The Round 10 match between Serf of France and Polet of Belgium had very few swings, but it was the best played seen on Vugraph to that point and there were several hands of interest.

On the first board both Easts faced the problem of what to bid with these cards:

Q 10 8 6 K 9 Q 9 7 Q 8 6 5

West North East South 1 Pass 1 1 2 ??

They both bid Three Spades. This was two off in top tricks, whereas even Three Hearts is a struggle for the other side. The tip from Andrew Robson that you should underbid when you have a poor "Offense to Defense Ratio" would have helped here. The minor suit queens are no help in attack, but are both potential tricks in defence. This came next:

Board 2. Dealer East. NS Game K 5 4 Q 8 2 10 4 3 Q 10 8 3 10 9 8 A J 6 2 A K 10 4 J 9 5 3 A 9 7 Q 6 5 2 A J 5 7 Q 7 3 7 6 K J 8 K 9 6 4 2 West North East South Labaere Stretz Carcassone Renoux 1NT Pass 2 Dble 2 Pass 4 All Pass

West North East South Stoppa Conraets Serf Vanden 1NT Pass 2 Dble 2 Pass 4 All Pass

Both Wests played Four Hearts on a club lead, though Labaere had an easier task when the first club was ducked round to his jack! However, the key thing was that both showed good technique by playing on spades early. If you start with ruffing clubs then the defence can make life difficult by playing the KING of spades on the first round, cutting you off from the long spade. In practice both declarers lost only one spade, one trump and one diamond for no swing. Then came a small swing:

Board 3. Dealer South. EW Game Q 9 7 3 2 4 5 A K Q 8 7 5 K 8 6 4 A 10 5 Q 8 7 6 3 2 K A 8 3 Q J 7 6 4 2 — 10 9 3 J A J 10 9 5 K 10 9 J 6 4 2 West North East South Labaere Stretz Carcassone Renoux Pass 2 3 Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 3NT All Pass

West North East South Stoppa Conraets Serf Vanden Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 4 Pass 5 All Pass

1 2 showed both majors (at least 9 cards) and less than opening points

Against Five Clubs played by Conraets East led Q. We only know it went two off. Double-dummy declarer can come to ten tricks by drawing trumps and taking the ruffing finesse in hearts.

Three Notrumps looked to have a better chance but Alain Labaere led a low diamond from the West seat. South won the king and rattled off six club tricks but the defence made no mistake and it was held to eight tricks. 2 IMPs to Serf. Then came one of the most interesting deals of the championships:

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

West North East South Stoppa Conraets Serf Vanden 1 2 Dble Pass 2 3 Dble Pass 3 Pass 3NT All Pass

Both East reached Three Notrumps and received a club to the ten and queen. They played a spade at trick two to set up what seemed to be their ninth trick and another club, the king was taken by the ace, dummy throwing a heart. We don't have the details of what happened at the table where Serf was declaring, but let us describe the fine defence on Vugraph. After winning the second club East cashed the queen of diamonds to discover South had four. Now she led the nine which was covered by ten and ace. Then declarer exited from dummy with a low heart. Stretz made the essential play of rising with the ace of hearts, and cashing his good club. Madame Renoux made the excellent discard of the JACK of spades. North, knowing the position, played a heart to South's king and South now endplayed the dummy by exiting with the carefully preserved 8. One off at both tables.

The next deal was the only big swing of the match and it was decided by the lead:

Board 5. Dealer North. NS Game Q 5 3 2 A K 9 7 6 5 4 7 6 A K 7 10 9 8 6 3 A K 5 9 8 7 4 Q J 2 3 A K Q 5 10 9 3 J 4 2 Q J 10 6 10 8 J 8 4 2 West North East South Labaere Stretz Carcassone Renoux Stoppa Conraets Serf Vanden 3 Pass Pass 3NT All Pass

On Vugraph Stretz led a low diamond which finished the hand very quickly. Declarer was able to cash only eight tricks before South was in to lead another diamond to North. One off. At the other table North made the fatal lead of the ACE of diamonds. Superficially it appears that West still has only eight tricks, but two more diamonds destroyed South. Best is to throw a heart, but West, aware of what is happening simply exits in the majors and eventually obtains the extra trick when South has to play a club. This was 10 IMPs to Serf, who now led 12-0.

Board 6 and 7 were both dull partscores with no swing. This was Board 8:

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

At the table where Belgium were North-South the final contract was Five Spades one off. But Stretz did not over-stretch (!) and stopped in Four Spades. This looks an easy contract but the Belgians found an excellent defence which declarer no chance. West led a club. East cashed king and ace, West following intelligently with the JACK. Then East switched to 9 which held the trick, and another heart which forced declarer to ruff in dummy. Declarer could not no longer draw trumps, ruff out the diamonds and get back to the long diamond. Best play is to cash two top trumps and then try the diamonds. If they break you go back to drawing the third trump. If they are 4-1 and the defender with the singleton has only two trumps you can ruff the third round and get back, drawing the last trump. However, this was not to be and Four Spades went one off for another flat board.

The only point about Board 9 is that the West, last in hand, holds:

76432 K AQ6 KJ42

Last in hand West opens One Spade, finds a take-out double on his left and Four Hearts on his right, which is cold for 420 to the opponents but a flat board. Pity he could not have a good swing by throwing the hand in!

This was the last board:

Board 10. Dealer East. Game All 8 7 5 Q 8 7 9 7 5 2 Q 10 7 K J 6 2 10 9 3 K 6 5 3 A 9 4 2 Q J 4 A K 8 K 6 J 3 2 A Q 4 J 10 10 6 3 A 9 8 5 4 West North East South Labaere Stretz Carcassone Renoux 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

The final board is a thin game which makes on a favourable lie of the cards. The French North-South did their best by leading a spade to the ace and a low club back at trick two, but Labaere was not accepting any Greek gifts. Knowing the defence could have left him to play clubs himself, he put on the king, drerw trumps and took the spade finesse to make ten tricks. At the other table the French had reached Three Notrumps making nine tricks and the Belgians had their only gain of the match 1 IMP. The French had won 12-1.