1:
?
...............Q64
...............QJ62
...............108
...............QJ83
J1093...................852
A107.....................K93
AKJ6....................7432
K6.........................1095
...............AK7
...............854
...............Q95
...............A742
?
This was a tame beginning, the most interesting aspect of which was that we could have seen the same contract played from any of three hands. South opens 1C in third seat and West usually doubles, although a 1NT overcall is possible. North might bid 1NT over the double, or North might bid 1H and then South will likely rebid 1NT. Contracts stayed extremely low (for good reason): 1H W (don't ask me how), 1NT S twice, 1NT W eight times and 2C S four times.
?
Although the auction makes more sense if North plays 1H, I can see either side taking seven tricks in hearts. N-S might take eight if the E-W trumps are drawn early, especially if East has never led a diamond. E-W have five top tricks, easily pick up a sixth after a club lead, and can come to a seventh if the spades are cashed early enough to allow a promotion for the nine of hearts. Whoever declared, E-W had seven tricks in no-trumps, but there was a big advantage in declaring; the contract was never defeated whether played by West or South; either East never led a diamond through South or West eventually shifted to a club. Two Wests beat par as declarer as well, Sandi playing 1NT +1 and George 1NT W +2 (a heart lead puts at least one overtrick in play). With such even suit divisions all around 2C (or 2D, which was never played) could have been made. Conndy and Heve set 2C, although not for that good a score, Conndy after declarer didn't begin the hearts in time. George's +150 was E-W top; Doug and Leigh Ann tied for N-S top on +90.
?
1NT S = (2); 2C S = (2)
2C S -1 (2)
1H W =
1NT W = (6)
1NT W +1
1NT W +2
?
2:
?
...............Q4
...............9752
...............AQ632
...............43
AK952...................J876
J4..........................1083
J94........................85
1085......................KQJ9
...............103
...............AKQ6
...............K107
...............A762
?
1NT from South and then West and North had decisions. Would West come in over 1NT with a balanced hand? Would North trot out Stayman on 8 HCP, even with the good five-card suit? Contracts reflected various viewpoints: 1NT S four times, 2S W, 3H S, 3S W and 4H S eight times.
?
Both red suits behaved. South had an easy ten tricks in hearts. Lee, Phyllis and Andrzej took eleven, Andrzej after West began with three spades. Nobody led a low spade against 1NT; that would have allowed declarer to win the spade queen and take eleven tricks. Linj, Haorge and Tasnot held declarer to the par eight tricks; one pair blocked the spades and allowed declarer a relatively irrelevant ninth.?
?
4H S +1 (2)
4H S = (6)
3H S +2
1NT S +2
1NT S +1 (3)
2S W -1; 3S W -1
?
3:
?
...............8763
...............A62
...............K1074
...............83
1094...................AJ
J843...................1097
A.........................QJ93
AK1096..............Q754
...............KQ52
...............KQ5
...............8652
...............J2
?
1C from West and then East may respond with 1D, 1NT or a 2C raise, whether or not playing inverted minors (an invitational 3C seems unlikely). If clubs are raised, North or South may come in with double, although North will know E-W clearly have the balance of power. Contracts were 1NT E six times, 2C W thrice, 2NT W, 3C W twice, 3Dx S, 3S N and 3NT E.
?
E-W have nine tricks in clubs, although two declarers took only eight. Randi took their par six tricks against 3Dx S to score 13/14. Matt saved two matchpoints posting 3S N -1 instead of the par -2. No-trumps by East can be held to seven tricks if South leads a heart and North takes the first or second round and returns a spade. On a low spade lead declarer can force nine. Betty made 3NT for the E-W top; Margarita and Nancy took more than nine tricks in 1NT. Against Nancy N-S were on their way to a score of -120 but North led the wrong suit at trick twelve.
?
2NT W -1; 3C W -1
3S N -1
2C W =
2C W +1 (2); 3C W =
1NT E +1 (2)
1NT E +2 (2)
1NT E +3
1NT E +4
3Dx S -2
3NT E =
?
4:
?
