With the round robin just over half complete, Denmark is solidifying the lead they took from the starting gun.

Only one match took place yesterday, as an off day allowed many participants to spend the day at Niagara Falls. Behind Denmark, Round 8 saw the standings tighten, as several of the top teams had trouble against lower-placed opponents . At this stage Denmark (171 VP's) leads Russia by 20.6.

China is in third, 1.9 back, while the last qualifying spot is currently occupied by USA2. The top six are rounded out by Canada Red and Norway, as our Bulletin staff's crystal ball gazing effort continues to be remarkably accurate.

Today's schedule, however, promises some key encounters. We shall be watching with keen interest for the results of Norway-USA2, Denmark-Canada Red, China-Norway, and Russia-China, all matches that promise to have a decisive effect on the final standings.

World Championships are not just about the countries at the top of the leader board. Our featured match from Round 7 involves two teams in the second half of the table. They encountered a set of boards where massive swings were the order of the day.

Board 1. Dealer North. Love All Q 10 7 5 K 10 7 5 3 9 A K Q 9 8 6 4 3 J 6 A Q J 9 6 5 K Q J 7 4 3 10 6 5 4 2 J 7 A K 2 8 4 2 A 10 8 2 9 8 3 Open Room West North East South Remondi Ali Ravenna Usman 1 2 3 Pass 4 Dble All Pass

Has your partnership discussed the meaning of a double of Four Hearts in this type of auction? Full marks to West who did the right thing by passing. In USA 1 v Japan one of the East/West pairs conceded 1100 in 4x. Colombia conceded a similar penalty against China even though they were a level lower in 3x.

Closed Room West North East South Ahmed Zonca Khan Tiscornia 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Dble! 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 All Pass

The precise meaning of East's second round double is not clear but he escaped with a whole skin. Given the nature of the first double you can understand why he didn't double Four Hearts. The net result was two IMPs for Argentina.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Game A 9 4 3 8 4 3 2 Q 10 9 6 2 K 6 5 3 J 10 8 4 7 A K 8 5 2 A J 10 9 7 5 — J 3 A K 8 5 Q 7 2 Q J 10 9 6 K Q 6 7 4

This was a dull push in our featured match, both teams doing well to bid and make Four Spades. The results at some of the other tables were enough to give you a 'heart' attack. Norway collected +1700 from 6x by East in their match with Martinique/Guadeloupe and a massive 20 IMPs when their team mates made 4 in the replay, while in USA 2 v Brazil North/South conceded -300 in 2x.

Board 4. Dealer West. Game All A 9 5 A J 9 K 4 3 10 9 7 4 K Q J 8 7 6 3 2 Q 8 2 K 10 7 5 4 3 10 9 8 2 A J 5 K J — 10 4 6 Q 7 6 A Q 8 6 5 3 2 Open Room West North East South Remondi Ali Ravenna Usman 1 Pass 1 2 Dble Redble 4 5 Dble All Pass

Once North had redoubled South should perhaps have left the final decision to his partner. However, since Four Hearts would surely have made, given the bidding, -500 would be a good result if Pakistan could reach that contract in the other room.

Closed Room West North East South Ahmed Zonca Khan Tiscornia 1 Pass 1 3 Pass Pass Dble Pass 3 3NT Dble All Pass

As it happens they did even better. Judge for yourselves if the best action on the South hand is to overcall at the two or three level facing a passed partner. 3NT is a perfectly playable contract on the North/South cards but declarer's luck was out when West turned up with both the outstanding clubs. On the marked heart lead he had to go three down, -800 and 7 IMPs to Pakistan.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Game 8 7 Q 9 8 7 K 8 7 Q 9 4 2 A K 6 4 Q J 10 9 5 3 2 10 J 5 3 2 Q J 9 6 5 4 A 10 7 6 — — A K 6 4 3 2 A K J 10 8 5 3 Open Room West North East South Remondi Ali Ravenna Usman Pass 1 1 Pass 4 5 5 All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Ahmed Zonca Khan Tiscornia Pass 1 1 1NT 2 5 5 Pass Pass Dble All Pass

Would you have passed up the chance to open the bidding on the East cards? Of course when you have the spade suit you can usually come back into the auction whenever you feel like it. The action of both North players is worthy of comment. 1NT probably has more going for it than Pass but both One Heart and Two Clubs are surely better bids. Pakistan picked up 9 IMPs courtesy of the double in the Closed Room but there were much bigger swings in other matches.

