Sixth against ninth and, with time running out, a crucial match for both teams. Netherlands picked up an overtrick IMP on Board 1 but the first significant swing went to Poland:

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

The two auctions were identical but they attracted very different opening leads. For the Netherlands, Huub Bertens tried the ace of spades, after which there was no way for the defense to put declarer under any serious pressure; +140.

Jacek Romanski led the §10 against Wubbo De Boer. Declarer won the §A and played the ©8, ducked. Had he now played four rounds of diamonds, the defense would have been powerless.

However, De Boer tried a spade to the king and ace. A second club went to the nine and Apolinary Kowalski played the §K, on which declarer threw his losing spade and North a diamond. Kowalski continued with his alst club and this time De Boer ruffed high while Romanski pitched another diamond. Now Kowalski switched to a diamond. He won the ©K and gave Romanski a diamond ruff for down one; -100 and 6 IMPs to Poland.

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

Nab/Bertens bid 1§ - 1NT. A low diamond lead allowed the defenders to take five diamond tricks then switch to hearts and take four of those for three down; -300.

The Poles might well have reached the same poor spot after their Polish 1§ opening but the East/West intervention drove them to the safety of their 5-4 club fit. It takes a diamond lead and heart switch to defeat 3§, but De Boer chose a spade and Kowalski soon had nine tricks; +110 and 9 IMPs to Poland.

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

Would you open on the East cards? For Jacek Pszczola the answer was yes. He opened 1ª and Michal Kwiecien responded 1NT. Bertens did not overcall so Pszczola got to show his clubs. Now Kwiecien gave jump preference to 3ª, ending the auction. Bart Nab led the queen of hearts, solving declarer's problem in that suit, so Pszczola soon had ten tricks; +170.

Without the heart lead, declarer will eventually be able to pitch a heart from dummy on his fourth club.

Bauke Muller did not see an opening bid in the East cards. He passed and it was left to Romanski in fourth seat to open 3¨, where he played for a comfortable +110 and 7 IMPs to Poland.

After eight boards, the score was 25-3 to Poland. Then something very unfortunate happened to the Netherlands when one of their players, Huub Bertens, was taken ill and could not continue. There was a delay while this was established and while a substitute could be found. After a 20-minute pause, Jan Westerhof stepped in to complete the session.

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

Both Wests played 2© after North had made a takeout double. Against De Boer, the lead was a diamond to the jack and ace. He ducked the spade switch to North's jack and now Romanski cashed the ©A then returned a low spade to the queen and king. De Boer crossed to the §A to play king of diamonds and ruff a diamond. A second club to dummy allowed him to make another low trump and he soon had eight tricks.

In the other room, Jan Westerhof led a low club. Kwiecien ran this to his jack and led a diamond to the jack and ace. A second club was played to dummy's ace and now declarer tried a spade to North's jack. Westerhof cashed the ©A and led a low spade to queen and king, but declarer had no dummy entries so could not reduce his trumps as had happened in the other room. Nab got two trump tricks and Westerhof the ªA for one down; -100 and 5 IMPs to Netherlands.

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

A spade lead held 5¨ to just making for +400. In the France v Lithuania match, Lithuania bid and made 6¨! South opened 1§ and North was on lead against the slam. He led his partner's suit and declarer put in the ten, ruffed out the king, and crossed to the ©J to take two spade pitches on the §AQ.

Pszczola led the ©3 against 4ª doubled. Kwiecien won the queen and returned his low heart to the jack. It wasn't too difficult to work out what Kwiecien was looking for and Pszczola switched to the §Q to surround the king. Westerhof covered the §K with the king and it was ruffed. Kwiecien tried another heart winner but westerhof ruffed and, after a little thought, led a spade to the ace. There were two club losers to come; -300 and 3 IMPs to Netherlands.

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

5¨ made easily for +600. Perhaps the Dutch had a misunderstanding in the other room as a consequence of having to play a scratch partnership.

Did Westerhof think his final bid was forcing and Nab not, or was it just a misjudgement on someone's part? Anyway, +150 meant 10 IMPs to Poland.

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

When 7© got doubled, Romanski hardly thought at all before converting to 7NT in the hope that there might be thirteen tricks, especially with the help given by the double of 7©. It was not to be. He won the heart lead and took the club finesse and drifted three off for -150.

2ª was weak with either one minor or both majors. The Dutch pair were probably happy to get to six in the circumsatnces and even more so when they discovered that six was the limit on the hand; +980 and 15 IMPs to Netherlands, who needed them.

