Norway was safely in the quarterfinals as the final round got under way, but Brazil was fighting for the last qualifying position. Going into the final match, Brazil was 4 Victory Points behind eight place Chinese Taipei. Brazil drew first blood by staying out of game on Board 1.

Board 1. Dealer North. Love All K 7 5 A Q 8 2 10 8 6 5 A 5 Q 9 3 A 6 K J 5 10 7 6 4 3 J 7 4 3 2 A Q J 10 6 4 3 2 J 10 8 4 2 9 K Q 9 K 9 8 7 Open Room West North East South Helgemo Chagas Helness M.Branco 1NT 2 2 All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Cintra Saalesminde P.Branco Brogeland 1 1 1 2 Dble Pass 4 All Pass

M. Branco received friendly defence and wound up with 10 tricks. The Brazilian defence in the Closed Room was letter perfect after a trump opening lead and Brogeland was able to take only eight tricks. 7 IMPs to Brazil.

But the momentum quickly shifted to Norway - Brazil bid two consecutive slams that went down while Norway stopped in game in both cases.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Game 10 10 7 6 4 2 A 9 8 5 2 J 8 K 3 Q J 4 2 Q J 3 A K 9 5 K J 4 10 6 A Q 6 5 4 10 9 2 A 9 8 7 6 5 8 Q 7 3 K 7 3

Nothing particularly interesting happened here - Brazil gained an overtrick IMP as both teams played 3NT. But there's an interesting point here. On the opening lead of the 6, consider what happens if South covers the 6 with the 7 instead of going up with the queen. Later when South gets in with the A, he can lead the Q to pick up the entire suit and set the contract. If this happened, the action would have been a great candidate for a brilliancy prize.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Game K 7 3 A K 9 8 6 3 — A 6 5 3 8 2 A 10 9 5 J 10 7 Q 4 2 K 8 7 6 A 9 5 4 3 2 J 9 7 2 — Q J 6 4 5 Q J 10 K Q 10 8 4

Saelensminde and Brogeland stopped in 5, easily making, but this was the bidding in the Open Room.

Open Room West North East South Helgemo Chagas Helness M.Branco 1 Pass 1 Dble 1 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass

When you look at the North/South cards only, this looks like a good slam - what does it need besides a reasonable trump break and no quick spade ruff? But the clubs were as bad as they could be - all with West. There was no way to avoid losing a spade and a trump - 10 IMPs to Norway.

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

On this deal both teams arrived in 6, and the contract should be down one at both tables. But a strange thing happened in the Closed Room. When Cintra led the A, Pedro Branco followed with jack! Now declarer was able to drive out the king, setting up his queen for a discard of the losing spade. In the Open Room, Brogeland followed with the 8 to the A opening lead, and declarer as a result was unable to avoid losing a heart and a spade, an additional 16 IMPs to Norway.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Game J 10 9 J 7 6 9 2 Q 8 6 5 2 Q 5 4 2 K 8 3 A 9 8 K Q 4 Q 10 8 7 K 5 3 A J K 7 4 3 A 7 6 10 5 3 2 A J 6 4 10 9

Norway picked up another 12 IMPs here. The contract was 3NT at both tables, and Norway made 10 tricks. At the other table, however, declarer slipped in the play and made only eight tricks.

Board 7. Dealer South. Game All 9 K J 7 6 4 Q 10 7 4 2 K 6 7 6 A K Q J 10 4 A 3 2 10 8 5 A K 9 3 A Q 9 7 2 J 5 4 8 5 3 2 Q 9 J 8 6 5 10 8 3

In the Closed Room, Cintra and P.Branco signed off in 4 and actually made 12 tricks after getting a diamond lead. But this was the bidding in the Open Room:

Open Room West North East South Helgemo Chagas Helness M.Branco Pass 1 1 1 Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4NT Pass 5 Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass

The commentators quickly pointed out that this contract would make without a heart lead. But Chagas' overcall made it easy for M.Branco to lead the Q. This led to a one-trick defeat - 13 IMPs back to Brazil, now trailing 38-21.

Suddenly the swing boards ended for a while - only minor swings on Boards 8 and 9, and Board 10 was flat. Board 11 also was flat, but it had the ingredients of a swing.

