Monday 25 October

Playing E/W with Adrianne we cqme middle with a Butler score of -3. Didn't do much wrong, apart from me driving opponents into a 3NT contract which can't be beaten on a sensible lead.

Against Maurice and Rhoda I opened 1H, Maurice bid 2D and Adrianne 2NT. I bid 3C and Maurice bid 3D which Adrianne doubled.

After QH, heart ruffed, QD to King, JC to Q and King, a master heart which Maurice ruffs. Adrianne would be better to discard a spade, but over-ruffs so down 1 for 200.

3N was cold on the club finesses. At least we avoided the hopeless 5C.

On the next board the weak NT made sure that N/S couldn't find their game.

I opened 1NT, Adrianne transferred with 2D. At MPs I would bid 2H take out with the North hand but would likely pass here with an unlimited West, anyway Rhoda won't have a take out bid. I bid 3H and we went the obvious 1 off.

The Gerrards and the Outreds were the only two pairs to find 4S. Obviously I should compete with that North hand. Many others were in spade partials, but presumambly South didn't see their hand as good enough.

Though it might have been 2H from East that went round to North who now makes a take out double. Not so easy to bid 4S now.

Weak NT worked again here. 1NT by me, 2H transfer by Adrianne doubled by Katie. I bid 2S although I only had two, they were good ones. David can't compete as the double might just be for a lead. Katie didn't feel strong enough for 3H.

2S makes the obvious 8 tricks, but 4H should always make as it is wrong to finesse in Diamonds.

Nobody in 4H, but 3 pairs in 4S were probably sacrificing.

Yet another 1NT opening by me after 2 passes. Ileen isn't shy and bids 2D to show spades and another. Gerry duly bids 2S.
I lead JS which didn't fool him, so after Ace, King and TS, Gerry runs 9H. Adrianne ducks but wins the follwing 8H with the Ace and Gerry has 10 tricks.
The Gerrards are in 4S, but it doesn't really look biddable to me.

Missed a game opportunity against Jim & Ian. Jim opened 1C passed round to me and I overcalled a heart, Jim passed and Adrianne bid 2H. Round to Jim who doubled and Adrianne bid 3H. I now gave this some thought, but I can't envisage Adrianne with a singleton club and she didn't give me an unassuming cue. All in all I passed.
Three pairs bid and made it. I actually made 11 after AC and a switch to a trump. I finessed JD and ruffed a club, drew trumps and cashed the diamonds.
The play is a lot more interesting if the diamond is covered by the Queen. You have to win KD, come back to a heart, ruff a club, come back with a diamond, draw last trump and exit with a spade. Opposition can only get two spades to go with original club.

This was a strange one against Rene & Anita. Most N/S are in 4S or 4H. Strangely the 5-3 fit looks a bit better than the 4-4, two N/S made it. Presumably it might go AD lead ruffed, club exit, trump to K and A. Ruff a club, heart to Q, ruff a club, QD discard a club. I think you just lose a club a diamond and a trump that way.
At our table Rene opened 1S, I doubled and Anita redoubled. Adrianne therefore bid 2D which was passsed out!
After a heart lead and continuation ruffed, Adrianne played KS to the Ace. Another heart ruffed, QS, spade ruff, another heart ruff, Adrianne had 8 tricks.

Here, after 2 passes I opened 1C, Adrianne bid 1H, 1N - 3H - 4H.
Rene led a club, Adrianne played JH to Ace. Rene tried a spade, but Adrianne wins in dummy, picks up Anita's QH and makes the rest.
The spade might well have been the right switch. However Adrianne was the only person who made this contract.
The only way it goes down is to play 3 rounds of diamonds. By making dummy ruff , the QH can't be picked up.
Did everyone defend this way, or were declarers misplaying the hand?



We started against David & Cathie and wee lucky on this deal. Cathie was saying how they are pushing slim games at the World Championship opposite a weak NT. So when David opened 1NT as South and Cathie found a 4-4 spade bid, she bid 4S.
Adrianne found the best lead of a club. I won Queen and returned a club to Ten and Ace.
David now played TS to King and then finessed into my Queen. With a club and two diamonds to cash it was -2.
If David just runs that 10S and then follows with a QH, he will make 10 tricks. Obviously those players at the World Championships know something.

Monday 3 October

Playing N/S with Adrianne, we came first. As usual you can always do better.



Against the two Davids we were the only ones to have 4H bid against us. After 3 passes David Young opens 1H:

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

Adrianne cashed 2 top spades and played a third, ruffed. DY played a heart to the Ace, runs the QC and then leads JD to Queen and King. KH now and just play out winners until Adrianne takes JH.

No matter if I cover QC, David just goes bacck to dummy to lead JD. If I don't cover JD, David says he was letting it run.


On the next board we recovered. The bidding went:

P - 1H - 2C - 2H

3C - 4H - passed out.

DY led small club to Ace. Now I don't have the entries for a heart finesse and double spade finesse. However David Cree is in a quandary. Obviously a heart return is out and a diamond must be wrong. A club return could be wrong as well if say I hold Axx in spades I could discard a spade and then another on QC. Anyway David led a spade and so I got all my finesses to make 10 tricks.



Only 4 pairs out of 12 found the slam on this board. Of course one was against us.
Of the 4 slams 3 were in hearts and only 1 in spades.


Anyway Raymond opened the West hand 1S, Alec bid 2H and Adrianne came in 3C. Raymond bid 4H and Alec used Keycard to get a response of 2 and bid 6H.


Adrianne led AC, ruffed, Alec knocked out AH and claimed, the losing diamond going on the long spade.


I made a complete mess here against Mike & Steve. The bidding went:

1S - P - 1Na - x
4C - 4H - x - passed out.

Steve led KS to Ace and a spade ruff. AH to find 5 - 0 break, club to King and a diamond to King and Ace. Mike returns a club to Ace, I ruff club to confirm count and knowing Mike has 1 diamond left finesse into singleton Jack.
Spade comes back for Steve to discard diamond and I am 2 down for -500.
Go up with QD and I make. I have 6 tricks, 2 more diamonds for 8 tricks then play a winning diamond, discarding a spade to end play Steve in trumps.


Another bad score here against Jack and Robert. Adrianne opened 2S, Robert doubles, I bid 4S and jack bids 5D.

This can't make of course on a spade lead which ensures a spade, a heart and a club trick. However Adrianne naturally tries her singleton heart.
Jack plays well goping up with the Ace, drawing trumps and playing on clubs to get a spade discard.






We do better here against David and Katie.
After 3 passes I open 1S, Adrianne raises to 3S and I bid game.

David leads a heart, I go up with King and lead JS. No cover, so I rise with Ace and 10 tricks made

You win some and lose some.