1:
?
...............74
...............AJ654
...............93
...............K1065
QJ9..............................A8653
Q1073..........................K98
AQJ862.......................10754
----...............................2
...............K102
...............2
...............K
...............AQJ98743
?
?With twenty-two trumps combined in the two sides' suits this hand was sure to get competitive. It's hard to imagine the auction dying below 4C (P-P-1C-1D; 1H-3D-4C might go around if East opts to make a pushy jump raise rather than bid the spades). One auction did end in 4C S, another in 5C S and the third in the absolute par contract of 5Dx W.
?
South is a little lucky the spade ten does not play an important role in the proceedings. Give East QJxxx in spades and West Axx and then 5C would be set when the spade ten might be the setting trick against 5D. But with the ace onside Bob made 5C in comfort, while Ibot defended 4C +1. Loubot were stuck defending 5Dx, which requires an immediate heart ruff for a one-trick set. But declarer took too long to get around to playing trumps, allowed a cross-ruff, and finished -3.
?
5Dx W -3
5C S =
4C S +1
?
2:
?
...............AK2
...............KQ752
...............7632
...............3
Q97...........................J653
106............................A943
AQJ95.......................K8
QJ4...........................1076
...............1084
...............J8
...............104
...............AK9852
?
A 3C opening bid from South would likely have been left in, but nobody resorted to such a course of action at the vulnerability. One East was left in 1NT (P-P-1D-1H; 1NT and one West pulled to 2D. At the third table E-W likely stayed out of the auction, letting North play 2H after 1H-1NT; 2D-2H.
?
2H might have made without much surprise but finished -1. When E-W declared results were flipped over double dummy, with 2D = and 1NT -1 instead of the reverse. Paul made 2D when North led the spade king and switched to the heart king instead of the singleton club. Loubot defeated 1NT when East discarded a heart on diamonds and surrendered the guard in the suit.
?
1NT E -1
2D W =
2H N -1
?
3:
?
...............63
...............A54
...............K53
...............A9875
AJ109.......................7
J10876......................KQ92
9874.........................AQJ2
----............................K643
...............KQ8542
...............3
...............106
...............QJ102
?
2S-P-P-X likely begins the auction. West would likely have passed at reverse vulnerability but here probably bids 3H. I think the hand has sufficient value with the void not to use lebensohl 2NT to show a weak hand. West played in hearts at all three tables, the only difference being the level: 3H, 4H and 5H.
?
Declarer had eleven tricks in hearts, as taken by Paul in 4H, although Loubot held declarer to 3H =. Irene was in good for and posted 5H +1 when North switched to the club ace at trick four.
?
3H W =
4H W +1
5H W +1
?
Leaders: Ibot-Loubot 6, Paydar-Harob 3
?
4:
?
...............3
...............KJ96
...............Q9862
...............1086
K87........................AJ1064
A8542....................Q10
----.........................A53
QJ742....................K53
...............Q952
...............73
...............KJ1074
...............A9
?
West passed at least twice (I missed one auction), once raising to 2S and ending the auction, once employing Drury on the second round. The Drury auction and the third auction both ended in 4S E, appropriately enough.
?
With the club ace doubleton, N-S lost their best chance of setting 4S, which they might have been able to do by force had they been able to block off the club suit given the 4-1 trumps. Declarer should be safe in 4S anyway but Paydar and Loubot set the contract, Loubot managing -2 for the N-S top. Laurie took ten tricks in 2S. A key aspect of the play is to ruff the first diamond when led in order to retain control of the suit with the ace.
?
4S E -2
4S E -1
2S E +2
?
5:
...............KJ10965
...............AQJ
...............K10
...............J2
Q2.............................A4
9432..........................K106
5432..........................AJ
A84............................Q109763
...............873
...............875
...............Q9876
...............K5
?
Auctions got at least mildly competitive. It seemed likely to go all the way to 3S via 1S-2C-2S-3C; 3S, but one N-S pair let 3C sit and one E-W pair let 2S sit.
?
