USA 1 vs Norway

The VuGraph match in round no. 12 was a crucial one for both teams if they wanted to stay in contention for the semifinal spots.
The Americans drew first blood when in the Open Room, West, who had already overruled his partner in the first board to go down one, did it again.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Harr	Grue	Kvangraven	Kranyak
		1¨	Pass
2ª (1)	3©	3ª	Pass
4ª !	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

(1) six spades, weak

South who had already considered doubling on the previous board was in the right mood to go for it this time. West had to lose two spades, two hearts and club - USA 1 +300.
At the other table the Americans had a reasonable auction including a support double to stay one level lower:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Charlsen	Hurd	Ellestad
		1¨	Pass
1ª	2©	Dble	Pass
2ª	3©	Pass	Pass
3ª	All Pass

This contract had no play as well - Norway +50, but 6 IMPs to USA 1.

On the next board Norway won the race of who would bid 1NT first in both rooms:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Charlsen	Hurd	Ellestad
			Pass
Pass	1§	Pass	1©
Pass	1NT	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Harr	Grue	Kvangraven	Kranyak
			Pass
Pass	1§	Pass	1©
Pass	Pass	1ª	Pass
1NT	All Pass

The Closed Room auction looks fairly normal with seven top tricks available - Norway +90. In the Open Room North surprisingly passed 1 ©, so East had a chance to come with 1ª, which was quickly converted to 1NT by West. Declarer had a promising start, when §4 went to the six and a spade to the jack held the trick. South took the spade continuation with the king and switched to ¨K. When it held, South erred by playing the ¨Q which went on a collision course with North's ace. After that West had a good time. A heart to the ace was followed by a diamond to the jack. When South returned a heart to the queen, declarer laid down §K. North went in with the ace, only to exit in the same suit again. Declarer cashed another club, then had to play a spade to North's ace who had to concede the last trick to West's ©K - Norway +90 and 5 IMPs in.

John Kranyak, USA

Norway went into the lead, when an unsound vulnerable intervention of their opponents received its reward.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Harr	Grue	Kvangraven	Kranyak
1ª	1NT	Dble	2¨
Pass	2©	Dble	All Pass

An aceless 14 count is hardly worth a 16-18 NT overcall - you might say "Gruesome" - and East taught North a sharp lesson, knowing there was not a single point left for the opponent on his left. East/West managed to collect a maximum gain, when they played ªA, §A club ruff, ªK, spade ruff, club ruff, ¨A, ª10 to ©K and ©A and a club to ©Q. Declarer did not score a single trick with his 1NT overcall, but at least dummy took the last four tricks in hearts - Norway +1100.
North's bid reminds one of a comment made by the Duke of Wellington just before the battle of Waterloo. Talking of his army he said: " I don't know if they frighten the enemy, but they terrify me."
In the other room USA 1 had a standard to auction to 3NT:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Charlsen	Hurd	Ellestad
1ª	2¨	3§	Pass
3NT	All Pass

West cleared the clubs and collected ten tricks - USA 1 +630, but 10 IMPs away.

On the next deal both North/South pairs did very well to reach 6© for a push:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Charlsen	Hurd	Ellestad
	Pass	2¨	Dble
4¨	4©	Pass	4NT
Pass	5©	Pass	6©
All Pass

East's weak two in diamonds saw the Americans compete to the four-level. When this wasn't good enough to shut out North, South went on with 4NT, got the excellent message of two aces and bid six - Norway +1430.
The air was even thinner for North/South in the Open Room, when East/West went for a weak jump- rather than a weak two-intervention manoeuvre:

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Harr	Grue	Kvangraven	Kranyak
	Pass	Pass	1§
2ª	Dble	Pass	3ª
Pass	3NT	Pass	4©
Pass	4ª	Pass	4NT
Pass	5©	Pass	6©
All Pass

The were some anxious moments for the American supporters among the VuGraph audience, when North bid 3NT. Would South bid on to 4© and even if he did, would North's two aces be enough to keep the ball rolling? When both hurdles proved easy to overcome, USA also found their way to six - USA 1 +1430 and no swing.

At halftime Norway led 17-12 in a low-scoring match so far. But the peaceful times were soon coming to an end, when West found a spectacular opening bid, that - the vulnerability given as it was - it had far more to gain than to lose, and it did!

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Charlsen	Hurd	Ellestad
4§	Dble	5§	5ª
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

Full credit for the points won goes to West's preemptive opening bid, and he got the defense under way with the ©4 to the queen. East cashed the ace and gave partner a ruff. A promising start that led to four down - USA +1100.
The Open Room saw a completely different auction:

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Harr	Grue	Kvangraven	Kranyak
Pass	1¨	1ª	Pass
2§	All Pass

West must have been very confident, that he had a good board, when he made exactly eight tricks despite the very nasty diamond split - Norway +90, but 14 IMPs to USA 1, all of a sudden in the lead 26-19.

