1:
?
...............10752
...............A63
...............K93
...............J104
A98.......................KJ
1095......................Q74
AQ2.......................J108764
AQ62.....................85
...............Q643
...............KJ82
...............5
...............K973
?
West opens 1NT and then it is all on East. Does East go on in no-trumps? into diamonds? 1NT W was left in six times. 2NT W and 3D E were played once each, although I don't think 3D resulted after the usual 2S removal from 1NT; it would seem that South found a way in. 3NT W was reached thrice, once after East did come in with 2S and follow with 3D; at least West has a tolerable chance of nine tricks even if East is quite weak; Kxxxxx in diamonds and three low hearts provide a fair chance.
?
Declarer in 3D takes a relatively mundane nine tricks. In no-trumps it looks as if there is a trap for declarer, especially if North leads a spade. If declarer ducks the first spade, North can hold off in diamonds and declarer does quite badly. One pair missed this chance; after North took the first diamond the heart switch was not found and declarer emerged with nine tricks. Owen, Louise and Lynn all made 3NT to share the E-W top; Delen's opponent fell into the declaring trap and gave them N-S top defending 2NT -2. West can always force eight tricks in no-trumps by saving the spade king and establishing the diamonds but North must find the heart switch to be sure of five tricks. Conndy and Janj scored well for -120; 1NT +2 was just above middle score.
?
2NT W -2
3D E =
1NT W +1 (2)
1NT W +2 (4)
3NT W = (3)
?
2:
?
...............6
...............J75432
...............76
...............AKQ9
Q5...........................A10742
Q9...........................A106
AKQJ10..................9852
J852........................6
...............KJ983
...............K8?
...............43
...............10743
?
West opens the bidding?and it seems that the opening bid was?at least once 1NT (which would have been Harold's choice), as one West declared in spades. Does North come in over 1D? 1NT? both? Contracts were 1S E, 2NT E, 3D W thrice, 3Hx N, 3S E, 3S W, 4D W twice and 5D W.
?
No-trumps can be held to seven tricks largely due to West's diamonds being too high; N-S can score four clubs and the two major kings by leading through both East's major aces before West can unblock a queen. Spades must be lead through first to prevent West's tossing the queen under the king and then finessing the ten. Diamond contracts should have taken ten tricks but nobody did; three declarers took nine and Sandi took eleven when South did not take the spade king on a low lead from dummy. Paun were E-W top defending 3Hx -1, although -2 was possible with two club ruffs, two diamonds and the major aces. N-S top was Lark's defending 5D -2.??
?
5D W -2
3S W -1; 4D W -1
3D W =
2NT E =
3D W +1 (2)
1S E +2; 3S E =
4D W +1
3Hx N -1
?
3:
?
...............AKQ8763
...............2
...............AQ43
...............6
J104...........................95
KQ8............................753
K10876.......................92
52...............................KJ8743
...............2
...............AJ10964
...............J5
...............AQ109
?
With a Losing Trick count of three and a solid suit, it is natural for North to consider slam a viable proposition once South opens the bidding. But only two auctions went past 4S: 1H-1S; 2H-4NT; 5H-6S and the same auction with a 2D response instead of 1S. One pair stopped in 3S N and another in 3NT N; seven pairs played 4S.
?
Declarer can take twelve tricks in spades with a successful club finesse. North might try unsuccessfully to ruff a diamond, but then, if the opening lead was not a club, declarer gets to take the finesse afterwards and make. Audrey made 6S (West helped by ducking the jack of diamonds) but Dane's opponent could not pull the trigger on the club finesse and instead hoped to get Jane to unguard the diamonds, but she kept the guard for the set and the stop. In the spade games Steve surprisingly took all thirteen tricks but the other games were evenly decided between eleven and twelve. 3NT took eleven tricks for the middle score.
?
6S N =
4S N +3
4S N +2 (3)
3NT N +2
4S N +1 (3)
3S N +1
6S N -1
?
4:
?
...............874
...............AK6
...............J1065
...............Q64
A................................J9532
10743.........................982
AKQ3.........................72
J852...........................A73
...............KQ106
...............QJ5
...............984
...............K109
?
West opens, likely with 1D. This was left in once. It appears that four other Easts passed as two contracts were 1NT N and two were 2S S. When East responded 1S, one West declared 2C but the usual rebid of choice was 1NT, 1NT W being played five times.