East has a tough time on opening lead. A club lead allows nine tricks. Ace and another spade or ace and another diamond (unless North unblocks the diamond king) could leave declarer stuck and having to break the clubs, although North could always force nine tricks one way or another; it is slightly easier for North to endplay East than for East to endplay North; also the diamonds establish so that East may have to lead clubs voluntarily and hope dummy rises with the king. Harold took ten tricks after East led a club to the ace and West continued with a club to the king instead of a heart. 2S made on the number. Mike could have made 3C but was still E-W top despite finishing -1.
?
3S N +1
2S N =
3C E -1
?
6:
?
...............K10965
...............A
...............97543
...............J8
Q74.....................A832
J6........................KQ932
102......................J
AKQ1063............975
...............J
...............108754
...............AKQ86
...............42
?
This auction was sure to become competitive, whoever opened. P-1H-2C-X; 3C-3D could start the auction, or it might begin P-P-1C-1S; 2H and then maybe 3D from South. The auction could perhaps end in 3C W, although all of ours went higher. The exotic contract was 3S E, along with 4D S and the more aggressive 5C W.
?
With trumps 5-1 3S could have been set four tricks, although -2 was enough to give Paydar the N-S top. Declarer saved two tricks after a diamond, diamond ruffed, heart king to ace and then a club instead of a low spade. Bob took ten tricks in 4D after a long and suspenseful wait to see whether he ruffed the third spade or took the ruffing finesse. Ken was -1 in 5C as expected but was still E-W top. With North holding the singleton ace in hearts eleven tricks in clubs become within the realm of possibility, although that outcome can still be prevented by a heart ruff.
?
3S E -2
4D S =
5C W -1
?
Leaders: Ibot-Loubot 8, Paydar 7, Harob 6
?
7:
?
...............1043
...............----
...............A765
...............AKQJ82
A65...........................Q872
K52...........................AQ87643
QJ842.......................3
65..............................7
...............KJ9
...............J109
...............K109
...............10943
?
1C from North was often met with 3H from East. This ended the auction twice; the third North came in and finished by declaring 5C.
?
South's spades were just what was needed, right down to the nine. Harold had to lose a diamond but made the contract on a successful spade finesse. 3H also made for Mike and Louise; Louise even made an overtrick when South switched to the spade king to break the suit instead of a nice safe club.
?
5C N =
3H E =
3H E +1
?
8:
?
...............QJ642
...............A5
...............J109
...............1063
A95.......................1083
K862.....................QJ10974
AKQ654................8
----.........................842
...............K7
...............3
...............732
...............AKQJ975
?
Another big club suit but this time West opens 1D and East likely responds either 1H light or with a weak jump shift of 2H. Try as South might in clubs, West insisted on hearts, reaching 4H twice and 5H at the third table. 5C was the limit of how high South could go safely at equal vulnerability.
?
Hear contracts had twelve easy tricks. If South happened to get off to the opening lead of the spade king East's spades could have gone away on the diamonds before losing the ace of trumps. Mike and Louise took an easy twelve tricks; Harob held declarer to eleven tricks on a misclick.
?
4H E +1
4H E +2; 5H E +1
?
9:
?
...............52
...............K10985
...............J54
...............874
Q98..........................A107
J2.............................AQ6
A987.........................Q63
KQ52........................AJ103
...............KJ643
...............743
...............K102
...............96
?
We got everyone into 3NT E. East opened 1NT and West either trotted out Puppet Stayman or went directly to 3NT.
?
Declarer had ten tricks available in 3NT, with the interesting feature of playing the diamonds to keep either North or South off lead depending on whether the defence played spades or hearts. Harob secured their fourth defensive trick on trick eight, when declarer led a club and ended in dummy at the last chance to take the diamond finesse that would have established the overtrick. Mike and Louise took ten tricks as East.
?
3NT E =
3NT E +1 (2)
?
Leaders: Loubot 13, Harob 12
?
10:
?
...............108
...............52
...............9753
...............109875
6432.....................A75
AK8643................Q9
----........................K1084
A62.......................KJ43
...............KQJ9
...............J107
...............AQJ62
...............Q
?
One South got exceptionally lucky here. Unable to bear passing after East opened 1D, South just had to overcall 1NT. West made a penalty double and East missed that the double was for penalties, pulling to 2C. West bid 2H and East went back to 3C, playing the hand there. The other two Wests declared 2H and 4H.