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All A 8 2 K J 3 Q 4 J 9 5 4 3 K Q 10 7 6 4 9 6 5 A 8 2 A K 9 8 7 6 5 2 3 K A 10 8 7 J 9 5 3 Q 10 7 4 J 10 Q 6 2

Both Helgemo and Cintra merely bid and rebid diamonds - Cintra bid the suit three times when his partner made two forcing bids. With diamonds splitting, a diamond game is possible unless the defence starts with a heart. That takes the entry out of dummy before either of the singleton kings can be played.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Game A 9 7 6 5 Q J 6 5 2 3 K 9 K 4 A 8 7 4 K 9 7 6 K 10 9 8 5 4 2 Q 7 6 4 3 2 10 8 5 Q J 10 8 3 2 10 3 A Q J A J Open Room West North East South Helgemo Chagas Helness M.Branco Pass 1 2 4NT Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass

What's that old saying about not bidding Blackwood with a worthless doubleton? M.Branco, with a magnificent fit for his partner's spades, did exactly that, and the result was another major swing against Brazil. Chagas did the best he could - he stripped the hand and led a heart, hoping that one of the opponents held a singleton honor. No such luck - 13 more IMPs to Norway, now leading, 51-24.

Brazil refused to give up and now commenced a remarkable comeback. They scored points on almost every board.

Board 13. Dealer North. Game All K Q 6 4 3 2 3 2 6 5 Q 10 9 A 9 J 10 7 5 K J 8 A 10 9 7 K 10 9 8 7 3 4 K J A 7 3 2 8 Q 6 5 4 A Q J 2 8 6 5 4 Open Room West North East South Helgemo Chagas Helness M.Branco Pass Pass Pass 1NT Pass 3 Dble 3NT All Pass

When East showed a three suiter with short diamonds South put in a lead directing double. The audience would have liked West to redouble and try and make the contract but he preferred a more prosaic 3NT.

North dutifully led a diamond and South took the ace and switched to a club, covered by the jack and queen and ducked. Declarer won the next club and played the nine of spades. Chagas went in with the queen and played his remaining club. That was taken by dummy's ace and Helgemo returned to hand with the ace of spade to run the jack of hearts. When that lost he was two down; -200.

Closed Room West North East South Cintra Saalesminde P.Branco Brogeland 2 Pass Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 3NT All Pass

The same contract was reached via a different route. North led the ten of clubs which ran to declarer's jack. He went after the spades, playing ace and another, North winning as South discarded the six of hearts on the second round of the suit. North's diamond switch went to the jack and king and declarer returned the ten, taken by South with the queen. He went back to clubs but declarer was able to win and clear the diamonds. He finished up with ten tricks; +630 and 13 IMPs.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Game A Q 9 7 4 2 J 3 A 9 6 2 6 J 5 10 8 6 3 Q 8 4 2 A K 9 10 8 4 K Q 7 3 A 10 9 8 7 3 K 10 7 6 5 J 5 K Q J 5 4 2 Open Room West North East South Helgemo Chagas Helness M.Branco Pass Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3 All Pass

Three spades was not a happy contract. East led the ace of hearts and switched to a trump. That was the end of dummy and the contract drifted three down; -300. That didn't look or feel great, but Branco/Cintra were charging.

Closed Room West North East South Cintra Saalesminde P.Branco Brogeland 3 Pass Pass Dble All Pass

West led the two of hearts and East won and switched to a trump. West captured South's king with the ace and played another heart. East won and played the nine of hearts. When South ducked he switched to the king of diamonds. The contract now had to fail by two tricks; -500 and 5 IMPs.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Game 5 4 2 K 5 A 7 5 3 J 9 6 4 Q 9 8 7 A J 3 A 9 Q J 7 6 2 J 4 2 Q 10 9 6 A Q 10 7 3 K 10 6 10 8 4 3 K 8 K 8 5 2 Open Room West North East South Helgemo Chagas Helness M.Branco Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 1NT All Pass

Nothing wrong with that auction and declarer emerged with eight tricks to record +120. Needless to say, the Brazilians were in search of bigger things in the other room.

Closed Room West North East South Cintra Saalesminde P.Branco Brogeland Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

South led the three of hearts ducked to North's king. Winning the heart continuation with the ace, declarer played the jack of diamonds which lost to South's king. His switch to the king of spades (!) removed any further interest from the play. Declarer lost only two diamonds and a heart for +630.

Brazil had scored 46 unanswered IMPs on the final seven boards to win 70-51 IMPs, 19-11 VP. Would it be enough?