China entered this match in good position in the standings while Brazil was struggling to stay in contention for one of the four semifinal berths. Brazil got off to a good start, picking up 11 IMPs on the first board.

Board 1. Dealer North. Love All ª A J 9 8 7 © K J 10 8 4 2 ¨ K 6 § — ª Q 3 ª K 10 2 © 7 © 3 ¨ Q 4 2 ¨ A 10 9 7 5 § A Q 10 9 4 3 2 § K J 8 6 ª 6 5 4 © A Q 9 6 5 ¨ J 8 3 § 7 5

Both teams arrived in 5©, and China played it doubled. Diego Brenner got off to a club lead, ruffed. The spade suit was the key, of course, and Chen Shen started by leading to the 9, losing to the 10. Brenner returned the ª2, and the queen forced the ace. Later Brenner collected the setting trick with the ªK.

The defense was the same to a point at the other table. After ruffing out the clubs and drawing trumps, Paolo Barros led a spade to his 7, losing to the 10. But Yu Wei misjudged here, returning the ªK instead of the deuce. Suddenly declarer had only two losers - plus 450.

The next board presented Shen with an interesting play problem.

Board 2. Dealer East. NS Game ª A 8 6 © K 5 4 3 ¨ K J 6 5 § A 2 ª K 9 4 2 ª Q 10 © J 8 6 © A 7 ¨ 8 7 2 ¨ A 10 4 § 9 6 4 § J 10 8 7 5 3 ª J 7 5 3 © Q 10 9 2 ¨ Q 9 3 § K Q

In the Open Room Brazil stopped in 3©, made with an overtrick. But Shen and Linglei Chen got to the heart game after Brenner opened a weak notrump (12-14). Shen played carefully to determine where Brenner's points were, and by the time he got around to playing spades, he had counted Brenner for 9 HCP. That wasn't much help - Brenner could have both spade honors and have 14 points, or he could hold only the king and still have 12 points. Shen had two choices - a low spade to the jack and hope Brenner had both honors and would be endplayed, or ace and a spade and hope that Brenner would win and would have to give a sluff-ruff. The second plan would have worked, but Shen tried the first, leading low to the ªJ. Down one.

The opening lead was key on this board in the Open Room.

Board 4. Dealer West. Game All ª K 7 5 © J ¨ Q J 10 8 5 4 § 9 8 7 ª J 10 4 2 ª 9 6 3 © A 10 9 6 © K 5 4 2 ¨ 9 ¨ K 7 § K J 5 4 § A Q 6 2 ª A Q 8 © Q 8 7 3 ¨ A 6 3 2 § 10 3

Yi Ma had nothing to go on as he chose his opening lead. Clearly the defense had six quick tricks on either a heart or a club lead, but Ma chose a spade. With the ¨K onside, Jose Barros quickly took his nine tricks and conceded the rest.

North did not preempt in the Closed Room, leading to a spirited competitive auction.

Shen made his contract, losing only two clubs and a heart, but that still was another 10 IMPs for Brazil.

Many of the biggest swings are the result of opening leads. Here's another example.

Board 5. Dealer North. NS Game ª Q J 9 8 7 5 © A Q 8 ¨ K 3 § A J ª A 6 ª 4 © 10 7 5 3 © 6 ¨ J 6 ¨ A Q 10 9 8 7 5 4 § K Q 10 9 2 § 6 5 4 ª K 10 3 2 © K J 9 4 2 ¨ 2 § 8 7 3

The auction was the same at both tables - 1ª - 5¨ - 5ª. The final contract was doubled in the Closed Room. In the Open Room Wei led his singleton heart, and that was the end of the defense. Declarer was able to knock out the ace of trumps and get rid of his club loser on dummy's fifth heart.

At the other table, Jose Barros started with the ¨A, then after some thought shifted to a club. That was the end of the offense. Brazil was ready to take the setting trick with a club when declarer dislodged the trump ace.

Board 8 was the wildest deal of the set.

Board 8. Dealer West. Love All ª 10 6 © A Q J 6 5 ¨ K Q 10 9 7 3 § — ª 9 4 2 ª 8 © 9 © K 10 8 2 ¨ 8 6 ¨ A 4 2 § A K J 10 8 7 5 § 9 6 4 3 2 ª A K Q J 7 5 3 © 7 4 3 ¨ J 5 § Q

Once again the opening lead was critical. Ma passed up what looks like a normal lead - a club. Instead he led his singleton heart, and suddenly declarer didn't have a chance. When he went up with the ace and led a diamond, he actually went down two - the ¨A, the ©K and a heart ruff. On a club lead declarer would have ruffed, drawn trumps and knocked out the ¨A to make his contract.

