Tuesday 28 August 2012

Monday 27 August

Playing N/S with Adrianne came 3rd in our section with a Butler score of 22.


Early on there were two 4S in a row, the first we failed to bid but made four, the second we bid but it goes down!
Against the two Davids, D Cree opened 1D and I bid 2N, D Young did 3D and Adrianne a pass or correct 3H.  I corrected to 3S and there I played. Two diamonds were cashed and Jack of clubs came through.  I rose with Ace, felled QS in two and gave up club for 10 tricks.






The next board was against Steve and Marilyn. After two passes I opened 1D, Steve overcalled a heart and Adrianne doubled showing 4 spades.  Marilyn bid 2H alerting me to the fact that Adrianne has at most two, so I bid 4S.
Steve led 10D and Adrianne put down a singleton which was a bit of a blow.  If the lead is doubleton and AH onside I can lose a diamond, a heart and a club.
I won AD, led a heart to Ace and 4S came back to 10 and King.  I cashed KH, back to AS, ruffed a heart and exited with a club. I ruffed club return but I'm in a pickle now.  I can't ruff a small diamond now with the Queen as that leaves Steve probably with JS and heart winners. I tried KD, ruffed by Jack and Queen but had to lose two diamonds.
I think I have to play a small diamond from hand at trick 2.  I will surely make 9 with a chance of 10.

 Stole a good score here against John and Rob. After 3 passes I opened 1H and John came in 1S.  Adrianne bid 1N, Rob 2S and I ventured 3N.  If Adrianne has 3 hearts she would have raised to 2H unless she had a decent spade holding.
If Rob leads QS then Adrianne will get her two spade tricks. However he correctly led 3S to John's King which Adrianne ducked.  John led back 7S,  Adrianne played small but Rob put up the Queen.  A spade back gave Adrianne her two tricks and 9 altogether.
Disaster for me here.  Adrianne put us into 6D, a decent enough contract and we are the only ones in our section to bid it. A heart lead was flagged by the bidding and Alan led 8H to Myra's Ace and I won the return with my King. A finesse of a club then try to ruff out KC is not a bad line because there will be people in 3N who need that club finesse and you'll get the same score as them if it is wrong.
Or a complete cross ruff is possible, the hand that might be able to over ruff might not have JD. This includes the possibility of bringing down KC in three so that is what I played for. 9C to Ace, QC not covered so ruffed.  Alan played 7 then 8 of clubs. I was sure King was now falling so just crossed to AD, ruffed a club and King fell.  HOWEVER without stopping to think I crossed to QD and Alan showed out.  My only trump left is KD and I still have to ruff a heart leaving Myra with the trump master.  I have to cash KD, play Ace and another spade, ruffed. Ruff a heart, ruff a spade to get back to dummy to draw last trump and cash clubs, BUT Myra will over ruff the spade.  I cannot make this. I needed to finesse 9C!!!
The next board wasn't as good as it could have been some N/S got good scores e.g. 5S doubled. Alan opened 1C and Adrianne overcalled a strong 2S, Myra doubled. Now any sensible person would bid 4S with my hand but inexplicably I decided to pass to see what happens.  Alan bid 5C is what happened.  Adrianne pauses a little and passes but I am sure, even red against green that I have a 5S bid.  Alan bids 6C and Adrianne doubles. I still think seriously about bidding 6S (this is the guy who passes 2S).  If Adrianne has 6 spades and 4 clubs (and 16 points) all the better, but decide to pass.  Adrianne leads AS and Myra amazingly puts down 4 clubs. We got our heart and 2 diamonds for 300.  Adrianne wasn't tested with the diamonds in a 6S contract.  On the bidding, knowing Myra has exactly 4 hearts and at most 4 clubs, then discovering 1 spade, she will certainly know where the diamond length is.

Missed an opportunity for a game at the end.  Adrianne opened 1D and Jack overcalled 1H.  I bid 1S, Robert 2H and Adrianne 2S.  I tried 2N but Adrianne with minimum passed.
Heart lead to Ace, small heart back taken with my 10. I played the spades wrongly Ace then finesse Jack. Robert played another heart to Queen and King. I ran the spades, Jack letting go a heart, cashed another heart.  Took AD for my 8th trick, exited wwith QD.  Defenders only had clubs left and I made King.  So despite getting diamonds and spades wrong I made 9.

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