The third round match between Brazil and France was featured on VuGraph and provided excellent entertainment, with plenty of big swings, the majority of them going to the South American stars.

The match got off to a dramatic start.

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

In the Closed Room Perron opened a strong notrump and on a less than perfect defence emerged with eight tricks.

Open Room West North East South Levy Chagas Mari Branco 1 1 Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass Pass Dble Pass Pass 2 Dble All Pass

Here North's system prevented him from opening 1NT, so East-West were able to enter the auction. When Chagas doubled 1NT to show a good hand, Levy decided, perhaps unwisely, to look for a safer spot. According to French sources it was possible he had four spades and five clubs, so he was left to stew in two clubs doubled.

Chagas led the four of hearts and Levy tried the ten, covered by the jack and ace. He played the four of spades and Chagas won to continue with the queen of hearts. Declarer won with the ace and played a spade. North won and cashed the nine of hearts before playing a spade. Declarer was in deep trouble and when he discarded a diamond South ruffed and played the last heart, which North ruffed with the ten of clubs. Levy overruffed and played a trump, but now Chagas could draw trumps and play the queen of diamonds. Declarer could only arrive at four tricks, -800 and Brazil were off to a 12 IMP start.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Game J 9 6 5 A J 9 5 4 6 2 7 4 K Q 4 A 7 10 6 2 K Q 8 7 3 K 10 9 4 A Q 3 Q 5 2 A 8 3 10 8 3 2 — J 8 7 5 K J 10 9 6 Closed Room West North East South Fonseca Perron Mello Chemla 1 Pass 2 Pass 4 All Pass

Open Room West North East South Levy Chagas Mari Branco 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Both teams reached the doomed four hearts. There was much speculation as how one might reach 3NT, which turned out to be the contract at many tables in both the Bowl and the Cup.

After 1-2 East might well settle for 3NT on the grounds that as long as partner has as little as the ace of hearts it can hardly be worse than the diamond finesse, and at the other table it was possible for East to bid 3NT and leave the final decision to West. Brazil doubled their lead on the next deal.

Board 3. Dealer North. Game All K 9 K Q 10 8 5 Q 5 4 2 J 8 Q 10 5 A 4 3 2 7 6 A J 9 4 A K 7 3 9 8 6 A K 10 5 9 7 J 8 7 6 3 2 J 10 Q 6 4 3 2 Closed Room West North East South Fonseca Perron Mello Chemla Pass 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3NT All Pass

Open Room West North East South Levy Chagas Mari Branco Pass 1NT 2 2 Pass 2 Pass 4 All Pass

The cards were lying well for declarer in 3NT and on the lead of the king of hearts there were no real problems in arriving at nine tricks.

Something went wrong in the Open Room. When Chagas entered the auction with a bid which promised hearts and another suit, Mari decided to ignore him and went in search of the best game. There was clearly a misunderstanding as to the meaning of the two heart bid and the end result was a poor final contract.

As an aside you can decide for yourselves if North should get involved over a strong notrump, but it was an action found at other tables. At one, East doubled two clubs and when South and West passed North bid two diamonds. East doubled again and South, thinking North had longer diamonds, passed. -800 was not a disaster if East-West made 3NT but they stopped in two. Assuming South's pass showed some clubs and denied three hearts, the most important thing is for North-South to find their best spot. A sensible way of playing is for North to redouble with four diamonds and to bid the suit with five. Two hearts should show five hearts and four spades and Two spades the reverse. It would be unsound for North to simply bid two hearts as a diamond fit might be missed.

Back to the action. North led the king of hearts and when that was allowed to hold he continued with the eight of hearts. Levy put up the jack and played a spade to the ten and king. Chagas played the queen of hearts and there was nothing Levy could do. He needed a second heart trick to have any chance but now he was soon conceding one down. Brazil 24 - France 0.

