1: All in 3NT:
?
...............10762
...............63
...............Q762
...............Q83
J95..........................KQ4
A75..........................KQ2
J103.........................AK95
AJ52........................1097
...............A83
...............J10984
...............84
...............K64
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1NT-3NT at three tables. One East thought the hand good enough to open 1D, reaching 3NT W.
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3NT W took eleven tricks, 3NT E ten. I think the difference was that North on lead began with a diamond or spade and South with a heart. If East goes after clubs first, after the second round of hearts declarer is likely to go after the spades next to be sure of ten tricks. A losing diamond finesse could have resulted in only nine. A diamond or spade lead, however, either takes the diamond finesse right away or makes it safe for declarer to take it later.
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3NT E +1 vs Melen, Jerik and Jock
3NT W +2 by Jean
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2: N-S hearts vs E-W spades:
?
...............Q3
...............842
...............KQ10752
...............J7
AJ6542....................87
Q9............................K65
98.............................A63
K86..........................Q10543
...............K109
...............AJ1073
...............J4
...............A92
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P-1H-2S ended the auction twice while two Norths advanced, one auction ending in 3H and one in 4H.
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A spade lead lets West set up an overruff of dummy for East on the third round but declarer can discard a club on that third spade. Nine tricks seem a plausible outcome; Jack took nine but Brean managed E-W top defending 4H S -3.2S W made both times for the middle score.
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3H S = by Jack
2S W = by Harry and Louise
4H S -3 vs Brean
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3: All in 3NT N:
?
...............K8
...............A65
...............AQ76
...............AQ42
1092.....................Q543
J74.......................Q1093
K1095...................3
976.......................KJ108
...............AJ76
...............K82
...............J842
...............53
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It turned out to make a difference whether North opened 1D or 1C, although not in the auction. South responded 1S, North rebid 2NT and South raised to game.
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Jim made 3NT after a club lead. After a heart or spade lead declarer could still have thrown East on lead to force a club late in the hand but it never happened; everyone else finished -1.
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3NT N = by Jim
3NT N -1 vs Zeerry, Maurie and Brean
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Leaders: Brean 8, Jerik 6.5, Jock 6, Melen-Zeerry 4.5
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4: Mostly 3NT:
?
...............Q9
...............103
...............K9643
...............A1096
J73.........................8642
J2...........................8654
J8752.....................AQ10
K43.........................82
...............AK105
...............AKQ97
...............----
...............QJ75
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After 1H-1NT; 2S, it seemed likely for North to play 3NT. Erik played 3NT S after a 1C Forcing opening bid. The fourth table ended in 4H S.
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With both major jacks dropping and the club finesse working, I'm really surprised that nobody took all thirteen tricks. Perhaps Jack in 4H drew trumps, finessed the clubs and then finessed the second spade, which would have resulted in twelve tricks. Assuming no diamond lead from East, declarer in 3NT should finesse the clubs early, then try hearts and run them when the jack drops, saving the spades for last. Thirteen tricks. One South cashed out nine tricks and let West on lead at trick eleven with West, North and East all down just to diamonds. Leading the jack would have held declarer to nine tricks but the low lead allowed a tenth. Another North posted 3NT +2. Despite wrong-siding the hand, Erik ended up to in 3NT S +3!
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3NT S +3 by Erik
4H S +2 by Jack
3NT N +2 vs Lourene
3NT N +1 vs Maurie
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5: 3NT or 4S:
?
...............AQJ62
...............KQ84
...............AQ4
...............3
974............................K108
7632..........................AJ95
K75............................J92
862............................KJ5
...............53
...............10
...............10863
...............AQ10974
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Aside from Jerik's artificial 1C-1D start, the three other auctions began 1S-P-1NT, 1S-X-1NT and 1S-X-2C. The 2C bid was spot on. It showed a hand not good enough for a redouble but with quite a good suit. I cannot offer the double any praise. If N-S were to defend 2Hx even at this vulnerability there would be a good fighting chance of a four-trick set for a score of +800. Whatever South did, North went on to game, 4S N twice and 3NT S twice.
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3NT made both times, with a heart lead perhaps stifling a possible overtrick. 4S was made by Myron and set by Maurie. 4S seemed unsettable, especially after a diamond lead to king and ace; East had a hard time getting out of the hand's own way. Myron made 4S but Maurie set it.
