The Poles had surprised a few people, including your reporter, by choosing to play against France. However, they went into the second session of the match with a lead of 13 IMPs.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª Q 8 © K Q 2 ¨ 10 6 2 § 10 8 5 4 3
ª A J 7 6 3 © A J 6 5 ¨ 7 3 § K 9		ª K 9 5 4 2 © 9 4 ¨ A § A J 7 6 2
	ª 10 © 10 8 7 3 ¨ K Q J 9 8 5 4 §

According to the convention card, 2NT promised 10-15 with a fit. There were twelve easy tricks, +480. It did not take long to see a more cultured approach from the Poles.

This time 2NT was game forcing, and Tuszynski introduced his second suit. Jassem marked time, and when his partner rebid his clubs, he cue bid his heart control. When Levy doubled, Jassem was able to confirm he had a first round control. When his partner admitted to a diamond control, he went to the excellent slam.

That was a well-deserved +980, and 11 IMPs to Poland.

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

West's 2NT was a transfer to clubs. The part score was very sound, and declarer made nine tricks; +110.

Two Diamonds was a transfer to hearts, and enabled Jassem to bid the suit as a take out request. Declarer could not be prevented from scoring nine tricks, for +150 and an IMP.

On this layout, 3NT cannot be defeated, so full marks to Germany's Pony Nehmert & Andrea Rauscheid, who racked up +600, which not surprisingly earned their team 12 IMPs.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª K 3 © 7 6 3 ¨ K J 10 8 3 2 § A 7
ª A Q 8 7 4 © 8 ¨ 7 § 10 6 5 4 3 2		ª 10 6 5 2 © A K Q 4 ¨ A Q 9 5 § K
	ª J 9 © J 10 9 5 2 ¨ 6 4 § Q J 9 8

Was East overly aggressive when he tried Blackwood over his partner's jump to game? It got his side to an uncomfortable level, but the situation was such that it was easy enough to survive, +650.

Two Diamonds promised a weakish two-suiter, with at least one major. 2NT was game forcing, and the Poles were not hard pressed to stop at a comfortable level. The same eleven tricks were made, so there was no swing.

In the match between the USA and Argentina, one East player declared One Heart (!) - perhaps after North opened One Diamond and East made a rather powerful overcall a la Mike Lawrence. +80 did not compensate for the missed game.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª J 8 7 © J 5 3 ¨ A K J § A J 9 2
ª A Q 2 © K Q 6 2 ¨ 9 7 6 5 3 § 5		ª K 10 9 6 4 © 9 4 ¨ 10 8 4 § Q 6 3
	ª 5 3 © A 10 8 7 ¨ Q 2 § K 10 8 7 4

In the aggressive style of the Polish pair, once North had opened with a 15-18 INT, there was no way South was going to stay out of game. A good view in clubs would lead to nine tricks, but here East had an automatic spade lead, and after five rounds of that suit and a heart switch, declarer took a wrong view in clubs to go three down, -300.

Levy downgraded his hand, perfectly reasonable with four jacks and poor distribution, and the result was that he got to play at a comfortable level.

Once again the defenders started with five rounds of spades. That made the discarding for declarer a little awkward, and when he elected to part with three of dummy's clubs, it was clear he was not going to take a winning view in clubs - indeed, there was no real reason why he should. He was one down, but still picked up 5 IMPs. That left France just twenty behind, 23-43.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª 8 7 4 3 © 10 6 4 3 2 ¨ J 4 § 5 2
ª - © A K Q J 8 ¨ A K 6 3 § K J 8 7		ª A Q J 10 5 2 © - ¨ 9 8 2 § Q 10 6 4
	ª K 9 6 © 9 7 5 ¨ Q 10 7 5 § A 9 3

Two Hearts was weak in either major - I'm sure you would get votes for other actions as well, and after discovering, surprise, surprise, that East's suit was spades, West decide to try for the nine trick game. East overruled him, and had no real problems in arriving at ten tricks for +620.

Once again, a possible slam in clubs went a begging, as the suit was never mentioned. This time declarer lost only to the king of trumps, to pick up two rather undistinguished IMPs.

Six Clubs is clearly an excellent contract, but it requires a certain amount of care. In the Women's match between China and England, China went one down in Six Clubs. As you might expect, it proved to be a big swing, but it went to China, as the English pair in the other room had an accident, and were in Seven Clubs doubled, down two, -500.

England's David Burn and Brian Callaghan earned 12 IMPs for their team by bidding and making the slam.

Board 24. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª K J 10 6 © 10 2 ¨ J 10 8 5 4 § 7 5
ª A Q © A K J 8 3 ¨ K 9 7 § A Q 2		ª 9 7 4 2 © 9 6 ¨ A 6 2 § K J 10 4
	ª 8 5 3 © Q 7 5 4 ¨ Q 3 § 9 8 6 3

After the game forcing Two Diamonds, the response promised an ace in a minor suit. The meaning of Four Clubs is not entirely clear, but if West had been able to rebid Two No-Trumps, Three Clubs would have been Stayman. However you interpret the auction, the final contract was not without its chances.

