Plenty of IMPs changed hands in the first session of the semi-finals, but in the match between France and Italy there were no major swings.

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

Reaching Four Spades was not a problem, but you have to get the hearts right to make it.

Brazil picked up 12 IMPs when Campos recorded +590 and his counterpart, who was not doubled, went one down.

France picked up a swing when Voldoire-Bitran were allowed to play Five Diamonds undoubled down two, while Sainte Marie brought home Four Spades.

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

One Diamond was a transfer to hearts.

I will leave it to theoreticians as to the wisdom of transfer responses to opening bids. They are not without merit but you give your opponents an extra bid, for example in this situation East can bid One Heart for takeout and use a double as something else. On a different note, light openings are all the rage, but they can sometimes put you in hot water.

Three No-Trumps was quite hopeless, and on the lead of the four of spades was three down.

Lanzarotti took a good view when he decided to try and find a fit.

West won the diamond lead with the king and returned the suit. Declarer played the queen and tried the queen of clubs.

East ducked, setting up the possibility of some defensive ruffs, but declarer was not in much danger, and came to eight tricks easily enough.

+110 and 6 IMPs for Italy.

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

Give East an extra club and one less card in the majors and Five Clubs would be cold. This time it had little play in theory and none in practice. +100 for France.

The French stopped just in time and picked up 6 IMPs.

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

This is a good technical hand, the sort that sometimes appears in a book.

East plays Four Hearts and South is likely to lead a minor. If the defenders start with two rounds of diamonds, then declarer ruffs, and tests the trumps. When they fail to oblige he turns to the club suit and gets the good news. It is now an easy matter to endplay South with the third round of trumps.

When the opening lead is the queen of clubs declarer should win in hand and play a diamond, aiming for a similar type of ending. At one table declarer preferred to try and draw trumps. When they failed to break he played a diamond. North won and switched to the nine of spades. South won and inexplicably failed to cash the queen of hearts before exiting. Now he too could be enplayed.

I will not name the guilty parties - and they they can leave the money in a plain brown envelope in the Press Room!

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

Jean-Paul Meyer described this as the most interesting deal of the set. Italy picked up a game swing when Versace made 3NT while Sainte Marie went down.

Both faced the opening lead of the jack of diamonds. Assuming that suit will only deliver three tricks you need tricks from clubs, so the natural thing is to cross to dummy with a spade and play a club. If South splits his honours you win and play back the ten of clubs. South wins and will probably play a second diamond. There are several variations now, but with North holding the length in both spades and diamonds and the ace of hearts declarer is almost certain to get home.

Play developed along these lines at both tables, but Lanzarotti managed to deflect declarer from a winning line. When a club was played from the dummy he played low and the ten held. Now declarer cashed the ace of clubs and South dropped the queen! Declarer took that at face value and continued with a third club. South cashed his club tricks on the second of which declarer fatally parted with a spade and North blanked his ace of hearts.

South switched to the queen of spades, and when declarer ducked he switched to his remaining diamond. Declarer won and played a heart, but North won and played a diamond, removing the entry to the queen of hearts. I tell you these guys are dangerous!