Wednesday 2nd February

Playing with Joan we finished 5th with 57%, just 5 MPs behind 2nd. Unfortunately on the penultimate round I failed to protect when I really must and got us a bottom. Bidding and getting an average would have gained 6 MPs.


Anyway, N/S on this board Joan is in 3NT and got us a good score as most went off.



A diamond is led, won in dummy and a spade passed to West who now finds the heart switch. The defenders cash Ace and King, Joan wins the third, crosses to a diamond and finesses again in spades. West exits with a club but Joan has 9 tricks (4 diamonds, 2 clubs, 2 spades, 1 heart)

Life is very difficult for defenders. Aggresive or passive defence? To get their 3 hearts West has to play KH then East must duck the second, not a likely play. Alternatively if West just continues a diamond then declarer will struggle though East will be embarrassed with discards on diamonds and spades.

This board against John & Ian produced a surprising good score.

E/W on this board, John as South passed, Joan opened 1NT and Ian bid 2NT, John finished the bidding with 3D.
Joan does extremely well to lead a trump rather than a top spade. John wins the King, AC, club ruff, AH, heart ruff, club ruff and makes 5 diamonds, 2 ruffs, 2 Aces for 9 tricks. Leading AS would have given a 10th trick.

Still we were not expecting a very good score, but of course John's hand was opened 1H or 2H at the other tables and with trumps splitting hearts scored better.




N/S again, our first board of the night. Joan opened 1NT as South, I transferred to Hearts and East was silent. So it went:
1NT - 2D - 2H - 3D - 3H
Now, Joan is thinking this is weak and I'm thinking it is max.
Anyway, it is still quite a push but I can easily see 12 tricks here and couldn't resist 4N. So Joan is playing in 5H but of course finesses correctly and was the only one to make 11 tricks!





Another top here playing N/S the bidding went :

P - 1D - 1S - P -
P - x - Passed out
Joan thought long about passing but decided it was best.
Anyway diamond lead to K and Ace, AC, JH to King, diamond cashed and club off table which I took with King. I played QS which declarer took with Ace. If declarer just plays out the hearts now, ruffing the fourth in dummy with the Jack they make it, but they played another spade. One off. A lot of Easts were in 2S one off, but not doubled.


Another good score by Joan who opened 1NT as West and was doubled by North, passed out. A small diamond was lead, won by the Jack, then South took the second heart with the King and continued diamonds.

Well that was it, 3 hearts, 2 diamonds and 2 spades for 180.

In fact 1NT always makes, as long as you hold up on an initial spade lead.

Nobody else was doubled, so a top.




Playing E/W on this board North opened a heart and non-vul I ventured 2S. South did not know what to do, eventually bid 3C and ended in 3NT.
Joan avoided the spade lead and led a small diamond. Declarer played small from dummy and though I should have given it more thought, I just imagined declarer has the Jack as they did not cover. I therefore played the Queen.
Declarer tried a heart to the King and a club back, ducked by Joan. Another club went to my King and it looks as though we can end play dummy and stop declarer getting her spades. I returned a heart ducked to dummy. Declarer plays the last club from table won by Joan who plays Ace and another heart to end play dummy in diamonds for one off. Declarer made 4 hearts, 3 diamonds and a club. If South had passed my 2S, would North bid 3D or double? I think they have to double.


We got an average on this hand playing N/S, but not quite the conventional way. Russell opens 1NT, Len transfers and I double his 2H. Now I would bid 2S with my hand as take out, but have no agreement with Joan. The double is passed to Joan who bids 3H and I bid 4H.
Len leads a club, Russell takes his Ace and returns small. Joan reads it correctly and plays small as Len ruffs. A diamond comes back and Joan plays Ace, King and ruffs another. Diamonds 3-3, trumps 3-3, spade to the Jack and Ace, contract made! Well played.
Unfortunately 3NT is a better scoring contract, but we beat those not in game.



Only two pairs were in 4S on this hand, but Joan made 11 for a top.

We are E/W, North opens 1NT, South 2NT transfer. Joan passed at this point, North bids 3C, South 3D then Joan 3S. I bid 4S and North leads a diamond which Joan runs to hand to ruff. QS, KS, AS, TS was followed by a heart to King and Ace.
North exits with a spade(?) and so Joan just loses a club and a heart.
A piece of good fortune, but we were getting a joint top anyway. Unfortunately it was on the next board that I let the opponents play in 2C for a bottom for us.