Monday 25th February, Match points

There were certainly some interesting hands last night. We started with three great scores. On board 1 we got a joint top as there were only 2 pairs in 4S making 11, some were in 3NT, most were in a not unreasonable 6S.


Our simple sequence was 1H – 1S – 3NT – 4S. My rebid doesn’t leave my partner any room for enquiry and she decided her spade quality wasn’t good enough to try any higher.


On board 10 we got a top due to my total misjudgement of the hands!

The bidding goes 1D – P – 1H – 2C – 2S – 3C – 3S

Now partner won’t have bid on buttons, but I decide to pass and wait and see if they bid 4S ( which I think is making) and then bid 5C! How wrong can you be, 4S has no chance, 5C is an excellent contract. Anyway East does bid 4S and I now bid 5C, however East decides to bid 5S, promptly doubled by Adrianne and we made 800.

Another top came on board 14.

Adrianne opened a game forcing Benji 2D, I bid a –ve 2H, 2S – 3C – 3S. Lacking an Ace, I now bid 5S as my only reasonable slam try and Adrianne bid 6S.

West with 14 points decides to double and after KD lead to the Ace, a small club to West’s Ace and 12 tricks made with a diamond ruff and a heart discard on KC.

I don’t really like the 2D opening, however if you do open that, I think the rebid should be 4S. Anyway, we didn’t need the double as nobody else makes a slam, one went off (presumably a very unlikely heart lead), the rest are in game.

I got us a bad score on board 19.

Adrianne opens 1NT, West passes and I seriously think about passing. We play 2S is a transfer to clubs and that could make it easier for East to come in with a double of that suit. However I decide to make the bid everyone else will be making and the 2S is passed to partner who bids 3C.

However West now finds a 3S bid (which I should pass for now) but I bid 4C, East bids 4S, Adrianne doubles and I bid 5C duly doubled. The opponents find their heart ruff and we are 3 down.

Adrianne’s spade holding guarantees 2 tricks plus her 2 Aces. The real error by me was bidding 4C, I should pass to see what happens and now if partner doubles I know it is all on her own hand and I can pass.

Board 22 was an interesting hand.

Adrianne opened 1S and our bidding went 1S – 2D – 4H – 6D. The real problem was that 3H or 4C are splinters, so I thought maybe 4H was a void, or was it a heart suit -- don’t think so. Being a bit stuck I just decide to bid 6D and hope. Partner passes and we make an easy 13. However I could have just bid 5D.

I would have bid 4C with the South hand, 7D can be bid now:

1S – 2D – 4C – 4H – 5C – 5NT – 7D

There was one last slam on board 26.

Partner opens 4H, west bids 5C and I bid 6H. A spade is led and declarer draws trumps and eventually tries a losing diamond finesse to make 12 tricks. Why did East not bid 7C? This is only two off. The scores suggest 3 pairs bid 7C, one left two play and two other pairs are in 7H, unlucky.