?
1NTx almost could have been five tricks down. West starts with a low heart, then switches to clubs. After nine tricks East comes down to one spade and three diamonds or two of each. If East keeps one spade and three diamonds South must keep two of each. If East keeps two of each South can keep either but if keeping two of each must keep the nine of spades, discarding two honours, in order to get the lead in dummy if East then continues with ace and another spade. But even -4 is an 1100 penalty for E-W. Ten tricks in hearts were easy, although Maurie held declarer to 2H +1 for the middle score. Harob escaped with the N-S top defending 3C = and Louise was E-W top in 4H =.
?
3C E =
2H W +1
4H W =
?
11:
?
...............J64
...............Q642
...............1094
...............AJ7
Q32......................K10975
A953....................K107
J876.....................KQ
K3........................Q94
...............A8
...............J8
...............A532
...............108652
?
1S from East in fourth seat and likely Drury again from West. This time, though, East is disinclined to accept the invitation; the hand has no ace and the diamond doubleton king-queen could prove clunky. Contracts were 2S E twice and 3S E.
?
Declarer can take ten tricks in spades mainly because North's ten and nine of diamonds both come down in three rounds, providing two discards instead of one, but just guessing the spades looked to do well enough. Declarers were spread out. Harob held declarer to eight tricks and Ibot to nine; Haydar took the regulation ten.
?
2S E =
2S E +1
3S E +1
?
12:
?
...............843
...............QJ10
...............KQJ7
...............754
AKJ975..............10
K842..................A765
109.....................852
3.........................K10982
...............Q62
...............93
...............A643
...............AQJ6
?
West opened 1S, East responded 1NT and all three Wests rebid 2S instead of 2H. 2S was left in at every table. Would South have come in over 1S-P-1NT-P; 2H-P-P? It would have been risky but 3D could have escaped for -1 if not doubled.
?
In 2S declarer had nine tricks when the trumps behaved perfectly and the hearts split 3-2. Against Ibot declarer delayed establishing the hearts too long and emerged with only eight tricks; the other declarers, Paul and Ken, took nine. 2H would also have provided only one overtrick, but it would have been slightly easier. Declarer could have catered to a doubleton queen of spades perhaps and would have had no trouble had North held Qxx.
?
2S W =
2S W +1 (2)
?
Leaders: Harob 16.5, Loubot 16, Paydar 12.5
?
13:
?
...............9652
...............864
...............J1086
...............AJ
AJ4.........................Q73
A753.......................KJ
KQ7.........................A432
1082........................KQ75
...............K108
...............Q1092
...............95
...............9643
?
Here was another hand that started in 1NT and ended in 3NT. If I were West at IMPs I would be disinclined to use Stayman. The hand has extra strength, the pattern is flat and the four-card major is not good. If partner holds KQx KQJx J10xx Ax and 3NT fails on a club lead, it should still be outweighed, especially at matchpoints, by the times partner holds something like KQ Jxxx J10xx AKQ, when 3NT has ten sure tricks and 4H will always perform worse, even if just by ten points.
?
A lead of either major gives away a trick at once, although declarer can always take eleven tricks by force. North only gains the lead once and South actually gets squeezed in the majors, having to discard a spade and allow three spade tricks or a heart and establish dummy's fourth card in the suit just before West has to choose a discard. With that in addition to a possible gift on opening lead, it is not much surprise that Louise and Haydar took eleven tricks, while only Ibot held declarer to ten.
?
3NT E +1
3NT E +2 (2)
?
14:
?
...............KJ53
...............K4
...............A82
...............K1052
A986......................10
A8..........................9653
Q10953..................K64
A3...........................J9874
...............Q742
...............QJ1072
...............J7
...............Q6
?
One auction died in 1D W (no balance from South), another in 2D W (likely after 1D-1H; 1S-2D). The third North doubled; after South bid hearts twice North raised to 4H.
?
4H was in serious trouble and could have been -4 by force as long as a diamond trick was established early and the first spade ruff taken while West still held two entries for further ruffs. Paydar only produced -2 but that was good enough for E-W top. Eight tricks were available in diamonds and were taken by both declarers, creating a tightly packed group of scores: -90, -90 and -100.
