Everyone knows how hard it is to keep fighting when you’re behind in a match. But it ain’t over till the fat lady sings – and if anyone needed reminding of it, they only had to watch the Gold Cup semi-finals last Saturday. After 56 boards, Janet de Botton and her team were down 50 imps against Team Penfold. With only eight boards to go, victory seemed impossible.

But Team de Botton made one of the most spectacular comebacks I’ve seen. They went into those eight boards with all guns blazing – bidding to the hilt, doubling and forcing the opponents into high-level decisions. When the dust had settled, they had won back not just 50 but 69 imps. Most were generated by Thor Erik Hoftaniska and Thomas Charlsen in a virtuoso display of tactical aggression. Take this deal:

(*2♦️ was a good raise.) Red versus green, Thomas’s 2♠️ overcall is not for the faint-hearted. Nor is Thor Erik’s raise to 4♠️. But he hoped the opponents would take the push – and they did. East chose a forcing pass rather than double, presumably because his ♦️Q and ♣️A seemed like such valuable cards opposite partner’s slam-try. West, with no idea of East’s spade holding, chose 5♥️. Thor Erik’s double was a final surge of testosterone. He led a spade; Thomas won and returned a trump. West hopped up with the ♥️A, crossed to dummy’s ♣️A and finessed the diamond – one down.

Huge congratulations to Team de Botton for going on to win the Gold Cup final against Team Allfrey the following day.