Monday 7th April

We stop in a simple 1NT on board 3 despite a good 15 opposite a good 9 and neither of us shy about bidding. Adrianne judged extremely well to make 9 tricks. West led a heart won in dummy. Adrianne ran the 10C, this is good play, diamonds are the obvious source of tricks for the defence and West didn't lead one, no point in rushing into hand for a spade finesse and then geting a diamond switch. So Adrianne cashed AC, cashed all the hearts, then the clubs and took AS. A top score, 2S -1 or 3NT -1 or -2 are the par scores.

Not so easy on the next board though. I opened a club, East overcalls a diamond, Adrainne bids a heart (this promises 5), so I naturally bid 4H (even I would find a 4D splinter looking for a slam a tad optimistic):Adrianne received the diamond lead and a switch to the 10S taken in hand. She plays a club to King and Ace, another spade to Ace in dummy and Adrianne thinks a spade ruff is coming and plays AH and a small heart, the third spade is played, but clubs cannot now be established. If a club is ruffed before AH then the contract makes. Only one other pair found 4H (3C -1 is the par contract) so we got an average.

Adrianne got us a top on board 11 by making 11 tricks:
Playing 4H a club is led. Adrianne immediately finesses a spade, cashes three top hearts ending in hand for another spade finesse, She now discards her club on AS, ruffs a spade and exits in diamonds. This sets up a diamond ruff in dummy and a fifth spade for 11 tricks. Only two other pairs can manage that.

I managed to overcall in this hand to get us a good score.

West opened a club and I bid 1H, East bid 2C, Adrianne doubled (raise to 3H), west bid 3C and I bid 3H to end the auction.
I received a club lead, took the spade finesse, ruffed a club, Ace and another diamond ruffed, ruffed a club, exited with 9H to King A spade comes back to Ace, exit with a heart, a spade is cashed, but my hand is high now for 10 tricks.
One other pair did the same, nobody else is even in hearts.

On board 18, I managed to get us a top with 11 tricks in hearts.

South opens 1D, I find a heart bid, Adrianne splinters and I bid 4H.
A spade was led which I took in dummy. Now I plan to just try the top two hearts, so obviously start with Ace in dummy as my top hearts are my only entries. Finding the 4 - love break I continue with JH covered by Queen and King. I now exit a club. East tries a small diamond now. I play low and West makes the error by putting up the King. West returns a heart and with a diamond finesse and 3-3 break I make 11.
Defenders make it easy, but I am always making 10 here through 3 spades, a diamond, a club and 5 hearts, even if West finds the correct 9D and returns QS, I still make 10 with a long diamond or a spade finesse. The par scores are either 5H -1 or -2 or 4H -1 or even -2

Finally on board 25 we got into a terrible fankle

I make the mistake of opening 1S on a weak 2S hand. Our bidding goes 1S - 2C - (2H) - 2S - 3D - 3S - passed out.

My 2S over the 2H overcall promises six. Adrianne's 3D is game forcing. I should really bid 4C. Partner has failed to bid 3NT with a game hand, she either has at most 1 spade or slam interest in spades. 4C would be the best bid by me. However, should Adrianne bid 3D? It is game forcing and she passes 3S, so obviously not, especially as that KJ hearts are looking like waste paper. 2NT is probably the best bid, a 12 count and protection for the heart holding. 3C is the other possibility, but you don't like to lose the chance of a game. Anyway, why didn't I open 2S?!