Monday 16 September

After an exhausting week directing at the Commonwealth Championship, back to the club.  Playing N/S with Adrianne, came first with a big Butler score.  No thanks to me misplaying this game.

Our bidding was straightforward enough after Adrianne opened 1D.  1D - 1S - 4C - 4S.
Steve led QC to K and A and Marilyn played back 9S.  I finessed the Queen and cashed my five red winners. I then made a big mistake, on the play of the cards I tried a heart back to hand but it was ruff and over-ruff. I can only make 9 tricks now.
If I had played a diamond to ruff, club ruff and then a spade (but only a spade), I make 10.
Counter-intuitively (at least to me at the time), the best play after the five red winners is spade to the Ace. You must make 11 tricks now.

Pre-empts often lead opponents into high level guesses, unfortunately for the pre-emptor it also pushes them into contracts they would not have bid.
Adrianne opened 1D, Helen bid 3S and I doubled.  Ivan bid 4S and Adrianne bid 5D.
Well my hand looks very good now.  Adrianne can expect decent values as I'm forcing her to bid at the four level, she might also be able to reckon I've singleton spade. However I see her with six diamonds to AK and if she has no wasted values in spade surely top honours in clubs and hearts.  I bid 6D.
An initial club lead would have been a bit more testing, but Helen led a spade, Adrianne ruffed her second, drew trumps and found the QH for 13.
Left to our own devices we'll most likely be in 4H or 5D.