On Friday the second match to be featured on VuGraph was between The Netherlands and Poland.

The North-South pair in the Open Room appeared to get their wires crossed. You might say they were 'Poles apart!'

Dealer East. NS Game ª K 9 5 © A K Q ¨ A 6 3 § Q J 8 6 ª A ª Q 7 6 3 2 © 10 7 6 © 8 5 ¨ K Q 10 7 ¨ J 9 5 2 § K 9 7 5 2 § 4 3 ª J 10 8 4 © J 9 4 3 2 ¨ 8 4 § A 10 Open Room West North East South Vreeswijk Kapala Drijver Buras Pass Pass 1§ Dble Pass 1¨ Pass 1NT Pass 2¨ Pass 2© Pass 2ª Pass 2NT All Pass

South's initial response was a negative and 2¨ was a transfer. North presumably thought 2NT was forcing but South had a different view. East led the three of clubs and when declarer played low from dummy, West took his king and returned the suit. Declarer had to win in dummy and he tried the jack of spades. When the ace appeared he was assured of eight tricks, +120.

Two Clubs was either weak with the majors or various strong types. 2¨ was a relay and the reply showed a five card suit and a weak hand. Declarer took the opening lead of the king of diamonds at once and drew two rounds of trumps. He then took the club finesse. The location of the ace of spades meant ten tricks were a formality. 11 IMPs for the Netherlands.

Poland hit back at once when they bid a slam in the Open Room to pick up 10 IMPs, Poland being content with game at the other table.

Dealer South. EW Game ª Q © A J 10 ¨ A J 10 6 § A K Q 5 4 ª A 10 4 2 ª J 9 8 6 5 © K 9 8 2 © 7 6 5 ¨ Q 9 4 3 ¨ 8 7 5 § 8 § J 3 ª K 7 3 © Q 4 3 ¨ K 2 § 10 9 7 6 2 Open Room West North East South Vreeswijk Kapala Drijver Buras Pass Pass 1§ Pass 1NT Pass 2§ Pass 3§ Pass 4ª Pass 6§ All Pass

One Club was Polish and the reply was natural. 2§ showed a strong hand and 4ª was a splinter. Played by North the slam is better than 50% as you can cash the top diamonds hoping to see the queen appear before you fall back on the heart finesse. East led the ©7 to the queen, king and ace so the cards were back in the board almost immediately.

Then it was the turn of The Netherlands to earn a swing in the bidding.

Dealer West. Love All ª 9 3 2 © K Q J 4 ¨ J 10 8 7 § K 5 ª 8 6 ª J 10 7 5 © A 9 2 © 10 ¨ K 2 ¨ A Q 6 4 § 10 9 8 6 4 2 § A Q 7 3 ª A K Q 4 © 8 7 6 5 3 ¨ 9 5 3 § J Open Room West North East South Vreeswijk Kapala Drijver Buras Pass Pass 1§ 1ª 3§ 3ª Pass Pass 4§ Pass 5§ Pass Pass Dble All Pass

East did not feel he had enough for a free raise of his partner's 3§ but when Vreeswijk came again he judged that all his cards were working well and it was always possible that West would have a singleton spade. In due course declarer took the correct view in clubs to record +550.

We suspect 2¨ was a transfer and clearly West had no way to convey the nature of his hand. Even if he had it is doubtful that his side would have reached game.

East led the jack of spades and declarer won and played a heart. West ducked but he took his ace on the next round. East had discarded an encouraging ¨4 on this trick. That would have been an error if West had started life with three cards in spades. Here after West switched to the ¨A and another, he was able to discard his remaining spade on the third round of diamonds and collect a ruff in that suit. with the ace of clubs to come that was one down and 11 IMPs.

Notice that if West had taken the ©A at once and switched to diamonds he can get a spade ruff, put his partner in with the club ace and then overuff the dummy when East plays his last diamond for two down. Did any pair find this defence?

You can be the judge on this next deal. Was declarer simply unlucky, or did he lose his way?

Dealer West. NS Game ª J 8 © K J 5 3 2 ¨ K 10 4 3 § K 10 ª K Q 10 9 6 5 4 2 ª 7 © 9 8 6 © A 10 7 ¨ 9 ¨ Q 7 5 § 7 § A Q J 5 4 3 ª A 3 © Q 4 ¨ A J 8 6 2 § 9 8 6 2

Both tables reached Four Spades in one bid.

For Poland Kapala led the king of clubs. Declarer won and played dummy's trump. South went in with the ace and tried to give his partner a club ruff. Now declarer could safely discard his losing diamond, ruff a diamond and draw trumps, giving him eleven tricks. +450.

Sjoert Brink preferred to lead the ¨4 and his brother Niek won with the jack and switched to the queen of hearts. Declarer ducked that but won the next one, ruffed a diamond and took the club finesse. He cashed the ace to get rid of his last heart and played a trump. South took the ace and played another club. West is probably still wondering why he ruffed with the ten of spades but it meant -50 and a loss of 11 IMPs.

The Netherlands was having the better of the exchanges but the Poles did not go down without a fight.

Dealer West. EW Game ª A Q J 3 © 7 ¨ 8 7 4 § K 10 8 5 4 ª 10 6 4 ª K 9 8 7 2 © J 6 5 4 3 2 © Q 10 ¨ Q J ¨ K 9 6 § Q 3 § J 9 7 ª 5 © A K 9 8 ¨ A 10 5 3 2 § A 6 2 Closed Room West North East South Lutostanski Brink Baranowski Brink Pass Pass Pass 1¨ Pass 1ª Pass 1NT All Pass

Declarer made nine tricks without breathing hard, +150.

East led a diamond and declarer ducked the trick to West's jack. He took the queen of diamonds with the ace and cashed the top hearts discarding a diamond. He now played another diamond. West discarded the four of hearts so declarer was able to ruff, cash two trumps ending in dummy and play winning diamonds East could make only the master trump. If West had ruffed the third round of diamonds with the §Q he would have set up two trump tricks for his partner.

Declarer can make the contract if he cashes two top trumps before he ruffs the third diamond. He then takes the ruffing spade finesse and assuming East covers he plays a winning diamond to throw his losing spade. If East plays low, declarer ruffs a third round of spades and throws his last one away on a diamond. Not at all easy to see. The Netherlands emerged victorious by 55-29 IMPs, 20-10 VP.