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4S N = by Myron
3NT S = by Erik and Jack
4S N -1 vs Maurie
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6: 3NT or 2D:
?
...............A103
...............K82
...............1043
...............8763
42.........................K976
AQ965..................4
A876.....................QJ52
AK.........................J1095
...............QJ85
...............J1073
...............K9
...............Q42
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Two Wests rebid 2D after opening 1H. This ended both auctions. A third auction began 1H-1S; 3D leading to 3NT E while the fourth West opted for 1H-1S; 3NT.
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3NT W made after a club lead when South covered the club nine from dummy at trick one, giving declarer nine tricks. 3NT E finished -2 after a spade lead. 2D had a chance to take eleven tricks, losing a trump to the ten and the spade ace. Jean managed eleven tricks for a good score; Zeerry held declarer to ten.
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3NT E -2 vs Jock
2D W +2 vs Zeerry
2D W +3 by Jean
3NT W = by Louise
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Leaders: Jock 12.5, Jerik 12, Brean 11.5, Maurie 10
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7: All 3NT W:
?
...............KQJ76
...............1085
...............J94
...............72
A4........................95
KQ4.....................A76
876......................A1032
AQ1054...............KJ63
...............10832
...............J932
...............KQ5
...............98
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1NT-3NT, with or without Puppet Stayman.
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North had an obvious spade lead; declarer had to lose the stopper and had ten top tricks. No plausible alternative.
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3NT W +1 by Mary, Jean, Mike and Jack
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8: Choice of majors:
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...............KQJ97
...............Q9
...............K86
...............J53
A3.......................6542
10753..................8
----......................AQJ1074
Q1098642..........A7
...............108
...............AKJ642
...............9532
...............K
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If West opens 3C, South likely balances with 3H and North comes in with 3S. After P-1S-2D-2H; P, North may rebid 2NT and let South go back to hearts, or perhaps rebid 2S and maybe end up declaring. Contracts were 3H S, 3S N twice and 4H S.
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If E-W either manage a diamond ruff or defend safely, South in hearts can be held to nine tricks. Erik took eleven tricks in 4H after a club to the ace and a spade back to the ace, followed by a second club won by the jack (for the overtrick). A second round of spades while West still had trumps in hand would have seriously inconvenienced declarer and might have resulted in declarer's being held to eight tricks; indeed Miken held 3H to seven. 3S could always have been set by force and finished -2 against Maurie, -3 against Brean.
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4H S +1 by Erik
3H S -2 vs Miken; 3S N -2 vs Maurie
3S N -3 vs Brean
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9: All failing partials:
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...............AK642
...............10973
...............J
...............A93
Q93.........................105
KQ86......................AJ52
A65.........................K972
654..........................K107
...............J87
...............4
...............Q10843
...............QJ82
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North opened 1S. One South tried 1NT and got left there. One East doubled and West competed to 3H. Two auctions began 1S-P-2S. One ended in 2S; the other saw North get pushed to 3S.
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2S seems to have a decent chance of making; Zeena still scored well for -1, as Brean posted 3S -3 and Maurie 1NT -2, a reasonable result if West can push a club through early enough. A fairly normal or bland 3H W -1 gave Jerik the N-S top. At one table, West, defending against spades, had the chance to draw South's last trump with the queen (North had led ace and king early) when dummy was void in hearts; this opportunity was unfortunately passed up.?
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3NT W -1 vs Jerik
2S N -1 by Zeena
1NT S -2 vs Maurie
3S N -3 vs Brean
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Leaders: Jerik 19.5, Brean 19, Maurie 15, Jock 14
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10: Mostly games:
?
...............A4
...............8642
...............A9
...............K10764
10532.....................J986
Q............................AJ1095
QJ543....................K86
852.........................9
...............KQ7
...............K73
...............1072
...............AQJ3
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One would expect 1NT and then 3NT after Stayman, but only two tables played there. One contract was 3C N, which almost suggests a light opening bid from East and a double from South, the fourth pair reached 4NT S somehow.
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The hand was similar to the other hand from earlier. Ax can be a most inconvenient holding in a suit (compared to Axx) when playing no-trumps in that the stopper is removed in two rounds. Here declarer had nothing to do in 3NT but cash out nine tricks after a diamond lead and continuation. Trying for more, as declarer in 4NT against Brean had to do, resulted in less.