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

In the Closed Room, Kwiecien opened 1¨ on the West hand and Westerhof overcalled 1ª. The Dutch were soon in 4ª and made ten tricks for +420. That was not nearly enough.

De Boer opened 1NT and that was doubled on his right. For reasons best known to himself, he ran to 2¨ and stood North's double. Surely if you are going to run it is better to try 2§. That might not get doubled, but if it is you can choose to redouble to ask partner to pick between the next two suits up the line, resulting in the 4-4 heart fit being reached.

The defense to 2¨ doubled was merciless. Romanski led his singleton heart to the ace and Kowalski switched to his singleton club. Romanski won that and the defense merrily cross-ruffed the next few tricks, establishing and cashing the ©J along the way. There was still the ¨K to come to hold De Boer to just three tricks; -1400 and 14 IMPs to Poland.

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

That was +400 to Poland but +550 for the Netherlands; 4 IMPs to the Dutch.

Board 19. Dealer South. EW Game ª A K J 9 4 3 © 2 ¨ A 6 5 4 § J 7 ª 5 ª 8 6 2 © A Q 10 © 9 7 4 ¨ K 9 7 3 ¨ Q J 10 8 § A 8 4 3 2 § K 9 5 ª Q 10 7 © K J 8 6 5 3 ¨ 2 § Q 10 6

2¨ was a form of multi but the weak variety would always be a weak two in hearts, so 2ª was natural. 3ª would have made so bidding 4¨ was the best the Poles could do on the board. The good lead of South's singleton trump was ducked by North and declarer gave up a spade. Westerhof led another low diamond to keep control and the contract eventually went one down for +100 to the Netherlands.

In the other room Kowalski opened a multi and De Boer doubled. Romanski passed that and Kowalski corrected to 2©, where he was allowed to play. De Boer found the slightly surprising lead of his singleton spade, despite seemingly not needing to take ruffs. However, if partner has a trump trick, perhaps you do want a ruff with the West hand. Kowalski won the spade in dummy and played a heart to the seven, jack and queen. De Boer switched to a diamond to the ace and Kowalski led a club to his ten and De Boer's ace. De Boer played back a second diamond and declarer ruffed and played the ©K to the ace. A club to the king and a spade ruff left Muller with the winning ©9 for the setting trick; -50 and 4 IMPs to the Netherlands.

Why did Kowalski play the ©K rather than a low one on the second round? Remember that east followed with the seven on the first round of trumps. If he started with ©97 or ©107 then playing the king would pin the remaining card and save a trick in the suit.

Board 20. Dealer West. Game All ª K J 9 © Q J 7 ¨ Q 10 9 5 3 § 10 5 ª A Q 6 ª 10 7 2 © 10 6 © A 9 5 3 ¨ A K 7 4 ¨ 8 6 § Q 9 6 2 § A J 4 3 ª 8 5 4 3 © K 8 4 2 ¨ J 2 § K 8 7

Both Wests opened 1NT and were raised to game via a Stayman sequence. Both Norths led a low diamond to the jack and both declarers won and led a club to the jack and king. South returned his remaining diamond and North won the ten. On vugraph, Romanski returned the ¨9, the ten then nine combination suggesting some useful holding in both majors (or neither). De Boer won the diamond and could have put north under some pressure had he cashed the clubs. However, he didn't want to commit himself to using the ©A as his entry to dummy to take the spade finesse, so he crossed to the §A and took the spade finesse now. When that lost romanski could cash the diamonds and exit safely and wait for another trick at the end for two down; -200.

When Westerhof won the ¨10 he switched to the ª9 to dummy's ten. This might have been correct had South held a spade honour instead of the ©K, but on the actual layout it was a disaster. Kwiecien cashed ducked a heart to the ten and jack and Westerhof exited with the ©7 to dummy's ace. Declarer cashed his clubs and Westerhof was squeezed. He threw one diamond but could not afford another one or a spade. He threw his remaining heart instead but that was no better. Kwiecien played ace and another diamond and Westerhof had to lead into the spade tenace at the end; +600 and 13 IMPs to Poland.

Poland won the match by 67-33 IMPs, 22-8 VPs, greatly improving their chances for qualification. The unfortunate illness to Huub Bertens had not helped the Dutch cause. This loss left them with a lot to do to make the top six and qualify for Bermuda.