The second and third placed teams met in a closely fought morning vugraph match. Despite the changes to their team at these championships, everyone expected a strong challenge from Italy, but the form of the Bulgarians has been a revelation to us all.

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

2§ was a relay and 2¨ showed most 11-15 hands. 2© relayed and 2NT showed a single-suiter. 3§ relayed again and 3NT showed the balanced nature of the hand and Giorgio Duboin selected 4ª. The defense started with two rounds of hearts. Norberto Bocchi led a spade to the king, came back to hand with a club and led a second spade. Ivan Nanev rose with the ªA and exited with a club. It was normal for declarer to play North to hold the diamond length and so Bocchi chalked up ten tricks; +420.

Declarer again got the diamonds right, but the Bulgarians were a level too high; -50 and 10 IMPs to Italy.

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

Duboin doubled 5© but Bocchi had such great spade length that he was unwilling to defend. Nanev led the §A and Mihov deposited the jack on it (reverse carding). Nanev cashed the ©A then tried the §K. That was ruffed but there was the ªK to come for down one; -100.

Dano De Falco tried a little joke over the double of 1©, but this was brushed aside by Roumen Trendafilov. Now neither North nor South was in a good position to bid 5©. 4ª made ten tricks for +620 and 12 IMPs to Bulgaria, taking over the lead.

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

At both tables North opened 1ª and reopened with 2ª when East's 2© overcall came back to them. Both Easts doubled to show their extra values. Duboin jumped to 3NT with the West cards while Karaivanov decided to pass and try for a penalty.

In 3NT, the lead was a low spade to the bare ten. Duboin played on clubs and Mihov won the second round and switched to the ¨Q. Duboin claimed ten tricks; +630.

Trendafilov led a top heart against 2ª doubled but then switched to the ª10. De Falco won the ªQ and led a diamond to the ten. Karaivanov led a second diamond to the ace and Trendafilov led two more rounds of hearts. Karaivanov ruffed and played the ªK to the ace. Declarer had to concede a spade and a club from here for two down; -500 but 4 IMPs to Italy.

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

There was nowhere for declarer to go for a ninth trick. The lead was a diamond and declarer won and cashed the top hearts and spades then exited with a heart to endplay East to give a trick to the §Q at the end; -50.

2© showed hearts and a minor and Nanev doubled and doubled again when Bocchi showed his minor. The opening lead was a trump and declarer played the ten, a slight error. No matter, Mihov covered with the queen so there was a dummy entry in the trump suit. Had Mihov not covered, getting the second round of trumps led from the South hand would have avoided letting declarer get to dummy other than via a ruff.

Bocchi led a diamond to the king and ace and Mihov played three rounds of spades. Bocchi ruffed high and drew trumps ending in the dummy.He cashed his diamond winners now but the 5-2 break meant that there were only three of those; two down for -500 and 11 IMPs to Bulgaria.

Board 11. Dealer South. Love All ª A 7 5 © K Q 7 6 ¨ K 6 4 § Q 9 2 ª 9 8 6 2 ª 10 4 3 © 8 4 © A 10 5 3 2 ¨ J 9 7 3 2 ¨ A Q § A J § K 4 3 ª K Q J © J 9 ¨ 10 8 5 § 10 8 7 6 5

The two Norths opened in third seat but with different bids. De Falco opened 1NT and was left to play there on a heart lead to dummy's nine. He played a club to the ace and back came a diamond to the queen. Trendafilov reverted to hearts, leading low to dummy's jack, and De Falco led a club to the jack and queen then another club to the king. He had eight tricks now; +120.

Mihov opened 1¨ in the other room and Bocchi overcalled 1©. He took two diamonds, two clubs and a club ruff, and two trumps in hand; +80 and 5 IMPs to Italy.

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

1§ was strong and 2ª weak. Karaivanov's 3¨ bid was natural but with spade support, making it easy for Trendafilov, with his extra distribution, to bid 4ª over 3NT. Ferraro went on to 4NT, but there was never any possibility of finding the club fit. 4NT simply required a diamond trick and there was no way to get those wrong, so De Falco had ten tricks; +630. But could Bulgaria get to 6§, which needed little more than 4NT?

1§ was again strong and 2ª weak. Nanev showed 5+ HCPwith his double and 3§ was a transfer, maybe just diamonds but also, as here, maybe the start of a two-step approach to supporting spades with a diamond side suit. This approach gave the Bulgarians extra space to explore as not only could Mihov double to show clubs, but also Bocchi could not be as sure of genuine spade support as his counterpart in the other room, so did not bid 4ª. Nanev showed his clubs and Mihov cuebid then went on to six over the not unexpected sign-off. The defense led two rounds of diamonds and when his king stood up Mihov claimed twelve tricks; +1370 and 12 IMPs to Bulgaria.

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

Mihov opened 4© in fourth seat and played there. The lead was the ªA followed by a club. Mihov ruffed and had ten easy tricks; +420.

In the other room, Karaivanov opened a standard style 1§ as West and Trendafilov responded 1ª. Now Ferraro overcalled 4© and when that came back to Trendafilov he made a very aggressive double. That ended the auction and after the same start to the defense Ferraro also made ten tricks; +590 and 5 IMPs to Italy.

Board 17. Dealer South. Love All ª 8 © K Q 9 7 6 5 4 2 ¨ Q J 7 § 9 ª Q 6 5 2 ª J 10 9 4 3 © 3 © J 10 ¨ 10 8 6 5 ¨ K 4 2 § K 8 7 4 § A Q J ª A K 7 © A 8 ¨ A 9 3 § 10 6 5 3 2

6© is on the diamond finesse after a club lead but is otherwise cold as the club loser goes away on a top spade. De Falco opened only 3©, when he seems to have a heart to spare for this bid, and Ferraro just raised to game; +480. Mihov opened a more normal 4© and Nanev thought for a while then jumped to 6©. The lead was a spade so Mihov had no worries; +980 and 11 IMPs to Bulgaria.

Board 18. Dealer East. NS Game ª 8 4 3 © J 10 6 ¨ 9 7 4 § K Q J 4 ª A 10 7 ª K Q 9 5 © A K 8 7 2 © 9 3 ¨ K 2 ¨ A 8 6 5 3 § 10 7 2 § 8 3 ª J 6 2 © Q 5 4 ¨ Q J 10 § A 9 6 5

Both Easts opened a mini no trump and played 3NT. The opening lead was the ¨Q but then the paths diverged. Bocchi ducked in both hands and received a diamond continuation, after which he had ten easy tricks; +430. Trendafilov won the first diamond and when he later conceded a diamond the defense found the club switch for down one; -50 and 10 IMPs to Italy.

Though ducking the opening lead looks much the stronger play, Ferraro/De Falco assure me that Ferraro would have found the club switch anyway as North's signal at trick one is attitude and not count, as was the case for the Bulgarians in the other room.

The match ended with two flat games so the final result was another win for Bulgaria, 47-35 IMPs, 17-13 VPs. Both teams were still looking good for Bermuda and, perhaps a European medal of some description.