Monday 5 March

Playing N/S in an aggregate tournament came first with a big score of 6170.  The hands were all N/S even when we didn't have a lot of points we had great distributional hands.  We didn't do anything brilliant, just bid our games.  Only on one hand when we managed to stay out of a slam did we get a good score compared to everyone else.

On this hand against Sylvia and Louise (who were first E/W), Adrianne passed, Sylvia opened 1H and I just bid 4S, passed out. After KH, AH ruffed high I cashed AS then KD.  Now I'm not sure what is best here, the odds will be slightly above 50% for the finesse of JD as West has opened the bidding, that way you can cash another spade as you only need one ruff.  However I preferred to play a diamond to the Ace and ruff a diamond.  Ruffed a heart back high and played my 4th diamond hoping the hand with 3 diamonds didn't have 9S.  Lucky for me that worked.

This was typical of the hands for N/S, you couldn't go wrong whatever you bid.  Even 6D on this one, not that we were going there.
Against Alistair and Bob, Bob opened 1H and I decided 1NT was a better shot at game than 2D. Adrianne transferred to spades and then bid 3NT which was passed out.
Alistair led JH and there was nothing in the play.  I went up with AH and tried diamonds to find I had 12 tricks by giving up a heart.

On the next board there is another slam which we don't bid. I open 1H, Adrianne bids 1S, I bid 3H and Adrianne after some thought settles for game in 4H. 
Alistair leads a diamond, I take the Ace, draw trumps in 3 rounds and play on spades.  When the Ace is taken early I can claim 12 tricks.
However on that diamond lead you don't make 12 unless you finesse JD and throw two clubs immediately on AK diamonds, because all East has to do is hold up the AS until the third round and you can't get into dummy.
In 6H on a club lead you are forced into the diamond finesse. So not a good slam to be in.

Another typical hand for N/S, just 23 points but 5 of a minor stiff. Nobody was in 5 of a major E/W which is a good save.  Against Joe and Sheila Fell our bidding went ( I think):

P  -  1C  -  1S  -  2D  -  3S  -  5D

Nothing in the play again, easy 11 tricks, 12 if a spade isn't cashed.

Again typical of how N/S could do no wrong was this hand against Phoebe and Robina.

I bid 1NT which was passed out.  Robina led 6H, which was easy to deal with using the rule of 11! In dummy I led 5C at trick two to my Jack. The suit looked 3-3 so I led back a small club.. Phoebe just returns a heart (it doesnt matter), after Queen , King and Ace I cashed two clubs throwing a diamond, led towards my TH, Robina taking Jack and after AS I had 10 tricks.
I suppose playing 14-16 NT we would have been in game.  However on the next board E/W had 24 points, played in 1NT and just scraped home with 7 tricks.

Yet another game for N/S with limited values, but after 1H - 1S - 2H - 2S, we are just in a part score like most other people (two who bid 4S went down).
Anyway, AK and another club ruffed followed by a diamond to the Ace. I cashed AK hearts throwing my winning club because if East wins the next spade she can give her partner another club ruff. 
So I now finesse TS, back to KD, finesse again in spades and claim 10 tricks.

Finally our one good scorre compared toeveryone else.  I'm still not sure I did the right thing, but it worked.
Our bidding went:

1NT - 2D - 2H - 3D - 3H - 4C - 4D - 4N - 5H - P

So I transferred, 3D is a suit, 3H is a complete minimum but 3 hearts. Even with a doubleton in another suit and 12 points Adrianne would probably bid 4H, so I am now uncertain.  4C is RKC and 4N for Kings. So 32 points, 5-3 fit but no ruff in dummy and missing an Ace and a King.  I decided to passs knowing everyone else is going to bid 6, but there could be an AK off the top.  If not she needs the Jacks to go with suits where the Ace and the King ae missing. I decided it was definitely lesss than 50% and passed 5H. Great score, sorry Len and Cliff.