?
1D W +1; 2D W =
4H S -2
?
15:
?
...............864
...............A863
...............Q10
...............8652
KQ103.................J975
10972..................Q
943......................AK86
K10......................Q974
...............A2
...............KJ54
...............J752
...............AJ3
?
1D-P-1H and East is sure to double either 1H or when South raises to 2H and two passes follow. 2H was left in once; West bid 2S and played it there the other two times.
?
In 2H declarer had to lose two clubs, two diamonds, one heart and one spade. Mike managed pretty well holding his lost tricks to the essentials for the crucial escape at -1 instead of scoring the dreaded -200. 2S could always force nine tricks (with the likely club lead really helping as well), with the defence having the chance to do a little better if declare got caught with a heart loser in hand at the wrong time. Ibot held 2S to eight tricks while Louise managed nine as declarer for the E-W top and a regained lead heading into the last round.
?
2H N -1
2S W =
2S W +1
?
Leaders: Loubot 20, Harob 18.5, Paydar 16, Ibot 15.5
?
16:
?
...............A942
...............104
...............5432
...............842
Q103....................KJ
A5........................Q863
QJ........................AK107
K97653................AQJ
...............8765
...............KJ972
...............986
...............10
?
Here was a nice slam that was easily bid at all three tables. The only difficulty was that E-W wanted East to declare. The three auctions varied: P-2NT; 6NT, 1C-1H; 2C-4NT; 5H-6NT and 1C-1H; 1NT-4C; 5H-6NT, the last pair surviving a sudden case of Gerbwood.
?
East as declarer, Haydar and Laurie, made 6NT easily. Irene made 6NT W after the opening lead of the spade ace. North would have had to lead a heart for the set. South might have doubled 6NT W for a heart lead, but it would have been a big gamble. A heart lead should have established a trick as East was a huge favourite to hold at least one honour, but there was no certainty that North would be able to win a trick or that one heart trick would be enough. Had South held the spade ace as well as the heart KJ a double would have been clear.
?
6NT E = (2); 6NT W =
?
17:
?
...............KQ3
...............KQ98432
...............----
...............K97
J10765.......................A84
106.............................A
653.............................AQJ84
432.............................A1065
...............92
...............J75
...............K10972
...............QJ8
?
1H-X-2H and then North got to 4H. One East left 4H in undoubled, another doubled and that ended the auction, and the third auction ended in 5Sx W (although leaving 5H in would have been E-W top).
?
This was almost enough to tip the overall result. Harold made 4Hx in comfort to score +590 against Louise's +420 in 4H undoubled. That put considerable emphasis on what happened in 5Sx. Declarer could have gotten out for -2 and the E-W top, reducing Harob's gain on Loubot to one matchpoint. The opening lead was a heart to the ace and declarer led a spade when a club was required. This was the middle score and gave Harob the lead.
?
4Hx N =
5Sx W -3
4H N =
?
18:
?
...............K2
...............Q86
...............Q1085
...............Q1075
9763.........................105
K105.........................AJ9
72..............................KJ64
AK64.........................9832
...............AQJ84
...............7432
...............A93
...............J
?
South opened 1S, North responded 1NT and South rebid 2H. Two Norths passed, ending the auction; only one North went back to 2S. The pass was not a good idea, mainly because those two-level rebids by opener in lower-ranking suits are nearly unlimited. South could easily have a strong enough hand to make game; as little as AQxxx AKJ10x xx x would be a good favourite to make 4H. The late Mr Roth once said that he would have given preference after partner opened 1D and rebid 2C with a doubleton diamond, five low clubs and only six HCP.
?
While both 2H and 2S could have been -1 by force, the set of 2S was hard to see.?Declarer's eighth winner was very slow and declarer needed to be allowed to pick up a second diamond trick at the right time. A club lead and diamond switch was not good enough. 2H could have escaped for -1, but declarer likely needed to lead trumps relentlessly, not necessarily a clear and easy path to follow with such a weak trump suit. Bob did escape for -1; Ibot managed -2 for the E-W top.
?
2S S +1
2H S -1
2H S -2
?
Final: Loubot 23, Harob 22.5, Ibot 19.5, Paydar 18
