With two of the top teams in the world, Poland and Norway could be expected to put on a good show in their semi-final match in the 4th IOC Grand Prix. They did not disappoint, and the Norwegians got right down to business on the first deal of their second-round set with a major game swing.

Dealer North Both vul
	ª A J 6 © J 2 ¨ K 10 5 2 § 10 5 3 2
ª 10 9 8 © 10 9 3 ¨ Q 8 4 § A K Q 6		ª Q 7 5 4 © Q 6 5 4 ¨ 9 6 3 § 7 4
	ª K 3 2 © A K 8 7 ¨ A J 7 § J 9 8

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Balicki	Austberg	Zmudzinski
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Geir Helgemo led the §K and switched to the ª10. Adam Zmudzinski ran that to his king and played the §J from hand. Helgemo won and continued spades, Per Erik Austberg winning the ªQ when Zmudzinski inserted the jack. Zmudzinski later misguessed in diamonds and ended two off for minus 200. In the open room, Jon-Egil Furunes for Norway did much better.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Helness	Pszczola	Furunes
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	2§	Pass	2©
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Michal Kwiecen started with the §Q, switching to the ª10 at trick two. Furunes won the ªK in hand and advanced the § 9. Kwiecen, with visions of crashing an honor into his partner's now-singleton §J, played low. Furunes was due a club trick in any case, but it worked out much better for him to get it early instead of late. When the §9 held, Furunes tried a low heart to the jack and queen. Jacek Pszczola, East, won the ©Q and got out with a low heart to Furunes' ace and West's 9. Furunes then continued his excellent card play with a low diamond to the 10. When that held he followed with the ¨K and a diamond to the ace in his hand, testing diamonds to determine whether they were 3-3, with some luck in the heart suit also a possibility, before having to decide on a spade finesse for the contract. The even diamond split and the fortunate lie of the heart suit meant an overtrick for Furunes and a 13-IMP gain for Norway.

The next deal involved just an IMP, but it showed how far ahead a bridge player has to look to avoid coming up with egg on his face.

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

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Balicki	Austberg	Zmudzinski
		Pass	Pass
1§	Dble	1©	Dble
2§	Pass	Pass	2ª
All Pass

Zmudzinski took the expected eight tricks for plus 110.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Helness	Pszczola	Furunes
		Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1©	Pass
2§	Pass	Pass	2ª
All Pass

Furunes had no takeout double from partner to guide him, but he found the good contract of 2ª as well.

Kwiecen started with the §A, switching to the ©8 at trick two. When Furunes put up dummy's ©K, Pszczola played the jack, a play that would come back to haunt him. Furunes played a spade to the ace at trick three and continued with the 9 from hand. Once again, Kwiecen had to consider whether it might cost a trick if he went up with his king. Finally, he decided it might, and he played low. Dummy's ªJ won, and Furunes next played the §Q. Kwiecen won the club trick, cashed the ªK and continued with the §J, ruffed in dummy. Now when Furunes played a low heart from dummy, Pszczola could not afford to split the ©10 9. If he did, Furune could win the ace and play the ¨10. Dummy's diamond spots assured that, no matter what West did, East would be endplay, forced to lead from the ©10 5 into dummy's Q 7 or to play on diamonds, allowing Furunes to set up an extra trick there for a heart pitch. As it was, Pszczola played low and Furunes inserted the 6 to finished with nine tricks.

Poland picked up 2 IMPs when a Norwegian declarer went down three in 3NT while Pszczola managed two down. The next two deals featured laydown grand slams, bid by both sides for pushes. Poland picked up a major swing halfway through the match when Kwiecen guessed well to land a doubled contract that was defeated at the other table.

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

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Balicki	Austberg	Zmudzinski
		Pass	Pass
3ª	4©	4ª	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Cezary Balicki cashed his two top hearts and got out with a trump. Helgemo ducked, losing to the singleton king. Two club tricks quickly followed for the defenders, who chalked up plus 300.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Helness	Pszczola	Furunes
		Pass	Pass
2ª	Dble	4ª	Dble
All Pass

Tor Helness started with a top heart, but after Furunes played the 7, Helness thought for a long time before exiting with a trump. Kwiecen also studied for some time before getting it right, rising with the ace to drop Furunes' king. He could have made an overtrick with the diamond finesse, but he chose to ruff out the queen and settled for 10 tricks and plus 590, a 13-IMP gain.

Poland piled on 11 more IMPs over the next two deals with partscore swings, including the following deal, which featured good defense by the Poles.

Dealer West Both vul
	ª K 8 5 4 © 7 2 ¨ K 8 5 § K J 8 5
ª J 10 9 © J 6 3 ¨ J 9 4 § 7 4 3 2		ª A 7 3 © K 10 ¨ A Q 10 7 6 § A 9 6
	ª Q 6 2 © A Q 9 8 5 4 ¨ 3 2 § Q 10

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Balicki	Austberg	Zmudzinski
Pass	Pass	1¨	1©
Pass	1ª	Dble	Pass
2¨	Dble	Pass	2©
All Pass

Helgemo led the ¨4 to Austberg's queen, effectively endplaying the Norwegian. He tried the ©K, taken by Zmudzinski with the ace. He cashed the ©Q and played the §10 and then the queen to Austberg's ace, again endplaying him. No matter which suit Austberg played, it was going to give up a trick, and cashing the ¨A would avoid an overtrick but would not defeat the contract. Austberg eventually played another club and Zmudzinski finished with nine tricks for plus 140.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Helness	Pszczola	Furunes
Pass	Pass	1§	1©
Pass	1NT	Pass	2©
All Pass

Kwiecen started with the ªJ, a much more effective opening thrust. Furunes won the ªQ in hand and played two rounds of clubs from his hand, Pszczola taking the second. He, too, got out with the ©K. From there, nothing could prevent the defenders from taking two spades, two diamonds, a club and a heart for one down.
After losing 24 IMPs in three boards, Norway finally managed a swing their way.

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

West	North	East	South
Helgemo	Balicki	Austberg	Zmudzinski
	1§	Pass	1©
2§	Dble	Pass	3§
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Austberg, guided by Helgemo's natural 2§ bid, led the §4 to the jack and ace. If Balicki had ducked that trick, Helgemo would have needed to switch to diamonds for the defense to prevail. Balicki, with a double stopper in the suit, did not duck, however, and when he led a heart from hand, Austberg alertly went up with the ace and play another club. That allowed Helgemo to clear the suit while he still had an entry. Balicki soon was down one, losing three clubs and two hearts.

West	North	East	South
Kwiecen	Helness	Pszczola	Furunes
	1§	Pass	1©
Pass	1ª	Pass	2NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Looking at West's two minor suits, not many players would think of beginning an attack against 3NT with diamonds, but that is what Kwiecen did. Furunes made no mistake, winning the first diamond and immediately attacking hearts. The defenders were a tempo behind, and although they got the diamond tricks they were due, they ended with only four tricks. Plus 600 was 12 IMPs to Norway.

Poland prevailed in the set 31-26.