Today sees the start of the final in each of the four events at the World Championships in Morocco. (If you missed the action from Day 12, follow the link here: Day 12 in Marrakech).

The two teams who led the field at the end of the Bermuda Bowl round robin stage of the tournament a week ago, have made it through to the final. Two members of the Norway team that won in 2007 are in the team here at this championship. Two members of the Swiss team here collected bronze medals (representing Netherlands) behind the Norwegians 16 years ago in Shanghai. The Swiss are here with four members of the team that won the trophy in an epic final a year ago. The two members of the Swiss team that were not on that winning team in Salsomaggiore, have both won the trophy twice before, in 2015 and 2019. With so many former champions in action, we can surely look forward to an epic battle for the title.

The Swiss jumped out to a 68-38 lead in the first set. With Klukowski and Helgemo holding the same West hands, the thousands watching live on BBO VuGraph anticipated fireworks. Let’s take a look at the action from the second of the six stanzas in this final.

Only one problem today. With only your side vulnerable, you are North holding:

Your 4♣ bid showed at least a sound raise to 4♥. What do you bid now?

If you advance with 5♦, what do you then do when partner bids 5♥?

We begin our coverage on the opening deal of the set.

Tor Eivind Grude came in with an aggressive double of North’s natural weak 2♦ opening on his shapeless minimum, and Geir Helgemo (left) made a responsive double of South’s diamond raise. When Grude denied holding four hearts, Helgemo had only one place to go.

Most of the time these days, the defenders’ diamonds would be breaking 5-3 on this auction, but Helgemo really had no choice. He ducked the first diamond, won the second and played for South to have only two diamonds and both missing aces. When South won the ♣A, he tried underleading the ♥A in the vague hope of finding his partner’s entry, so Helgemo ended with ten tricks. E/W +430 – lucky, but it will be the same in the other room, of course.

Here Christian Bakke did not open the North hand. Michal Klukowski started with an inverted raise of clubs, and Jacek Kalita’s 2♦ showed a balanced 11-14. Klukowski ended in the inevitable 3NT and Bakke led a diamond.

It seems clear that there is no chance other than finding diamonds 6-2 and both aces with the doubleton, but Klukowski took the ♦A at trick one, presumably hoping for some sort of blockage or just a defensive error, or maybe he is just getting tired after so many days of concentration. Obviously, South won trick two with the ♣A and the defenders cashed five diamonds and the ♥A for two down. E/W -100 and 11 IMPs to NORWAY to open the set.

Then came a major-suit battle, although one side was serious outgunned.

Helgemo’s 3♠ overcall would cause North a major headache in many partnerships. Not for Bas Drijver, who was equipped with ‘The Brink Convention’, whereby 4♣ shows at least a good raise to 4♥. Grude competed to 4♠ and now Brink moved with 5♣, leaving North with the problem posed earlier.

Drijver cue-bid his diamond control, passing the problem across the table, but Brink did not think he had enough to commit to slam. Perhaps unsure that there were not two top spades to lose, Drijver gave up and passed 5♥. There were 12 easy tricks: N/S +680.

The auction began in identical fashion, including the Brink convention (perhaps Sjoert should request payment of the license fee in IMPs). However, once Brogeland had essayed 5♣, Christian Bakke (right) decided that his hand was good enough to bid slam, so there was no messing around at the five-level by the Viking hoard. Indeed, so confident was the Norwegian bidding that Kalita was prepared to believe them, and he correctly took the save in 6♠.

The Norwegians scored two aces, two top diamonds and a diamond ruff against 6♠-Doubled. Four down: N/S +800 and 3 IMPs to NORWAY. One wonders whether East would have been quite so willing to sacrifice if the Swiss had stumbled into slam at the other table.

A couple of boards later a sloppy-looking defensive play helped the Norwegians to another game swing.

Helgemo’s 2♠ overcall showed spades and a minor, and he opened the ♦3 against Sjoert Brink’s 3NT.

Dummy’s ♦10 won the first trick and, looking at all four hands, you can see that declarer is able to make three spade tricks because the J-8 come down doubleton, but playing for that is hardly realistic. Brink crossed to his hand with a heart and, not unreasonably, ran the ♠9 at trick three. Grude won with the ♠J and returned the ♥J. Brink could not now make more than eight tricks. N/S -100.

Kalita opened 2♥ (hearts and a minor) on the East hand at this table, but Boye Brogeland (left) was soon installed in 3NT from the South seat. Here, too, West led a diamond, dummy’s ten winning at trick one. Brogeland continued with a second diamond to the king, East throwing the ♥2, and Klukowski ducking his ace. Having reached his hand, Brogeland also started spades by running the ♠9 to East’s jack. After this start, with entries in the heart suit still intact, declarer can make his contract by squeezing East in heart and clubs.

Perhaps Brogeland would have read the ending accurately and brought home his contract, but the thousands of kibitzers watching were denied that spectacle when, after winning with the ♠J, Kalita returned the ♥7! Brogeland put in the eight and now had a fourth heart winner and, with it, his contract. N/S +600 and another 12 IMPs to NORWAY, who trailed in the match by just 4 IMPs.

The Swiss had picked up a number of small swings, restoring their advantage to 16 IMPs as the set drew to a close. Aggression was the name of the game on our final exhibit…

Kalita did not open the East hand, so Brogeland started with 1NT. Klukowski came in with 2♥, showing five hearts and 4+ in a minor. What should Kalita do? To go up a level, you need to make two more tricks for it to be worthwhile. Would you rather play a 5-1 fit at the two-level or a 4-3 fit at the three-level. Kalita opted for the latter.

I recall a hand something like this from a championship last year, where 3♣-Doubled went seven down but partner would at least have made his four trump tricks in hearts. As the cards lie here, it looks like 2♥ and 3♣ are both one down. Certainly, Kalita made eight tricks in clubs. E/W -50.

Tor Eivind Grude (right) was not willing to go quietly non-vulnerable in first seat, so he started with a natural weak two in diamonds. Sjoert Brink liked his hand enough for 2NT, and Geir Helgemo liked his hand enough to make it 4NT!

Helgemo led the ♥A, felling his partner’s king, and continued with the ♥Q and the ♥10 to dummy’s jack. A diamond to the ace dropped West’s king, and Brink cashed his top spades, but he was fast running out of winners. Helgemo won the third round of spades, took his heart winners, then played the ♣A and a second club. Declarer could make the ♣K and the ♠10 but then had to give East a trick with the ♦Q at the end. E/W +300 and 8 IMPs to NORWAY.

NORWAY won the stanza 39-17, so they trail by 8 IMPs (77-85) with a third of the boards played. Still a long way to go.

In the Venice Cup, ISRAEL have started with two huge sessions, and they lead TURKIYE 104-56 at the same point in their match.

We will be back soon with the best of the action from the last day of these championships and to crown the champions in the various events.