Tuesday 2 October 2012

Monday 1 October

Playing E/W with Adrianne came 2nd with a Butler score of 33.  I lost us a few points on this board against Jim & Cathy:

Jim opened 1D as North.  Instinct says just bid 5C right away, maybe 4C would be right but I bid that with a lot less values and 1 more club.  Partner has passed but 3N might be the right spot.  Anyway I decide to just bid 2C, Cathy bids 2H, Jim 2N and I bid 4C.  Cathy bid 4H and I doubled which we use as a sort of Lightener here.  It certainly means don't lead a club partner and most likely Dummy's first bid suit.  Adrianne had the obvious diamond lead which I ruffed.  Tried a small spade which Cathy won, KH to my Ace, tried AS in case partner was doubleton but no way into her hand and 10 tricks made.  The double plus not bidding 5C (2 down) cost us 8 imps.

Nearly everyone found 4H on this hand.  I opened it a Benji 2C against Flora and Geraldine and Adrianne put me into an optimistic 4H.  The thing is everyone made 10 or 11, yet the contract is very difficult to make.
A couple of pairs (obviously playing reverse Benji) contracted 4H from the West side and got 8S lead.  They can't fail now.  Win AS, AK of hearts and exit a spade. South will either set up diamonds, give away a club or a ruff and discard.  Played by East, AD is obvious lead but should now switch to a trump.  Declarer draws two rounds and exits with a diamond.  South should let North win this. North should exit a club taken by Ace. Now does declarer cross to 8H and finesse QS or play Ace and another to end play South?  I am sure many players got the same defence I did.  AK and another diamond.  11 tricks

Adrianne was one of the few who bid slam on this hand.  I still can't figure out how, but we got to 6C. Not often you bid 6 missing 3 Aces (sorry, rephrase that --- not often you MAKE missing 3 Aces).
I won't go over the bidding, neither my bidding or partner's make much sense to me, but Adrianne managed to reason slam was on and there was no defence to 6C.
Three other pairs got there. Ian & Bobby, Dave & Alistair and Moira & Mary.  Maybe they were more scientific or just stumbled into it like us.



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