Wednesday 10 February

Playing with Joan we were just average. A few unlucky scores where our opponents seemed to do just the normal thing but got tops for it and of course a few shots in the foot by ourselves.

Playing E/W Joan was only one of two to play in 4H. Bob McKinnon as North passed presumably because of the 4 hearts and Cathie Ferguson opened the South hand 1D.
Playing Michaels as weak or strong Joan overcalled 2C, so the bidding went:

P - P - 1D - 2C -
P - P - 2D - 2H -
2S - P - P - 3H -
P - 4H - passed out

Bidding that way probably Joan should have treated it as strong. After a diamond lead it is straightforward to lose 2 hearts and a spade. A spade lead looks more difficult, but after ruffing 2nd spade and AK hearts, keep playing clubs.

On this board, also against Bob & Cathie the opponents did well to push us to the 3 level in hearts.

Cathie led her singleton club, I thought it better to let Bob win King and give a ruff as it will certainly be unavoidable. He returned the 3C, now Cathie can't be sure where the 2 is and decided to underlead her Ace of diamonds. I just have to play a heart now, Bob wins and leads another club, but Cathie declines to ruff with the Ace and I know the two remaing hearts will fall together, 9 tricks made, (3 hearts and a club lost).

I came a cropper here, aided by Joan's dubious Benji 2C opener.

2C - P - 3C - P -
3S - P - 4NT - P
5D - x -5H - P
6C - P - 7NT - passed out

I just got it into my head that we were playing 30 - 14, but it was 14-30! It looked like 13 tricks if my partner has AKQ to length in spades and AH and AC.
I got the diamond lead as asked for and could run 12 tricks, but Robert Grubb knew which card to keep for 1 off. Amazingly if Celia leads a black card I can make 13. Say I win a club in dummy and run 5 club tricks discarding 3 hearts. I now play all the spades and with QH in dummy and AT diamonds in my hand Robert is squeezed. The diamond lead killed the communications. Though of course a heart lead might have been worse!


Finally on this board we were the only pair to play in 3D. True spades could score better as you can manage 9 tricks (though 8 if defenders get diamond ruff).
Anyway I opened 1D and Joan bid an inverted 3D as otherwise she will have to pass. That made it too difficult for North to come in. Elsewhere most E/W were defending making club contracts.
I got a spade lead and continuation so lost a spade ruff when South took AD. A club comes now, but too late as the loser goes on a spade for 9 tricks.