Yesterday's overnight leaders started the day with another maximum, but then had to play another powerful French team.Both sides had to make a number of difficult decisions.

Dealer East. Game All K 4 2 — A Q J 10 7 3 Q 10 9 5 9 8 A J 10 6 5 Q 10 9 7 3 6 5 9 8 K 5 2 A 6 4 2 K 8 3 Q 7 3 A K J 8 4 2 6 4 J 7 West North East South Voldoire Stretz Peyrot Renoux 1 2 Pass 3 Pass Pass 4 All Pass 3

West might have doubled 3 and North might have tried 3NT - not that it would have been a success! - but in reality 4 is the sensible bid. East led the 3 and West took the ace and switched to the 9. East took her ace and cashed the K. The king of trumps was the setting trick.

West North East South Stoppa Maurin Serf Kitabgi Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 3 Dble Pass Pass 4 All Pass

Here East made a disciplined pass, giving North-South a free run. If South had given simple preference with 3, North might have called it a day, but that would have been a courageous decision. So, no swing.

Dealer South. Love All A K J 10 Q J 8 7 5 2 J 8 3 3 2 Q 7 9 6 4 A K 10 2 K 9 7 5 3 A 8 4 7 6 2 A K Q 5 9 8 6 5 4 5 Q J 10 6 10 9 4 West North East South 1 Dble Pass 2 Pass 3NT All Pass

Both East's decided the best approach on their hands was to start with a double, so an identical auction saw them both declare 3NT. Kitabgi led her partner's suit and that was that. Declarer scored three hearts, two diamonds and four clubs. +400.

Renoux did much better. She started with a spade, although her selection of the 9 was a little unusual. North won with the K and switched to the 7. Declarer got that wrong by going up with the ace. She now played the 4 for the ten, king and two. She played a heart and North split his honours, South discarding the 5. Declarer won and played a heart to the nine and North's queen. South played the four of clubs on this trick, presumably suggesting she had no interest in that suit. Although it looks as if North should get it right now, he continued with the 7 and a relieved declarer claimed nine tricks.

At the point where declarer played a heart towards dummy's nine, perhaps South could have worked out that the setting tricks had to come from the spade suit. A discard of the Q might have been a winner. Of course easy to see when all four hands are on view!

Both teams did well to reach slams on the last two boards, and a hard fought match ended in a draw.