The Nordic participants in these championships met in Round 15 of the Bermuda Bowl round-robin. It turned out to be a match with real Viking spirit, with the noise of swords and shields producing a number of interesting hands. Denmark started well.

Board 1. Dealer North. Love All 10 5 A K J 7 6 4 4 2 Q 3 2 Q 9 4 2 J 8 5 3 2 Q 10 A K 10 8 9 7 5 3 A J K 9 7 6 4 A K 7 6 3 9 8 Q J 6 10 8 5 Closed Room West North East South Andersen Aa Schaeffer Grotheim 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 3 All Pass

Lauge Schaeffer found the brilliant lead of a small club, and Aa had no chance. A, K and a club ruff. Then when Aa took the trump finesse, he was two off. In the Open Room Soeren Christiansen had other ideas of an opening bid.

Open Room West North East South Helgemo Christiansen Helness Blakset 2 Pass 2 Dble Pass 2NT All Pass

2 was of course Multi and Helness' 2 NT was a transfer to 3. Helgemo took the chance of passing hoping he would not see a double. He avoided the double, but the defense collected their eight tricks, and that was 6 IMPs to Denmark.

But then the Norwegians donned their helmets and produced a fantastic string of 61 unanswered IMPs It could have been still more.

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

Tor Helness avoided the spade lead and did very well to serve the 3. When Christiansen called for the 10, Helgemo misread the position and produced the knave. Declarer quickly collected his nine tricks but it still turned out a heavy loss for the Danes.

Closed Room West North East South Andersen Aa Schaeffer Grotheim Pass 2 3 4 Pass 4NT Pass 5NT Pass 6 All Pass

The opening lead was the A, ruffed. A low diamond was led, Andersen played low, the king won and now Aa was home. He ruffed a spade, ruffed a diamond and played a club to the king. West later got an overruff with the Q, but that was the only trick for the defense. 13 imps to Norway.

The very next board created the same swing due to careful defence by Helness-Helgemo:

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

Both tables reached 4, and in the Open Room Helness doubled. He cashed the A and shifted to a low trump won by the ace. Helgemo returned a club taken by the ace, and when Helness got his K the defence had reached a crucial point. He found the only card to beat the contract - the 2. If he plays any other card, Helgemo will be squeezed in the minors. Christiansen played the rest of his trumps but the defenders' signal system worked. Helgemo discarded his A and took the setting trick with the J.

Then came two slam swings.

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

Helgemo resisted the temptation to go for 2 doubled which would have netted only 500 - instead he went on to slam. Helness played it in a very accurate style. He won the opening lead of the Q, played the king of trumps and then ducked a heart. A heart came back to the ace. He cashed the Q, ruffed a spade and ruffed his heart in dummy. After a spade ruff, South was squeezed in spades and clubs on the last trump.

In the Closed Room, Aa-Groetheim employed a new system gadget invented just before the championships, and this helped the defenders go astray:

Closed Room West North East South Andersen Aa Schaeffer Grotheim 1 2 2 Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 All Pass

South's 2 was a weak jump in one of the majors. West bid 2 natural, and since he assumed South had hearts, 3 was asking for a stopper. 4 was intended as slam invitational, but East misinterpreted the bid and passed. 15 IMPs to Norway.

On Board 7 the Norwegian pair in the Open Room had a slight misunderstanding and reached another vulnerable slam.

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

3 was showed slam interest in clubs, and 4 was meant to be RKCB. Helgemo thought he showed his heart control, but Helness read it as four aces and went straight to the slam. On the heart lead he went up with the ace and pulled trumps in two rounds. He then pondered for a long time but finally played A, K and the J covered. That gave him two heart pitches so he made his slam. He afterwards uttered that it would have taken months to get over losing to a doubleton Q in North's hand!

In the Closed Room, the bidding was less eventful.

Closed Room West North East South Andersen Aa Schaeffer Grotheim Pass 1NT Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4NT All Pass

After West's 4NT bid, Lauge Schaeffer found no additional values and the result was 11 tricks. 13 more IMPs to Norway.

The Danes later earned some IMPs by bidding a couple of thin games that made but they could not prevent Norway from emerging the winner by 22-8 which virtually secured Norway a place in the quarterfinals and put the Danish chances of doing the same in real jeopardy.