France entered this segment 18 IMPs in the lead, and they quickly added 6 more on the first three boards. But that was the last of the good news for France.

Board 20. Dealer West. Game All K J 8 5 3 2 Q 4 K Q 10 9 3 6 4 A 7 K 10 9 6 4 J 8 3 10 9 3 2 A K J 6 5 J 8 A 7 5 Q 10 9 2 A Q 7 5 8 7 6 4 2 Open Room West North East South Romanski Mouiel Kowalski Multon Pass 1 1NT 2 Pass 4 All Pass

This contract had no chance - four top losers.

Closed Room West North East South Levy Balicki Mari Zmudzinski Pass 1 Dble 1NT 2 3 3 4 5 Pass Pass Dble All Pass

It seems that France went to 5 as a save, but they came very close to making the doubled game. After winning the club opening lead Christian Mari went down although it looks as if he could make it with the favorable heart position. The table report from the Closed Room was impossible to follow, but the result was down one - 7 IMPs to Poland.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Game Q 3 8 6 5 A K J 10 9 5 K 5 8 7 5 2 J 9 K 9 3 2 A Q 10 4 — Q 7 6 3 2 A 8 4 3 2 10 9 A K 10 6 4 J 7 8 4 Q J 7 6 Open Room West North East South Romanski Mouiel Kowalski Multon 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3 All Pass

Hervé Mouiel and Frank Multon bid well to a very reasonable contract that probably would make with an ordinary distribution of the trumps. But the 5-0 break proved a bit too much to handle, and Mouiel suffered a one-trick defeat. This seemed like a reasonable result, but there was more action in the Closed Room.

Closed Room West North East South Levy Balicki Mari Zmudzinski 1 1 1 4 Dble Pass Pass 4 Pass Pass Dble All Pass

Alain Levy liked his hand after Mari overcalled in hearts - he had a void in the opponents' suit, four good trumps and an ace. But that proved to be not nearly enough. Repeated trump leads prevented Mari from getting many ruffs, and he wound up two down - minus 500 and 12 more IMPs to Poland. Poland had closed to within 3 IMPs. And they took the lead on the next board.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Game A 6 A K Q 10 4 A K Q J 4 3 5 Q 10 8 7 2 Q J 6 5 10 4 3 8 6 5 3 K J 9 7 10 6 5 2 8 K J 9 4 3 9 8 7 2 A 2 9 7 Open Room West North East South Romanski Mouiel Kowalski Multon Pass Pass Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 5 All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Levy Balicki Mari Zmudzinski Pass Pass Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 6 All Pass

Twelve tricks were there for the taking without a trump lead. Ceszary Balicki and Adam Zmudzinski had a good sequence to 6, and they were rewarded with 11 IMPs when Mouiel and Multon rested in the club game. Poland took the lead, 49-41.

Board 27. Dealer South. Love All 6 5 4 2 7 3 A 7 4 A K Q 5 3 A Q 9 8 7 A Q J 10 9 K 6 K J 6 2 Q 5 3 8 7 6 J 4 3 K J 10 8 5 4 2 10 9 8 10 9 2

Neither team found a contract they could make here. In fact Levy and Mari wound up in their 3-3 club fit - not exactly a rousing success. The French suffered a three-trick defeat. But Poland had problems, too.

Open Room West North East South Romanski Mouiel Kowalski Multon Pass 1 Dble Rdble Pass Pass 1 Dble Pass 2 Pass 3NT All Pass

The defence was quick. Multon led a club, and Mouiel made sure of setting the contract by cashing four clubs and the A. If he had been a little less impulsive, he could have led a spade after taking the clubs, and Poland would have been two down. As it was Poland gained another 3 IMPs.

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

Hervé Mouiel (France)

Both teams got to 4 here, and Romanski almost made it. He got a spade opening lead, and he bravely allowed it to ride to the 10.

He led a diamond, and Mouiel correctly ducked, so the king won. Romanski led the 10, losing to the queen, and Mouiel got out of his hand with the Q. Romanski won this and ruffed a diamond - and he was at the crossroads.

If he led a low heart, it would drop North's ace and now the two good hearts would enable him to pitch two clubs and make his contract. But he led the jack. Of course the ace came up and he ruffed. He crossed to his hand with a diamond ruff and pitched a club on the K.

Then he put North in with the A, but North still had a diamond to get out with. Romanski finally had to lose two clubs for a push board.

Poland was one of only two teams to get to the spade slam on this deal - the other was USA2 in the Bermuda Bowl. This was the deal:

Board 30. Dealer East. Love All J 9 7 10 8 10 9 4 2 Q 9 8 4 8 6 5 3 A K Q 10 5 4 3 A K Q 7 6 K 8 7 5 A 3 J 6 K 2 4 2 J 9 2 Q J 6 A 10 7 5 3 Open Room West North East South Romanski Mouiel Kowalski Multon 1(1) Pass 1(2) Pass 1NT(3) Pass 2(4) Pass 2 Pass 3NT(5) Pass 6 All Pass

(1) Polish Club.

(2) Negative.

(3) Forcing for one round.

(4) Transfer to spades.

(5) Showing the distribution and the point count, taking into consideration the original negative bid.

Kowalski felt he knew all he needed to know after Romanski jumped to 3NT - he leaped forthwith to the spade slam. France stopped in 4 (!), making five, so Poland picked up another 11 IMPs and now led by 20, 67-47. But Poland still wasn't through.

Board 32. Dealer West. E/W Game A 10 K Q 10 7 5 9 3 2 Q 10 8 J 9 4 3 K Q 8 7 5 8 6 4 9 J 5 A Q 6 K 5 3 2 A J 7 4 6 2 A J 3 2 K 10 8 7 4 9 6 Open Room West North East South Romanski Mouiel Kowalski Multon Pass Pass 1 Pass 2 Dble Rdble 3 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Closed Room West North East South Levy Balicki Mari Zmudzinski Pass 1 1 2 Pass 3 Pass Pass 3 All Pass

The key bid in the Open Room was Romanski's 3. That convinced Kowalski that Romanski had four spades - and of course 5-4 trump suits often play much better than 5-3s. So he carried on. All he needed was either the diamond finesse or the club finesse. The diamond failed, but he chalked up his game when the Q was onside. Since Levy and Mari stopped in a partial this was 11 more IMPs for Poland. But France appealed because of different explanations of 2. The director cganged the result to 4 making, but the Appeals Committee reverted to 3 and penalized Poland 3 IMPs, so Poland was in front, 74-49.