Norway missed a chance to take over the lead again, when they went down in an ambitious game that could have been made:

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Charlsen	Hurd	Ellestad
	1ª	Pass	1NT
Pass	2©	Pass	2NT
Pass	3©	Pass	3NT
All Pass

West led the ©J to South's queen, and declarer played another heart to the king which held. Unfortunately the play is not recorded any further than trick no. 3, when declarer cashed dummy's ¨A. From here he can win if he continues with the ©10 or 9 to East's ace, even if he lets the §9 return run to the king. He now cashes two hearts to reach this ending:

ª K J 9 8 5 © - ¨ - § 8 ª Q © - ¨ 10 9 7 § Q 7 ª A 10 6 3 © - ¨ K § 5   ª - © - ¨ Q J 6 § A J 10

The double dummy solution now is to play a club to the ace, not the jack or ten- the key play in this hand - and get off lead with any diamond. East, who has only spades left, can do no better than play back a small one, but can't get more than two tricks, which means that declarer scrambles home with nine. At the table South went down one, due to the fact, that of course he was not that well informed about the actual layout, as he couldn't see all 52 cards - USA 1 +100. In the Open Room USA 1 settled for a diamond part score:

Olav Ellestad, Norway

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Harr	Grue	Kvangraven	Kranyak
	1ª	Pass	1NT
Pass	2©	Pass	3¨
All Pass

Declarer managed to come to ten tricks losing a heart and two trumps only - USA1 +130 and 6 more IMPs.

Then a Norwegian opening bid worked to their full advantage:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Harr	Grue	Kvangraven	Kranyak
Pass	Pass	2© (1)	Dble
4©	4ª	All Pass

(1) 4-card heart suit and a longer minor

Maybe this convention was better not invented if the quality of the suits can differ so much, but still that is a matter of style and here it led to a perfect result for Norway when West was able to press on. A few seconds and a few club tricks later, North had to admit defeat - Norway +50.

A well-timed auction in the Closed Room consolidated this combined Norwegian effort:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Charlsen	Hurd	Ellestad
Pass	Pass	1§	1¨
1©	1ª	2§	2ª
2NT	3§	Dble	3ª
All Pass

North made the same four tricks as his opponent in the Open Room - Norway +140 and 5 IMPs in to cut down the deficit to 24-33.
Two boards before the end the match still looked very close, USA 1 leading 35-27, but a fireworks of penalty doubles set the sail for an impressive American finish.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Charlsen	Hurd	Ellestad
			1§
1¨	3§	Dble	4§
4ª	Dble	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Harr	Grue	Kvangraven	Kranyak
			1§
1¨	Pass	1©	Pass
1ª	Pass	3ª	Pass
4ª	Dble	All Pass

At both tables South must have been delighted to hear his partner doubling 4ª, when he held four indisputable winners.
In the Closed Room North started with §4 to the seven, eight and jack. Declarer established another club trick by returning §10 to the queen and ace. South now laid down ©A as he wasn't willing to watch West's possible heart singleton to disappear on the dummys high club. Unluckily for him the defence helped West to emerge for one down only - Norway +200.
The VuGraph audience eyed-witnessed how in the Open Room declarer's contract fell apart after a different line of defense. Once again North led §4, but this time South took the ace and returned ª9 to declarer's ace, who now cashed two clubs discarding a heart. When West then decided that it was time to take a diamond finesse, North was happy to take the king and play back ©Q to the king and South's ace, who then switched back to a trump to dummy's king. The best declarer could do from there, was to let ©8 run to North's 9 to emerge three down - USA 1 +800 and 12 IMPs.
Had he ruffed the heart and tried to ruff a diamond in dummy, South would have overruffed, drawn the last outstanding trumps and declarer probably would have gone for 1400.

Sometimes "doubling rhythm" is good, sometimes it's bad. The term is usually used when the opponents are caught and whatever they bid there is no way out to play undoubled ever. Here the term refers much more to the experiences on all the previous occasions in the match.
As all their penalty doubles had worked very well so far, the American pair in the Open Room took their chance to keep up the "good rhythm" until the very last board.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Wooldridge	Charlsen	Hurd	Ellestad
	2¨	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Harr	Grue	Kvangraven	Kranyak
	2¨	2NT	Pass
3NT	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

Identical auctions in both rooms until a certain point, but then the Norwegian South went for a sure plus and passed - Norway +200. The American South player tried out the "machismo" of his opponents and collected +500 when his doubled was passed out to gain another 7 IMPs.

The 19 IMPs on the two ultimate deals gave USA 1 a comfortable 54-27 win, which converted to 21-9 in VPs and was even good enough to give the Americans the lead in the overall ranking.