 2 § J 4 2		ª K Q J 10 © 9 8 6 ¨ 4 § A 10 8 7 6
	ª A 9 8 6 © Q 5 ¨ A K J 10 8 § 9 3

A low club lead meant that 1NT made exactly in the Closed Room. In the open room, Weinstein's normal, to these eyes, 1© overcall led to his declaring a thin game. The lead of the king of clubs puts declarer under serious pressure. He cannot win and draw all the trumps as he then has no control of the diamond suit. If declarer wins and draws two rounds of trumps to prevent the defensive club ruff, they can duck the next round of each black suit to cut his fast communications to his winners. North can then play a third trump when the defence does get in, leaving declarer with too many diamond losers. Weinstein found the answer, ducking the opening lead. Koistinen continued with the five of clubs but Weinstein had committed himself to a line of play and followed it, running the club to his jack. He played three rounds of hearts then ran the clubs, throwing tow diamonds away, and could establish a spade for his tenth trick; +620 and a further 12 IMPs to the American lead, up to 38-0.

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

Finally Finland got on the scoreboard. Jarmo Kurko opened with an intermediate 2ª bid, promising five or more spades plus at least four cards in any other suit, and Paavo Leskela made a pre-emptive raise over David Berkowitz's take-out double. Kurko did not waste much time over the play and soon chalked up +170.

Garner had a normal one-level opening and Weinstein showed a four-card raise with a decent 6-10 points. Koistinen's double of the heart bid probably helped Garner to his decision to try the game. Kiema led ace and another heart and Garner ruffed and laid down the ace of trumps. After the take-out double, garner wanted to play North for ªQxx, but he could see that he was in danger of being forced to ruff three rounds of hearts, which would make that impossible. Accordingly, his next play was the jack of clubs from hand. Kiema won his king and led a third heart. Garner ruffed and cashed the clubs, throwing dummy's remaining heart loser. Now he was ready to play a diamond up. Kiema won the ace and exited with a diamond, and now Garner took the spade finesse. Well played, but alas the patient died and he was one down; - 100 and 7 IMPs to Finland.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª 9 7 5 2 © K 4 3 ¨ 10 9 7 2 § 7 4
ª 8 6 4 3 © A J 10 2 ¨ A § A K 10 3		ª A Q 10 © 9 7 6 ¨ J 8 § Q J 8 6 5
	ª K J © Q 8 5 ¨ K Q 6 5 4 3 § 9 2

Berkowitz's weak two opening made life a little more difficult for his opponents than the one-level opening in the other room. Still, it seems strange that Weinstein was making a slam try, while Kurko's pessimistic evaluation of the East hand in the Closed Room resulted in his side missing game. After South's weak opening bid, Kurko took two spade finesses so held himself to ten tricks; +130. Garner had no difficulty in coming to 11 tricks, expecting as he did that south would hold the bulk of the missing high-card values for his 1¨ opening. He won the diamond lead and drew two rounds of trumps then led a low heart to the ten and king. Back came a spade, on which garner played the ten. Kiema could win the ªJ and give dummy a diamond ruff, but Garner simply cashed the ace of spades, expecting to develop a show-up squeeze if the king did not fall and South held four hearts as well as the ªK. When the ªK did fall, Garner took the heart finesse immediately for his contract; +400 and 7 IMPs to USA.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª K 9 8 7 6 © 10 ¨ 8 5 § Q J 10 7 5
ª 5 4 © A K Q 8 6 5 ¨ Q 10 2 § 9 2		ª Q 2 © J 7 3 2 ¨ A K 9 6 4 3 § A
	ª A J 10 3 © 9 4 ¨ J 7 § K 8 6 4 3

I have to confess to feeling a little sorry for Leskela in the Closed Room. He took a route to slam that suggested that he was prepared for a spade opening lead and Larry Cohen led a spade anyway to take the first two tricks and defeat the slam, when many would have tried a club lead instead. Well done, Cohen; -100.

In the Open Room, Weinstein's 5§ bid was a non-specific general slam try, a bit like Last Train. Garner doubled the 5ª save and the defence proceeded to take the maximum. Weinstein led the king of hearts and promptly switched to the two of diamonds. Garner won the king and cashed the ace of clubs then underled in diamonds to get his ruff, trusting that the ¨2 must promise the queen; three down for -500 and 12 IMPs to USA.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª J 10 8 5 © A K 9 5 ¨ 10 5 2 § A J
ª Q 3 2 © 8 3 ¨ Q 9 8 3 § Q 9 6 3		ª A 9 7 6 © J 10 6 ¨ A J 4 § 10 5 2
	ª K 4 © Q 7 4 2 ¨ K 7 6 § K 8 7 4

In the Closed Room, Berkowitz managed 11 tricks after a diamond lead and continuation - he took the club finesse to get rid of a diamond; +450.