+1660 for 6x was a common result, achieved amongst others by both Canadian teams. The boys in red gained 17 IMPs when the result in the other room was 7x down one, the ones in white collecting the same number when their North/South pair were one off in 6x. This was not the best result on the board as Russia collected 19 IMPs by making 6x and 5.

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All J 6 4 Q 10 8 4 2 10 9 7 6 5 Q A 10 7 3 A K Q 8 J 10 9 7 3 9 5 A K J 6 K Q J 8 3 2 — K 9 8 5 4 2 6 5 2 7 3 A 4 Open Room West North East South Remondi Ali Ravenna Usman 2 3 Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

The 'old fashioned' multi did its job here. Probably East should have made one try which ought to be enough for West. This appeared to be an opportunity for Pakistan - could they take it?

Closed Room West North East South Ahmed Zonca Khan Tiscornia 2 Dble Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

The answer was an emphatic no! They had a major misunderstanding and when declarer understandably went one down in Four Diamonds Argentina had picked up 11 IMPs.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All 8 Q 5 4 2 A Q 8 K J 7 6 4 A J 10 4 2 Q 7 6 9 6 A 8 7 3 10 9 4 3 6 5 9 3 A 8 5 2 K 9 5 3 K J 10 K J 7 2 Q 10 Open Room West North East South Remondi Ali Ravenna Usman Pass 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3NT All Pass

Despite the auction West's best chance of defeating the contract is surely to lead a low spade. His actual choice of the ten of diamonds gave declarer a glimmer of hope. He went up with dummy's ace and started on the clubs. When East ducked the first two rounds declarer turned his attention to the heart suit. East won the third round and now had only one chance left to defeat the contract by switching to the queen of spades. West had only had one chance to discard and his choice of the four of diamonds had not got any message across to East who played back his partner's suit.

Their convention card shows they were playing Smith Peters so East's failure to get it right was doubly surprising.

Closed Room West North East South Ahmed Zonca Khan Tiscornia 1 Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

This time West did lead a spade, choosing the jack. South ducked but West simply continued with a low spade to the queen and king. The game was up now and the contract was soon two down. Eleven more IMPs to Pakistan.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Game Q J 7 3 — 10 8 6 3 Q 9 6 3 2 K 9 4 10 A Q J 10 9 8 5 4 3 2 5 Q J 9 4 2 K 7 5 A J 4 A 8 6 5 2 K 7 6 A K 7 10 8 Open Room West North East South Remondi Ali Ravenna Usman 1 2 4 5 Dble All Pass

How many spades should North bid at his first turn? In a bidding forum you would probably see votes for two, three and four. If you take the view that you are not going to sell out to Four Hearts then a cunning Three Spades may prove to be a winner. Perhaps this hand is a classic illustration of the maxim 'You pay your money and you take your choice.'

South thought he had enough to double and North led the queen of spades. South won and switched to a trump. Declarer now followed a plausible but losing line when he played a club to the king and one back to the ace. When the queen failed to oblige he discarded his losing club on the king of spades and ruffed a club. South was able to overruff and that was one down. Without attempting an analysis it feels right to play a diamond to the nine at trick three. Even if that loses to the ten you are still alive and kicking.

Closed Room West North East South Ahmed Zonca Khan Tiscornia 1 2 4 All Pass

In the replay East surprisingly went quietly but he was rewarded with 7 IMPs when the contract failed by two tricks. Pakistan had picked up 30 IMPs on the last five boards to win going away, 63-35 IMPs, 22-8VP.

Round 6 featured a clash between fourth-place Australia and the team from Brazil, 8 VP's behind in the standings and looking to move up. There were a number of interesting hands in the set, and it proved to be a session where bidding aggressively paid off in spades, no-trumps, and most other denominations too.

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

Once North had redoubled South should perhaps have left the final decision to his partner. However, since Four Hearts would surely have made, given the bidding, -500 would be a good result if Pakistan could reach that contract in the other room.

Both rooms arrived quickly in 4, with North as declarer. In the Open Room, Pauliño chose a reasonable but ill-fated club lead, and declarer quickly wrapped up 13 tricks. In the Closed Room, Raisin made a takeout double on the West cards after the auction had begun 1-Pass-2, and Paul Brayshaw had more information when it became his turn to lead against 4.

