Two rounds to go in the Open qualifying series and the battle for a spot in the top four of Group A is really hotting up. In Round 16, the third- and fourth-placed teams, Austria and Denmark met on vugraph.

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

Denmark picked up a game swing when Karsten Pedersen out-defended Michael Strafner. Both Ole Raulund and Josef Simon led a club honour against 4ª. Pedersen prevented Michael Barnay from reaching the dummy to take the trump finesse, by ducking the first round of hearts, cashing his winners and exiting passively with a club.

Jens Auken played a low diamondat trick two and Strafner won the king and could surely have simply cashed the other diamond winner before playing a club back. However, after some thought, he cashed the ace of hearts instead, allowing Auken to unblock his king and create the necessary dummy entry. Now Strafner cashed the ace of diamonds before playing a club, but Auken could ruff and cross to the ©Q and lead the jack of spades off the dummy. When Strafner played low, Auken sat and considered the position for a while. Had Strafner created the dummy entry for him because the spade finesse was about to lose to the bare king, or had he simply misjudged the position? Eventually, Auken got it right, running the spade and picking up 10 IMPs for his side.

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

The natural 2§ opening in the Closed Room made it normal for North to overcall in hearts and the spade fit was missed. After a low club lead, Raulund made ten tricks for +170.

In the other room, Simon doubled the one-level opening. Strafner's 1ª response showed values, usually 7-10 or so, and Simon raised him directly to game. Auken led an attacking king of hearts. Strafner won the ace and played the ace of spades, a spade to the king, then a heart to the queen. After ruffing a heart, declarer played a low club from hand and Auken allowed the queen to score - not that it mattered. Strafner could run winning hearts until Dennis Koch-Palmund ruffed in, and lost two spades and a diamond for +420 and 6 IMPs to Austria.

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

In the Closed Room, Christian Terraneo, playing a strong club system, had a super-maximum 1© opening bid, particularly after the 1ª response. He made a jump rebid and after exploring various possible trump suits, played 4©. After a diamond lead to dummy's ace, he could pitch a spade and take the club finesse. When North covered the club, he gave up a heart and had 11 tricks; +450.

Playing natural methods, Koch-Palmund rebid a simple 2§. When he was given preference to hearts, he had a close decision as to what to do next and again took the slightly cautious route, bidding only 2ª. That sequence was consistent with a 3-5-1-4 15-count, and Auken was not confident that there would be an adequate trump suit for game purposes so, after some consideration, passed out 2ª. He played carefully to make exactly eight tricks; +110 but 8 IMPs to Austria.

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

Both Norths discovered that they were facing maximum weak two bids and chose to play 3NT. Koch-Palmund selected the passive lead of a heart, perhaps thinking that declarer would not have a heart fit. Simon had nine running tricks and he also came to a club in the endgame for +430.

In the other room, Terraneo found the killing lead of a low diamond. Barnay won the king and returned a diamond to the jack, and Terraneo promptly switched to a club to get another diamond through; one down for -50 and 10 IMPs to Austria, who led 27-10.

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

Life was very easy for Koch-Palmund in the Open Room. Strafner led a low diamond into the ace-jack and declarer just lost one trick in each of the other three suits; +620.

In the Closed Room, Pedersen led a low club. Running this to the ten would have brought the contract home because now there would have been a pitch on the §Q for the diamond loser. However, Terraneo did not know that he could afford a club loser. If he had two trumps to lose, he would need to find a different line and losing a club at the start would almost certainly mean no recovery. Terraneo put in dummy's queen and there was no longer any way to avoid the loss of one trick in each suit; down one for -100 and 12 IMPs to Denmark.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª A Q 10 8 2 © 10 8 4 ¨ J 8 § A Q 2
ª J 6 3 © A J 5 3 ¨ A 6 5 3 § K 7		ª - © Q 7 6 2 ¨ K 10 9 7 4 2 § 10 6 4
	ª K 9 7 5 4 © K 9 ¨ Q § J 9 8 5 3

A great hand for the Austrian methods in the Open Room. Two Spades was weak with spades and a minor, and it was routine for Simon to raise to game, shutting East/West out completely. Auken led the king of clubs and Strafner had 11 tricks for +450.