Brenner thought long and hard before bidding 7§. This was beaten only two tricks. Whether or not it was a good save depends entirely on what Pedro Ceglia would have led against the spade slam. If he would have led a heart, then the save was wrong. But if he led anything else, the save was a big winner. At many tables in other matches, the spade slam came home, so on percentage it appears that Brenner made the right move.

The auction was a bit strange in the Closed Room on the next board.

Board 9. Dealer North. EW Game ª 6 © A J 10 6 2 ¨ Q 10 9 7 4 § Q 6 ª A K Q J ª 9 7 © K Q 9 8 5 © 7 ¨ J 2 ¨ K 6 5 3 § K 7 § A 10 8 4 3 2 ª 10 8 5 4 3 2 © 4 3 ¨ A 8 § J 9 5

Chen opened 2ª, and Ceglia, probably hoping the Chinese would bid spades again, overcalled 3©. The Chinese were happy to let him play it there, and Ceglia eventually was set one trick, losing the ¨A and four trumps (a third club by South promoted North's ©6 for the setting trick).

Surprisingly the Brazilian South also opened 2ª. However, Ma doubled instead of overcalling, then bid 3NT over partner's 3§ response. With the unfavorable lie of the cards, Ma had to suffer a one-trick defeat.

Brenner got away with murder on Board 12.

Board 12. Dealer West. NS Game ª A 9 5 © 10 9 ¨ A Q 5 3 § J 6 5 2 ª J 8 6 ª K 10 4 2 © A 8 5 3 2 © 6 4 ¨ J 9 ¨ 10 8 7 6 2 § A 9 8 § 7 4 ª Q 7 3 © K Q J 7 ¨ K 4 § K Q 10 3

Brenner opened 1ª in third seat with just a king and only four spades. Brenner explained to his screenmate that third-hand major openings could be psychs and could be made on as few as four trumps. Over the takeout double, Ceglia bid 2§, which was explained as 10-11 high card points with support for partner's suit. Naturally Brenner turned down the invitation and bid just 2ª. Shen reopened with 3¨ in the passout seat, and that was the end of the auction.

Brenner led a spade to the jack and ace. The ©10 was taken by the ace, and Ceglia led a spade to partner's king. Dummy's queen won the next spade. Ceglia won the §K with the ace and led a heart to dummy's jack. Next declarer took three rounds of diamonds and was surprised to discover that East had started with five. He won his §Q, but the defense had the rest of the tricks for down two.

This was a major loss since 3NT is cold, and that's where Brazil played the hand in the other room, making four for a 13-IMP gain.

Brenner tried another somewhat weak third-hand opener on Board 16, but this time it backfired.

Board 16. Dealer West. EW Game ª 10 7 5 3 © 9 2 ¨ K Q 2 § Q J 7 4 ª J 8 ª A Q 9 6 © 4 © A 8 6 3 ¨ A 10 8 5 4 ¨ 9 7 6 3 § A 10 9 5 2 § 3 ª K 4 2 © K Q J 10 7 5 ¨ J § K 8 6

He opened 1© and Ceglia responded 1NT. Chen doubled in the passout seat, and Shen sat for the double. Shen correctly assumed that Chen had not bid the first time around because he had hearts, so started with the ©9. Ceglia went up with the ace, and Chen showed his satisfaction with the lead by playing the king. Ceglia led a diamond and won the jack with the ace. He continued with a second diamond, taken with the queen, and Shen led his other heart. Chen cashed out the suit and led the §K, won with the ace. Ceglia led the ªJ, then thought for a long time. He finally decided the finesse would fail, so he went up with the ace, then lost the rest of the tricks. Ceglia won the four aces but lost the rest of the tricks for minus 800.

This was the Open Room auction:

This was a fine, but unlucky, contract. With both diamond honors and the ªK offside, 5¨ had to go down one trick.

The opening lead made the difference once again on Board 19.

Board 19. Dealer South. EW Game ª J 4 3 2 © K 7 3 ¨ 9 8 § Q 9 6 3 ª 8 5 ª 10 9 6 © 8 6 2 © A Q 10 5 4 ¨ K J 7 5 ¨ A 6 3 2 § A J 8 2 § 5 ª A K Q 7 © J 9 ¨ Q 10 4 § K 10 7 4

South played 1NT in both rooms. In the Closed Room, the opening lead was the ª8, and declarer quickly took his four tricks in that suit. Next he led a club to the king and ace, and Ceglia switched to a heart. Brenner switched to a diamond, but Ceglia returned a second heart when he won the ¨J. Now Chen had six tricks - four spades, a heart and a club - for down one.

In the Open Room Ma led the ©8 to the queen, with the 9 falling from South. Wei read the situation correctly and returned a low heart to the jack. Declarer could have escaped for down two at this point by cashing out his spades, but he led a club after taking only two spades. Ma took the §A and the defense had the rest of the tricks for down three.

Both teams played reasonably well - the big difference was the opening leads. Brazil had the edge here, and that translated into a 19-11 victory.