Friday 22 June 2012

Thursday 21st June

Playing in a Howell with John had a dreadful score of 43%. Only some of it our fault!


Against Brian and Paul John passed as East, I opened 1NT and through 2C (doubled by Paul), John raised me to 2N and I bid game.  Brian duly led 8C.
Paul took the Ace and switched to KH. I froze now, no idea what was best. Clearly Paul sees Brian with heart length, also he can't see himself setting up clubs.  I should get this right and go 1 off (win AH, Ace and another diamond guaranteeing 8 tricks), but you just can't give up the chance to make your contract. Instead I won played a spade to Brian's Ace, JH back then over to a spade to finesse the diamond and 3 off.
Brilliant defence by Paul, everyone made 3N, but played by East on a club lead.

 This was our first hand of the night and sort of set the tone. Against Ian and John L, Ian as North opened 1N and John overcalled 2S, this went round to Ian who bid 3C and I competed with 3S passed out.  John L led 8D to Ace, small diamond to be ruffed, club to King, diamond ruff, club to Ace, diamond ruff, 2 down, the dreaded -200.  The same fate was suffered elsewhere but the pair who were in 4S made 10.  What can you say?

The very next board I am in 4S.  Ian leads a small diamond, John L ruffs.  I take the club return with my Ace and play a heart to the Ace and ruff a heart.  Now AS and John's Jack falls. Now I usually play restricted choice and would finesse here but John was void in diamonds, there are a lot more spaces in his hand for the QS, so I played to the King. No luck, I cashed KH throwing a club, and although Ian gets end played to lead a diamond, I still have to lose one along with a club QS and the ruff.
One pair made 4S on  a heart lead and another 3N on a very favourable diamond lead.

A complete bottom against David and Katie.  I unfortunately opened 1C as South ( 1D will work so much better here), but that is the correct opening.  Anyway David overcalled 1S and Katie raised to 2S which is where it is played.  Actually I would have doubled with the North hand, playing negative double at one level only promises 6+.
John led 6C and I haven't a clue on the suit's layout.  Most likely is 962 but could be K86.  Anyway I took the Ace, David played the 10 and switched to KD as the diamond trick might shortly disappear.  David won the Ace and carefully took one round of trumps with AS, led back QC and overtook with KC.  He now led 8C, what is John to do? Ruff with the 10S and the diamond goes. However, surely I am beating that 8C, David must be intending to ruff and so we keep our diamond trick.  So John signals his heart and David discards the diamond on his winning 8C!, another round of trumps and 10 tricks made. Very canny play by David.
 Against Issy and Gerald I got one of my very few good scores by bidding the wrong contract.  Issy as West opened a skinny 1D and John upgraded his hand to 1N, Gerald bids 2H.  My first instinct is to bid 2N but surely John can't have much in diamonds and hopefully 3 decent spades, so 2S it was, passed out.
Issy led QH and dummy was disappointing as NT on a heart lead would have played very well, spades could be a disaster especially if that is a singleton heart.  Anyway trick one went QKA2. Gerry decides to return a club to QKA and I played a spade to Gerry's Jack.  Another club to my Jack and another spade to Issy's King. I expect to get a dreaded diamond now, but no, another club.  I ruff, another spade and claim the rest.  I lost 3 spades and a heart for 9 tricks, top score.

Finally against Issy and Gerry I made a terrible error of judgement. With no interference our bidding went:

1C - 1S - 2C - 3D - 3H (doubled by Issy) - 3N

Long pause by me.  John presumably is 5-5 for the jump, 2 -1 in the other suits and only 1 heart stop.  If he has a singleton AC then great, but what if he hasn't?   I chickened out and bid 4S.  This has no chance and John does very well to make 9, setting up the diamonds.  3N doesn't make, but often it will.  Heart lead to Ace and another, over to a spade, cash 2 clubs and the other spade, exit with KD and you have 9 tricks after giving East the QD. To defeat it, East has to take the second club and return a spade or diamond, declarer can't cash that second club now or East will get another club when in with QD.
Three pairs played 3NT by North on a heart lead, only one made it so well defended those two (Len and Katie).

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