The coin came down the right side, and his diamond lead was worth 11 IMPs to Australia. Larry Cohen would be pleased to note how well the Law of Total Tricks applies to this hand, since there are 19 trumps in hearts and spades between the two sides, and 19 tricks available; whose hand it actually is depends on the location of the K.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Game 5 4 3 A 7 3 A J 8 2 Q J 5 K Q 9 7 6 A J 2 J 8 5 Q 9 4 10 5 3 K 9 7 6 4 8 3 K 4 10 8 K 10 6 2 Q A 10 9 7 6 2 Open Room West North East South Beto Brum Del'Monte Paulinho Brum Pitt 1 2 Pass 3NT All Pass

We tend to the theory that IMP matches are won by bidding bad games that make, rather than by staying low when the three-level is the limit of the hand. This deal is a case in point. In the Closed Room, Machado adjudged her hand not to be worth an overcall, and backed in on the second round. Brazil as a result played in a normal-looking 3 and must have expected it to be a fairly flat board.

Jason Pitt took a different view in the Open Room, and his partner's jump to 3NT is certainly within the bounds of reason. Of course, it's easy for us to see that the defence have five spades to cash, but any East leading a high spade is likely to spend the rest of the evening in committee explaining himself. At the table, the normal diamond start allowed declarer a rapid nine tricks when the club finesse worked, so Australia picked up another 10 IMPs.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Game 8 7 6 A 2 J 10 9 6 2 10 3 2 K J 3 Q 5 Q 8 7 6 4 J 9 5 3 K 5 4 Q 8 3 J 7 A K Q 8 A 10 9 4 2 K 10 A 7 9 6 5 4 Open Room West North East South Beto Brum Del'Monte Paulinho Brum Pitt Pass 1 1 Dble 2 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Raisin Sergio Brum P. Brayshaw Machado Pass 1 1 1NT All Pass

This time it was Brazil's turn to get aggressive, and it nearly paid off handsomely. Raisin chose a first-round bid to which few experts would take exception, and 1NT became the final contract. Beto's selection of a negative double unearthed the heart fit, and with both East-West players taking a rosy view of their cards, Paulhino became declarer in 4 off four top tricks.

This wasn't the end of the story, though. South started the A, and found himself looking at a depressing dummy. If partner's values were in clubs, declarer was well placed, and South surely could not count on his partner to hold a trump trick. Looking for hope in diamonds, he underled his ace at trick two. Now declarer saw a chink of daylight and ran for it, playing four rounds of clubs in the hope that someone would have to ruff in with a singleton heart honour. Alas, no joy, and this road like all the others led to down one.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Game 10 5 3 Q 8 5 3 2 A Q 10 7 3 K J 9 8 7 6 2 A K 9 A J 10 7 6 J 8 5 Q 9 6 K J 9 6 4 Q 4 4 2 A K 10 7 4 3 8 5 2 Open Room West North East South Beto Brum Del'Monte Paulinho Brum Pitt 1 3 3 Pass 3NT All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Raisin Sergio Brum P. Brayshaw Machado 1 3 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 All Pass

This hand should have produced the first big gain for Brazil, after a fine bidding decision. In the Open Room, Beto obviously felt that he had nothing more to say over 3NT, and doubtless regarded the J as an unlooked-for bonus for declarer. South led the 7, and with the favourable position in spades declarer had an easy time; indeed since the defenders apparently lost interest in the hand at an early stage, he finished with all 13 tricks.

Raisin, in the Closed Room, played 4 on the automatic singleton diamond lead. South, however, misread the situation and switched to the 5 at trick 2, allowing a potential game swing to get away. While one can follow South's reasoning on this hand, it's not clear looking at the dummy where four tricks for the defence are coming from if partner has three diamonds (the Brazilians do not lead low from doubletons).

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All Q 8 A 8 4 K Q 10 5 4 Q 10 2 J 6 5 4 3 K 10 7 9 6 2 K Q 5 8 6 2 A J 9 3 9 7 J 5 3 A 9 2 J 10 7 3 7 A K 8 6 4

Brazil picked up deservedly on this hand. The auction was similar in both rooms, with South finishing as declarer in 3NT after an auction where everything but spades was bid naturally, and a spade was therefore led both times. Pitt put up the Q at trick one, took the third round of spades, played a diamond to the ten, and went quietly one down.

