After the first two days play, the surprise package of the Open series was the Indian Ocean island nation of La Reunion. They were lying in second place in Group D overnight and met New Zealand on Tuesday morning. A lively set of deals saw plenty of swings.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª A 5 © K Q 8 6 5 ¨ Q 8 § A K J 7
ª 8 7 3 2 © J 9 ¨ 9 7 6 2 § 8 5 2		ª K 10 6 © 10 7 4 2 ¨ A K 10 5 3 § 3
	ª Q J 9 4 © A 3 ¨ J 4 § Q 10 9 6 4

In the Closed Room, Michel Deleflie, for La Reunion, opened a light 1¨ and this ran around to Stephen Blackstock who made a take-out double then bid his hearts over Stephen Henry's 2ª response. Henry raised the hearts and Blackstock went on to game. Deleflie cashed two top diamonds then switched to his singleton club. Blackstock won and played four rounds of trumps and had the rest, his spade loser going on the long club; +620.

David Ackerley also opened 1¨ and Scott Smith made an aggressive pre-emptive raise. Yves Mondon doubled for take-out and Ackerley continued the pre-empt with a leap to 5¨. Sylvain Dumas doubled that, ending the auction. Dumas led ace and another rheart to Mondon's queen. He played two top clubs and Ackerley ruffed then cashed a top trump. Next he played a low heart, which allowed Dumas to ruff in front of dummy with the ¨J. There were two spades to lose from here for down four; 800 and 5 IMPs to La Reunion.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª 9 4 2 © A 10 9 8 7 ¨ Q 2 § 8 7 3
ª K Q J 10 © 6 ¨ J 10 6 § K 10 5 4 2		ª A 7 © J 4 ¨ K 9 5 4 3 § A Q J 6
	ª 8 6 5 3 © K Q 5 3 2 ¨ A 8 7 § 9

The New Zealand North/South pair play an aggressive opening system which involves opening 1¨ with four or more hearts and 1© with spades, each opening denying the other major. Here, 1¨ showed 8-13 with four or more hearts and Alain Gerente's 1© overcall was for take-out. When Blackstock made a pre-emptive heart raise, Deleflie asked his partner to pick a minor at the game level. The favourable diamond position meant that Gerente had no problem in coming to 11 tricks for +600.

Unless there is something of which I am not aware in the New Zealand methods, Ackerley's final bid in the Open Room looks to be a very poor effort after his partner had shown the black suits. Justice was done when the defence took five heart tricks and a diamond for down two; 200 and 13 IMPs to La Reunion.

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

In the Closed Room, 1© showed 8-15 with four or more spades and 1ª was for take-out. Clubs were never mentioned so the good slam was never in the picture; +660 after a spade lead and continuation when North succumbed to a major-suit squeeze in the endgame.

Unfortunately, I do not have all the details of the Smith/Ackerley system but, as you can see, they sailed into the club slam and chalked up +1370 for a 12 IMP swing to New Zealand.

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

Henry and Blackstock bid to 3NT by North after a relay sequence. The heart lead meant 12 tricks for +690.

The lead against 6§ doubled was a spade. Declarer's line was to pitch a diamond on a spade and play for diamonds to be 3-3, which would have given him a spade and a diamond winner to get rid of his hearts. When that did not work, he tried the heart finesse and was one down; 100 and 13 IMPs to New Zealand. Obviously, the ruffing diamond finesse would have brought home the slam, but that was only one chance and declarer preferred the combination play in the red suits.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª K J 6 5 © 9 7 ¨ J 10 8 § A 8 7 3
ª A © 5 3 ¨ K Q 7 3 § Q J 10 9 4 2		ª Q 10 9 8 7 3 2 © Q 4 ¨ 4 2 § K 5
	ª 4 © A K J 10 8 6 2 ¨ A 9 6 5 § 6

When South overcalls 4©, East has no option but to bid 4ª, and North, of course, doubles. Smith was prepared to pass out 4ª doubled, while Gerente tried for a better spot.

Blackstock led a heart against 5§ doubled. Henry took two hearts then switched to his trump. Blackstock played two rounds of clubs and Gerente won in dummy and played a spade to his ace then drew trumps. Next declarer tried the queen of diamonds which lost to the ace. He had to lose two more diamonds and was four down; 800.

Had the defence found their club ruff, 4ª doubled might also have cost 800. Dumas cashed two top hearts then switched to ace and another diamond. Ackerley cashed the ace of spades and now had to lose only two trumps and the ace of clubs; down three for 500 but 7 IMPs to New Zealand.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª 9 3 © K 10 9 5 ¨ A J 7 4 2 § 10 3
ª 10 © A 8 3 2 ¨ 10 3 § A 9 8 7 6 4		ª J 7 6 4 © J 7 6 4 ¨ K Q 8 6 § 5
	ª A K Q 8 5 2 © Q ¨ 9 5 § K Q J 2

For New Zealand, a relay sequence saw North describe a 2-4-5-2 hand in the 8-13 range and South select the final contract of 4ª. Gerente led ace and another club for Deleflie to ruff. A heart to the ace and a third club saw Deleflie over-ruff dummy for one down, the diamond loser going away on the king of hearts; -100.

In the Open Room, the lead was the ten of diamonds to dummy's ace. Dumas cashed two top trumps then played the queen of hearts. Smith judged to duck that and declarer quickly went back to trumps. With no heart loser he had ten tricks and his contract; +620 and 12 IMPs to La Reunion.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª Q J 10 8 4 © A 8 ¨ 7 § J 9 6 5 4
ª A K 9 7 5 3 2 © 7 5 4 2 ¨ K § 2		ª 6 © K J 6 3 ¨ 9 8 5 3 § A Q 10 7
	ª - © Q 10 9 ¨ A Q J 10 6 4 2 § K 8 3

In the Closed Room, 1© showed 8-13 with four or more spades. The double showed hearts and 1ª was an artificial relay, normally with invitational values. The jump to 4© made life very difficult for North/South. Gerente led a top spade against 5¨ and Henry allowed this to win, pitching a club from hand. A heart switch went to the king and Deleflie switched to ace and another club. Gerente ruffed the king and that was two down; -100.

Mondon's multi earned his side a big penalty when Smith was convinced that his suit had to be hearts and so made a jump overcall in spades. Mondon was very happy to double 4ª, of course. He cashed the ace of hearts then switched to his diamond. Dumas won the ace and returned a diamond, ruffed and over-ruffed. Back came a club and Smith finessed, hoping to create a parking place for one of his heart losers. The §K won and another diamond was ruffed and over-ruffed. Declarer ruffed the next club and drew two rounds of trumps but there was still another trump and a heart to lose; four down for -800 and 14 IMPs to La Reunion.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª 5 2 © Q 9 7 ¨ K 9 7 3 2 § 4 3 2
ª K Q 8 3 © J 8 ¨ Q J 10 6 4 § K 7		ª J 9 7 © A 3 2 ¨ 5 § A Q J 10 8 5
	ª A 10 6 4 © K 10 6 5 4 ¨ A 8 § 9 6

Henry's 1¨ opening showed 8-13 with hearts and the double showed diamonds, so that the two auctions were more similar than might at first sight appear to be the case. Liking the look of his diamond holding, however, Mondon was in a better position to double the final contract than was Blackstock as he was facing a normal-range opening. The heart lead meant that both declarers had to go two down; 200 to New Zealand, but 500 to la reunion and 7 IMPs.

At the end of an action-packed match, La Reunion had consolidated their position near the top of their group with a 62-48 IMP, 18-12 VP win.

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