China surged into the lead at the start of the IOC Grand Prix final.

Board 2. Dealer East. NS Game ª A J 8 3 © J 5 2 ¨ J 10 5 2 § 10 6 ª 10 6 ª Q © A K 9 7 © 10 8 6 ¨ A 6 4 ¨ K 9 7 3 § K 9 3 2 § A Q 8 7 4 ª K 9 7 5 4 2 © Q 4 3 ¨ Q 8 § J 5 West North East South Jihong Chagas Weimin Branco 1§ 1ª Dble 2ª Pass Pass 3ª Pass 4§ Pass 5§ All Pass

Four Hearts is obviously a very good contract on the East/West cards but not easy to reach. Perhaps West might have tried the effect of bidding 4© rather than 5§?

Weimin WANG (China)

Apart from the small chance that the ©QJ are doubleton Five Clubs has little hope. Played by East on a spade lead you might get home by ruffing the second spade and leading a heart to the king and then a club to the queen and a heart to the ace. If South is still in possesion of the ©Q you cash the top diamonds and exit with a heart to endplay South. Well the opening lead was the ª4 and the contract made for +400.

Did Branco allow himself to be endplayed? Well even Homer is supposed to have nodded once!

North led the ªA and promptly switched to the ©2. No chance of an error now and 10 IMPs for China.

Board 3. Dealer South. EW Game ª A Q J 6 4 © A K ¨ Q 6 4 2 § Q 4 ª K 10 9 8 ª 7 5 © 8 4 © J 7 3 ¨ — ¨ A J 9 8 7 § A K J 10 9 8 3 § 7 6 2 ª 3 2 © Q 10 9 6 5 2 ¨ K 10 5 3 § 5 West North East South Jihong Chagas Weimin Branco 2¨ 3§ 3ª Pass 4ª All Pass

South's 2¨ was weak with a major and North had an awkward bid over the intervention. His choice did not turn out well and 4ª had to go one down.

Four Hearts was always going to make but West's brave 4ª bid resulted in a loss of 500. Not too disastrous if 4© was made in the other room but here it was 11 more IMPs for China.

Board 7. Dealer South. Game All ª K Q 9 7 2 © K Q 10 7 ¨ 5 § J 7 3 ª A 8 3 ª 10 © J 8 6 © A 9 4 3 ¨ A K Q 10 6 3 ¨ 2 § 5 § A K Q 10 9 8 4 ª J 6 5 4 © 5 2 ¨ J 9 8 7 4 § 6 2 West North East South Jihong Chagas Weimin Branco Pass 1¨ 1ª 2§ 3ª 5¨ Pass 6§ All Pass

Declarer had no trouble with this one. Superficially the main interest now centered on how high the Brazilian pair in the other room would go.

The Brazilians joined the by no means exclusive club reserved for pairs who have had a misunderstanding over the meaning of 4NT. It meant another double figure swing for China.

Brazil had not yet registered an IMP but they got on the scoreboard in a big way on this deal.

Board 10. Dealer East. Game All ª 10 6 © A Q 10 5 4 ¨ 9 8 5 3 § A 8 ª A K J 9 8 3 ª Q 5 © 9 8 6 3 © K J 7 ¨ 4 ¨ A 7 2 § 7 4 § K Q J 6 3 ª 7 4 2 © 2 ¨ K Q J 10 6 § 10 9 5 2 West North East South Jihong Chagas Weimin Branco 1NT Pass 4© Dble 4ª All Pass

West transferred to spades and North doubled to suggest a lead. East was looking forward to a heart lead but not when South ruffed the second round. That was a rapid one down.

Once again North doubled a transfer but this time at a much lower level. Campos knew his partner had only two spades and that increased the chances that he would find a few hearts opposite. He also knew his side needed some points and after due consideration he passed. North started with the §A and switched to the ¨5. East won with dummy's ace and played two top clubs, North ruffing the second to play another diamond. Declarer ruffed and played a heart to the jack. When that held he simply played on spades. North could only come to two more trump tricks so that was +1, +870 and 14 badly needed IMPs.

Was this to herald a Brazilian recovery?

Board 12. Dealer West. NS Game ª A K Q 10 8 5 4 3 © — ¨ 6 2 § 10 8 4 ª 6 ª J 7 2 © K 10 8 5 © J 7 4 3 2 ¨ A K 10 7 ¨ 5 4 3 § A J 9 5 § Q 3 ª 9 © A Q 9 6 ¨ Q J 9 8 § K 7 6 2 West North East South Jihong Chagas Weimin Branco 1¨ 4ª Pass Pass Dble All Pass

This looked normal enough with declarer arriving at nine tricks.

This was a hopless affair with no entries available to the dummy. The cost was -800 and China led by 48 IMPs.

In the second half the boards were far too quiet from Brazil's point of view.Even when they got a good looking board their luck was out.

Board 22. Dealer East. EW Game ª A 10 8 © K 4 3 ¨ Q J 10 9 § 7 6 2 ª J 6 ª Q 5 4 3 © A Q 6 © 10 9 7 5 ¨ A K 8 7 6 2 ¨ 4 3 § K J § A 5 3 ª K 9 7 2 © J 8 2 ¨ 5 § Q 10 9 8 4 West North East South Jihong Chagas Weimin Branco Pass Pass 1¨ Pass 1© Pass 2NT Pass 3§ Pass 3© Pass 3ª Pass 4§ Pass 4ª Pass 5¨ Pass 5© Pass 6© All Pass

This ridiculous contract drifted four down.

The bad diamond break which made little difference to the outcome of 6© put paid to this contract.

In a set where virtually no IMPs changed hands Brazil recoverd just two points to trail by 46.