North led the five of clubs - low from a doubleton - and declarer won with the ace and took the heart finesse. When it held, he played three more rounds of the suit, discarding two spades from dummy, as North discarded the four of spades and the five of diamonds. The Polish pair play Suit Preference, low (lower suit), high (higher suit) when discarding. South switched to the five of spades after winning with the queen of hearts, and although declarer can get home by going up with the ace and playing for the spade diamond squeeze, he not unreasonably took the finesse and was one down.

Suppose after the heart finesse holds, declarer goes back to the club suit, cashing the ace, and then overtaking the queen with the king. He now knows that North started with a doubleton club, and when he subsequently discovers that North also started with only two hearts, he might at least consider the possibility of the squeeze when South switches to a spade.

One Club was three way, natural, prepared or strong, and the response was a positive. The Poles stopped at a safe level, and recorded eleven tricks, for +460 and 11 IMPs, pushing the Polish lead to 39 IMPs.

One final thought, if the West hand could have been ªAx ©AKQJ8 ¨K97 §AQ2, then there would be twelve top tricks.

Board 26. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª A 10 4 3 2 © 6 ¨ K J § Q 8 7 3 2
ª Q © Q 10 ¨ A 8 6 4 2 § A K J 10 9		ª K 9 6 5 © J 8 3 ¨ Q 10 9 7 3 § 4
	ª J 8 7 © A K 9 7 5 4 2 ¨ 5 § 6 5

West led the ace of clubs, and switched to the queen of spades. Declarer took dummy's ace, East following with the six, standard count, and cashed the top trumps. When he played the five of diamonds, West played low, and the king of diamonds was the contract fulfilling trick. Poland +140.

Should West have got this problem right?

He knew his partner had a singleton club, and East had petered in hearts, presumably showing three. If East had started with four spades, then it was clear that the contract could be defeated by going up with the ace of diamonds, and continuing with the king and jack of clubs. East would ruff, and cash the king of spades.

Jean-Paul Meyer assures me that Paul Chemla does not like preempting, but he had enough for a super solid French style weak two bid. That made life very awkward for Jassem, and the final contract was not a success. Declarer arrived at six tricks, -300 and 4 IMPs for France.

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª A 6 © A K 5 ¨ A K J 10 6 5 3 § 6
ª 10 8 5 4 © 10 6 4 ¨ 2 § A K 9 7 3		ª Q © Q J 8 3 ¨ Q 9 8 7 § Q 8 4 2
	ª K J 9 7 3 2 © 9 7 2 ¨ 4 § J 10 5

After a Polish Club and a negative response, Balicki took a pot at game, probably hoping to leave the defenders in the dark. His prayers were answered when East led the queen of hearts, but his first hope vanished when West discarded on the second round of diamonds, and the second string to his bow did not materialise when the spades did not come in. Declarer took his seven tricks and resigned, two down, -100.

Would Chemla rebid his spades or raise diamonds? He preferred the latter, and Tuszynski rapidly led the queen of spades. That would certainly have been a killer, as he would be able to get a ruff later on. However, it was not his lead, and on the other side of the screen Jassem, forgetting that Chemla had responded Two Diamonds, was gazing into space, and clearly had no intention of leading anything. Eventually Chemla reminded him it was his turn to start, and of course he played the ace of clubs. There was no defence from this point, and Chemla scored +400 to collect 11 IMPs, reducing the deficit to 24 IMPs.

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S.
	ª Q 7 4 3 © K Q J ¨ 10 7 3 § K 9 8
ª K 10 8 2 © 9 8 7 3 ¨ J § 6 5 3 2		ª 9 6 5 © 6 4 2 ¨ K 9 8 4 § J 7 4
	ª A J © A 10 5 ¨ A Q 6 5 2 § A Q 10

West led a heart, and declarer won in dummy and established his ninth trick by taking the spade finesse. West won and played a second heart. Declarer won in hand, unblocked the ace of spades, and cashed the ace of diamonds. When the jack fell, he could set up a second trick in the suit, giving him a total of ten, and +630.

Two Diamonds followed by Two-No Trumps showed 19-23 points, so perhaps North's leap to slam was a little hasty. Chemla won the heart lead in dummy and played the seven of diamonds. East played a surprising nine, and the queen collected East's jack. Declarer was in with a chance now, and after establishing four diamond tricks by playing low towards the ten, Chemla asked about the location of the king of spades. When West claimed possession of his majesty, France had recorded another poor result at the slam level. 12 IMPs to Poland made the score 74-38 IMPs.

Board 29.Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª J © 10 9 8 ¨ A K J 7 6 4 § 8 7 4
ª 10 7 5 3 © Q J 6 5 3 2 ¨ 8 § 5 3		ª 9 8 2 © K 7 ¨ Q 2 § A K Q 10 9 2
	ª A K Q 6 4 © A 4 ¨ 10 9 5 3 § J 6

East's opening bid gave the Poles a problem they could not solve. It was easy to take eleven tricks for +150.

That was well done by the French pair, who picked up 10 IMPs.

It had been a fascinating set, where the French had got most things right at the game level, but had dropped a lot of points when they went higher.

He smart money was still on Poland.

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