In the Closed Room, Pedersen did not have an opening on the South cards, so the Austrians found the diamond fit and bid up to game. The favourable heart position meant that 5¨ was going to make, so Pedersen did the right thing when he went on to 5ª. Now it was important that the defence take their three winners immediately, as otherwise the clubs would provide all the discards Raulund needed. A low diamond lead would have been fatal to the defence, but Terraneo found the perfect solution, leading the ¨K to retain the lead. He duly switched to a heart at trick two and that was one down; -50 and 11 IMPs to Austria. The lead was back up to 40-23.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª 7 6 5 © Q J 5 ¨ 10 5 4 § 7 6 4 3
ª 10 © A K 10 9 7 4 2 ¨ Q 7 3 2 § K		ª K Q 9 8 3 2 © 6 ¨ J 9 6 § A Q 10
	ª A J 4 © 8 3 ¨ A K 8 § J 9 8 5 2

In the Closed Room, Raulund found a spade lead and Pedersen had an easy time, winning the ace and cashing two diamond winners; one down for -100. It was more difficult for Strafner in the Open Room, where Simon led the four of diamonds. Strafner won the king and cashed the diamond ace, getting the five from partner. There seems to be no way that South can know the position of the queen of diamonds here, and if declarer holds that card a third diamond could let the contract through. Equally, attempting to cash the ace of spades could be wrong if declarer is void and that gives him two pitches for losing diamonds. Strafner got it right, cashing the ace of spades next before playing the third diamond, so the contract was one down; -50 but 2 IMPs to Denmark.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª K 4 © A J ¨ K J 8 6 5 4 2 § 7 3
ª J 8 3 © K 10 6 5 4 ¨ 7 3 § 9 6 5		ª Q 10 7 6 5 2 © 3 2 ¨ A Q § K Q 2
	ª A 9 © Q 9 8 7 ¨ 10 9 § A J 10 8 4

In both rooms, a spade lead and continuation when in with the queen of diamonds held declarer to seven tricks; 2 IMPs to Denmark.

Roman Smolski, representing Bermuda against La Reunion, also played 3NT after West had been silent in the auction. Like our other declarers, Smolski won the spade lead in dummy and passed the ten of diamonds. The East player for La Reunion now found a very good play of the queen of spades. Think about it for a moment and you will see that a low spade continuation is not good enough if West has jack doubleton, as declarer can simply duck, and East can not get the spades going. How many defenders found this play?

Alas, West was not alive to the situation and failed to throw the jack under the queen. Smolski won the second spade and played on diamonds and the spade blockage meant that the contract made. A sad reward for East's enterprise.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª J 8 2 © 9 5 3 ¨ A 8 6 5 § A 5 2
ª - © K Q J 10 8 7 6 ¨ J 3 § K 7 6 3		ª K 9 7 6 5 © A ¨ Q 10 9 4 § J 10 4
	ª A Q 10 4 3 © 4 2 ¨ K 7 2 § Q 9 8

In the Open Room, Simon led a low spade to the queen, ruffed. Auken crossed to the ace of hearts and played the ¨10. Simon thought for a while but then won his ace and returneda diamond to the king. Strafner exited with a trump and there was no way to avoid two club losers; one down for -50.

In the Closed Room, Raulund tried the effect of a low diamond lead away from the ace. This was not the time for such imagination. The effect was that Barnay put in dummy's ten and Pedersen ducked - as who would not? Barnay had only one diamond and two clubs to lose now; +420 and 11 IMPs to Austria.

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

Even 5§ is beatable if the defence establishes a spade winner before the diamonds are set up. In the Closed Room, Barnay led a heart and Pedersen won, played ace and another club, then tried a diamond to the seven, eight and ten. Back came another heart. Pedersen ruffed and ran the jack of diamonds. He was one down for -100.

The play was identical in the open room up to the point at which declarer led the jack of diamonds. A low-flying cow going by must have distracted Jens Auken because he covered the jack with the king - an error he would not repeat if he had the problem a thousand times - and the slam was home for +1370 and 16 IMPs to Austria.

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

Barnay/Terraneo stopped in 3ª in the Closed Room, making exactly for +140. Koch-Palmund was playing for higher stakes in the Open Room as he was in game. Strafner led a top heart and switched to the queen of clubs. Declarer covered with the king and Simon won the ace and returned a club to the ten. Strafner played his last club for dummy to ruff. Koch-Palmund ruffed a heart then played a spade to dummys ace and ruffed another heart. He ran the trumps and South was caught in a show-up squeeze so that there was no diamond guess. Koch-Palmund duly dropped the diamond offside and had ten tricks for +620; 10 IMPs to Denmark.

No doubt there will be many stories on Board 20, but in Austria v Denmark both East/West pairs played in game - how dull!

Austria won the match by 72-38 IMPs, 22-8 VPs. They had assured themselves of a place in the knock-out stages, while Denmark were down to sixth and would need a good win in the final round if they were to qualify.

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