Scottish Mixed Swiss Teams 11th February

Playing with Adrianne, partnered by Allan & Claire Whiteford we ended with a very poor result.  For the first four rounds Adrianne and I had done very well.  We had an excellent card on match one which we won 17-3.  For the second match we didn't have much say as the cards were all E/W, unfortunately our partners made a mistaken call of a card from Dummy and went down in a game losing that match.  We won the third as we bid a slam which was missed at the other table.  In match four we lost as Abi bid a slam which was only found at one other table in the room.  So two wins and two defeats and no luck so far.  In round five Adrianne and I collapsed and we lost 20-0.  Not good.  We lost the last match as well to go down near the bottom.

This is the hand that lost the last match and is a problem for weak No Trump vs Strong.  At the other table playing strong North opened 1NT and South with decent intermediates just bid 3NT despite 4333.  This is not a good contract and I suppose sums up our luck on the day.  East leads a diamond for North to win but you must run 8 further tricks before West gets in to lead another diamond through.  As you can see the spade finesse works and the hearts are 3-3, about an 18% chance.
However, in principle, you want to be in this game at teams.
At our table I opened 1S, Adrianne bid 1NT and I passed, just not quite enough for 2NT I reckoned.  East bid 2D, Adrianne 2S and I passed.  Managed to make 10 tricks.




This had been the previous board and we reached 4H by a roundabout route.
Adrianne decided to open South 2S which was passed round to East who found a 3D bid.  This came back to me and I decided to double. Adrianne thought maybe she should own up to having the other major and bid 3H.  East bid 4D!  What to do?  Clearly Adrianne is void in diamonds and 6-4 in the majors.  Setting up spades shouldn't be a problem and 4H will make OK.  Will I make more from doubling?  Playing is always easier than defending so I chose 4H. No problem making 10 tricks for  flat board.

Here is a previous board that must have been a problem for strong NT as half the field didn't find slam.  At our table Adrianne opened 1C, I bid 1H and Adrianne made the only sensible rebid of 1NT.  I couldn't remember whether we played 4N quantative or Blackwood, so just bid 6H.  No problem in making that.

If you play strong NT though, how do you bid it?  1C - 1H - ? Both 2C and 3C are just plain wrong, but I suppose you have no option but to bid 2C and so 4H will be the likely outcome.  If it is available to you this is a case where a jump shift to 2H would be appropriate however these hands are so rare and it takes away bidding space from more normal openers that hardly anyone jump shifts anymore.

Wednesday 7th February

Didn't do very well playing E/W at St Andrew Club with an arrow switch on the last round came in the middle with 51%.

I opened West 1H and Ian overcalled 1S.  Presumably their Michaels isn't allowed here and if you overcall 2D you are unlikely ever to get spades into the picture.
So what should Gerry bid? 4H is wrong, we play that with weak hands.  We have Bergen raises available, but a limit raise does not describe this hand.  I suppose the options are 3S, 4D or 2C.  3S would be much better than 4D but Gerry chose to show his values first (never a bad idea in bidding) and bid 2C.  Bob bid 4S knowing their 10 card fit.
I don't think we are getting too many match points for defending but don't see any other option but to double.  Gerry now bid 5H leaving me perplexed.  He cannot have just three hearts, he would always leave the double in.  So why didn't he give me a limit raise?  I reckoned on good clubs and good heart support but decided I would be guessing too much and chickened out of 6H.  As it happens it depends on a finesse but the KC is onside and the slam would have been an easy make.



After two passes third in hand bids have a lot of leeway, so here am I with 7 clubs but 4 spades and just enough to open 1C.  However that gives the opponents too much room to find their better red suit fit, so I chose 3C.
North passed and Gerry thought seriously about 3NT.  If there are 7 club tricks he has two Aces and the hearts stopped.  However we have misused minor suit pre-empts third in hand too often.  Even vulnerable he cannot depend on me having 7 clubs never mind the AK and so he passed.  Pity. 
North led a diamond to my Ace, I played AS and ducked a spade to North's Jack.  North now played a club to Jack and King.  I ruffed a spade with the QC felling the King.  I ruffed a diamond back, drew trumps and conceded a heart for 11 tricks.

Gerry got us a good score on this hand.  I went with the flow and opened 1H.  Gerry bid 1S and I bid 2D.  Gerry now bid 2NT and I passed.  South made the obvious club lead to Q and Ace. North returned a club to Gerry's 10.  Gerry now unblocked AK of spades and exited with a small diamond to South's Q. Now defence is very difficult and everyone, like South here would  want to continue clubs to set up the fourth.  However that is a  mistake, that gets the defence one more trick.  If South had switched to a heart he would set up two tricks for the defence (why with 5 in dummy is Declarer not touching them?). So a club came back, Gerry ducked another diamond, South cashed his club and that was the end of the defence, two diamonds and a club.

Tuesday 24 January

Playing E/W in National Pairs District Final with Gerry we did not shine finishing around the middle with 52%.  There were three possible slams and we missed them all.  Unfortunately I mixed up a system bid on one of them which kept us out of that.  Don't play anything unless you are going to remember it!