In the Closed Room, however, Brayshaw could not restrain himself from making a takeout double when the bidding started 1-pass-1. This warned Machado where the high cards were likely to be, so rather than playing on diamonds, she ran five rounds of clubs after winning the third spade, squeezing East in the red suits for a 10-IMP gain.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Game A K J 6 2 J J 4 K Q 10 6 4 10 9 8 7 5 4 Q 10 8 7 5 A 6 3 6 K Q 10 9 7 5 3 J 9 8 3 Q 3 K 9 4 2 A 8 2 A 7 5 2

Despite their minimal values (and the K isn't even a working card), North-South are cold for 6, but it's not easy to get there, especially when East takes up a lot of your bidding space. In both rooms, North opened 1 in second chair, East bid 3, and South made a negative double. Should North do something more than 4 now? Probably not, which means that it's up to South to move the auction forwards. In this match, both South players bid a lazy 4, and North saw no reason to continue.

We think the 4 bid made at some tables by South was more intelligent; this has to agree clubs, since presumably the partnership has some methods to show a spade fit over 3. Now North can show his heart control, and they should reach the slam without further difficulty.

Final Result: Australia won 47 to 26 IMPs (20-10 VPs)

Much has been written about the world's greatest consulting detective and his expertise as a bridge player. We have been fortunate enough to find hidden behind a panel in the basement of 369 Euston Road, the London headquarters of Bridge Magazine, an old manuscript, unquestionably written in the hand of his biographer, Dr. John Watson.

It was, as Holmes had often remarked, a perfect day for the criminal classes. The early morning fog hung thick in the air as the hansom cab which was returning him from his meeting with Inspector Lestrade drew to a halt outside Number 221B. Mrs. Hudson was waiting to greet him at the front door and informed him that the good doctor had already arrived.

As he entered the room, Holmes was at once taken by the fact that Watson made no attempt to greet him. Rather, he remained seated at his desk in the corner where he was clearly involved in some important undertaking.

'Watson!' exclaimed Holmes, 'I hope you are not working on the story of The Giant Rat of Sumatra. I have frequently advised you that it is a story for which the world is not yet ready'.

'My dear Holmes, nothing could be further from the truth! I am merely trying to solve a singularly difficult clue in today's Times crossword.' 'As I have already completed it whilst making the tiresome journey from Scotland Yard perhaps I can be of assistance.

Which is it?'

'5 across', Watson replied. 'Staunton's bad move is met by a wooden response, 5,4.'

'A lemon tree, my dear Watson.'

'No doubt Holmes, but perhaps you would be kind enough to furnish me with the answer.' 'As usual, Watson, you look and listen, but you see and hear nothing. Howard Staunton, the chess correspondent of the London Times refers to a bad move as 'a lemon', and what could be more wooden than a tree?'

'Astounding, Holmes. Since you are in such brilliant form perhaps you would care to try your hand at this deal which arose in last night's duplicate at the Bagatelle Club.'

Dealer South. E/W Game — A J 6 5 2 A J 10 9 5 4 2 K 6 3 — A 8 7 5 4 Q 9 8 5 3 2 — West North East South Dr Watson Colonel Moran Sir John Hardy Ronald Adair Pass 4 Dble 6 Dble All Pass

'North led the king of clubs, and as you can see, Holmes, although declarer has no immediate losers, the double void in his hand gives rise to communication and suit establishment problems. I was able to ruff three of my clubs in dummy and discard two more on the pair of aces, but I had to lose a club and a heart.'

'A gallant attempt my dear friend, but let me have a try. I ruff the opening lead, cash the ace of spades and ruff a spade. I play the queen of clubs, forcing North to cover and ruff in dummy. I am hoping to pin an honour in the South hand...'

'Nothing useful appears.'

'So I ruff another spade, ruff a third club with the king of hearts and ruff another spade.'

'They break 4-4.'

'There are now two winners in dummy.'

'Yes Holmes, but the absence of a diamond in declarer's hand means they are stranded.'

'I cash the ace of hearts and assuming the queen fails to appear I concede a trick to South's queen. With only diamonds left in his hand South will be forced to resurrect dummy and declarer's losing clubs are discarded on the ace of diamonds and the jack of spades. +1660!'

'Brilliant Holmes.'

'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however unlikely, must be the solution.'

Here is the full deal:

Dealer South. E/W Game Q 10 7 4 7 Q J 9 2 A K J 7 — A J 6 5 2 A J 10 9 5 4 2 K 6 3 — A 8 7 5 4 Q 9 8 5 3 2 — K 9 8 3 Q 8 K 10 6 3 10 6 4

(Knowledgeable readers will know that all the characters featured here later appeared in 'The Adventure of the Empty House.)