Thursday 26th June

3NT proved a very difficult contract for me, all were easy double dummy but I just didn't have the insight. Here are three typical examples.


Board 3 (N/S)

After two passes the bidding went 1C – 1D – 1NT – 3NT, East led a spade to the Jack and I immediately took the Ace, not wanting a heart switch. I played AD, 10D, not covered which I ran, West discards a club (looked like a signal for hearts). I cashed AC and led my last diamond to the King.

Now double dummy I have 9 tricks by giving up a diamond (and ducking a spade continuation), however I feel sure that if East gets in I will be losing 5 hearts. So I tried the JC and West shows out discarding a spade, so I took my King. Now seeing the distribution as likely to be 5-5-1-2 in the west hand and assuming the AH is there, I decided to cash KS and exit with a spade to West, end playing that hand to ensure my KH and down 1 which I hoped would beat everyone else down 2. However although I got my King, the Ace had been onside all the time. Average score.

Board 9 (E/W)
South opens 1H, Adrianne doubles, North passes and I bid 2NT. Adrianne takes a very rosy view and bids 3NT. A small heart is led and I don’t fancy my chances much, however if I win that heart, bring home 5 diamond tricks, exit with KS to South’s supposed Ace and South gives me another heart, 9 tricks are there, although defenders can easily scupper this. Anyway I win the heart, finesse the diamond and down 3.

Double dummy of course I should win the heart, lead a spade to the King, cash 5 diamonds from the top (unblocking my Jack), cross to Ace clubs and lead another spade, whatever South does I make 9.

Board 19 (E/W)
The bidding was passed round to me and I opened 2NT. Adrianne went through Baron and we finished in 3NT (though Adrianne had seriously considered 4H). I got the obvious diamond lead and dummy’s Jack held the trick.

Now double dummy I have 9 tricks by leading QS (it does not matter whether it is covered or not). I must get 4 spades and 4 hearts to go with the diamond. However I was just hoping for a 5-5 diamond split and going 1 off (two 3-3 breaks in the majors and KS onside didn't seem likely). I played on clubs and of course ended up -2. Two East’s managed to make this contract, obviously I accept defeat too easily.


Board 17 (E/W) was a good distributional hand which worked well for us despite me making completely the wrong bid.
North opened 1D, I passed and South bid 1H. Adrianne bids 4S passed round to South who bids 5D, North decides to change this to 5H. Now Adrianne will happily double this and we should manage 3 off (4 off on a diamond lead), but I'm not in this game for the easy life! I bid 5S (Harry will be birling in his grave --- I can hear his refrain "the 5 level is for the opponents") which North doubles.

North leads AD on which South drops the Queen. North tries AC and then decides to continue with KD! Our opponents were still arguing as we moved onto the next table. I never found out what the QD was for, his partner couldn’t understand why he didn’t just show count.

One day I'll learn Harry's lesson and pass at the 5 level.

Monday 17th June

We found a 4 Hearts on board 4 which most people missed.

1C – 1D – P – 1H – P – 2H – P - 4H

Thereby missing a superior 4S, however the contract has no problem making a safe 10 tricks. East should have bid 2C even if playing a prepared club, but Adrianne would still try 2H. If East opens 1NT, this would be passed round to Adrianne who should bid an Astro 2D and then we shall be in 4S ( I say 'should', we guarantee 5S with 2D Astro, but this would be an exception).

Everyone finds a slam on board 20, but most were in spades.

I decided to open 1S and Adrianne replied 2H. Well that is enough for me to take a dive at a slam. I rebid 3S, Adrianne bid 4S (3NT more logical?), then I bid 6H which I thought paints the best picture of my hand. Adrianne passes. This makes 13 by ruffing the spade loser. I have no idea how you can bid 7H, you would need some sort of exclusion RKC asking in hearts and then ask for QH and get the bonus of KC.

Thursday 12th June

An interesting board 5 where the entire field is in 4S -1 and I made 10.

I opened 1NT and Adrianne quickly transferred me into 4S. South led AC and luckily for me didn't play a diamond next, but continued a club. So I discarded a diamond and played a third club discarding another diamond. North ruffed this and cashed AD. North now played 7S.

Well South started with 7 clubs and didn't lead a singleton. If she is 7 - 2 - 2 - 2 I don't think North is playing from K7 of spades, K to 3 is possible, but I reckoned that this defender would be less likely to do that. I decided to go for gold and rose with the Ace. Contract made.

Thursday 8th May

Playing Match points I opened 1NT on hand 4:
The next hand bid an Astro 2D and Adrianne used Lebensohl to make me declarer in 6C. Certainly this is a punt as we could easily have two losers off the top, but there are plenty tricks in the South hand. Anyway, East did not oblige with a spade lead and I was 1 off. Others just settled for 3NT or 5C. However it is unlucky that there was no play for the contract. We have 10 points in diamonds, but only 3 tricks plus I am a complete minimum.