...............A10763
...............8
...............AK6
...............7643
----........................KQJ
Q97542.................AJ63
J1053....................987
952........................AQ10
...............98542
...............K10
...............Q42
...............KJ8
?
If West squeezes out a 2H opening bid East raises to game. Otherwise North likely opens 1S, East likely overcalls 1NT and South has to decide how high to raise. When the bidding reached 4S East had a reasonably safe double, as defending 4S = if it makes is not likely to score much of anything. Contracts were 2S N, 3S N thrice, 3Sx N, 3NT E, 4H E, 4H W twice and 4Sx N six times.
?
4S looks not too bad viewing the declaring hands, although the likely two club losers make a make improbable, but the 3-0 trumps turned out to ring the death knell. All the pairs defending 4Sx posted +200 except for Matty, who managed a second undertrick and the E-W top. Hearts could have been held to seven tricks, although two defending pairs were content with five tricks for +200. The spade ace lead would have allowed declarer to escape for -1. Matt was N-S top playing 3Sx =.??
?
3Sx N =
4H W -3
4H E -2; 4H W -2
3NT E -1
2S N +1; 3S N = (2)
3S N -1
4Sx N -1 (5)
4Sx N -2
?
5:
?
...............A42
...............A82
...............J8
...............J10743
Q10653................J9
J7.........................Q964
Q10642................973
8...........................Q965
...............K87
...............K1053
...............AK5
...............AK2
?
We almost got everyone into the same contract. Almost all the auctions began with 2NT from South and ended in 3NT, although Norths playing Puppet or Muppet Stayman will not go there directly. One pair playing a 16-18 range for 1NT do not open 2NT with 20 HCP, so that North ended up declaring instead. The last pair (not Haorge, who were sitting E-W) went to Gerber and eventually played 6NT S.
?
Had the clubs split 3-2 with the queen onside the heart position would have allowed 6NT to make; declarer takes the king and ace, then leads up to the ten for three heart tricks whenever the suit splits 3-3 or West holds queen and/or jack singleton or doubleton. With the 4-1 club split, eleven tricks were possible and taken by seven declarers. It did not occur to me at the time, but the North who had an emergency and had to leave was the partner of the South who contrived to go down in 3NT against Matty. Boric were E-W top defending 6NT S -2.
?
3NT N +2; 3NT S +2 (6)
3NT S +1 (5)
3NT S =
3NT S -1
6NT S -2
?
6:
?
...............873
...............KQ
...............J874
...............7643
Q..........................AKJ1062
J109852...............A6
932.......................K
KJ9.......................AQ85
...............954
...............743
...............AQ1065
...............102
?
East is close to a 2C opening bid (AKJ1062 A6 5 AKQ8 would be fine) and perhaps some Easts opened 2C anyway despite the broken values in the side suits. Everyone managed to get to game. Contracts were 3NT W, 4H W thrice, 4S E ten times and one 5NT W after an aborted slam try. After 1S-1NT; 3C-3H; 3S, West's singleton queen is likely at least as good as a low doubleton.
?
On hands like this with a singleton king, no-trumps contracts often turn into a sort of finesse; does the hand on lead hold the ace?? 3NT E would likely have been an easy top but West declared in no-trumps both times. Eric got lucky that the lead was a club and not a diamond; he took eleven tricks for the E-W top. N-S top was Keianne's defending 5NT W -3 on a diamond lead. Hearts had a very lucky layout, declarer being able to take the same eleven tricks that were available in spades. All the declarers in spades took eleven tricks but only Rita managed the feat in hearts.
?
5NT W -3
4H W -1 (2)
4H W +1; 4S E (10)
3NT W +2
?
7:
?
...............109
...............AQ106532
...............10
...............AK5
AK8.............................43
87.................................J4
K9865..........................QJ732
864...............................J973
...............QJ7652
...............K9
...............A4
...............Q102
?
This hand was a bit of a trap for N-S, though one likely to catch the better pairs. North has a fine hand with five losers. Slam does not require more than a minimum opener; AKxxxx Kx xx Qxx would do quite nicely. Unfortunately the two spade losers were hard to diagnose; of the Norths who made the reasonable look for slam, four were unable to stop. Contracts were 3S S, 3NT S, 4H N five times, 4S S thrice, 5H N and 6H N four times.
