Thursday 3rd April

A lot of swingy hands last night. On board 3 we got a good score:

After 1S – 3C (hearts and clubs), I bid 4S, East bids 5H and Adrianne relieves me of any decision by bidding 5S. East naturally doubles this, but running the 9S brings home the contract for the loss of one heart and one trump.
We are the only ones in 5Sx, others defending or doubling 5H, but one pair is in 4Sx!? West obviously had great trust in their partner.

Hand 7 was a common or garden contract, but gave me the problem I love/hate match points for:

Playing E/W. the obvious sequence went 1D – 1NT – 2NT – P

I received a heart lead won by the Queen and on the heart return my 10 went to King and Ace. I now played the KC taken by North who cleared the hearts. Now I finesse the 10C, South showing out. Now the problem.

I have 8 obvious tricks via 2 hearts, 2 spades and 4 clubs. But I could make anything from 7 to 10 tricks here. If South gains the lead with Ace diamonds then 8 is the limit as he has 2 hearts to cash. Do I finesse the spade and if it loses, end up with 7 tricks? Well at least this is obvious, play a diamond to the King first, worry about the spade later. Luckily North has the Ace, so now I have 9 tricks, but North returns a spade and gives me 10 anyway. ( I think South’s discards on clubs would give away the spade position anyway).

I got a bottom on hand 14 and there was nothing I could realistically do about it, we were just up against two good players.

After Pass-Pass, Adrianne opens 1H (I prefer 1NT here), North passes of course and I bid 1NT, this goes round to North who doubles. I didn’t enquire, though suspect North must have hearts. I could have tried 2D, but with a nice 9 count 1NTx will suit me. Anyway it is passed out after the double is explained as an opening hand with hearts.
South finds the best lead of course of a spade. I take the Ace immediately (no point in holding up – I have 7 tricks on a diamond finesse and if it fails South gets in for the spades anyway). Well diamond finesse does fail and N/S get 4 spades, a diamond and 3 hearts for 2 off doubled. Can’t complain about bottoms from opponent’s good bidding and play – but nearly a top if North had the QD.

However we did well on another swingy board 16

The bidding went 1S - 2NT - 3S - 4H - 4S, passed out. This is 2 off ( a spade, 2 diamonds, a heart and a club) when 6 of a minor makes N/S. Only one N/S bid the slam, unlucky for them they went to 7!

Another swingy board was 18 which I certainly got wrong (we are N/S):

The bidding went: 1C – 3D – P – 3S – 4H(?) – P – P – 5D – P – P – 5H. I stupidly double (where are 3 tricks coming from?) Of course there is no defence. As it happens we are getting a bottom anyway because no one else found the heart fit.

Finally this was not our hand. Our opponents like everyone else bid it to 4H. Is it not possible to reach a slam?

I would open the South hand 2C, partner bids 2D, I bid 2H and partner should say 4D. I think I can see 6H now. Bidding 7 is a bit more difficult.