 I should have known it wouldn't be my night when I got this very first hand wrong.
Gerry and I competed to 3H and Sheila and Maida to 3S.  I could have been more forceful and pushed us into 4H.
Gerry started with two rounds of hearts,  Sheila ruffed and played three rounds of spades ending in dummy.  She now led a diamond to K and A and Gerry played a third heart ruffed.
Sheila now led JC, covered by K and Ace, followed with TC off the table and I stopped to think.  Declarer has 7 spades and 1 heart, 5 cards in minors.  Gerry has been unable to give any count, so is it 3 clubs, 2 diamonds or vice versa? Inexplicably I decided on 3 clubs and ducked!  By discarding diamonds to keep my QC I let it make 11.
Why is this so stupid?  Well with 3 clubs or 2 clubs, it makes no difference whether I take Q now, Declarer will get the same number of tricks.  Strange how you try to concentrate on one thing and go brain dead on another.

This was a horror story turned into a fairy tale.
Robert opened South 1C and Gerry overcalled 2H, Kathleen passed and I bid 3H.  Yes, I bid 3H.
I was thinking Robert's got a big hand, he won't have spades so can't use a take out double, I can push them into 5 of a minor rather than a probable 3NT.
Unfortunately Robert managed to double and Kathleen bid 3NT.  Oh well, nothing lost except .....  Psycho shower scene music .... Gerry bid 4H.  What happened to a pre-empter not bidding again?!  I had an image of -1100 carved in blood on the score sheet and I have to put down this dummy.
I'm afraid I can't remember the exact play of the hand (I had covered my eyes in fear).  It started with 9S to Ace, I don't remember if there was a ruff but AD went on air, a club was made and my Fairy Godmother Gerry made 8 tricks for a near top.

This is an interesting hand for bidding and play.  In play it can be made by an elimination and throw in OR by a reverse dummy.

Gerry opened 1C, Sam bid 2D and I bid 2S.  Gerry bid 3S.  With a genuine 2S bid by me, Gerry could have bid 4S, but he knows I will stretch to 2S here.
I could now bid 4C, in fact should have.  However those three diamonds were very off putting I just bid 4S  Very poor, 4C never costs.

Anyway the play.  Stephen led JD and I took the Ace.  I cashed KQ of spades and with the two-two break I see that I can strip the minors and throw in. So I cashed AQ clubs, crossed with a spade and cashed KC throwing a DIAMOND.  I ruffed a club and exited with my last diamond.  Sam wins and has to give me a ruff and discard or lead a heart, 12 tricks made.

Lets say the spades had been 3-1 (you can also do this 2-2). Now you can play a reverse dummy, that's when you ruff in the hand with longer trumps.
After AD, KQ of spades, cash AQ clubs and cross to AS, cash KC and throw a HEART.  Ruff a club, play KH, JH to Ace and ruff a heart.  This way you makes 6 spades, 2 hearts, 1 diamond and 3 clubs, 12 tricks.

Wednesday 8 November 2017

Playing N/S we just scraped an above average 51%.
We play Lucas Twos and are rather generous in the definition.  This worked well for us on one hand and badly on another.
A Lucas Two is a 5 card major with a 4 card minor (5 if vulnerable), 6 - 10 points and points mainly in the suits.  We use the definition as 'advisory'.

We open a multi two diamond with a weak two in the majors, Gerry decided to get both suits into the picture and opened a Lucas 2S.  Charles doubled and I had an easy 4S bid.  This went round to Charles who doubled again and Vi decided to pass.
 There was nothing in the play, the defence got their two heart tricks and that was it for a top for us.  One of those unusaul hands where both N/S and E/W can make 11 tricks.

Here again Gerry decided to open a Lucas 2H, well he is 5-4 and points are in the suits. Dot doubled and I passed waiting to see what happens (probably a mistake, better to bid a 2NT enquiry).  Jim bid 2S and Dot raised to 3S.
I was worried that now 3NT would be to play, 4C might be construed to play as well (why not bid 2NT earlier). There were a likely three losers, however just two loser was quite possible as well.  I put on my rose coloured glasses and bid 4NT.  Gerry bid 5D and did very well to make 10 tricks.
However we scored quite well as more than half the field sold out to 3S which makes 10 tricks.

Thursday 20 April

Playing in a Howell with Gerry, came third with 52%.  I had a few howlers which I shall not reveal here, should have been at least in the high 50s.

Gerry got us a top on this one.  He opened South's minimum 12 count 1NT and I raised to 3NT with my maximum 12 count.

George led 2S and Gerry chose the QS which held. He now led a small diamond off the table and Gerry made an error by going in with the King.  Gerald came back 9S, Gerry went up with the Ace and another spade created 3 spade tricks to go with the 3 diamonds.
A club back now but too late, a heart from table gives the 9th trick.

