Most neutrals had expected a strong challenge from Spain at these championships and they were lying ninth overnight, well in touch with the leaders, while second placed Bulgaria was the surprise package of the Open event. The match proved to be a quiet affair with few swings and little excitement.

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

Luis Lantaron might have made a competitive double instead of bidding 2©, but that might have worked less well had his partner been, say, 3-3-1-6. The lead against 2© was a diamond to the jack, ducked, and Roumen Trendafilov switched to a low trump. Lantaron ducked the heart and also ducked Kalin Karaivanov's trump continuation. Had Karaivanov played a third trump, declarer could have won and ruffed out the clubs, so he switched to the ªK, hoping to find his partner with ªQJ. Lantaron took the ªA and led a second spade and Trendafilov took the queen. The diamond loser went on the second club so there was just another trump to lose from here; +110.

Did Ivan Nanev's 2ª rebid suggest extra values? It is understandable that Vladimir Mihov should raise to game as he had an excellent hand for his initial pass, but the 4ª contract was very poor. The lead was a diamond to the king and ace and Nanev led his club. Arturo Wasik played low, giving Nanev a chance to put in the ten and make his contract, but he could not believe that he had been given such an opportunity and played the ace. He continued with two more clubs, ruffing, then crossed to the ªa to throw his last diamond on an established club. Wasik ruffed that and Nanev had no way back to dummy to play a trump to his jack so had to go one down; -50 and 4 IMPs to Spain.

Had hearts been 3-3, declarer would have been able to ruff the third round to reach dummy and could then have succeeded with trumps as in the actual hand.

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

The same contract was played at both tables but from different sides. Knap opened 1NT and played there. It was normal for south to lead a heart but that was not a good idea on this layout. The heart ran to declarer's jack and he played on spades, establishing three tricks in the suit. Knap came to eight tricks; +120.

In the other room, Trendafilov opened 1¨, Precision, and Karaivanov responded 1NT. It was natural for North to lead a club. Lantaron won the §A and returned the suit and Federico Goded ducked to preserve communications. Karaivanov won the §Q and played a spade to the queen. Now he would have succeeded had he played for spades to be 3-3, but he chose to play on hearts instead. His line was to play the ©A, a heart to the king, and a heart up towards the jack. That seems to work when hearts are 3-3, or South has the doubleton queen, while either line succeeds when North has the queen. So the extra chance of finding South with the doubleton queen seems to make the heart play correct. In practice, Karaivanov was one down for -50 and another 5 IMPs to Spain.

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

Trendafilov treated the East hand as being worth 15 HCP and opened a 15-18 no trump, while Knap treated it as being only 14 HCP and opened 1¨ then rebid 1NT. That made a big difference to the respective Wests. Karaivanov bid 2§ then 3ª, Smolen, showing four spades and five hearts and at least game values, while Wasik just signed off in 2©. Trendafilov bid 4© over the Smolen sequence.

Neither declarer had any problem in making ten tricks so that was +170 to Wasik and +620 to Trendafilov; 10 IMPs to Bulgaria.

Board 12. Dealer West. NS Game ª K 8 3 2 © A Q 4 ¨ J 8 § K 9 6 3 ª J 5 4 ª A 10 © K J 6 5 © 8 7 3 2 ¨ 6 5 ¨ A K Q 10 7 2 § A 8 7 5 § J ª Q 9 7 6 © 10 9 ¨ 9 4 3 § Q 10 4 2

There are those who like to hold a five-card suit for a new-suit response to an overcall, but I have always favoured a more flexible approach and so did Karaivanov. Trendafilov raised 1© to 4© and Goded led a low spade. Karaivanov won the ªA and led a heart to the jack and queen. Goded cashed a spade then switched to a club to the jack, queen and ace. Karaivanov crossed to a diamond to lead a heart to the king and ace and he ruffed the spade return, cashed one more diamond to check that they divided evenly, the drew the last trump with dummy's eight and ran the diamonds; +420.

The Precision 1¨ opening meant that Knap could not overcall until the second round, by which time any hope of finding the heart fit was long gone. Nanev led a heart against 3¨ and three rounds of those gave him his ruff. There was just a spade to come for the defense from there; +110 but 7 IMPs to Bulgaria.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All ª A K 8 6 2 © K 10 9 4 ¨ 10 9 § A 2 ª 10 9 7 5 4 3 ª J © 7 © A J 8 3 ¨ 5 ¨ Q J 8 6 4 3 § K J 9 8 4 § 6 3 ª Q © Q 6 5 2 ¨ A K 7 2 § Q 10 7 5

On vugraph, Nanev opened 1¨ as South, Wasik overcalled 1ª, and Mihov jumped to 3NT. The lead was the ªJ to dummy's bare queen. Mihov played a heart to the king and ace and Knap switched to the ¨Q to dummy's ace. In the wrong hand for a heart finesse, Mihov played queen and another heart to Knap's jack. Knap continued with the ¨J to the king, but this left a minor tenace of ¨72 in dummy over his ¨8643, which could have been significant in certain endings had East held the §K. Declarer cashed the heart trick next and Wasik came down to four spades and two clubs. Ace and another club now put him in to lead spades. Mihov ducked the ª10 and had the last three tricks; +400.

Had West kept three clubs, declarer could have played a club to the ace then exited with three rounds of spades to make the §Q at the end.

In the other room, the opening bid was again 1¨ and Karaivanov overcalled 2¨, showing spades and another. That was doubled and came back to West who corrected to 2ª, also doubled by North, ending the auction. Goded led the ¨10 to the jack and king and Lantaron cashed his ªQ then switched to a heart for the king and ace. Karaivanov played a club to the jack next and Goded won the ace and returned the ©10 to jack and queen. Karaivanov ruffed and played king and another club, Goded pitching a heart. Lantaron tried the ¨A next and Karaivanov ruffed. He finished with three spade tricks, a heart and a club, for down three; -500 and 3 IMPs to Spain.

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

Both Easts opened 1ª and were raised artificially to 3ª, playing there. Nanev led the §Q and Knap won on table to play a spade to North's bare ace. That was the last chance for the defense. When Mihov continued with a second club, he established the defensive ruff but now the contract was safe. Nanev ducked the next spade but won the third round. He switched to the ©Q to his partner's ace and was given his club ruff but that was the end; +140.

Lantaron found the more testing forcing defense. The ©Q to the ace and a second heart forced Trendafilov to ruff. He played a spade to the ace and back came a third heart. Trendafilov discarded a club and Lantaron won and switched to the §Q. Declarer played a trump next and Lantaron ducked. With the heart force threatening, Trendafilov could not afford to play any more trumps. He simply tried to cash some minor-suit winners, permitting Lantaron to ruff the third club with his ª8 for down one; -50 and 5 IMPs to Spain.

That was just enough to give Spain a narrow win, 24-20 IMPs, 16-14 VPs. Bulgaria would perhaps be the happier with that result but neither would be too disappointed at getting a tough match out of the way.