Board 4. Dealer West. Game All A K J 6 9 7 6 4 K 10 9 10 8 Q 9 3 8 7 4 K J 10 8 5 3 2 A 8 2 J 7 9 7 5 3 A K 4 2 10 5 2 A Q Q 6 5 4 3 Q J 6 Closed Room West North East South Fonseca Perron Mello Chemla 1 Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Open Room West North East South Levy Chagas Mari Branco 1 Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 Dble Pass Pass 2 All Pass

France opened their account when they bid and made a thin game in the Closed Room.

West's opening lead was the three of spades, slightly strange in view of South's 'better minor' opening bid. Still, all was not yet lost. Declarer won in hand and played the three of diamonds. West went up with the ace. Now it was! The switch to the king of hearts was just the icing on the cake for Chemla who claimed 10 tricks.

Branco made eight tricks in his diamond partscore so that was 11 IMPs for France. The action showed no sign of slowing down on the next hand.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Game A Q 9 K 5 3 2 J A Q 8 6 2 10 7 J 8 Q 10 6 A 8 7 4 K 10 9 8 5 4 7 6 2 9 4 J 10 7 5 K 6 5 4 3 2 J 9 A Q 3 K 3 Closed Room West North East South Fonseca Perron Mello Chemla 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Open Room West North East South Levy Chagas Mari Branco 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 4NT Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass

With trumps 2-2 and clubs no worse than 4-2, six spades by North would be unbeatable. The French auction in the closed room got spades played the right way round thanks to Perron's off centre INT, but stopped short.

The natural sequence in the other room meant South would be declarer, but as soon as Branco heard of spade support he was off to the races. Levy found the lead of the six of hearts which might have cause some players to agonise for a considerable period of time. In less time than it took the announcer to call the card he had played low and was soon claiming twelve tricks. 13 well earned IMPs putting Brazil ahead 37-11.

Mercifully things calmed down a little, although the teams continued to trade partscore swings over the next five boards. The score had advanced to 49-19 when this board arrived.

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All 8 A 8 5 4 3 Q 10 9 Q 9 5 3 10 6 3 A K J 9 7 5 4 J 10 9 6 Q 2 A J 6 5 J 8 7 6 2 10 Q 2 K 7 2 K 8 7 4 3 A K 4 Closed Room West North East South Fonseca Perron Mello Chemla 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2 2 Pass Pass 3 3 All Pass

When you pick up a hand like East's your problem is to find out if partner has anything useful. Its not clear how you should set about this - perhaps the practical approach is to close your eyes and bid game. West knew his partner had a good hand but he can scarcely be blamed for passing three spades.

Open Room West North East South Levy Chagas Mari Branco 1NT Pass 2 4 Pass Pass Dble All Pass

Having started the match with eight minus scores, Mari knew his side must be well behind, and he took the not unreasonable decision of bidding what he hoped he could make. Chagas doubled and the spotlight was on Branco. There was only one card in his hand that would lead to the defeat of the contract and that was the two of spades. Of course he led the ace of clubs and then switched to the two of spades, but now it was too late. Mari took his time, but eventually recorded +590.

Chagas was sufficiently annoyed to go under the screen - perhaps asking why the 'obvious' opening lead had been missed.

Of course you could argue that the only way declarer is likely to arrive at ten tricks is by using some trumps for ruffing which might point you to the winning lead, but its hard to overlook the Barry Crane maxim, 'when God deals you AK in a suit its so you don't have a lead problem.' Whatever, France collected 9 badly needed IMPs.

Any lingering hopes of a French counter attack were extinguished three deals later.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All 8 7 5 3 9 8 7 A Q 5 4 Q 7 A K Q J 6 2 9 4 10 6 3 K 5 4 2 6 J 8 7 A 5 3 J 10 9 2 10 A Q J K 10 9 3 2 K 8 6 4 Closed Room West North East South Fonseca Perron Mello Chemla Pass 1 1 2 Pass Pass 2 Pass Pass 3 All Pass

Open Room West North East South Levy Chagas Mari Branco Pass 1 1 2 Pass 3 3 4 Pass 5 All Pass

With the heart finesse working and the ace of clubs well placed there was nothing the defence could do to about five diamonds. Six more IMPs to Brazil, who ran out winners by 67-33 IMPs, 22-8 VP.