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3NT S = by Mary and Louise
3C N +1 vs Jerik
4NT S -3 vs Brean
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11: Half in game:
?
...............Q10632
...............KQ64
...............Q985
...............----
A9..........................J54
J53.........................A10
K104......................J72
KQ843...................AJ976
...............K87
...............9872
...............A63
...............1052
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West's spade nine and East's heart ten made all the difference on this hand. West opened 1C, North likely doubled; East made some sort of invitational noise and West accepted the invitation twice, 3NT being played from each side. Other contracts were 3C W and 3H S.
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Louise took ten tricks in 3H, suggesting extremely busy defence of the wrong sort. Instead of attacking North's trumps, West likely went for a ruff and led the spade ace, perhaps even switching to a diamond at some point (as that looks necessary for the overtrick). In 3NT the intermediates pulled way more than their weight. North can make the brilliant lead of the ten of spades to force out West's stopper without allowing West a second one, but?a low spade lead allows West a second stopper in the suit and allows time to play on hearts for a second trick there and possibly diamonds as well; Erik emerged with ten tricks. 3NT E similarly made after a heart lead; declarer had time to lead diamonds, although a switch from North to the spade ten would have set the contract after heart to queen and ace followed by diamond to queen. Maurie allowed a quiet ten tricks in 3C for a good score.
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3H S +1 by Louise
3C W +1 vs Maurie
3NT E = by Bruce
3NT W +1 by Erik
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12: 1NT N or 2NT W:
?
...............96
...............AJ4
...............J732
...............AK42
AK5..........................QJ3
1063.........................Q987
K54...........................A108
J965..........................Q73
...............108742
...............K52
...............Q96
...............108
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This was a strange hand; the auction was either 1C-P-1S-P; 1NT or 1C-X-P-2NT. At least the earlier double on a flat hand held full opening values; they were not present here.
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1NT N might get very lucky. If East leads a heart to the jack, a finesse of the diamond nine allows the contract to make. Similarly 2NT is likely defeated by a diamond lead. Zeerry defeated 2NT by a club lead and diamond switch when West followed by a second club, finessing the nine and losing to the ten. Laurie played 1NT -1. Jack in 2NT took nine tricks after a diamond lead because South played the queen instead of finessing the nine against dummy's ten, a surprising blunder. Brean were E-W top defending 1NT -2.
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2NT W -1 vs Zeerry
1NT N -1 by Laurie
2NT W +1 by Jack
1NT N -2 vs Brean
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Leaders: Brean 27, Jerik 24.5, Maurie 21.5
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13: South's diamonds versus East's clubs:
?
...............K87
...............Q1082
...............Q76
...............AJ2
J9.............................A6432
A943.........................J7
K94...........................A
Q1085.......................K9763
...............Q105
...............K65
...............J108532
...............4
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Auctions were competitive; if North opened 1C, East overcalled 1S and then it may have been easier for South to take the bid in 2D or 3D, perhaps after a negative double and 1NT by West. It would have been tricky for E-W to get a natural club bid into the auction later. Possibly two Norths passed and East opened 1S, then rebid clubs. This led to 3C E and 5C E.
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A heart lead seriously inconveniences East in clubs, as the diamonds are still blocked and West has no other entry for the immediate discard. Zeena made 3C for the E-W top; Maurie were N-S top defending 5C -1. With both sides vulnerable, it was a bit of doing for both scores to be top. Both declarers in diamonds took exactly eight tricks, suggesting either a spade ruff for West but a heart switch from one defender or a lucky drop of the doubleton jack offside in exactly one major of the two.
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5C E -1 vs Maurie
2D S = by Jean
3D S -1 vs Miken
3C E = by Zeena
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14: Mostly 4H:
?
...............KJ754
...............KQJ8
...............104
...............42
AQ82....................1063
3............................10742
A876.....................532
Q1098...................K65
...............9
...............A965
...............KQJ9
...............AJ73
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This one could take a little doing. After 1D-1S; 2C, North is not good enough for 2H (Fourth Suit Forcing) and has to choose between 2NT and 2D. After 2NT South can advance with 3H, worth the shot as the hand can accept the game invitation anyway. 4H S was played once, along with 3H N and 4H N twice.
