Wednesday 30 September

Playing N/S with Gerry, came first with 65%.

We're not shy about bidding but I don't like opening weak 4441 hands as you often have to lie about your shape (i.e. your rebid is likely to promise 5 in your first suit).  However when the singleton is diamonds it can be good to get into the bidding and find a 4-4 major fit.  This is what happened here as Gerry chose to open South and it was third in hand anyway.

  P   -   P   -   1C   -   1D
  X  -  2D  -   2H   -   P
 3H  -   P   -  4H  all pass.

Morag should have bid more than 2D, I can consider bidding 4H instead of 3H, double fits are worth extra especially if partner is 4-5 hearts and clubs, however it was a third in hand opening, Morag and Susan won't bid without the values and anyway, Gerry isn't shy about bidding games.
How right I was, Gerry loves his singleton diamond and bids 4H.
Susan led QS taken by Ace, heart to K and A and Susan plays QD.  Now Morag just has to overtake this (she knows from the bidding Gerry is singleton) and play a spade for a ruff and 1 down.  However she probably isn't thinking that maybe seeing the lead as from QJx.  Anyway Morag lets QD hold, another diamond ruffed, trumps drawn and Gerry negotiated the clubs for 1 loser, game made.

Another top against Morag and Susan as they went down in 3N while everyone else makes 10.  However it is difficult to say that Morag did anything definitely wrong in the play.  In fact I think it would have been going down at most tables except for our bidding and subsequent lead.
I expect it just went 1N - 3N via a heart transfer at the other tables and a small diamond was led.  With hearts breaking a heart, a diamond and a club are all that are lost.
At our table Morag opens 1D and ends in 3N.  Gerry led 9S taken in hand, A, K and another heart and Gerry plays another spade to Dummy.  Two hearts cashed and now a club, ducked, I took the second club and simply end play Dummy with a spade.  Dummy just has Kxx in diamonds left and Gerry has AQ diamonds and a spade for 1 down.

How to get a bottom, I'm good at this. Playing in the obvious 4S it is well nigh impossible not to make 10 tricks, however at Pairs I am of course looking for more.
Mike led QC which I won with Dummy's Ace. This looks to be a great start if lead is the natural one from QJ9(x).  I played spade to Ace and Katy dropped 10S. Now that really tells you nothing but does make QT more likely, however singelton is a little more likely as well making the finesse essential.  Like I said, the 10 doesn't really tells you anything, you can play it from a variety of holdings. I decided to not play the finesse, cashed KS, back to AH with the intention of finessing 10C, cashing King for a diamond discard and with luck clubs might be 3-3 and another diamond discard.
Oh boy, losing finesse in clubs, two diamonds cashed and QS to come for 1 down
The perspicacious among you will have seen of course that 12 tricks are available.AC, A, J, K of spades, KC, ruff a club, heart to Q, ruff a club, heart to Jack cash a club throwing a diamond, claim all but a diamond. Only an idiot could go down on this hand.