Thursday 21 July

Playing with Adrianne we came 2nd N/S with 56%.

Two of our good boards were played by Adrianne as South.

Here against Sandra & Gloria our bidding went:

1C - 1S - x - 2S

x - P - 3H - 3S

4H - passed out.

Sandra did well to get the 1S bid in, Gloria could have made life more difficult for us with a 3 or even 4S bid. My double showed 15+ points.

A small spade was led, taken by Ace. QC covered by King and Ace followed, then Adrianne led JH, covered by Queen and Ace, followed by 10H to King. Gloria exited with a spade ruffed , last trump drawn. Now with a small spade led implying an honour and KQ hearts all in Gloria's hand, Sandra surely held QD and so Adrianne picked up the suit for 12 tricks.

On this board against Victor and Willie Hart we were the only pair in 4H. The bidding went:

P - 1D - 1S - 2C

2D - 3C - 3H - 4C

4H - passed out

Victor led his singleton spade won by the 8 and Adrianne lay down her AH. She then cashed JH and QH and played KS, ruffed. Victor exits with QD to King and Ace and that was the last for the defence.

Thursday 14 July

Playing with Adrianne we were exactly middle with 50%

Early on we got two bad scores against Alec and Raymond. Alec put Raymond into a 6NT with a 16 count opposite a 14-16 NT which couldn't be beaten. Then on the next board I let the side down with a bad defence. Our bidding went:

1D - P - 1S - 3H

4C - P - 4S - passed out.

Adrianne led AH. Now she has no idea what the heart position is. With a singleton in dummy we play suit preference. I could have 8 5 and be asking for a diamond, or J 8 and be asking for a club, or a singleton heart. Anyway Adrianne guessed correctly and played KH, Alec ruffed with the 4S and I over-ruffed. Now we play Ace from AK unless we have a singleton when we play the King. So Adrianne has no diamonds. Any idiot can see Ace and another diamond for a possible trump promotion must be the play. Not this idiot, small diamond ruffed by Adrianne, end of defence. I hate bridge.

Redeemed myself somewhat with this boad against Stewart Duguid & Bobby Moore. Stewart showed a 23-24 NT and ended in 4H. Adrianne is a great follower of Andy Robson and in that morning Times he had stated how he hated doubleton leads but showed an example that defeated a contract. This is a case where I think doubletons aren't so bad, when you have a quick trump entry.

Anyway Adrianne chose 8C lead and luckily Stewart gave me a moment to consider and I decided doubleton was more likely. So I ducked, Stewart played JD to KD and finessed a heart. Adrianne cashed AS then another club. I took Ace and gave her the ruff.

Still against Stewart and Bobby only two pairs found the slam here. With no interference, our bidding went :

1S - 2H - 2S - 3C - 5C - 6C (great bid by Adrianne)

Jumping to 5C is a great risk at Pairs, but a) It is the only slam try I can think of! and b) Why didn't Adrianne rebid 3NT or raise spades?

Anyway QD lead, 3 round of clubs ending in dummy, 3 top spades, spade ruff, heart ruff and claim 13.

I got a joint top score here for 10 tricks in 3NT against Elizabeth Maiolani and Victor Goldwater, but I was very annoyed I didn't make more.

Elizabeth led QC, ducked and followed with the Jack. I took Ace, cashed a top heart and noted Elizabeth's 10H. Going by restricted choice, I crossed to QS and finessed a heart, Elizabeth lets a club go. I cashed two more top hearts and Elizabeth let go 8C and 10C. I played another spade to the Ace and Elizabeth had now played 9S and JS. I could only think that Victor has KC and Elizabeth has 4 diamonds and 10S left, so I played KS rather than finesse the 8 for 11 tricks

The last board was against Alan & Myra. Most made 4H but it was quite tricky.

Our bidding without interference was quite simple:

1H - 1S - 2C - 4H

Myra led a club to my Ace and I played a heart to King and Ace. Alan returned a high club, covered and ruffed. A diamond came back to King and Ace, Alan played another club which I ruff in dummy. I have to decide what to do about my losing club. As Myra has a lot more spaces I decide to finesse rather than ruffing finesse. So cash JH, QD, ruff a diamond, draw last trump and finesse QS, cash Ace discarding the losing club.

Wednesday 6 July

Playing with Bob we came first N/S with 68%.

Early on Bob got a top against Morag & Susan. Bob opened 1C and I have a choice between 1D, 1NT, 2C and 3C. 2C is the only real genuine bid, so that's what I chose. Bob ventures 3NT and Morag leads a heart to the Queen and King.

Bob finesses a club and Susan plays another heart. Now Bob runs the clubs and Morag has to come down to 5 cards. She has to keep JH while the Ten is in dummy, as most people do she keeps a doubleton KS, so her diamonds are reduced to QJ giving Bob 4 diamonds and 12 tricks.

A good score here against Alan Brodie & Charles Fogleman. Bob passed, Alan opened 1S and I am a bit stuck, deciding to just bid 2H, Charles passed and Bob finds a great 3H bid, so I bid 4H.

Charles leads a small spade to the King and Ace. After 3 rounds of hearts I played Ace and another club, inserting the Ten from dummy. Alan switches to a diamond but with clubs breaking I have 11 tricks.

We got two joint top scores against Russell & Len.

I open 1S, Russell doubles, Bob bids 2S which I raised to 4S.

Russell leads a top diamond and obviously switches to a trump to the Ten and Ace. I ruffed a diamond, finessed the JS and when QH falls in 2 rounds I have 12 tricks.

