The opening board of this clash of giants looked innocuous enough, but it caused problems at both tables.

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

It might be right for South to introduce his diamonds, but North had a most unsuitable hand and rebid his hearts. Three Spades was not a happy contract and declarer finished two down for -100.

West led the queen of clubs and looking at all four hands it is easy enough to see how declarer can arrive at nine tricks: cash two clubs and one heart and play on diamonds.

Bitran could only see two, and he followed a normal line when, after cashing the clubs, he played the ace and king of hearts. West ruffed and exited with a diamond and declarer could only arrive at eight tricks. Still -50 was enough to give France a 2 IMP lead.

A couple of boards later, Italy looked certain to take the lead, but Lauria made an untypical error.

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

South did well ro resist the temptation to bid 3NT. When West, looking for a club ruff, led the four of spades, declarer's problems were over.

Five Diamonds can be defeated if West leads a heart and East wins with the ace and cashes the ace of clubs. If he fails to overtake, an unlikely play when West leads the queen of hearts, then the contract cannot be defeated. Say West continues with the jack of hearts. Declarer ruffs and simply draws three rounds of trumps ending in dummy.

East has to keep all his clubs, and if he discards two hearts then declarer can set up a discard by ruffing a heart. That leaves a spade, but now declarer plays a top club and when West discards he simply removes East's exit card by cashing the ace of spades before playing a club to the queen. East has to win but has no good return.

As an aside, in some circles the West hand would be regarded as being worth a weak jump overcall of Two or Three Spades, even at the prevailing vulnerability.

Here South could not resist the lure of the nine trick game. He would have been okay if Versace had led a spade, but he selected the queen of hearts. Declarer ducked, and did the same again when Versace continued with the jack of hearts.

After due consideration Lauria overtook with the ace of hearts, the correct play if declarer had started with ©108. When declarer discarded a club he set about clearing the heart suit. Alas, he inadvertantly played the seven of hearts rather than the nine. The Director was called, but all he could offer was sympathy. With the heart suit dead declarer could knock out the ace of clubs at his leasure.

Neither North-South pair could solve the problem of this deal:

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

A slam is a good proposition on the North-South cards, Six Clubs being the top spot, as Six Hearts can de defeated by a diamond lead. However, you would not expect one to be reached unless North thinks his hand is worth an opening bid. Declarer escaped with nine tricks for -100.

Bitran appeared to alert his double, but his partner passed without thought. If the opponents really have around ten spades then North probably has a real club suit, and all his values are likely to be working. Still, unless South takes the bull by the horns it is hard to see how Six Clubs can be reached.

A series of quiet boards saw France leading by 9 IMPs at half time.

In the second half the boards were much more challenging.

Board 15. Dealer South. NS Game ª 6 4 3 © 10 ¨ Q 9 8 7 3 2 § A Q 2 ª A K J 10 9 5 ª Q 8 2 © 6 2 © Q 8 7 3 ¨ 5 4 ¨ J § 8 5 4 § K J 10 9 3 ª 7 © A K J 9 5 4 ¨ A K 10 6 § 7 6

Unless you happen to think South should have bid Five Diamonds at some point, you have to put this result down to the effective intervention. The contract failed by one trick, -100.

Angelini was even more agressive with the West hand, but at least this time North-South managed to reach game. Declarer settled for eleven tricks to gain 11 IMPs.

Full marks for Bertens-Nab and Katz-Jacobs, who won 13 IMPs for their respective sides by reaching Six Diamonds.

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

I'm not sure which adjective best describes Buratti's overcall. You can email your suggestions to www.bridge.gr!

He was -300, not an obvious bargin, but there was always the chance that Four Hearts would slip through. For example, might South not lead his singleton spade?

North led the king of clubs and South encouraged with the nine. It must be right now to lay down the ace of diamonds, but North played the queen of clubs. South overtook and switched to his spade. Declarer claimed eleven tricks, +650 and 8 IMPs to Italy.

Board 17. Dealer North. Love All ª Q 10 4 © Q 10 4 ¨ Q 10 § 10 7 6 5 4 ª J 6 5 ª A 9 8 2 © K 7 5 3 2 © A J 9 8 6 ¨ 9 2 ¨ A 8 5 4 § A J 3 § — ª K 7 3 © — ¨ K J 7 6 3 § K Q 9 8 2

Bompis did not buy the sort of dummy he was hoping for and he had to go one down, -50.

Angelini's cunning attemt to pick of the spade suit might have backfired but just when a flat board appeared certain Bitran misjudged the situation. -500 looked certain, but a revoke gave declarer an extra trick. Still that was another 8 IMPs for Italy.

Both teams continued to struggle, but France just managed to prevail by IMPs, 16-14 VP.