The 1992 World Women’s Olympiad Teams was won by Austria, which defeated a favored British squad by 48 IMPs in the 96-deal final. It was Austria’s first-ever Olympiad women’s title.

Today’s deal from the final produced no swing but featured good defensive play by both teams. The bidding shown occurred at the table where Barbara Lindinger and Maria Erhart were North-South for Austria. Erhart’s opening spade bid was consistent with the pair’s canape style, in which a shorter suit is often bid before a longer suit.

Pat Davies, the British West, unwittingly led South’s strongest suit, but this ironically put the defense in excellent position to defeat the contract. Erhart won the diamond lead and played a heart toward dummy, planning next to lead a spade toward her hand.

Davies rose with the heart ace, and the audience watching on Vu-Graph was informed by the panel of expert commentators that if West cashed the club ace and then led a second diamond, the contract could be defeated. East could put up the spade ace on the first trump lead from dummy and return a third diamond, promoting West’s jack of spades as the setting trick.

After taking the heart ace, however, Davies returned a second diamond without first cashing the top club, which proved equally effective. Erhart won, overtook the heart jack with the king and tried to discard her club on the heart queen.

When East ruffed low, South could do no better than overruff and lead the spade king to East’s ace. East’s diamond return then enabled West to score the spade jack and club ace for down one.

At the other table, the Austrian defenders also scored their three aces and the spade jack to defeat four spades, so the result was a standoff.

Tomorrow: Keep your eye on the ball.