?
All three denominations yielded eleven tricks. No-trumps had the easiest time of it - unless East held all four hearts, of course. Spades needed North's spot cards and still could have been vulnerable to a 3-1 heart split had it existed. That hearts took eleven tricks every time is a bit lucky; had E-W begun with three rounds of spades North would have had to guess to ruff high and then drop the jack rather than finesse. Two declarers took twelve tricks while the rest all took eleven. Steven was N-S top in 3NT +3 while Matt, in 5H, took twelve tricks on a pseudo-squeeze; West took one spade but not the other and later unguarded the suit.
?
3NT S +3
5H N +1
4H N +1 (5); 4S S +1 (3)
3S S +2
6H N -1 (4)
?
8:
?
...............108
...............AQ652
...............87
...............Q1098
AKQ4.....................96
J983.......................K4
6532.......................K109
7..............................AKJ652
...............J7532
...............107
...............AQJ4
...............43
?
East's rebid could have been crucial here. A rebid of 2C could have allowed E-W to stop nice and low. West might just venture 2NT on the second round even over 2C; East would accept an invitation. An aggressive North or South might sneak into the auction, although the N-S chance of declaring was quite low. Contracts were 2C E twice, 2S W, 2NT W twice, 3Cx E, 3D N, 3D W, 3NT W and 6Cx E.
?
Very kind clubs might have brought in 3NT, but declarer would have had to play sharply to get out for -1. Hank (V) and Eric made 3NT to tie for E-W top but the other 3NT contracts took eight, seven, six and five tricks. Glotin posted 3NT -3 when West, in with a chance to make the hand as late as trick eight, led a diamond instead. 2NT took eight and nine tricks. Paun's 3D W -4 tied Phoebot's 3NT W -4 for second N-S behind Lark's 6Cx -3. E-W could take eight tricks in no-trumps, clubs or diamonds, seven in spades; declarer overperformed by a margin of 7-5.
?
6Cx E -4
3D W -4; 3NT W -4
3NT E -3
3Cx E -1; 3NT E -2
3NT W -1
3D N -2
2C E +1 (2); 2S W =
2NT W =
2NT W +1
3NT W = (2)
?
9:
?
...............543
...............10965
...............AK96
...............106
K...............................QJ2
AJ.............................K87542
J7432........................10
K9853.......................742
...............A109876
...............Q
...............Q85
...............AQJ
?
South opened 1S or overcalled 2S if East began with a 2H opening bid; North likely raised. One East played in 4Hx and another in?5C after West came in with an Unusual 2NT despite the loaded short suits. At the other thirteen tables South declared in spades: 2S once and the other twelve tables evenly divided between 3S and 4S.
?
E-W have four tricks possible against spades but East has either one or two chances to find the club lead through the ace. Phyllis, Jatin and Andrzej made 4S, Phyllis after West led the heart ace and followed with the jack; first a ruffing finesse in hearts supplies one discard and then the marked diamond finesse supplies the other, although declarer needs to be careful not to let East in twice in spades. The declaring results matched the auctions - eight tricks once, nine tricks and ten six times each. Paun were N-S top taking their par five tricks against 4Hx -2. A trump lead, often an excellent idea against an Unusual 2NT, would have held clubs to six tricks for a N-S tie for top. Leighry settled for -2, but it matchpointed as well as -4 would have done.
?
4Hx E -2
4S S = (3)
5C E -2
3S S +1 (3)
2S S +1; 3S S = (3)
4S S -1 (2)
4S S -2
?
10:
?
...............A10
...............K62
...............Q9754
...............985
QJ63......................875
4.............................AQ1097
8632.......................J
K764.......................Q1032
...............K942
...............J853
...............AK10
...............AJ
?
?We got most of the field to 3NT, but only just. South opened 1NT, North invited and South accepted by an 8-6 margin. The last table had a bidding misunderstanding. North used Stayman and then went to 3NT. South, after replying in hearts, carried on over 3NT to 4S and eventually declared 5H.