?
In no-trumps, whoever declared, N-S could take eight tricks. E-W could only pick up a sixth or seventh trick if N-S let the spades sit too long or did something like play out all the hearts, which happened more than once. The result at six of the seven tables was seven tricks to N-S for 1NT N = twice and 1NT W -1 five times. Don made 1NT W when South missed the chance to unblock the club king at trick seven. Along with Jerik who defended 2C W -1, Lernot were the only N-S pair to take all the tricks they could, Larry playing 2S -1. Gene made 1D W when the opponents did not find a spade switch at the key time.
?
1NT W -1 (4); 2C W -1
1NT N = (2)
1D W =
1NT W =
2S S -1
2S S -2
?
5:
?
...............K3
...............862
...............KJ106
...............AJ75
J10764..................Q9852
J............................AK94
Q872.....................A3
862........................K9
...............A
...............Q10753
...............954
...............Q1043
?
After 1D-1S, whatever South did (usually it was a double) West had the right vulnerability for 4S, which was the contract five times. One East doubled and West eventually declared 2S; the other contracts were 2S E twice and 3S E thrice.
?
N-S have a quiet enough layout to be able to sit back, defend passively and just avoid crashing the spade honours or breaking the diamonds. Aldrey, Conndy and Janj all posted 4S -1 to tie for top. Ken took eleven tricks when North did not win the club ace at trick three and Paul made 4S for the second-best score. Everyone else took the expected nine tricks.
?
4S E -1 (3)
2S E +1 (2); 2S W +1; 3S E = (3)
4S E =
4S E +1
?
6:
?
...............985
...............103
...............A542
...............A1095
K73..........................QJ42
A8............................K64
J976.........................Q83
Q763........................KJ4
...............A106
...............QJ9752
...............K10
...............82
?
This hand was passed out twice. At the other tables either East or South opened the bidding. Five Easts opened 1C, leading to contracts of 2S W twice, 2NT W, 3H S and 3NT E. The other four tables saw South start with three different bids: 1H, 2H twice and 3H. 3H and one of the 2H bids ended the auction; the other two auctions were raised one level to finish in 2H and 3H also. I do not much care for East's opening bid, although Bill will disagree.
?
The layout is remarkably straightforward in the play, especially in hearts. Neither East nor West has the wherewithal to get any sort of productive ruff; 2H makes in comfort. Larry took nine tricks in hearts after a?spade switch at trick five when it was necessary to lead a diamond. E-W were set to take seven tricks in spades or only five in no-trumps against a heart lead. Jerik's 3NT -4 and Conndy's 2NT -3 were the two top scores.
?
3NT E -4
2NT W -3
2S E -2
3H S =
2H S = (2)
2S W -1
Passed Out (2)
3H S -1 (2)
?
7:
?
...............Q6542
...............Q
...............K82
...............10652
10...............................K7
J10976.......................A8532
J43.............................Q1076
K943..........................AQ
...............AJ983
...............K4
...............A95
...............J87
?
Again a raise to 4S on a 5-5 fit was only a plurality contract. South played in 4S five times. One West played 4H after East doubled and North eventually took the gamble to defend. The other contracts were all in spades - 2S twice, 3S twice and 3Sx.
?
Declarer has time to discard a diamond from the North hand and, with the trump finesse, take nine tricks in spades. Dee made 3Sx for the N-S top. 4S was -1 all five times, producing a five-way tie for E-W top when 4H also was set one trick. The hand was remarkably straightforward - only one pair was held to eight tricks in 2S and only Phoebe took ten tricks; E-W missed their chance to unblock the clubs at trick two and she was able to force a ruff-and-discard.
?
3Sx S =
2S S +2
3S S = (2)
2S S =
4H W -1
4S S -1 (5)
?
8:
?
...............1042
...............108
...............982
...............QJ874
9873........................KQ5
AQ54.......................KJ632
4..............................KJ1073
A953........................----
...............AJ6
...............97
...............AQ65
...............K1062
?
We almost got everyone into 4H. East opened in third position and had the values to accept any sort of invitation. One pair, however, settled in 2H E to prevent unanimity. West would have made a splinter raise if unpassed but likely could not show the hand if South came in with a takeout double of 1H.?
?