On the next hand Adrianne gets a top being the only one to make 12 tricks:


We had a simple 1S-1NT-3S-4S auction.
Adrianne got a club lead, took two trumps and finessed 10D. Back to hand and finessed QD to discard the heart loser on AD. She will make 12 on any lead by playing the diamonds thus and then leading to the clubs.

I managed a top on board 13.

I couldn’t decide what to open, but plumped for 2NT. Luckily Adrianne responded and we found the heart fit and I played in 4H without any interference. I managed 11 tricks as the opponents didn’t take their spade and I got it away on a club that was ruffed. If you make a more sensible opening of 1C with my hand, then West obviously bids spades and then all sorts of things can happen as was reflected in the scores at the other tables, but no other N/S made game.

Monday 5th May

Playing aggregate with Adrianne, this was mostly a tale of slams. Our first bad one isn’t quite a slam, but we weren’t even in game:

Board 8:

West opens and the bidding proceeds: 1S – P – 1NT – x – 2D – 3C – 3D – 3H – P – 4C and this was passed out.
East inevitably leads her partner’s first suit and after J – Q – K – A spades, I have 13 tricks. The winners our way managed to bid 6C, why did we not even find game? Adrianne’s double followed by 3H would show 16+ points and a good heart suit (normally 6). I don't think that let's me find 5C, I think partner has to see that she hasn't shown this trump holding, but still, with everyone bidding, it is not that easy. However, why don't I just overcall the 1S opening with 3C? Adrianne will have no problem bidding on.

On board 16 Adrianne found a good slam which most people weren’t in.
The bidding went: P – 1D – 1S – x – 4S – 5C – P – 6D. Adrianne knows there must be 12 tricks, but has no idea if I have 2 small spades or not. I suppose the bidding suggests not.


On board 19 slam wasn’t too difficult to bid (actually there is a grand, but nobody finds that).

Our bidding went (with opponents silent): 1D – 1S – 4C – 6D

Perhaps at aggregate I should have bid 3H over the 1D opener, but no matter, even if my club suit isn’t so useful after partner’s splinter, there must be excellent prospects here. Adrianne left the diamonds in rather than go back to spades (obviously I have longer diamonds), there is always a worry of a diamond ruff, or with a bad spade break there might be a discard on hearts or a club finesse for a spade discard if we play in diamonds.

On board 21, 3 pairs find slam, but 2 go down. We are just in 4S:
We had no interference (though West surely has a take out double and East can jump to 4H). Anyway it went 1D – 1S – 2S – 4S. Now Adrianne has a 5 loser hand and knows we have a double fit. A jump to 4C would have been better. Anyway after QH lead, Adrianne wins the Ace, ruffs a heart and leads the JS from dummy, no matter what West does she can only lose 1 spade.

Finally on board 25 came our Nemesis. A 1640 point swing on a lead.
Our bidding went:

2H – P – P – x – P – 4D – 4H – 5D – 5H – 6D – x

Now things could have gone differently, perhaps Adrianne should bid 4H immediately? Should a pre-empter like me bid 5H because I have a diamond void? Anyway, Adrianne on lead fancies I will be short in spades and lay down AS. Slam made.
It just seemed luck that the wrong Ace was led, but as usual with a little afterthought, we reckoned why is partner bidding 5H – has he 3 small diamonds, even 2, definitely not, therefore he surely has a few spades. With West using a take out double over 2H, it is unlikely that East has any spades. Or is that just knowledge after the fact? Probably.

Monday 7th April

We stop in a simple 1NT on board 3 despite a good 15 opposite a good 9 and neither of us shy about bidding. Adrianne judged extremely well to make 9 tricks. West led a heart won in dummy. Adrianne ran the 10C, this is good play, diamonds are the obvious source of tricks for the defence and West didn't lead one, no point in rushing into hand for a spade finesse and then geting a diamond switch. So Adrianne cashed AC, cashed all the hearts, then the clubs and took AS. A top score, 2S -1 or 3NT -1 or -2 are the par scores.

Not so easy on the next board though. I opened a club, East overcalls a diamond, Adrainne bids a heart (this promises 5), so I naturally bid 4H (even I would find a 4D splinter looking for a slam a tad optimistic):Adrianne received the diamond lead and a switch to the 10S taken in hand. She plays a club to King and Ace, another spade to Ace in dummy and Adrianne thinks a spade ruff is coming and plays AH and a small heart, the third spade is played, but clubs cannot now be established. If a club is ruffed before AH then the contract makes. Only one other pair found 4H (3C -1 is the par contract) so we got an average.

Adrianne got us a top on board 11 by making 11 tricks:
Playing 4H a club is led. Adrianne immediately finesses a spade, cashes three top hearts ending in hand for another spade finesse, She now discards her club on AS, ruffs a spade and exits in diamonds. This sets up a diamond ruff in dummy and a fifth spade for 11 tricks. Only two other pairs can manage that.

