Wednesday 8 August

Playing N/S with Gerry scored a poor 49% mainly due to 3 complete bottoms I contrived to score. One would have been a swing to a top , 3Sx which really cannot fail, in fact you can make 10 but 9 is fairly easy. I made 8 and I am not going to describe how, it still haunts me.

Anyway I knew my brain wasn't in gear after board 1.

Against Paul and Nat I opened 1S, Gerry bid 2D. Now I wanted to bid 3C but in theory with 14 points I should rebid 2S.  However this is a much better hand than the usual 1S -2S rebid. Anyway I decided a slight underbid was better than a slight overbid and rebid 2S.  Gerry bid 3NT and made 12.  If I had bid 3C we would have been in slam.
It looks as if the slam needs the club finesse but any lead other than an unlikely Ace and another spade gives away the 12th trick.



We did get a good score against Moira and Mary due to Gerry's astute defence.  Mary opened 1NT and Moira went through Stayman to 3NT.  Gerry led 6S to Jack, Queen and Ace.  Running 10C, covered or not, will make 10 tricks but Mary chose AC and run the Jack, I discouraged diamonds.  Gerry now switched to 3H to my King and I returned a small heart.  Mary has a pure guess but tried the 9.  Unlucky, 2 off.

Here was one of my horrors against Colin and Helen. Third in hand I opened 1NT, Colin doubles, Gerry transfers to spades and I am in 2S doubled.
The defenders take their obvious 2 diamonds, 2 hearts, heart ruff and 3 spade tricks for 3 down.
-500 is a disaster.

Gerry got us another good score against Charles and Vi.  I opened a Lucas 2H and Gerry ended in 3NT.
Vi led a small diamond to Q and A. Gerry now made a heart trick, finessed a spade, made a diamond trick and ran his spades for 10 tricks.  Nearly everyone else in 4S either making 10 or going off.
Of course 3N has no chance on a club lead.



Anyway Charles got the score back on the next board.

As East he opens 3C, Vi bids 3S and Charles 3N.  Gerry leads the natural 10H won by the Jack.  Charles plays Ace and another club, I peter fully expecting Charles to play the King, but no, he finesses the Jack -- if he had had 7 clubs he would have surely have played King!
Anyway that was 11 tricks.  A diamond lead would only have held it to 10.

Finally just to prove my brain still wasn't in gear near the end.  Against Mike and Bobby.  Mike opened East 1D, Bobby 2C, Mike 2D and Bobby 4D passed out.

Gerry led AS and switched to 2H.  I took Ace and returned JH.  Mike sets up clubs and makes 11 tricks.

OK 2H slightly puts me off, but what does Mike have? No points in clubs, AQ diamonds, maybe JS.  He must have KQ hearts.  Did I even think about that?

It is blatantly obvious that I must try to stop clubs being set up and with 3 trumps one moment's thought says RETURN A SPADE.
(actually 11 tricks still makes by just ruffing another spade -- but I should still have stopped to think)
Not my best evening's bridge.