In what was generally a very tough set for North-South, with a series of marginal games and slams, Balicki and Zmudzinski produced a nearly perfect card against Schaffer and Anderson.

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

It started with Board 1, where Zmudzinski elected not to raise spades but instead to respond 2 to the 1 opening before jumping to 4.

This talked Schaffer out of leading the J, whereupon 10 tricks were easy. Balicki actually emerged with 11 tricks.

However, at the other table the lead of the J by Romanski went to Kowalski's queen. When Kowalski continued with the A, Romanski followed with the 10, not the 4 - suit preference to show the A. Now it was easy to arrange the diamond ruff to beat the game.

On the next board, Zmudzinski gave a little back by failing to come in over a strong notrump with Q 7, K Q J 9 8, A Q 6 5, J 6. He found he could not beat 1NT, but Kowalski-Romanski bid to 3 down one - 4 IMPs to Denmark.

Balicki-Zmudzinski immediately recovered these IMPs with interest, bidding a 5% game which came in with comfort. Then Balicki earned another swing - or perhaps it was the Danish system losing the IMPs.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Game 8 3 A 7 5 A K 7 2 9 8 4 3 Q J 9 7 6 5 K 4 2 Q 9 3 J 10 8 6 2 J 6 3 5 2 A J 6 5 A 10 K 4 Q 10 9 8 4 K Q 10 7

After Schaffer opened 1 with the East hand, Zmudzinski overcalled 2. When Anderson raised to 2, Balicki jumped to 3NT. On a heart lead that made 10 tricks. However, a spade lead would have doomed the contract to two down.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Game A 5 2 A K 7 K 5 3 A Q 7 4 K J 4 7 6 3 9 8 6 5 3 J 2 Q 9 8 2 10 7 4 9 J 10 8 6 3 Q 10 9 8 Q 10 4 A J 6 K 5 2

Balicki and Zmudzinski managed to stay out of slam with 32 high card points while Auken and Koch Palmund committed to a moderate slam and found the cards not cooperating. Then came another disastrous lead for the Albatross Club. (One would expect some bad luck with a name like that!)

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All Q 10 8 7 A 7 A 7 5 3 K 9 3 5 4 3 A J 9 8 6 3 2 Q J 4 2 J 10 8 4 Q 8 6 5 4 J 7 2 K 6 2 K 10 9 5 K Q 9 6 A 10 Open Room West North East South 1 Pass 1 Pass Pass ??

1 was 9-11 HCP or 17+ and 1 0-8 HCP. Zmudzinski as South doubled. Anderson redoubled for rescue, Schaffer ran to 1 and Zmudzinski doubled again, ending the auction. He led a trump, and the defence played two more rounds. A low club (a good guess) went to Zmudzinski's ace, and he played a fourth trump, squeezing Schaffer, who pitched a diamond (Balicki had pitched two diamonds). Now came the K and a diamond to the ace. A low spade to the 9 and the K allowed Zmudzinski to cash two more diamonds, and the K meant 800 and 8 IMPs for the Poles. The Danes had earned a very respectable 460 in the other room.

That was the end of the real action, but in a rather strange mirror to Board 1 Schaffer and Anderson did have a chance for a pickup when Balicki made his one mistake of the set.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Game A J 8 5 4 9 K 6 5 A J 9 5 Q 10 9 7 2 10 7 6 4 A Q J 2 8 J 10 9 7 3 2 K Q 4 2 8 6 K 6 3 K 8 5 3 A Q 4 10 7 3

Balicki played 4 as North on an unopposed auction. He won the J with the king to lead a spade to the king and a spade to the jack. That brought good news and bad news as Schaffer pitched the 2. Now Balicki erred by playing a diamond up, but Schaffer carelessly followed with a low diamond, so Anderson assumed his partner had the A. He led the Q, allowing declarer to scoop it up and draw the last trump for +420 and a flat board.

Poland, by winning 24-6, dealt their opponents a severe blow to Danish hopes of qualifying.