Wednesday 16 May

Playing E/W with Gerry scored a respectable 55% with the usual ups and downs.

Against Barry and Careen after 3 passes I opened East a multi 2D and showed my 19-20, Gerry transferred to hearts and bid 3N. I thought about leaving that there, but how do you know you won't lose 5 clubs? I bid 4H.
Because of the multi, Gerry plays this as West and gets 8D lead from Barry. Gerry took the Ace, KH, ducked a heart.  Barry cashed AK of clubs and another diamond led for 1 down.
A number of people got a joint top for 3NT. Technically this only makes 8 tricks with 1 heart, 2 clubs and either 2 spades or 1 spade and a diamond for the defence. In practice however, North will never leave clubs alone before the three other defensive tricks are set up and so will give away a 9th trick. Passive defence is difficult at Pairs when you're frightened they make 10 instead of 9.

 Gerry got us an excellent score against Joyce and Vivienne playing in 2H after opening 1NT.
Joyce led 8D which was a good start when Vivienne puts on the King.  Gerry now led 4H to 3, 7 and 2. Now a spade to the King and TH, Jack, Ace and Vivienne discards.  Another spade taken by Ace. Vivienne should play a club now, but plays a diamond. Gerry cashes another diamond and the defence is stuck.  Joyce can ruff with 8H and lead a club but now Gerry can win AC, cash QS throwing a club, Play a 4th diamond and all Joyce can get are KQ hearts so 9 tricks for the loss of 1 spade and 3 hearts. Even if Vivienne had played a club, 8 tricks would still have been a great score.

Defending 4S against Adrianne and Christine we got a bottom when Adrianne made 12 tricks.
Gerry led his singleton club, Adrianne called for JC in dummy and I played low. So, in dummy, Adrianne, not worrying about ruffs tries QH, I ducked. Still in dummy Adrianne turns her attention to trumps.  I've turned up with KC (surely) and KH but clearly she things I'm the man with everything and finesses my QS.  Well that was it, just a diamond to lose.  Well played, but was I too helpful?  What if I put KC on that lead? In hand Adrianne could just as easily play AS, finesse TS. Now a diamond to Ace and diamond ruff for 10 tricks. Some went down on a club lead.  Maybe KC to Ace, immediate finesse and now AD and Barking (ruff, ruff, ruff!)


Did get our score back on the next hand. After 2 passes our bidding went : 1C - 1H - 2S - 3D, Adrianne doubled and Gerry bid 3NT.
I thought long and hard, what does partner have? Certainly only 1 diamond stop with Adrianne's double, so something like Ax or Kxx. So one diamond loser and maybe a diamond ruff in clubs in my hand. Let's given him the Ace, he still has 14 points or so elsewhere, well AKQ clubs and KQ spades would do that, so 6C is on.  Perhaps he has KH and is missing a black King, but now if he has AD, there is no diamond loser.  I just bid 6C.
Christine led a diamond to King and Ace. Gerry cashed AK clubs, the only thing that can go wrong is 4 spades to the Jack, but Gerry exited with a diamond and sure enough Adrianne won to be end played.  As it happens everythhing is fine for 12 tricks and Gerry's good play wasn't needed.

 Against the Diamonds, Derek made a good bid and Rhona a great lead which got us a poor score.  I opened 1C and Derek bid 1H,  Gerry bid 1NT. I tried 2NT (change TH to TD and I would pass at Pairs).  Just as well I bid and Gerry raised to 3N. Rhona found an excellent club lead taken by Ace Gerry immediately played TH and soon set up 4 heart tricks, Derek exiting with a club when in with KH. After the hearts Gerry plays spades and when Derek wins Ace can exit with a club and so keeps Gerry to 9 winning a trick in each suit.
The trouble is 4H makes 10 tricks, so bad score.

 An average for 10 tricks here in No Trump, but some made 11 for a good score.  Against Ronnie and Celia I opened 1C, 1D from Gerry.  Didn't think of 1H, just rebid clubs and Gerry bid 3NT.
Now Ronnie found a heart lead to Celia's Ace and quick as anything Celia returns a diamond to knock out that entry.
Gerry now does the sensible thing and ducks a club. Understandably Ronnie just plays King and another heart (remember Gerry bid 1D) and we make 10 tricks. Unfortunately there were a number of 11 tricks, but really should there be any? If Ronnie leads a spade Declarer should never cash 3 spades and depend on the clubs running.

Playing against Victor and Brian our bidding went:

1H - 2NT - 3D - 3S - 4N - 5C - 5N - 6D - 7H

2NT was a game raise in hearts, 3D a singleton, 3S I like this, here is something good in spades.

Now I could have had 3 small clubs, but Gerry is expecting something better than minimum and no wasted diamond values, so give me KQ of spades, QH and AD, I must have more for the bidding.  As it was it was extra trumps I had, but that gave me the distribution. 7H is lay down.

Another poor contract for us, but an average. Did better than everyone else in the same. The good scores were for those that avoided game.
I opened 1NT, Gerry thought about just bidding 3, but transferred to spades, then bid 3N.  With a doubleton heart I bid 4S.
Clifford led his 4S to Phillip's Jack and Ace.  This didn't look good, Clifford might have K94, but I doubted it. Anyway, even then I still have 2 spades a diamond and a heart to lose. So I played a diamond to King and Ace at trick two. Phillip took his 3 spade tricks (I discarded a heart) and exited with a heart. Now all my minors are good and I am 1 down. Unfortunately 3N is unbeatable.  South can't lead a heart without giving away a trick.  When AD is knocked out and a heart led through you have 9 tricks as both minors run.

A poor score here against Dave and Bob due to my misdefence.
Bob is playing 4H as South and Gerry leads a spade. I took the Ace (Gerry did lead the 2, so I thought there was Jxx in Bob's hand).  I fancied making declarer ruff a diamond so that I would get my Jack. I thought 10 tricks would be a good score for us compared to those who draw trump and with diamonds right will make 11.  Anyway I played AD and a small diamond.  Bob won the King and proceeded to play AK hearts, finesse a heart take my Jack, cash AQ clubs and over to a spade and winning clubs.
Where did it all go wrong? The Ace of spades of course.  If I just play low there is no clear entry to dummy and I think declarer would have taken a different line altogether. Could still make 11, but much harder.