This is usually a close contest, but with France in second place and Germany struggling in twelfth place, a win for France seemed the most likely outcome.

Board 10. Dealer East. Game All ª A 10 5 2 © Q 9 8 7 3 ¨ 7 6 3 § K ª Q J 4 ª K 9 6 3 © A K 10 © — ¨ A 5 2 ¨ K Q 9 8 4 § A J 8 3 § Q 7 6 4 ª 8 7 © J 6 5 4 2 ¨ J 10 § 10 9 5 2

After Sabine Auken's thin opening bid, Daniela von Arnim made a series of artificial bids that discovered that her partner held four spades, five diamonds and short hearts, the ¨KQ and the ªK. She consequently settled for the sound contract of 5¨ which she duly made for the loss of a club and a spade. This looked like a good result, but in the other room Benedicte Cronier and Sylvie Willard bid and made 6¨! They were, however, assisted in the play by North's double of West's opening 1§ bid. A heart was led and in due course the ª9 was successfully finessed and the §K felled at trick twelve. A somewhat fortunate 13 IMPs to France, which was the margin of their halftime lead.

Board 15. Dealer South. NS Game ª A 10 6 2 © 8 6 ¨ J 9 6 § Q 8 5 2 ª 3 ª Q 8 7 4 © 3 2 © K Q J 9 5 4 ¨ A K 7 5 2 ¨ 4 3 § A 9 6 4 3 § 7 ª K J 9 5 © A 10 7 ¨ Q 10 8 § K J 10

Veronique Bessis led the ª9 against Barbara Stawowy's 4© and Catherine d'Ovidio took her Ace and switched to a trump. When declarer played the ©Q, the spotlight was on South. Ducking the ©A or taking the ©A and playing a club would have beaten the contract, but Bessis played Ace and another heart and declarer could now draw trumps and take advantage of the friendly 3-3 diamond break.

In the other room, von Arnim opened 1NT and Danielle Avon overcalled 2NT, showing the minors. Christine Lustin elected to pass this (perhaps 3© was forcing) and it drifted four down for a welcome 12 IMPs to Germany who now trailed 37-44 IMPs.

Board 16. Dealer West. EW Game ª J 9 © 9 3 2 ¨ Q 9 7 § A J 9 6 3 ª 6 ª A 7 4 3 © K 8 7 4 © A J 10 6 5 ¨ J 6 4 3 ¨ 10 8 2 § Q 10 7 2 § K ª K Q 10 8 5 2 © Q ¨ A K 5 § 8 5 4

Katrin Farwig led a heart against 4ª and Stawowy took her Ace and continued the suit. Bessis ruffed and played a trump to the Jack and Ace and another heart forced her to ruff again. The next round of trumps revealed the 4-1 break and declarer cashed one more trump before turning her attention to clubs. Since the East hand had to be kept out of the lead, Bessis played a club to the Ace, welcoming the fall of the King. A diamond to hand, another round of trumps and a second club followed. West took her Queen and would have defeated the contract if she still had a heart left to play, but her last heart had long since been discarded and declarer made the rest of the tricks. In the other room, von Arnim bid 3ª instead of doubling, but the final contract and result were the same after a similar sequence of plays.

A missed game on board 18 and an ambitious game on board 20 cost Germany a total of 14 IMPs and further damage was suffered on the penultimate board.

Board 23. Dealer South. Game All ª K Q J 8 7 2 © 6 2 ¨ J 8 6 5 § A ª 10 9 ª 5 4 3 © J 10 8 3 © K Q 7 5 ¨ K 7 3 ¨ Q 9 § 10 9 8 3 § Q 7 5 4 ª A 6 © A 9 4 ¨ A 10 4 2 § K J 6 2

Once d'Ovidio had found a club cue bid, Bessis was always going to be in a slam. Farwig led the §10 against 6ª and Bessis won in dummy perforce and drew trumps in three rounds. She now correctly played a diamond to the ten and the hand was over. As Auken and von Arnim made eleven tricks in 4ª in the Closed Room, that was 13 IMPs to France increasing their lead to 32 IMPs.

Another slam swing came France's way on the last board when they played in 6¨ in the Closed Room while Germany stopped in 5¨ in the Open Room. The slam depended on a finesse against the hand that had overcalled. When it succeeded, France had another 11 IMPs and a comfortable win by 23-7 VPs (82-39 IMPs). Meanwhile, Germany were left hoping for a change in fortune, especially in the slam zone.