?
Nary were E-W top defending 5H S -4. No-trumps could have been held to eight tricks had West led a club or heart. A spade or diamond lead gives declarer time to establish a third spade. Lee was N-S top in 3NT +2 after a heart lead to the nine and then a defensive error at trick twelve. Don took ten tricks in 3NT. Four of the other 3NT contracts yielded nine tricks while Marbot defended 3NT -1. Four of the 2NT contracts took nine tricks while two took eight.
?
3NT S +2
3NT S +1
3NT S = (4)
2NT S +1 (4)
2NT S = (2)
3NT S -1 (2)
5H S -4
?
11:
?
...............A63
...............J3
...............AJ1093
...............KQ6
7542.........................KJ108
Q864........................52
Q854........................K
2...............................A109543
...............Q9
...............AK1097
...............762
...............J87
?
North's doubleton heart jack really helps the side along; after a 1NT opening bid game is almost sure to be reached even if East interferes (P-P-1NT-2C; 3H-P-3NT seems as likely as anything).?Only one pair?opted for 4H S - just as well. The expected 3NT N was reached ten times with four partials - 2H S, 2NT N, 3H N and 3H S.
?
4H would have had trouble enough even without the club ruff, which allows E-W to force a two-trick set, which Haorge duly produced. The 4-1 diamond split provides a chance for 3NT to be defeated if dummy does not win an opening club lead (a spade lead allows E-W to hold 3NT to nine tricks). Ken took ten tricks in 3NT after a club lead (as did Paul and Larry [St]) - although club to jack, diamond to nine and king, club ace and third club should hold whether declarer runs the heart jack to West or finesses twice more in diamonds, but a diamond immediately to the ace will hold. Declarer attempted to endplay West against Tasnot, who posted 3NT -3 for the E-W top. In the end, 3NT had results of -3 once while seeing -1, = and +1 thrice each.
?
3NT N +1 (3)
3NT N = (4)
2NT N =
2H S -1; 3H S -1; 3NT N -1 (2)
3H S -2; 4H S -2
3NT N -3
?
12:
?
...............AKJ75
...............J103
...............10
...............A754
10962...................Q83
AKQ86.................52
KQ5......................876432
10..........................Q2
...............4
...............974
...............AJ9
...............KJ9863
?
We had two failures to Alert after a Flannery 2D opening from West. Both times North overcalled 2S. One South bid 3C over that and the other left 2S in; the latter result was adjusted to average-plus for N-S and average for E-W. At the 3C table, as a normal result in the auction was reached I left it there, particularly as I was called by South and not North. While a 2S overcall is still natural after a Flannery opening, the North hand can wait, planning to bid 2S if East 2H. East might bid 2H, bid 2S or even gamble on a pass, There were apparently five Flannery openings in all (or else West doubled South's balancing 2C overcall for takeout), as three Easts declared in spades, 2S thrice and 3S once. One North played 1S after an overcall over West's 1H opening bid was left in. The other contracts were all in clubs: 3C S four times, 4C N, 4C S thrice and 5C S.
?
E-W have their three heart tricks to take against club contracts and everyone took them - ten tricks. Against spades declared by East a trump lead would have allowed North to draw East's trumps and then West's, running the clubs afterwards and allowing declarer no more than four tricks. A heart lead would have allowed declarer a decent fighting chance at taking six tricks instead. Leighry and Keianne both took their par nine tricks defending against 3S E and 2S E for the top N-S scores. Tasnot were E-W top defending 5C S -1, followed by Nancy, who escaped in 2S -1 (-2 would have scored just as well).
?
3S E -5
2S E -4
2S E -3
Ave+/Ave
3C S +1 (3); 4C N =; 4C S = (4)
1S N =
2S E -1
5C S -1
?
13:
?
...............K43
...............A62
...............Q76
...............KJ83
QJ95.......................A72
8.............................K1094
KJ85.......................A1094
Q642.......................A10
...............1086
...............QJ753
...............32
...............975
?