With the 2-2 trump split, declarer had an easy eleven tricks in 4H when the ruffing finesse in diamonds succeeded. +450 was posted seven times. Pharah and Janj set 4H, Pharah after East discarded a diamond on the club ace and then passed up the ruffing finesse. Heve held 4H to ten tricks , as did Jerik against 2H.
?
4H E -1 (2)
2H E +2
4H E =
4H E +1 (7)
?
9:
?
...............3
...............J63
...............K7432
...............AK83
AQ1075..................K9
87...........................9542
10...........................AJ9865
109762...................J
...............J8642
...............AKQ10
...............Q
...............Q54
?
At least one North passed as dealer, resulting in a contract of 2Dx E after North got to pass a takeout double. When North opened, which seems to have happened at every other table, the auction led almost inevitable to 3NT, with a 6-3 margin favouring North as declarer. The eleventh auction ended in the unfortunate contract of 4S S.
?
E-W have five top tricks against 3NT if they get their spades going. If not, declarer CAN pick up four club tricks for a total of nine but is not likely to do so. Delen took an easy seven tricks for 2Dx -2 and the N-S top. 3NT was defeated six times out of the nine; Jim made an overtrick after a diamond lead with careful play. Glotin managed a two-trick set but E-W top went to Gel for defending 4S -3.
?
2Dx E -2
3NT N +1
3NT N =; 3NT S =
3NT N -1 (3); 3NT S -2 (2)
3NT N -2
4S S -3
?
10:
?
...............AQ9764
...............93
...............1073
...............65
1032..........................K85
764............................KQ10852
A854..........................Q6
KQ8...........................J3
...............J
...............AJ
...............KJ92
...............A109742
?
East opened either 1H or 2H, South overcalled in clubs and West often raised. North did not have an easy time getting spades into the auction but played 3S twice. One South went on to 3NT; East played 3H thrice. That left South in clubs five times: 3C twice, 4C, 4Cx and 5Cx.
?
Declarer could do no better than to take five tricks in 3NT; Randi posted the expected +400. 3C was the highest contract that could make by force, thanks to the kind diamond layout; declarer needs to finesse the nine or jack and then drop the queen next, as there was not a second entry to dummy. Hank and Lee did take nine tricks in 3C. 3S could have been set by force but never was (declarer has difficulty drawing trumps with East poised to overruff the third club). Audrey even took ten tricks when the defence led a heart at trick four instead of a diamond. A black-suit lead should have led to 3H -1 but Janj posted -2 while Bob and Gloria made the contract. Gloria's opponents had a tricky time of it. South led the spade jack and was given a ruff on the second round. But which spade should North lead for the suit preference signal? Either the nine-spot or the four-spot would have been a positive request for a diamond or club. Holding slightly better diamonds, North led the seven but then South returned a diamond. I think the six would have been better, as dummy's clubs suggest that a club return is absolutely safe and partner won't feel compelled not to switch to a diamond from a solid holding.
?
3H E -2
3S N +1
3S N =
3C S = (2)
3H E = (2)
4C S -2; 4Cx S -1
3NT S -4
5Cx S -4
?
11:
?
...............KQ83
...............J1098
...............AQ853
...............----
AJ7...........................10942
Q...............................K72
1092..........................K74
AQ10643...................KJ5
...............65
...............A6543
...............J6
...............9872
?
P-1C-X-XX; 1H-2C looks like a reasonable start to the auction (West does not want to sit for 1Hx) and then either North, East or both will advance. Whether North raises to 2H (if South does not hold decent values - and the actual hand constitutes decent values on that auction - then the hand will be short in spades as there would have been no reason to bid 1H directly over the redouble) or not East likely goes to 3C or 2NT. Club partials and either 2NT or 3NT are possible; a few N-S pairs competed to the three-level with their nine total trumps. Contracts were 3C W thrice, 3H S thrice, 3S E twice, 3NT E, 4C W and 4Hx S.
?
3NT can be defeated but the blockage in the heart spots gives declarer chances. If, say, South leads a low heart against 3NT E, declarer can win the queen, run the clubs and then lead a diamond; there is no way to score four heart tricks whatever North does or does not discard. Janj managed the normal 3NT -1 to avoid the bottom. 3S E finished the expected -2 both times. Heart contracts should take nine tricks - two forces in clubs establish a second heart trick for the defence and declarer has to be careful not to lose any clubs by letting dummy run out of trumps too soon. Cindy took ten tricks when E-W didn't keep up the force and the other declarers in hearts took nine. Club contracts can be held to nine tricks but all the declarers in clubs took ten after North led a spade.
