FIRST QUARTER (Boards 1-16):

POLAND-USA started with a 0.8 IMP carryover advantage, which meant that if the match ended in a tie, the visitors would win. We will ignore the carryover in the narrative.

Bd: 5 North Dlr: North AJ1097 Vul: N/S AJ985 - AJ6 West East 63 Q854 K64 - AJ9752 K83 Q7 K108543 South K2 Q10732 Q1064 92 OPEN ROOM WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Lesniewski Ino Gawrys Imakura 1 Pass 1NT 2 2 5 5 Pass 6 All Pass CLOSED ROOM WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Lev Hisatomi Polowan 1 Pass 1NT 2 2 3 4 Pass Pass 5 Dbl. Pass 5 All Pass

The teams had exchanged 1-IMPswings when the first lively deal (Board 5) came along. Piotr Gawrys's direct 5 in the Open Room forced a direct decision on Tadashi Imakura, who could hardly withhold his heart support with such a good fit for the majors. Masayuki Ino took a sensible shot at slam, which proved to be a good bet after Gawrys led a diamond rather than a club. Ino ruffed and would have succeeded easily had he crossed to the K to finesse against the king of hearts (intending to later take a ruffing finesse in spades), but instead he played the ace of hearts, intending to go about his business in straightforward fashion if trumps were two-one. When Gawrys showed out, Ino had a control problem. He played a second trump, which Marcin Lesniewski took to play a third. Ino won in hand and judged well to run the nine of spades, but with the queen having three little friends, he was a trick short. One down; minus 100.

At the other table, Hiroshi Hisatomi's slow route to 5 gave Michael Polowan a chance to support hearts strongly before expressing an opinion about defending at the five-level. Sam Lev, who was thinking about slam over 4, removed the double to 5, and there it rested. He ruffed the opening diamond lead and crossed to the K to take the heart finesse, and soon had twelve tricks; plus 680 and 13 IMPs to POLAND-USA, ahead 14-1.

Bd: 7 North Dlr: South K32 Vul: Both Q1082 53 AQ95 West East Q1075 J6 64 A J2 AK9876 107642 KJ83 South A984 KJ9753 Q104 - OPEN ROOM WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Lesniewski Ino Gawrys Imakura 1 Pass 2 2 2 Pass 4 All Pass CLOSED ROOM WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Lev Hisatomi Polowan 1 Pass 3 (1) Pass 4 All Pass (1) Limit Raise

In the Open Room on Board 7, Gawrys got his diamonds into the game without incident, so Lesniewski led the J against Imakura's 4. Gawrys would have beaten the contract easily enough had he taken two rounds of diamonds, cashed the ace of trumps (important, lest declarer cash two high spades before playing a trump . . . as he might well do), and played a third diamond. When he took his two diamond winners, Imakura followed four-queen, so perhaps Gawrys had some doubt about the location of the 10. He cashed the the ace of trumps, and switched to the J. Now dummy's third spade went on the 10 and Imakura was plus 620.

At the other table, Lev's artificial limit raise caught Hisatomi with an unlucky hand for his methods (it looks as if a double of 3 would have been ``takeout of hearts'') so he passed, rather than venture to the four-level. Against the ensuing 4, Tadashi Teramoto led the 2, lowest from odd, queen, king, ruff. Polowan played a trump, and when Hisatomi won, he played three rounds of diamonds, getting an unambiguous signal in the suit from his partner. Teramoto ruffed the third diamond to kill the discard and Polowan had to lose a slow spade for one down, minus 100. 12 IMPs to HISATOMI, 4 IMPs behind at 13-17.

Bd: 8 North Dlr: West AKQ8 Vul: None J75 AK543 8 West East 1072 6 AQ10983 4 9 Q876 952 AKQ10643 South J9543 K62 J102 J7 OPEN ROOM WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Lesniewski Ino Gawrys Imakura 2 (1) Dbl. 3 Pass Pass Dbl. Pass 3 4 4 5 Pass Pass Dbl. All Pass (1) Multi CLOSED ROOM WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Lev Hisatomi Polowan 2 (1) Pass 3 Pass 4 Dbl. Pass 4 Pass Pass 5 All Pass (1) Multi

At both tables South led the J to North's king. In the Closed Room, Lev played ace of spades, got a count, and continued craftily with the 8, trying to look like a man with the king of hearts. Hisatomi ruffed, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a a spade (the queen appearing), ruffed another diamond, and rather than try to ruff the last diamond, decided to draw trumps and rely on the heart finesse or play North for both red-suit guards in the endgame. In the end he took the heart finesse, and so went plus 400.

In the Open Room, Ino cashed the Q, then switched to the 8. Since Gawrys seems to have decided that Ino held the K, he could have won, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a spade, ruffed a diamond, and run the trumps to bring about the same position as Hisatomi's, and then played to drop the K in the two-card ending, but instead he immediately played ace of hearts, queen of hearts, discarding a diamond. Imakura won the K and returned the J, and Gawrys had to lose another diamond. Two down; minus 300. Another 12 IMPs to HISATOMI, who assumed the lead, 25-17.

Bd: 9 North Dlr: North 954 Vul: E/W KQ3 J32 AK74 West East AK1087 J32 864 1072 10954 KQ7 10 9832 South Q6 AJ95 A86 QJ65 OPEN ROOM WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Lesniewski Ino Gawrys Imakura 1 Pass 1 1 Dbl. (1) 2 3 Pass 4 Pass 5 All Pass CLOSED ROOM WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Lev Hisatomi Polowan 1 Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass

In the Closed Room, where Teramoto did not overcall, Lev was even money to make his 3NT contract, and I must confess that I would have led a diamond honour from Hiroshi's hand. Which might explain why he is still playing and I am still typing. He led a spade and the defenders cashed five tricks for one down; minus 50. No swing after all.

Bd: 10 North Dlr: East J108 Vul: Both AKJ63 J94 A4 West East AQ742 K953 975 1084 653 Q102 K10 983 South 6 Q2 AK87 QJ7652 OPEN ROOM/CLOSED ROOM WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Lesniewski Ino Gawrys Imakura Teramoto Lev Hisatomi Polowan Pass 1 1 2 2 Pass Pass Dbl. Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Both North/South pairs did well on Board 10, reaching 4 on the strong five-two fit. At both tables, East led the K, hoping to keep his options open. At both tables, East continued spades.

Lev ruffed, cashed the Q, crossed to the A, and drew trumps. Then he played a second club, losing a club and a spade for plus 620.

Ino got much more involved. When he ruffed the second spade, he led the Q, king, ace, crossed to the J, cashed the Q, and led another club. Lesniewski uppercut with the 9 and Ino threw his last spade. Lesniewski returned a diamond to the jack, queen, and king, and Ino cashed the A and played a good club, discarding his diamond loser when Lesniewski ruffed in. He had enough high trumps to handle the rest, but it had been an exciting ride! Plus 620. No swing.