Does East double 1C or overcall 1NT? Double seemed the more likely call, but West declared only five times, in 1S, 2S thrice and 3S. Ten contracts were in no-trumps by East - 1NT, 2NT five times and 3NT four times, although 2NT or 3NT might be reached if East doubles and West bids 2S.
?
The hand lies well for E-W in spades despite the 4-3 trump suit. Declarer can take ten tricks in relative comfort, especially as South never gains the lead. It is not the easiest hand to play, although North's opening helps a good deal. Still, Mary was the only spade declarer to take ten tricks, wih one taking eight and three taking nine. (Against Keianne, for instance, declarer ruffed a club at trick four when leading a major was needed.) No-trumps contracts are a little similar, except that South can lead a heart and get a second heart trick along with a trick in each black suit. Leighry and Rurry both defended 3NT E -2 to share the N-S top but there is not much declarer can do to go wrong, as it is unlikely declarer will break the clubs and the diamond queen ought to be finessed the right way. One declarer in 2NT took eight tricks; all the other declarers in no-trumps took nine, giving Bob and Tas a tie for E-W top.
?
3NT E -2 (2)
2S W =
1S W +2; 2S W +1; 3S W =
1NT E +2; 2NT E +1 (4)
2S W +2
2NT E +2
3NT E = (2)
?
14:
?
...............Q93
...............A9
...............AKJ10753
...............6
A85..........................K42
K65..........................J1043
2...............................64
AK9842....................QJ53
...............J1076
...............Q872
...............Q98
...............107
?
After 1C from West, North has the playing strength to double before bidding the diamonds. Somehow one auction ended in 2H S (P-P-1C-X; 1NT-2H? why would North leave that in?) but it seemed almost a sure thing for E-W to compete to at least 3C and North to at least 3D. Indeed usually the auction reached at least the four-level, with contracts of 2H S, 3D N, 3H E (1H over the double and West then raising), 4C W twice, 4Cx W, 4D N twice, 4H E (West must have taken East's 1H for five), 5C W, 5D N thrice and 5Dx N twice.
?
E-W can force a fourth trick defending against diamond by getting a heart lead in time from East. Declaring West can come to a tenth trick in clubs by ruffing the second diamond, drawing trumps and playing the spades to force N-S to break the hearts or provide a ruff-and-discard. Par in hearts was eight tricks for E-W. Diamond contracts were divided 4-4 between nine and ten tricks, with Dave and Mark making 4D to tie for N-S top, Dave when East gave a ruff-and-discard in clubs. Gareth was the only declarer to take ten tricks in clubs, a lucky escape for Roven defending 4Cx -1. Tasnot, in the heart of their streak of 69.5/70 matchpoints for a five-board stretch, had E-W top defending 5Dx -2.
?
4D N = (2)
3D N =
4Cx W -1; 5C W -2
3H E -1; 4C W -1; 4H E -1
2H S -1; 5D N -1
5Dx N -1; 5D N -2 (2)
4C W =
5Dx N -2
?
15:
?
...............K109
...............J42
...............K1087
...............Q63
Q765.....................2
AQ6.......................K953
96..........................A532
J1054.....................AK72
...............AJ843
...............1087
...............QJ4
...............98
?
East opens 1D or perhaps 1C in fourth position. If South overcalls 1S West bids 1NT (or perhaps raises if East opened 1C). North may raise to 2S; East may carry on, perhaps with a double, appealing at this vulnerability if West is inclined to leave it in. Contracts were 1NT E twice (South passed and East opted for the 1NT rebid over a 1S response), 1NT W, 2C E, 2S S five times, 2NT W twice3CE twice, 3C W and 3NT W.
?
Most?declarers took the par number of tricks - ten in clubs, nine in no-trumps and six in spades. One declarer in clubs was allowed to negotiate two diamond ruffs with the low trumps and emerged with eleven tricks, but the usual extra trick came in no-trumps if declarer was allowed a trick with the spade queen to go with the nine tricks in the other three suits. N-S top was a tie on -130 between Phoebot, Pharah and Marudy. 2S -2 scored 11/14 for the defenders. Tasnot were E-W top in 3NT +1 after the auction P-P-P-1D; 1S-1NT-2S-3C; P-3NT.
