Our roving reporter's eyes caught a fleeting glimpse of one of the clashes between two of the women's pairs competing in semi-final A.

Board 12. Dealer West. NS Game ª A 8 7 5 4 2 © 8 ¨ 7 § K 8 7 6 5 ª K Q J 6 ª 3 © J 9 2 © A 10 6 4 ¨ K J 10 9 ¨ A 5 3 2 § 10 4 § Q J 9 2 ª 10 9 © K Q 7 5 3 ¨ Q 8 6 4 § A 3 West North East South Volina Speelman Bodrenkova Debets Pass Pass 1§ 1© Dble Pass 1NT Pass 2NT All Pass

We can think of many players who would have been unable to resist the temptation to open with either the West or North hand but here a gentle auction left Svetlana Bondrenkova in a sensible contract.

With an awkward lead Marjolein Debets selected the four of diamonds. Bondrenkova won with the nine and played the four of clubs to her jack and South's ace. The spade switch was taken by North's ace and her heart return allowed South to win with the queen. Declarer was now in complete control and had to lose only one more trick to the king of clubs. +150 turned out to be a fair score for the Russian pair, giving them 78/110.