?
3H S +1
3H S = (2)
3S E -2 (2)
3NT E -1
4Hx S -1
3C W +1 (3); 4C W =
?
12:
?
...............1062
...............987
...............A1075
...............A104
7..............................KQ43
AQJ106...................52
QJ64........................93
975...........................QJ862
...............AJ985
...............K43
...............K82
...............K3
?
If West does not open (I am fairly sure Bill would, though I would not want to guess whether he would choose 1H or 2H) South starts with 1S. West finally has a reasonable two-level overcall on a five-card suit - it takes up the maximum amount of bidding room, has good internal spots and the hand is already limited.?Two?Wests were left in 2H, which seems likely to result after 1H-P-1S-P; 2D-P-2H. After P-P-P-1S; 2H, North raises to 2S, which happily was only left in four times. Most Wests balanced, leading to 3H W once and 3S S four times.
?
Heart contracts can be held to six tricks by cutting declarer off from dummy. South gets an early club ruff and switches to a heart; West eventually loses a third diamond. Two N-S pairs found the defence for 2H -2; Louise escaped in 3H -2 when South continued spades at the second trick instead of leading a minor, Spade contract are held to eight tricks by a black-suit lead and takes nine after a red. Mark was N-S top in 2S +2 after East, gaining the lead, switched to a club instead of a heart. E-W top was Paun's for defending 2S -2.
?
2S S +2
2S S +1 (2); 3S S =
2S S =
2H W -2 (2); 3H W -2
3S S -1 (2)
3S S -2
?
13:
?
...............AQ432
...............84
...............52
...............KQJ5
76............................KJ98
AJ9732....................Q6
A7............................QJ
973...........................A10842
...............105
...............K105
...............K1098643
...............6
?
1S from North and then I hope there were not many Easts bidding 2C. The suit is not good, East has nice defence against spades and defensive-looking holdings in the red suits. South is likely to compete to 3D over 2C if the pair plays weak jump shifts or after 1S-P-1NT-2H; P if East passes as well (although 2NT or even 3NT looks likely). Contracts were 2H W, 2NT E, 3Cx N, 3D S, 3H W twice, 3S N twice, 4D S twice and 4H W.
?
The layout is unkind to N-S. All the suits have either losing finesses or bad duplication. Diamond contracts look reasonable but can be held by a spade lead to six tricks. Declarers in diamonds managed seven or eight, reasonable enough, given that for the maximum East has to lead through both red suits in the correct order. Marudy took eight tricks against 3S, the expected result, although Gernot escaped for 3S -2. 3Cx was an accident, against which E-W could take as many as ten tricks. Randi took a comfortable eight tricks for +1100 and the E-W top. When E-W declared a club lead was required to hold hearts to nine tricks and no-trumps to ten. Pharah defended 4H -2 for the N-S top, but the two declarers in partials took nine tricks. 2NT took nine tricks also; declarer discarded a spade that would have scored after, but had the middle score anyway in the highest-scoring successful contract.
?
4H W -2
3D S -1
2H W +1; 3H W = (2)
2NT E +1
3S N -2; 4D S -2
4D S -3
3S N -4
3Cx N -4
?
14:
?
...............KJ642
...............AKQ
...............J86
...............A8
987...........................3
J654.........................10972
73..............................AKQ95
Q973.........................1064
...............AQ105
...............83
...............1042
...............KJ52
?
1S from North in fourth seat and then, whether East bids 2D or not, and even whether or not South finds a way to invite or settles for a quiet 2S, N-S reach 4S. 4S N was played nine times. Jerik declared it from the South seat as their auction began 1C-1S to show controls (although I'm not sure how they handle interference). Leighry also played 4S S, which I can almost see after a 1NT opening bid.
?
Whoever declared, even West on lead found a diamond and we had a flat board on a score of +420.
?
4S N = (9); 4S S = (2)
?
15:
?
...............94
...............Q10763
...............J109876
...............----
87...........................QJ103
8.............................K94
AQ5432..................----
10962.....................KQJ843
...............AK652
...............AJ52
...............K
...............A75
?
