Attacking Vikings

By Knut Kjaernsrod, Norway

We are pretty sure that the Norwegian Vikings reached Vinland (America) 1000 years ago. It is more dubious if they reached Bermuda, but our modern bridge Vikings attacked the Atlantic island in the opening match of the Championships with the same fury that their ancestors would have used. When the warriors left the battlefield, the Bermudans were beaten 25-0 On this board Terje Aa as East saved himself from being squeezed to flatten the board:

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

In the open room Boye Brogeland went two down in 3 NT after a heart lead to the queen and king and a heart continuation. In the closed room the Bermudan South ended in 4ª after a transfer sequence, and Glenn Groetheim led the ¨K to the ace, and the ªK was taken by East. Dummy won the club shift, the ªQ came next and was followed with a diamond ruff. A spade was led to Terje’s 8 while South shed a diamond, and this was the position:

	ª 9 © Q 9 3 ¨ - § K Q J
ª - © J 10 7 5 4 ¨ - § 10 7 5		ª J © K 2 ¨ 10 9 6 § 4
	ª - © A 8 6 ¨ J 7 § 9 8

It you do not consider the consequences properly, you cash the ªJand exit with a club or a diamond, but look what happens then. You end up helplessly squeezed in the red suits. Terje instead led the ¨10, ruffed in dummy, and proceeded to ruff the third club. A diamond to the knave, and after the heart ace and a heart, he cashed out for two down.
In the second match our team went on blitzing our Swedish neighbours 25-3. On the very last board Boye Brogeland took advantage of a somewhat shaky defense to put the nail in the coffin by landing his 4ª contract:

Board 32. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª A K J © A 4 ¨ Q 9 2 § A 7 5 3 2
ª 6 © K J 10 7 ¨ K J 4 3 § K 10 8 6		ª 10 9 2 © 9 5 3 ¨ A 10 7 § Q J 9 4
	ª Q 8 7 5 4 3 © Q 8 6 2 ¨ 8 6 5 § -

In the open room Tor Helness went down in 3© as West, but Boye landed in 4ª as North, also after a transfer sequence. The §Q lead was trumped in dummy, a spade to the ace, §A to throw a diamond, and a low heart went to the 8 and 10. West should probably have shifted to diamonds, but he continued heart to North’s ace. Boye proceeded to ruff clubs and hearts to reach this end position:

	ª - © - ¨ Q 9 2 § 7
ª - © - ¨ K J 4 3 § -		ª 10 9 © - ¨ A 10 § -
	ª Q 8 © - ¨ 8 6 § -

When he led his master club, East could not prevent dummy making two tricks.