Thursday 15 February

Playing at Maccabi in a Howell with Gerry we came 1st with 70%.  Had some luck obviously, none more so than on board 13.

Davina opened the South hand 1H and I have the perfect hand to double then bid my suit which shows a strong jump overcall.  Mary passed my double (1NT?) and Gerry jumped to 2S, must have really liked those intermediates.  Davina passed and I bid 6S, hoping it might just be on a club finesse which should be on as North can't have much.
Davina led KC and Gerry took the Ace, cashed two spades and played 10C to Davina's Q.  She got off lead with QH to Gerry's Ace and he crossed to Dummy with a trump to play JC, discarding a diamond.  Davina's 9C fell so 8C from Dummy discarding another diamond and that was 12 tricks.
Obviously nobody else was in slam.

I covered myself in ignominy on this hand. Playing weak, South opened 1NT, North bid 2C and Gerry 2S.  South bid 2NT, North 3C and continuing their mix up, South bid 3NT.
I led 6S (lowest from three of partner's suit) and Gerry took the Ace, declarer played the 2.  Gerry now played the 10S to Declarer's Jack.  Three rounds of clubs followed, Gerry taking the third and he played 9S to Declarer's King.  A small heart was led towards Dummy's Queen and I stopped to think for a moment.  Declarer seems to have four spades KQJ2 and KQ3 of clubs.  He cannot therefore have AH as that would be 15 points.  Must have KD.  Now Gerry has five spades and four clubs so could have singleton AH, so I must play low.  Oooooooops!  Queen wins, Declarer made five clubs, two spades and three hearts (I had discarded two hearts on the earlier clubs), 10 tricks.

Gerry opened East a Lucas 2H and I just bid 3NT.  North led the obvious QH to my Ace.
Lacking entries I led clubs from hand and started with KC to South's Ace. A spade came through to Jack and King and North continued a high heart.  Looks like they'll be 5-2 so no point in ducking and I took the King to play a club ducked to my Jack and continued a club which South should duck but he took the Queen.  No matter, I would have had to finesse 10D if he had ducked. Now a spade came back to my Ace and I had 10 tricks.  That was a good score, no doubt other tables didn't like leading away from KJT of clubs.  However if you don't and even if you successfully finesse 10D to lead a club you will find entries very difficult in both directions.  In fact South can scupper you by simply rising with AC and returning a diamond.