On the next I opened 1H, Bob bids 1NT and after some thought, I passed. I would bid 2NT at teams, but would prefer TH to bid 1 more at MPs.

Anyway, Len found an excellent small spade lead and Bob won the third round, he then played a small heart to the Ten and Len's King. Len exits with a club, Bob decides to play another club, cross to a diamond and a third round of clubs.

Len of course can play a heart now to give Russell 2 tricks, but fortunately it a diamond that comes back.

However any plus score is good for us as many are in 3NT.

This one was difficult for Christine. we bid an obvious 1D - 1S - 1NT - 3NT.

Christine led a small club, Adrianne decided as playing the Queen will give me 2 club tricks anyway, to play small.

I now play 5 round of diamonds and CHristine has to find three discards with any heart fatal. Too difficult to let spades go, difficult to let any club go while she thinks I have Queen. SO actually hearts are first to go and I have 12 tricks.

This one was lucky against Katie and Toby.

Bob opens 1C, I bid 1D. Toby now tries 1H and Bob takes a rosy view and bids 3C. I bid 3NT and Toby leads a heart.

Crossing my fingers that Katie doesn't have 4 clubs, I cashed the othe heart, crossed to QC for the 3rd heart and the clubs run.

Difficult for defenders to take their top 5 tricks.

This was astrange one against Jim McMenemy and Ian McIntyre.

Bob opens 1C and Jim bids 3D. Now if Bob is weak(ish) I don't want to just bid 4C and give Ian a chance to bid 4 of a major which he could easily do if he can stand 5D. If Bob is strong(ish), we can make game. Anyway I bid 5C.

Jim led a spade to dummy's King, Bob cashed both red aces, ruffs a heart and diamond, then plays a spade which Jim ruffs. AK of clubs now crash, game made.

On the next board however I let the side down. Jim opens 1NT. I could bid 4S now, but this can easily fail and if Ian has some points a double could be left in for a certain 500. So I double, unfortunately Bob bids 2D, back to me. Knowing I now face rubbish and anything in diamonds won't be any use, I chicken out of 4S and bid 3S, passed out.

Ian leads a spade, I exit with a diamond, Jim plays another spade and I clear trump and try Ace and another club. Ian takes the King, but now I have 11 tricks via the heart finesse. Most people bid game.

Nearing the end now we got 1 very good and 1 very bad score against Joan & Cathy.

Bob opened 1S, I bid 2H and Bob's 2S finishes the bidding. Cathy leads a spade to the J and K, Bob cashes KH and gets to dummy to discard a club, losing just 1 club, 1 diamond and 1 spade.

However I bring us down to Earth on the next board. The bidding went:

P - P - 1H - x

1S - 2C - 2D - 3C

3D - P - P - 4C

p - P - 4D - passed out.

I led AC and switched to ---- a small spade.

Trying to be too cleveer by half. All Cathy can lose now is a heart, a diamong and a club for a top score.

Finally against Moira and Mary I made some amends.

Moira opened 1NT 3rd in hand and I doubled. Mary bid 2D (diamonds + 1 higher) and everyone passed it out.

Bob led a trump to Dummy's Ten and my Queen and I switched to QS, taken by King in dummy. May played a club to Queen and Ace and Bob played another spade to the Ace.

Mary now leads another trump, the Jack, I take my Ace and although I see I could give Bob a trump promotion, Mary will just discard a heart. We can get 2 heart winners if a) Bob has the King or b) the Queen and Mary misguesses, so I tried a small heart and sure enough Bob's Queen wins, back to my Ace and now the fourth spade for Bob's trump to win. 7 tricks, 2D -2.

Monday 4 July

Playing N/S with Adrianne we came 5th with 55%

I got us a bad score on this board against Ian & Michelle. The bidding went:

1D - 2C - P - 2S

P - 3S - P - 4S

I led Ace and another diamond which Adrianne ruffed, returning a heart that I had signalled. Michelle was in control now and made her 10 tricks.

AD is a terrible lead, declarer has no chance on any other lead.

However I managed to get it back on the next board.

Without interference Ian & Michelle bid:

1D - 1H - 2C - 2NT - 3H - 3NT.

I led a small spade and Adrianne played the 4 under the Ace. Obviously Michelle has 4 spades to go with her 4 hearts.

Declarer now plays a small diamond from dummy and Adrianne plays the Ten, clearly either doubleton Tx or AT. I took the KD and hoping Michelle's doubleton club wasn't Qx I played KC which was ducked. Small club to Adrianne's Ten and the clubs are cleared. Adrianne wins the next diamond and takes her clubs then gives me my KS for 3 down.

Two interesting boards against Moira & Mary.

I opened 1C and the bidding went:

1C - x - 1D - P

1S - P - 2C - 2H

3C - passed out

Mary led a small heart to the Ace. Moira would have been better to return a spade, but a heart was played back to dummy's King. I played a diamond to Mary's Ace and she played a third heart which I ruffed, I now played Ace and a small club with Mary has to win and she exits with a diamond. I take a third diamond, throwing a spade, play a spade to the 9 and Mary has to give a ruff and discard or lead into my AQ spades.

On the next board I opened 1S raised to 2S by Adrianne. It is a rather non-descript 16 count, but I thought it worth a trial bid of 3C. adrianne took an excellent view and bid 4S.

After an ominous AC lead, luck was on my side with the suit breaking.

When KS takes the TS from West I was in a quandary, but reckoned most people wouldn't be in game and of those who were, most would play for the drop, so I did that and made 11.