Monday 14 October

Playing N/S with Adrianne came 1st with a Butler 58 Imps.  Didn't miss anything and some of our opponents were very kind.

This was a very lucky 3NT which most people made. Played by South QD is the natural lead and Declarer must duck. Adrianne got the 5D lead from Stephanie and if Avril just puts in the 10 I suspect Adrianne would have found the duck too difficult and would have gone down.  However Avril perfectly reasonably went up with the Ace and Adrianne won the 3rd round.
Prospects don't look good but you have to try AK of clubs looking for the Queen, no luck. Obviously you are going down now, except ..... K, Q of spades, JS overtake and the 10 falls, cash 4th spade and lead a heart, Avril splits her honours and is allowed to hold.  With no minors left she has to play another heart and 9 tricks made.

This was an interesting hand that would have got a good MP score.
After two passes I opened 1S, Isobel found a 2D overcall and Adrianne found a 2S bid.  Easy to bid 4S.
Isobel led QC, I won Ace, ruffed a club, spade to Ace noting the Jack.
Thought I had better play QD now so that I have discarded a heart before I broach them.  Isobel wins but then takes away any heart guess by exiting with a heart to Edna's Ace.  Edna continued a heart to my King, I ruffed a club, cashed KD discarding my last heart.  I now ran TS and had 11 tricks.
If Isobel had say continued a club I would have ruffed, discarded a heart then led JH. Difficult for Edna to duck now though if she had ducked smoothly I would have run the Jack.  I would then be 1 down because I can't get into Dummy to run 10S. If Isobel hadn't overcalled then I would have played to KH.  Funny old game.

Adrianne is too intelligent to pay much heed to what I say about anything.  I do keep saying don't go to the 5 level with 3 card support.  Every time she does we get a good score. Still I probably should never have made my bid and should Adrianne have made either of hers?
Against John and Rob our bidding went:

  P  - 1S - x(?) - 3S
 4C(?) - 4S - 5C - passed round to John who doubled.

John led AS, I ruffed, played a diamond to John's Jack.  Rob overtook and played another spade.  I ruffed, played another diamond and John tried 4H. Well I'm only 1 off now as I can ruff a diamond and dispose of the other on Dummy's 4th heart.  I just lost two diamonds and a club. Could have been very much worse.  John and Rob wold have no problem making 4S.