Again Gerry got us a top against Willie's 3NT. 
6D lead by Gerry made me think a little with the North hand.  In the end I have no sure idea what the lead is from but must play JD.
Willie takes Ace and plays AK and another club.  Gerry now plays 9D which is allowed to run and holds.  Another diamond to my Queen and I exit with 9S giving Willie no winning option, He rose with Ace and cashed 8 tricks.

Double dummy there is a great way of making this contract.  Win AD and play a spade towards Jack.  It does not matter what South does, lets say he takes KS and plays 9D as before then diamond to my Queen and now a club back.
Win AC, cash the spades and hearts and South is squeezed in diamonds and clubs. He has to come down to singleton KD, now exit from Dummy with a diamond and end played in clubs.  Very neat but is a simple club finesse not more obvious!

Thursday 13 April

Playing in a Howell with Gerry came third with 54%, usual ups and downs.  We did find two good slams via the same route that had a different meaning each time.

Gerry opened South 1C and I bid 1H, Gerry raised to 3H, I cued 3S, Gerry 4C and then I bid 5H.  After suit agreement this flags poor hearts and really asks for two top honours opposite.  Ever the optimist, Gerry likes his T9 and bids 6H.

JS lead to my Ace, I have to find QH onside so I play small to the 9 which holds.  I ruff a spade back and lead a small heart again, the Queen appears and that was that.  Nat won the Ace, returned a spade to Dummy's King, I drew the last trump and claimed.

I opened West 1S and Gerry bid 2D, I bid 3H and Gerry bid 5S.  Here after no prior suit agreement and bidding the other suits, the raise to 5 asks for slam if I don't have two losers in the unbid suit.  I bid 6S

AC and another, ruff, two rounds of spades then AH, KH and a heart ruffed high.  Back to hand with a club ruff, draw last trump and claim.

I had an interesting choice here, I opened West 1S, North bid 1NT back to me.  Instinct tells you to bid 2S, but I thought about this and reckoned I am likely to go one down (it'll be -2 on best defence).  I also reckoned I have good chances of defeating 1NT, the worry would be 5 club tricks against me.  However partner is likely to have just one or two spades and surely some clubs.
Next I wondered if I should double at Match Points but that is just a gamble, I decided to defend 1NT and passed.
Gerry led 9S which I overtook and drove out AS. Declarer led a club to Dummy's Ace and then QH which I covered.  Declarer took AH and JH, KC and exited with a club to Gerry's Queen. Gerry can cash TH and that was one down.

Of course 7 can be made via running the club, but you wouldn't relish losing to the Queen and then having to find 3 discards on the spades

Stirling Match 9 March

Playing N/S at table 2 with Gerry for St Mungo against Stirling (Bob McPaul & Tony Wilkinson) we had a good first half, our opponents had a great second half.  Overall we lost 10-6.

Nothing we could have done about the second half, they were the only ones to bid an unbeatable 4S and they avoided bidding an unmakeable slam.

A good board for us in the first half was this 5C.

After two passes I opened North 1D and the bidding went:

  P  -  P  -  1D  -  1H
  x  -  P  -  2C  -  2H
3C -  P  -  3S   -   P
5C  -  AP

The key bid was 3S, showing a decent hand and bidding out my shape.  This greatly improving Gerry's hand, so he can now make a well reasoned 5C bid.  Tables 3 & 4 stopped short, Sam Punch & Stephen Peterkin also bid to 5C and Robert Clow switched to 10S after AH.
Now because of our bidding, I would have certainly suspected that to be a singleton, good opponents wouldn't be opening up our secondary fit.  Also, being the 10, you are now guaranteed 3 spade tricks, heart ruff, two diamonds and 5 clubs if you find the Lady.
Anyway Sam let the 10 run and quickly suffered a ruff for one down.
I had an easier ride, AH, KH, ruffed, AC, draw trumps ending in hand, lead a small spade,10 appears, cover with Jack, lose to King and claim.

Russell and Alan had a poor first half score because Harry & Ronan bid a 6NT with AK of diamonds cashing for the defence.  Unfortunately Alan wasn't for leading away from KD into a 2NT hand and they got away with it.
However they made up for it in the second half with an excellent score helped by being the only pair to bid this slam.

At our table Gerry opened 1C, I bid 1H and Gerry raised to 2H. I bid 3NT, a good description of my hand and caters for Gerry raising on 3 card support.  Gerry obviously just bids 4H.
Bob led a trump and when Dummy went down I thought about how I would be playing 6H.  I won in Dummy, took a second round and when Alex showed out decided not to take any chances with clubs and just drew trumps and a losing spade finesse for 11 tricks.
6H is always there, win opening lead in hand, lead a club, you don't have to put in the 10.  Win the King, back with a trump, club to Ace, win trump return, ruff a club, over to QD, draw last trump and claim.

At Russell and Alan's table I do not know the exact bidding, I think 1NT by South, 2C Stayman and a double by East (there was a club double at some point).  Anyway it ended 6NT by South and although a spade lead defeats this, West has to lead a club which goes to the  to the Ace and Russell finessed against JC the next time to set up 12 tricks without touching spades.