I managed to overcall in this hand to get us a good score.

West opened a club and I bid 1H, East bid 2C, Adrianne doubled (raise to 3H), west bid 3C and I bid 3H to end the auction.
I received a club lead, took the spade finesse, ruffed a club, Ace and another diamond ruffed, ruffed a club, exited with 9H to King A spade comes back to Ace, exit with a heart, a spade is cashed, but my hand is high now for 10 tricks.
One other pair did the same, nobody else is even in hearts.

On board 18, I managed to get us a top with 11 tricks in hearts.

South opens 1D, I find a heart bid, Adrianne splinters and I bid 4H.
A spade was led which I took in dummy. Now I plan to just try the top two hearts, so obviously start with Ace in dummy as my top hearts are my only entries. Finding the 4 - love break I continue with JH covered by Queen and King. I now exit a club. East tries a small diamond now. I play low and West makes the error by putting up the King. West returns a heart and with a diamond finesse and 3-3 break I make 11.
Defenders make it easy, but I am always making 10 here through 3 spades, a diamond, a club and 5 hearts, even if West finds the correct 9D and returns QS, I still make 10 with a long diamond or a spade finesse. The par scores are either 5H -1 or -2 or 4H -1 or even -2

Finally on board 25 we got into a terrible fankle

I make the mistake of opening 1S on a weak 2S hand. Our bidding goes 1S - 2C - (2H) - 2S - 3D - 3S - passed out.

My 2S over the 2H overcall promises six. Adrianne's 3D is game forcing. I should really bid 4C. Partner has failed to bid 3NT with a game hand, she either has at most 1 spade or slam interest in spades. 4C would be the best bid by me. However, should Adrianne bid 3D? It is game forcing and she passes 3S, so obviously not, especially as that KJ hearts are looking like waste paper. 2NT is probably the best bid, a 12 count and protection for the heart holding. 3C is the other possibility, but you don't like to lose the chance of a game. Anyway, why didn't I open 2S?!

Thursday 3rd April

A lot of swingy hands last night. On board 3 we got a good score:

After 1S – 3C (hearts and clubs), I bid 4S, East bids 5H and Adrianne relieves me of any decision by bidding 5S. East naturally doubles this, but running the 9S brings home the contract for the loss of one heart and one trump.
We are the only ones in 5Sx, others defending or doubling 5H, but one pair is in 4Sx!? West obviously had great trust in their partner.

Hand 7 was a common or garden contract, but gave me the problem I love/hate match points for:

Playing E/W. the obvious sequence went 1D – 1NT – 2NT – P

I received a heart lead won by the Queen and on the heart return my 10 went to King and Ace. I now played the KC taken by North who cleared the hearts. Now I finesse the 10C, South showing out. Now the problem.

I have 8 obvious tricks via 2 hearts, 2 spades and 4 clubs. But I could make anything from 7 to 10 tricks here. If South gains the lead with Ace diamonds then 8 is the limit as he has 2 hearts to cash. Do I finesse the spade and if it loses, end up with 7 tricks? Well at least this is obvious, play a diamond to the King first, worry about the spade later. Luckily North has the Ace, so now I have 9 tricks, but North returns a spade and gives me 10 anyway. ( I think South’s discards on clubs would give away the spade position anyway).

I got a bottom on hand 14 and there was nothing I could realistically do about it, we were just up against two good players.

After Pass-Pass, Adrianne opens 1H (I prefer 1NT here), North passes of course and I bid 1NT, this goes round to North who doubles. I didn’t enquire, though suspect North must have hearts. I could have tried 2D, but with a nice 9 count 1NTx will suit me. Anyway it is passed out after the double is explained as an opening hand with hearts.
South finds the best lead of course of a spade. I take the Ace immediately (no point in holding up – I have 7 tricks on a diamond finesse and if it fails South gets in for the spades anyway). Well diamond finesse does fail and N/S get 4 spades, a diamond and 3 hearts for 2 off doubled. Can’t complain about bottoms from opponent’s good bidding and play – but nearly a top if North had the QD.

However we did well on another swingy board 16

The bidding went 1S - 2NT - 3S - 4H - 4S, passed out. This is 2 off ( a spade, 2 diamonds, a heart and a club) when 6 of a minor makes N/S. Only one N/S bid the slam, unlucky for them they went to 7!

Another swingy board was 18 which I certainly got wrong (we are N/S):

The bidding went: 1C – 3D – P – 3S – 4H(?) – P – P – 5D – P – P – 5H. I stupidly double (where are 3 tricks coming from?) Of course there is no defence. As it happens we are getting a bottom anyway because no one else found the heart fit.

Finally this was not our hand. Our opponents like everyone else bid it to 4H. Is it not possible to reach a slam?

I would open the South hand 2C, partner bids 2D, I bid 2H and partner should say 4D. I think I can see 6H now. Bidding 7 is a bit more difficult.