After the first of today's matches China maintained their position at the top by virtue of a tremendous second half recovery against Italy who they defeated 20-10VP. Brazil dented French hopes with a resounding victory by 25-3VP which left them in second place just ahead of the USA who lost 14-16VP to Poland.

This last mentioned encounter is our featured match from Round 2. It was a battle decided almost entirely on the bidding field.

There were two major swings in the first half, one for each team. The first came when Poland had a normal result in one room and a terrible one in the other.

Board 5. Dealer North. NS Game ª K J 9 7 © A 10 2 ¨ Q 10 6 § J 10 6 ª A Q 8 6 2 ª 3 © J © K Q 9 7 3 ¨ J 7 4 ¨ K 8 3 2 § A K 5 4 § Q 8 7 ª 10 5 4 © 8 6 5 4 ¨ A 9 5 § 9 3 2 West North East South Szymanowski Wolff Martens Morse Pass 1© Pass 1ª Pass 2¨ Pass 2NT Pass 3§ Pass 3NT All Pass

Bobby Wolff made the attacking lead of the ª7. That was just about the last piece of good news for declarer. He won with the queen and tried the ©J. North ducked and declarer took his only chance by playing a diamond to the king. When South produced the ace it was clear the contract was doomed. South returned a spade which was ducked to the nine. North cleared his spade trick and although he eventually had to concede a red trick to dummy the contract was one down, -50.

North did not pick an inspired moment for his reopening double. When the smoke had cleared he was three down, -800 and 13 IMPs for the USA.

Board 8. Dealer West. Love All ª Q 8 6 5 4 © A K 6 ¨ A K 5 4 § 6 ª 9 3 ª A J © 10 9 3 © J 5 4 2 ¨ Q J 10 7 3 ¨ 9 8 2 § K J 5 § Q 10 8 4 ª K 10 7 2 © Q 8 7 ¨ 6 § A 9 7 3 2 West North East South Szymanowski Wolff Martens Morse Pass 1ª Pass 3ª Pass 4ª All Pass

A simple auction to a sound contract. Of course on this layout 6ª is laydown but who would bid it?

No problem for the Polish pair who recovered the lost IMPs with a typically aggressive sequence. The match was just about all square at half time and that was just about how it ended. Two tremendous results for Poland were balanced by a number of smaller swings for the USA.

Board 20. Dealer West. Game All ª Q © A K J 10 7 5 2 ¨ K J 6 § 5 2 ª J 8 5 2 ª A 9 7 6 3 © 9 4 © Q ¨ 9 8 5 4 3 2 ¨ — § 9 § A K Q J 7 6 4 ª K 10 4 © 8 6 3 ¨ A Q 10 7 § 10 8 3 West North East South Soloway Kowalski Hamman Romanski Pass 1© 2© 3© Pass 4© 4ª Dble Pass 5© All Pass

Five Hearts was one down for -100. Perhaps West should have done something, but once he hadn't bid 3ª he was hardly likely to bid 5ª after South's penalty double and East had clearly done his all.

Here the 3ª bid made life easier for East/West although it took Martens a long time to persuade himself that it was right to bid on having been doubled in 4ª. His bravery earned his team 13 IMPs.

Board 22. Dealer East. EW Game ª 9 © K 5 ¨ A Q 9 8 7 3 2 § J 4 2 ª Q 8 7 2 ª K 10 5 4 3 © A 9 7 4 © J 10 2 ¨ K J 10 ¨ — § K 6 § A Q 9 8 3 ª A J 6 © Q 8 6 3 ¨ 6 5 4 § 10 7 5 West North East South Soloway Kowalski Hamman Romanski Pass Pass 1© 2¨ 2ª Pass 3ª Pass 4© Pass 4ª All Pass

In this modern age when the tendancy is to bid at the least opportunity it is somehow refreshing to see a player pass with decent values. It led to a straightforward contract. South led his partner's suit and declarer ruffed and played a club to the king and a spade to his king and South's ace. South returned the ª6 and when declarer went up with the queen, he was restricted to eleven tricks.

Did the Poles fall or where they pushed?

After the 2§ relay West might have limited his hand with a jump to 4ª at his second turn. As Eric Rodwell explained to me later he had to toss up between a heart or diamond lead and he would have felt a lot happier if he had gone for the former!

When he selected a diamond play followed an identical course to that in the other room but when Rodwell exited with the ª6 Martens, aided by the bidding, made no mistake, playing low from dummy to land his contract in spectacular style.