?
2C E +2; 3C E +1; 3C W +1
1NT E +2 (2); 2NT W +1; 3C E +2
1NT W +3; 2NT W +2
2S S -2 (5)
3NT W +1
?
16:
?
...............Q73
...............AQ643
...............K108
...............KQ
4.............................1092
K9852....................J7
AQ932....................6
93...........................AJ108765
...............AKJ865
...............10
...............J754
...............42
?
There are almost surely systems in which West opens 1H but they have not quite reached us yet. Even so it matters little if West does open. If so, North bids 1NT, which is likely to be the opening bid anyway. South has the values for game and 4S is reached. There may not have been any 1H opening bids, as that would be an easy way to stop in a partial. There were five contracts of 4S S, but that could be over interference from East, which for many pairs would negate a transfer. Nine Norths declared 4S and there was one accident, East presumably bidding something over 1NT and South expecting North to take 4H as a transfer.
?
The whoopsie gave Linj E-W top defending 4H -3. 4S can take eleven tricks after a spade or heart lead if declarer finesses everything in sight, or can be set after ace and another diamond if North rises with the king and then mishandles the eventual squeeze to recover. Both declarers to go down played from the South side against Heve and Boric. Ken, Paul and Phoebe took eleven tricks from the North side, Paul after a heart lead from East. 4S = was posted nine times.
?
4S N +1 (3)
4S N = (6); 4S S = (3)
4S S -1 (2)
4H S -3
?
17:
?
...............764
...............A875
...............AQ1064
...............K
QJ95.....................K108
Q6.........................J10943
5............................KJ98
J109865................3
...............A32
...............K2
...............732
...............AQ742
?
Again we nearly got everyone into the same contract. 1D-2C from North and South and then it's just a question of who bids no-trumps first, eding in 2NT once and 3NT thirteen times. It came out rather lopsided, with an 11-2 margin of South declaring instead of North. The last auction ended in 5D N after East snuck in a 1H overcall and South misclicked, jumping to 3H on the second round, which was presumably a splinter. Fortunately North did not carry on to slam and East did not double.
?
A spade lead is required to hold 5D to nine tricks; North discards two spades on clubs and just loses three trump tricks to East, although that also requires two heart ruffs in dummy with the trump ace taken before the second ruff, if not the first. But the horrid diamond split sinks 3NT as well; every contract was defeated, with -2 the par result on any lead but a diamond. Matt and Andrzej escaped in 3NT -1 to join Paul (P) in 5D -1 and Martin in the psychic-friend-inspired 2NT -1 to tie for N-S top. Declarer was headed for -1 against Boric, but gave them the E-W top by misclicking at trick twelve.
?
2NT S -1; 3NT S -1 (2); 5D N -1
3NT N -2; 3NT S -2 (8)
3NT N -3; 3NT S -3
?
18:
?
...............A6
...............J9873
...............A9
...............J963
KQJ82......................7543
A65...........................KQ4
874............................J2
K10............................A875
...............109
...............102
...............KQ10653
...............Q42
?
West opens 1S or overcalls 2Sif South begins with 2D. Over either beginning East invites or at least raises. Do E-W get to game? Contracts were 2S W four times, 3S W six times, 4S W four times and one final accident when West passed East in a Bergen raise of 3C.
?
The accident gave Mattbot the N-S top defending 3C -3. In spades, the six and seven of spades made it completely irrelevant whether Nor found a diamond lead or switch. Had North held A7 and East 6543, North could ruff a third round of diamonds high and take a fourth trick for the defence. As the hand was, everyone in spades took ten tricks, making E-W top a tie between Gel, Jerik, Ritold and Marbot. Ritold's auction was P-2D-2S-3D; 4S, Harold being robbed of his clearly invitational 3D and choosing to go high rather than low. Sometimes when opponents have to guess they guess right.
?
3C E -3
2S W +2 (4); 3S W +1 (6)
4S W = (4)
