Thursday 24 January 2008

Wednesday MP Pairs 23rd January

You don't have any scores to compare when you are first to play Board 1. I thought I must have a good score for making 13 on these hands.

....................ME
.................. ♠ A 9 8
.................. ♥ K J 7 6
.................. ♦ 10 4
.................. ♣ A Q 10 6

♠ J 6 5 4...................... ♠ 10 2

♥ 10 9......................... ♥ 5 3 2
♦ Q J 9........................ ♦ K 8 6 5 2
♣ K 8 5 2...................... ♣ 9 4 3

....................HARRY
.................. ♠ K Q 7 3

.................. ♥ A Q 8 4
.................. ♦ A 7 3
.................. ♣ J 7

Playing 4H, I got the lead of 10S which I took in dummy. On the 3rd heart my RHO discarded the 9D, but with club finesse correct, finessing against JS and ruffing my fourth club, I made them all. Surely that will score above average? No, below average in fact. Everyone made 13 and one pair bid to 6H. Thinking about it, the key was the 9D discard, other defenders have let a black card go on the 3rd heart. If they discard a club, two diamonds can go from dummy and if they let a spade go then no finesse is needed.

I didn't do well on this board against the winners:

.................. ♠ K J 7 6

.................. ♥ J 8 6
.................. ♦ J 2
.................. ♣ 10 8 6 2

HARRY............................ME

♠ Q 9 8 5.................... ♠ A 4

♥ K 5........................ ♥ 10 7 4 2
♦ 7 6........................ ♦ K Q 10
♣ A Q 9 4 3.................. ♣ K J 7 5

.................. ♠ 10 3 2
.................. ♥ A Q 9 3
.................. ♦ A 9 8 5 4 3
.................. ♣ ---

I am in a slim 3NT and get a diamond lead to the J and Q. I will have 8 tricks when another diamond is played. For my ninth I can play towards the QS or KH. I decide to play Ace and another Spade, no luck. On Ace and another diamond I don't even act sensibly and cash 8 tricks but embarrassingly play a heart towards the King now to get a deserved bottom. If I had just played that heart first it would have been a top.

Another bad score against the winners was on this hand:

.................. ♠ A 10 7 2
.................. ♥ K 10 7
.................. ♦ 8 7

.................. ♣ J 10 6 4

HARRY............................ME
♠ K J 9...................... ♠ Q 6 5 4
♥ A Q 4 3 2.................. ♥ ---
♦ A 9........................ ♦ K Q J 10 5 4
♣ A K 2...................... ♣ Q 9 5

.................. ♠ 8 3
.................. ♥ J 9 8 6 5
.................. ♦ 6 3 2
.................. ♣ 8 7 3


After a strong 1C opening from Harry, he shows me 20/21 points and 5 hearts, I show 9-11 point with 5+ diamonds and 4 spades. I bid 3NT to end the bidding not liking my heart void. Nobody else had problems bidding the slam, presumably after a 2NT opening. I am still not sure whether I did the right thing or not (although actually we have wrong sided the contract and would go down on a heart lead!)

No comments: