Monday 20 August

Playing N/S with Adrianne came in below average with an aggregate score of -2200 but -2000 would be about the par score.  we were unfortunate in that our opponents found all their games.

An interesting board for E/W here.  3NT is the only making game.  It looks like a spade lead spells disaster for declarer, but win the Queen and run 10C. Now win the 3rd heart, try clubs, give up another club and you have 9 tricks.
At our table David Cree opened a Benji 2D, David Young bid 3D and DC bid 3NT. I led the natural KH, David took it immediately, AD, over to QS, the diamonds run and 13 tricks.
A few E/W were in a not unreasonable 6C but no chance on the trump break.

 

Bobby and Ian got two big scores against us. On the first I opened 1D, Ian bid 2C and Bobby bid 2NT raised to 3. I led 4S and there were 10 tricks.  Only one other pair found this unbeatable game.

On the next board I doubled a 4S thinking it was two way as I didn't know if Adrianne was weak or middle to strong.  Anyway it wasn't clear and Adrianne left it in which cost us an extra 300 points. However some people got to play the 5 level sacrifice without even being doubled.  Not even a real sacrifice because on proper defence it goes 4 off!  Anyway those two boards cost us dear.

Bill and Norman bid and made two games us.  The second was only found by about one third of the field. Norman opened an off centre 1NT, Bill transferred and raised to 3S, Norman bid 3N and Bill changed to 4S.

I led JC but with the hearts lying well and diamonds running anyway there was only that trick plus two trump tricks.

Another nail in the coffin




Festival Teams 16 August

Playing with Michelle Alexander and partnering her husband Mike who played with Raymond we ended up run away winners with a score of 168 from ten 3 board matches. Five 20-0 a 19-1 a 14, two 12s and an 11.  I've never had a score remotely like it.  Michelle and I had a very good game and got all our hands correct while our opponents made a number of mistakes.  Mike and Raymond then came back with a fantastic score card.

One of our 20-0 was against David Weir's team. we played against John DiMambro and Ronald Gaffin.  These two hands illustrate how everything just went right on the night.
As North I opened 1H, Michelle raised to 2H, I tried with 2S and Michelle more or less max bid 4H.
Ronald makes the safe lead of a heart, I drew trump where John showed some interest in clubs and ending in dummy I ran JS to the King. Ronald went for Ace and another club now. Winning KC I played Ace and another diamond, Ronald took the King but with the QS onside I now had 10 tricks. Extremely lucky that all the cards lay so well. 2H made 10 at the other table.

Even luckier on the next board. John opened 1D and I overcalled 1S.  Ronald bid 2C and Michelle raised the ante with 3S.  John doubled and I figured we have no spade tricks in defence, maybe AQ hearts are lying well, but they might be making lots of minor tricks as I can't expect much from Michelle.  Anyway I though I'll bid 4S to give Ronald a guess about which minor to bid or whether it makes. Ronald doubled and defence started with two diamonds, I ruffed the second and led KS to Ace.  Another diamond ruffed, crossed to QS finessed QH, AH, give up a club and cross ruff my way to 10 tricks.  Very unexpected, not least by me! 4D by our partners made 10 at the other table.

Another of our typical good fortune here against Irene and Phyllis.  At the other table Sylvia and Louise are in 3NT by North.  Raymond led a heart and our partners took the first 7 tricks for 150.
Michelle opened 1S, I bid 1N, Michelle 2N, 3S by me and 4S by Michelle.
Phyllis led 10C which Michelle ran to her Ace.  A small spade went to Q and Ace.  Irene reurned a club, the lead could have been from KT9 or a singleton but that was the last chance to put a heart through.  Michelle actually won the King, led another spade to Phyllis' King.  A diamond back, draw last trump, run diamonds discarding a heart and 10 tricks.

Monday 13 August

Playing N/S with Adrianne just got above average with a Butler score of 2. Didn't do well on part scores, mainly because we bid unmakeable games!

We did get off to a good start against Ian and Ivor

Adrianne opened 1H and I bid 1S, Adrianne raised to 4S. I have a 7 loser hand so thought I could at least make a slam try and we would hopefully be safe at the 5 level.  So I cue bid 5D and Adrianne was happy to bid 6S.
It looks as if the contract depends on a diamond finesse but I got the natural KC lead.  I took the Ace, cashed AH, ruffed a heart high, trump to Ace, ruffed a heart high, trump to King, ruffed a heart and exited with JC.  East is now end played to lead a diamond or give a ruff and diamond discard.

Defence is of course difficult, it is so easy to let contracts make.  Moira and Mary bid this 1C - 1H - 2D - 3D - 3S - 4D - 5D.  I led AH, ruffed.  Now if I had been declarer I would have cashed AQ diamonds then led AC.  South would have ruffed and a spade switch (or a heart) would knock out my 2nd entry ensuring clubs can't be set up.
Moira though played KS at trick 2.  I took the Ace, now which card can I play to let this contract make? Yes, I led QC and Adrianne ruffed.  A heart back could still have beaten this, but Adrianne returned a spade. Now two rounds of diamonds, AK of clubs, ruff a club and a heart ruff back to make all the clubs. Nobody else managed to make game, well done Moira, or badly done me.

Interesting board at the end against Winnie and Katie. I opened 1D.  Difficult to know what to bid with the South hand, a lot to be said for 5D, but Adrianne chose 1H.  Katie bid a spade and I bid 3C.  Winnie bid 3S and Adrianne now bid 5D. I'm not sure where all this bidding is coming from but I am trusting my partner and was going to bid 6D when Katie came in with a double.  So I redoubled.

Nothing in the play.  Winnie led JS to my Queen.  I took 2 rounds of trumps, exited with a heart, won the spade return and can claim the rest on a cross ruff.

Wednesday 8 August

Playing N/S with Gerry scored a poor 49% mainly due to 3 complete bottoms I contrived to score. One would have been a swing to a top , 3Sx which really cannot fail, in fact you can make 10 but 9 is fairly easy. I made 8 and I am not going to describe how, it still haunts me.

Anyway I knew my brain wasn't in gear after board 1.

Against Paul and Nat I opened 1S, Gerry bid 2D. Now I wanted to bid 3C but in theory with 14 points I should rebid 2S.  However this is a much better hand than the usual 1S -2S rebid. Anyway I decided a slight underbid was better than a slight overbid and rebid 2S.  Gerry bid 3NT and made 12.  If I had bid 3C we would have been in slam.
It looks as if the slam needs the club finesse but any lead other than an unlikely Ace and another spade gives away the 12th trick.



We did get a good score against Moira and Mary due to Gerry's astute defence.  Mary opened 1NT and Moira went through Stayman to 3NT.  Gerry led 6S to Jack, Queen and Ace.  Running 10C, covered or not, will make 10 tricks but Mary chose AC and run the Jack, I discouraged diamonds.  Gerry now switched to 3H to my King and I returned a small heart.  Mary has a pure guess but tried the 9.  Unlucky, 2 off.

Here was one of my horrors against Colin and Helen. Third in hand I opened 1NT, Colin doubles, Gerry transfers to spades and I am in 2S doubled.
The defenders take their obvious 2 diamonds, 2 hearts, heart ruff and 3 spade tricks for 3 down.
-500 is a disaster.

Gerry got us another good score against Charles and Vi.  I opened a Lucas 2H and Gerry ended in 3NT.
Vi led a small diamond to Q and A. Gerry now made a heart trick, finessed a spade, made a diamond trick and ran his spades for 10 tricks.  Nearly everyone else in 4S either making 10 or going off.
Of course 3N has no chance on a club lead.



Anyway Charles got the score back on the next board.

As East he opens 3C, Vi bids 3S and Charles 3N.  Gerry leads the natural 10H won by the Jack.  Charles plays Ace and another club, I peter fully expecting Charles to play the King, but no, he finesses the Jack -- if he had had 7 clubs he would have surely have played King!
Anyway that was 11 tricks.  A diamond lead would only have held it to 10.

Finally just to prove my brain still wasn't in gear near the end.  Against Mike and Bobby.  Mike opened East 1D, Bobby 2C, Mike 2D and Bobby 4D passed out.

Gerry led AS and switched to 2H.  I took Ace and returned JH.  Mike sets up clubs and makes 11 tricks.

OK 2H slightly puts me off, but what does Mike have? No points in clubs, AQ diamonds, maybe JS.  He must have KQ hearts.  Did I even think about that?

It is blatantly obvious that I must try to stop clubs being set up and with 3 trumps one moment's thought says RETURN A SPADE.
(actually 11 tricks still makes by just ruffing another spade -- but I should still have stopped to think)
Not my best evening's bridge.



Deauville

Played in a 3 day Mixed Pairs event. Unfortunately had a terrible first day finishing with 40%, improved with 52% and 54% the other 2 days to end with 48.5%.  They use Scrolling Results and about half way through day 1 we look up to see ourselves 3rd last with 36%, very depressing.

It is difficult to get started having to call for “petit pique” or “roi de trefle” etc. as well as trying to figure out what you have in a suit when you look at RV9. Anyway although we didn’t do well when we went over the hands we saw that we were incredibly unlucky with opponents just finding the right contract / lead against us.

I got away with my bid on this board. North opened a weak 2S and Adrianne bid 3D, South bid 3S.  What on earth do I bid with my hand? We play 2N Lebensohl over weak 2s, so Adrianne's hand is quite strong and this is the minimum I can expect.  Still what is best by me, maybe double but it probably goes for 300.  Maybe Adrianne can find 3N with one spade guard, but she won't know there are 6 club tricks.  I just crossed my figures and bid 4H.  A spade and two hearts to lose, good score.

John was the only English player we played against.  In fact he said he had been a visiting lecturer at Strathclyde. This was typical of our luck on the day.

Their bidding went 1C – 1D – 1N – 3N, Madame didn’t care to play in a major.  Adrianne can’t find the heart lead which could have defeated it and with diamonds 3-3, 9 tricks were there.  The field of course bid the ‘sensible’ 1C – 1D – 1N – 3H – 4H which is unmakeable.



This hand though was my fault against the eventual winners.  There were a number of kibbitzers which made it rather galling.





After 2 passes South opened 1D.  We play intermediate jumps when both green, however lacking filling in spades I could have bid 1S, but 2S it was.  Passed round to South who has an automatic double, passed out.

Diamond lead to Ace, spade to the 10, another diamond to my King.  I ran JC, ducked. Another club to QKA. South played 3rd club and I discarded a heart but two down unavoidable for a bottom.

Monday 16 July

Playing N/S with Adrianne came a mid table 7th with a Butler score of 3. Got a few scores of -7 or -9 when E/W had anobvious game but half the field could't find it.

Nothing we could do about -14 on this hand though.  David & David bid to 6S.  I led a trump to 10 and Jack and declarer can easily set up hearts now. Spade to Ace, AH, QH covered ruffed, club to Ace, ruff a heart, KQ of clubs throwing diamonds, ruff a diamond, 8S takes my last spade and the hearts are good.

Leading a club would have made life much more difficult for declarer, though he could still get home, because of doubleton QT trumps, but I think would probably have gone off. 

 

Missed a chance of a good score on this board against Mary Shaw & Willie Hart. We bid to 4H by North and Mary led a diamond.  I put in the Queen, taken by Willie’s King who promptly returned a diamond for Mary to ruff and of course I lose AK of trumps for 1 down.  Now Adrianne had opened a diamond, why was Mary leading the 2?  If I just go up with the Ace, AC, spade to King, KC (throw a diamond), ruff a club, AS, spade ruff, ruff a club and I have 8 tricks with 2 guaranteed hearts to come.  Only AK and another heart defeats the contract.

 

Adrianne made our score more presentable by bidding the Granny on this board.  Our bidding went 1C – 2N – 4N – 5S – 5N – 6D – 7C.

2N agreed clubs with a balanced 16+. After 5S and 6D Adrianne knows I have AS, KQ clubs and another King, therefore another 4+ points so 12 is fairly certain but, although no way of knowing about 7, running all those clubs is going to make life very difficult for the Phyllis and Irene.  However it is lay down.

Unfortunately I threw away the points gained on the Grand Slam on the very next board.  After I opened 1N we reached 4S by N through Stayman and Irene led a trump taken by Ace. Phyllis immediately returns a heart, which is fairly automatic looking at dummy. I played the Q and Irene won the King, returning a heart for Phyllis to ruff. Phyllis exits with a spade.  Now I can still make this if I can make 4 clubs and discard my diamond loser. Phyllis had 3 spades and 1 heart, so 9 cards in the minors. Most likely 5-4, even if 6-3 she might have the JC, it must be odds on to finesse the 10 rather than playing for odds against 3-3 clubs or doubleton Jack.  Anyway I played AC, finessed 10C, 1 off.  Most people had no problem making game, -10.

 

Again nothing we could do about this bad score against Barbara & Davna. Barbara opened 2S, Davna bid 4S, Barbara checked for Aces and bid 7S! I led the recommended trump but with the lie of the clubs it was impossible to go wrong, 13 tricks roll in, -12 Butler points.

Thursday 5 July

Playing in a Howell with john came 1st with 63%.  Got a few gifts on the way.

This one wasn't a gift, just a mistake that provided good fortune.  Against Mary & Davna, Davna opened South 1NT, John overcalled 2D and I alerted, asked what it was I said Astro (my mistake), I then bid 3S and this was passed out. Davna led AH and switched to a spade.  I took AK, heart to K, ruffed a heart with JS then led a diamond to King and Ace.  Davna gave Mary a diamond ruff, Mary played a club, I took the Ace, drew the last trump and claimed the rest for 10 tricks. John then realised that he used unauthorised information and should have bid 4S, I was just checking with Charles when he then realised that I made 10, so it would have been even worse for our opponents! Plus 170 was obviously a top.

Most were in 3NT on the E/W hands.  That looks easy enough to defeat but running 6 clubs has obviously caused a few spade discards as some made it. Against Issy and Gerry our bidding went
P  -  P  -  1C  - 1S
P  -  2S  -  x  -  P
4H - passed out
I led 2S to John's Ace and he promptly returned QC. Gerry played a heart, I grabbed the Ace, gave partner a club ruff and John cashed AD for 1 down.  Seems straightforward but 3 people were in 4H, one made 11, one made 10 and we put it down.