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Played by North, the aggressive defensive lead of a club works well, as North is under an illusion that the trumps can get attacked early with club forces. A spade lead proves helpful; Zeerry were even able to set 4H N, declarer going after trumps too soon. A club lead from West did not work out at all as well, as East's king came out on the first round rather than the second. Jean made 4H S and Laurie 4H N to split the top score.
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4H N = by Laurie; 4H S = by Jean
3H N = vs Miken
4H N -1 vs Zeerry
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15: Four different denominations:
?
...............A642
...............10985
...............Q32
...............105
K103....................J98
KJ764..................3
----.......................AJ10874
KJ843..................972
...............Q75
...............AQ2
...............K965
...............AQ6
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One West had an unlucky misclick: 1D-1S-P-2S. The other Souths all opened 1NT. One West overcalled 2H and played it there. The other Wests both passed, not having a convenient two-suited overcall available. One North also passed and East balanced with 3D, left in. The other North bid 2C and had the bad luck to see South jump to 3NT over East's 2D. The only eight-card fit, E-W's clubs, was the one suit that was never trumps whole three E-W pairs played in different six-card "fits". A 2H overcall showing hearts and a minor could have led to 3C had East opted for 2NT to choose clubs over diamonds. A DONT 2C might have ended the auction, or North might have made a negative double and then the auction could have gone anywhere.
?
Played anywhere but clubs the hand was ugly all around. N-S had lots of losing finesses and E-W no communication; it was a case of which side helped the other more. 3NT S escaped for one down but even that was still E-W top for Miken just for their being wise enough not to declare. 2S and 3D were two down, 2H only one.
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2S W -2 vs Brean; 3D E -2 vs Maurie
2H W -1 by Harry
3NT S -1 vs Miken
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Leaders: Brean 34, Maurie 29.5, Jerik 25.5, Zeerry 23.5
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16: 3D S or 2S W:
?
...............A7
...............1054
...............764
...............QJ642
QJ1096...............842
J973....................862
A2.......................QJ10
A9.......................K875
...............K53
...............AKQ
...............K9853
...............103
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After 1S-P-2S, South could have come in with 3D as a pre-balance. East might have bid 1NT forcing planning to give preference to 2S; this could have kept South out of the auction, as 1S-1NT; 2H-2S looks like a misfit. 2S and 3D were both played twice.
?
3D comes down to whether South has a flash of psychic inspiration and guesses to play West for the trump ace with shortage. Jean made the contract but Mike still was above average with -1.?2S resulted in a placid eight tricks, although a diamond lead ducked would have required West to lead hearts early, no later than after the second diamond.
?
3D S = by Jean
3D S -1 by Mike
2S W = by Jack and Louise
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17: Half in 2H S:
?
...............A106
...............865
...............8765
...............743
K8752...................93
KQ........................J104
AJ2.......................KQ109
J108......................K652
...............QJ4
...............A9732
...............43
...............AQ9
?
A little strangely, two North dredged up a raise after P-P-1H-1S and two Wests did not reopen with a double. The lower contracts were 1S W?and 1NT E.
?
2H has a surprisingly peaceful make, as the finesses work and a spade ruff if it happens does E-W no good. Mary even managed an overtrick, apparently being given three club tricks. 1S - and 1NT -1 were also quite straightforward.?
?
2H S +1 by Mary
2H S = by Jean
1NT E -1 by Jim
1S W = by Jack
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18: Mostly no-trumps on both sides:
?
...............K10
...............AQ64
...............AQ3
...............KJ108
QJ9.........................A8642
K109.......................J832
J104........................72
A965.......................Q3
...............753
...............75
...............K9865
...............742
?
One West played 1NT but usually the contract was by North. West might have opened 1C in third seat. North played 1NT and 2NT and one East played 2S.
?
Poor North never picked up on South's diamond suit when West declared; Erik made the contract, the diamonds wide open the whole time. 2S could have been defeated by a heart lead or even a club but Zeena managed an overtrick. Lauire scored well enough in 1NT N =. Bruce had been dummy for most of the side's good results but here?produced a remarkable 2NT +3, although, switch E-W's eight and nine of spades and the contract can be set by choice. It just goes to show how sometimes not being able to see all of one's side's twenty-six cards can greatly hinder?finding the most successful line of?defence.
?
2NT N +3 by Bruce
1NT N = by Laurie
1NT W = by Erik
2S E +1 by Jo
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Final: Brean 42, Maurie 35, Jerik 30.5, Jock 27