Garner led a low trump in the Open Room and Koistinen won cheaply in hand and immediately led a low spade to the king and a spade back for the jack and ace. It seemed to be a dull board from here, with declarer bound to succeed, and the vugraph audience and commentators' attention wandered a little. However, Koistinen found a losing line of play. He won the trump return in hand and ruffed a spade, bringing down the queen, then played a club to the ace and cashed the ten of spades to pitch a diamond from dummy - the heart plays had made it clear that the remaining trump was with East, along with the last spade. Now Koistinen seems to have convinced himself that the ace of diamonds was offside. He led a low diamond and, when Garner played low, ducked it to West. Had West really held the ¨A, he would have returned a club to the king and declarer would have led the ¨K to the ace, ruffed the club return and ruffed his diamond loser to make his contract. In real life, he looked extremely foolish because Weinsten could win the first diamond and lead back to Garner's ace. Garner then played the last trump and there was no longer a trump in dummy to take care of the diamond loser; down one for -50 and 11 IMPs to USA, ahead now by 68-8.

A cow must have flown by in the Closed Room because for some reason 3ª went one down; -100. The 3© opening, of which I quite approve, forced Garner to bid game in the open Room. Obviously, there are four losers in a spade contract, but that requires accurate defence. Kiema led a heart and Koistinene won two hearts then, perhaps seduced by the fact that his partner played his lower remaining heart at trick two, switched to a club. When garner put in the queen, Kiema took his ace and now Garner could get to the long clubs and did not have to lose a diamond trick; +620 and another 12 IMPs to USA.

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

I am not sure that the world is yet ready for methods that require a double of a Precision-style 1¨ opening on the West hand. One Diamond redoubled might just have scraped one down, but even had it been let through, that would have been much cheaper than the final contract which East/West scrambled into. Two Hearts doubled went four down for -1100 in the Closed Room.

Meanwhile, Kiema's methods allowed a 1© opening on the South cards. Weinstein overcalled an unusual 2NT and Koistinen doubled. Looking at his hand, it seems that Koistinen thought that his double had established a force on his side, as he could hardly pass 3§ otherwise. Kiema saw things differently and passed out 3§. Koistinen led a trump to the king and ace. At trick two, Weinstein led a low diamond from hand and Koistinen ducked it, allowing the jack to win. Weinstein took a trump finesse and, when the trumps divided evenly, could establish and cash the diamonds for +110 and 15 IMPs to USA.

USA made partscores in both rooms on the next deal and were blowing the Finns completely away at 101-8. Finland were looking at zero Victory Points but salvaged a point over the remaining few deals.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª A K Q 8 4 © K Q 10 4 ¨ 10 § K 10 3
ª 10 5 3 2 © J 8 6 ¨ Q 8 6 5 2 § 4		ª 9 7 6 © 7 5 2 ¨ A 9 3 § Q 9 7 5
	ª J © A 9 3 ¨ K J 7 4 § A J 8 6 2

Berkowitz/Cohen stopped in 4NT after Berkowitz had used 4¨ Roman Key Card Kickback and found that one key card plus the trump queen were missing. After a diamond to the ace and a diamond back, Berkowitz made an overtrick; +460.

The Finns bid the slam after Kiema made an invitational raise to 4NT. Garner led ace and another diamond and Koistinen won the king and followed the percentage line in trumps, leading low to the king then running the ten; -920 and 10 IMPs to Finland.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª Q 7 4 © K J 8 7 5 ¨ 8 6 § J 8 7
ª J 2 © Q 10 9 3 2 ¨ A 9 7 § A 10 9		ª A K 9 8 6 © 6 ¨ Q 5 3 2 § K Q 4
	ª 10 5 3 © A 4 ¨ K J 10 4 § 6 5 3 2

Three No Trump was easy in the closed Room because Berkowitz led the jack of diamonds round to declarer's queen. Kurko played on spades and soon had nine tricks; +400.

It was much tougher for Weinstein who, not strong enough for game-forcing two-over-one response, was playing the same contract from the West side. Koistinen led a low heart to the ace and back came a second heart to the ten and jack, dummy throwing a spade. Cashing the king of hearts would have established two heart tricks for declarer and brought his total up to eight. Best would have been a diamond switch, but Koistinen actually switched to the queen of spades, imagining that declarer was not interested in the suit for his discard. Weinstein won the ace of spades and led a spade to his jack then, after some thought, played the queen of hearts to North's king. Koistinen switched to a diamond now - eight, three, ten. The commentators were concerned that Weinstein might expect spades to be 4-2 and might try for a diamond endplay to force South to lead into dummy's spade tenace at trick 12. This line, of course, would lead to defeat. Weinstein saw deeper into the hand than that, however, and ducked the diamond, dropping the nine to tempt South to lead another diamond away from his king. Kiema did not fall for that one, but exited passively with a club. Weinstein cashed the clubs and ©9 then tested spades. Had South actually held four spades plus the ¨KJ10, he would have been squeezed, so there was no reason to risk the endplay line.

A flat board, but nicely played by Weinstein. Perhaps it would have been tougher had Kiema played the ¨J rather than the ten, but Weinstein looked like a man who was going to get it right whatever happened.

Finland picked up 20 IMPs over the last six boards, holding their loss to 28-101, 1-25 VPs. USA were looking very good for the knock-outs, while Finland looked in need of a miracle.

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