Wednesday 3 October

Playing E/W with Gerry came second with 59%.

 Against Louise and Sylvia we managed to be in the near optimum contract but got a poor score.
Louise opened 1H, Gerry doubled, Sylvia bid 2D and I passed. Louise bid 2H and this came round to me and I bid 3C passed out.
Louise led her diamond obviously and Sylvia played her King.  Ace and another club and I have 11 tricks by finessing 8D, just a heart and spade to lose.  On a heart lead I still make 10 tricks.  However most East's presumably did not double, N/S found their spade fit and overbid their hands to 4S two off and 200 to E/W.


 On the next board I got lucky.  I opened 1C, 1S by Gerry and rebid 2N.  Gerry fancied his spades and club support and raised to 3N.
Louise led KD, Sylvia played the 9, I ducked. Louise is a bit stuck and although a heart would have been OK, hoped her partner was J9 and continued a small diamond to my 8.  I finessed QS, Sylvia took the King and played a heart to Q and K.  Louise returned a heart to my 9.  So I've lost a diamond, heart and spade and don't know if the spades run.  I guess Sylvia has KQ clubs (Louise didn't open) or Louise with Queen will take it, so exit with a small club.  Louise takes the Queen, exits with a heart and now I try spades which run for 9 tricks.  If they hadn't broken the clubs would have worked.

 Another lucky one against Catherine and Anna.  Gerry opened a Lucas 2H.  I couldn't see the point of asking , we're vulnerable and I thought even a minimum would be reasonable, so bid 3NT.
Anna naturally led 2D , to the J, Q and A.  I finessed 7D and continued a third which Anna took.  The natural switch now is .... a club to my Jack.  I played a spade to K and A which gave me 9 tricks

DOn the next board we didn't score so well after neat defence. Catherine opened 1C, Anna bid 1H, 1S by South and 2C by Anna.  Catherine thought about this and passed. I want to bid 2D but the pause puts me off also partner with 4 clubs, might want to defend.  I passed.
Led 8H to Q, QD, K and Ace back.  Now played 10H to Ace, Gerry dutifully played a spade to Q, I cashed Ace, gave him his ruff, he cashed JD, two down.
Scored 100 but would have got 150 for diamonds though bidding 5D isn't really possible.  Could have doubled that 1C opening though.

This is a tricky hand.  Despite two major fits it is 6C that gives the only slam (trump reduction, strip North to just clubs, has to ruff your heart heart loser and lead away from JC). Anyway Gerry opened 1H and Celia bid a conservative 2D.  I doubled and Gerry bid 2S with no more bids from South I bid 4D and Gerry 4S.
Celia led AD, ruffed, Gerry finessed QH, ruffed a diamond, finessed QS, second finesse. Has to lose KS and a heart for 11 tricks.

Everyone has at least two bids here.  Against Michelle and Ian our bidding went:
1D - 1H - 1S -2C
2D - 2H - 2S - 3C
3D -  P  -  P  -  4C
P   -  P  -  4D
Michelle though about doubling 4C.  I thought about doubling 4D but was worried 4S would play well.
I led 2C to K and A.  Michelle took KD, AS, ruffed a spade. Cashed AQ diamonds and had to lose 3 hearts, a diamond and a club for two down.  She should have doubled 4C, the defence will get two spades and a spade ruff, AC and AD.

Also in that set there was a very frustrating hand for N/S.  4S looks to be a great contract but how do you ruff two hearts while drawing trumps and get back to dummy to cash your hearts?
Well I led 4H against Michelle's 4S, and  that's a good start ruffing one right away but there is no way to cross over, ruff a second, cash AS and get back to dummy to draw trumps and cash the hearts.

A difficult hand for N/S to get to their 3NT.  Against Bob and Ian I opened a Lucas 2H, Bob bid 3C and Ian passed it out.
Bob made 11 correctly guessing my distribution. What if E/W don't play Lucas.  North opens 1C but now West will bid 2NT!  South probably doubles which lets East pass and West will bid 3D.  This will probably be just 1 off and is difficult to double.  Can N/S find 3N now?
Then what if neither E/W come into the bidding.  Playing weak NT North opens 1C, South 1H.  I have no qualms about bidding 1N now with the North hand and N/S should be in 3N OK.  Playing strong NT I don't know how that would go.  1C - 1H - I would hate 3C with that singleton heart, but 2C might be worse.