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For the evening session, once again a Polish team would be on Vugraph for the convenience of the home crowd. This time, it would be Poland 1 in their match against England. These two teams were bottom of the table at that moment. Besides, after a long day like this one, with 60 boards to be played, it is all too likely that the mistake rate is a little higher than one would usually expect. So it turned out, and as a consequence the report below contains all the ingredients for a real little horror story.

Board 1 was flat, but the next board was not so flat:

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

What would you lead as west? In Poland, it is normal to underlead if you have a void. Both Polish defenders on lead found this lead, as did an Austrian defender against The Netherlands. So the slam was made three times… England +1430.

Gunnar Hallberg apparently has more playing experience than many of us here in Poland. He was one of the two defenders who simply led the §A, not bothering about ruffing his partner's natural diamond trick.

That was 100 more or 17 imps to England.

Two boards later, the advantage disappeared when the English lost 500 with no game on:

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

In fourth seat against the non-forcing 2¨, it's so tempting to balance…

The defence against 3 NT started of well with a low club to the Queen and King. Now, when north leads a low diamond next, it seems automatic to go up with the Queen. This is not necessary, of course, as west can hold off as well when the ten is played from dummy. Neither of this happened: west won the ¨10 with the King and continued clubs to east\s §10. So far, nothing dramatic had happened yet, except that dummy had discarded a low spade on the second club…

From here, it's a matter of counting tricks. If east clears the clubs, declarer will have only eight tricks, so the ªA will be the entry to set the contract. When east did not, the situation became more interesting. He played back a diamond, thus forcing declarer to cash all his diamonds and to squeeze himself, as the ªJ could no longer serve as an entry to dummy. One down, 10 for Poland 2 and 12 imps back for them.

Board 8 - Dealer West, None vul.
	ª J 6 3 © 6 ¨ J 4 3 § A K Q J 6 4
ª K 7 © K J 9 7 ¨ A Q 10 § 10 8 7 3		ª Q 10 9 8 5 © Q 10 8 6 2 ¨ 6 5 § 9
	ª A 4 2 © A 4 3 ¨ K 9 8 7 2 § 6 2

This hand was a curiosity. It was a flat board, but the point of it was: Who is fastest to reach 4© doubled?

Would this be quick enough?

Of course not. Anyone who plays Stone Age Acol or anything very natural will open 1© and thus easily win the race. Well done everybody. No swing.

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

When north led the ª7. the hand was over. The Queen was taken by the King, two rounds of trumos followed and the §Q went on the fourth spade. Poland +1370.

On a club lead, declarer had to guess both the trumps (difficult) and the spades (maybe less difficult). When he misguessed twice, he was one down for 16 imps to Poland. What can we say?

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

This was a perfect example of a hand where the 4-4 fit does not play as well as the 6-2 fit. With all the diamonds onside, there are even 11 tricks in clubs, whereas 4© cannot be made as the entries to the clubs are taken out by the spade ruffs. England +100.

Though 140 did not look like a good result for Poland when the board hit the screen, it was more than enough to save the board for them.

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

This probably was the most astonishing example of tiredness we saw all day. Romanski's 2¨ was alerted, but no question was asked about its meaning (4-4 majors, weak). Even when he had reached 6©, David Burn still was completely convinced that is was Multi (in spades, obviously). So he managed to misplay the trumps to go one down. Poland 1 another +100.

A good auction, but no side information. So Tuszynski had a complete guess about the trumps. When he too misguessed we had another flat board, but we did not feel happy about it.

Board 17 - Dealer North, None vul.
	ª J © Q 8 6 5 4 3 ¨ 10 9 8 3 § Q 8
ª 7 6 4 © 2 ¨ A K Q J 7 § A K J 10		ª A K Q 10 3 © A K J 7 ¨ 4 § 9 6 2
	ª 9 8 5 2 © 10 9 ¨ 6 5 2 § 7 6 4 3

This time, it was the turn of the Poles to hand back some imps. The light Multi did the damage. When Kowalski elected to make a heavy overcall, the pair could not find a way to express all the extra values. Only +1010 to Poland 1.

With no opposition bidding, the English had a free road to glory. Simple and efficient, 1520 to them and 11 imps back. The match ended 45-30 or 18-12 for Poland 1.