1S from South and then the other players all have choices. It was lucky West avoided a 3D overcall, as that could have led to 3Dx. If West passed and North responded, South would likely have jump shifted to 3H (2H if South discounted the diamond king) and North would carry on to 4H. East would likely come in with clubs whether North responded or passed, which would lead to further competition from West. Contracts were 3C E, 4Cx E, 4D N, 4H N, 4H S twice, 5Cx E thrice and 5H S twice.
?
Declarer needs too many ruffs in dummy to take more than ten tricks in hearts by force. Lee and Dee both took twelve tricks to tie for N-S top, Lee after West led ace and then queen of diamonds. Most heart games failed, however. 5Cx should have been a good sacrifice, finishing only -2. Leighry acquired a third undertrick from a diamond ruff.
?
4H S +2; 5H S +1
5Cx E -3
5Cx E -2 (2)
4Cx E -1
4H N -1; 4H S -1; 5H S -1
3C E +1
4D N -2
?
16:
?
...............A4
...............KQ87
...............8752
...............A54
62..........................Q98
1053.......................J94
KQ3........................AJ1096
KJ962....................Q10
...............KJ10753
...............A62
...............4
...............873
?
This looked like a simple auction: 1D-1S; 1NT-2S. That auction occurred nine times. Two N-S pairs finished in 4S, one pair after the auction 1D-2S; 4S.
?
With both majors behaving, spade contracts yielded eleven tricks. Dawen were lucky, defending 4S -1 when South finessed West for the queen on spades. Everyone else took eleven tricks, with Vioebe N-S top on 4S +1.
?
4S S +1
2S S +3 (9)
4S S -1
?
17:
?
...............AQ10
...............A
...............K763
...............K9873
K9752.....................J8643
6..............................J5432
AQJ92.....................105
A10..........................4
...............----
...............KQ10987
...............84
...............QJ652
?
If North were to open 1NT (Harold's choice) then we might have needed Carl to show both majors on the two jacks. Otherwise South would likely go to 4H N. But fortunately for the fans of competitive auctions, while only Gareth, Paul and Bob competed over 1C with 2C, if East doesn't compete then West will over 1C-1H. Only one auction ended short of game. Contracts were 3NT N twice, 4C N, 4H N, 4Sx E, 4Sx W, 5S W twice and 6Cx N twice.
?
In clubs South had the wrong void, but the auction often induced East to lead a spade. At least one declarer had a chance to make 6C after a spade lead, but the one declarer I saw drew too many trumps. 6Cx was always -1, although declarer took twelve tricks in 4C. A diamond lead would have set 3NT; Jane (X) took ten tricks after a spade lead. Gel's declarer was headed to the same result but accidentally led the diamond king at trick five. 4H finished -1; a club ruff could not be prevented and East still had a trick with the heart jack. It took a heart lead to hold spade contracts to nine tricks. Judy made 4Sx for the E-W top; North led a diamond when a club was needed, although I did not have time to mark down the line.
?
3NT N +1
4C N +2
5S W -3
4Sx W -1
5S W -1
4H N -1
6Cx N -1 (3)
3NT N -5
4Sx E =
?
18:
?
...............AK94
...............104
...............A84
...............KQJ10
QJ8765.................102
K9.........................AJ6
5............................KJ10763
A875......................63
...............3
...............Q87532
...............Q92
...............942
?
We almost had another rainbow hand (after Board 13), only nobody played in diamonds, despite East's likely 2D opening bid, which would probably have induced West to pass. But then North came in with a double or 2NT. If East passed West opened 1S or 2S and again North had an overcall of no-trumps. Contracts were 2S W twice, 2NTx N, 3C N, 3H N, 3S W, 3NT N and 4H S four times.
?
No contract succeeded. Audrey escaped with 3C -1 after receiving a spade opening lead. Heart contracts could have been held to eight tricks; declarer loses one diamond, one club and three hearts. Three declarers in 4H escaped with a ninth trick, Lee when East took the heart ace at trick three. Spade contracts can be held to seven tricks in a straightforward way - in one order or the other, draw East's trumps and establish three club tricks and declarer can do nothing. 2S took seven tricks both times but Vioebe managed 3S -3 when declarer took a risk looking for a better score. Finally 3NT was the expected -2, declarer chalking up three clubs, two diamonds and two spades.
?
3S W -3
2S W -1 (2)
3C N -1; 3H N -1; 4H S -1 (3)
2NTx N -1; 3NT N -2; 4H S -2
