1:
?
...............AKQ732
...............K
...............A96
...............654
954..............................J106
10987..........................J
J105............................K872
A73..............................QJ982
...............8
...............AQ65432
...............Q43
...............K10
?
This was a Battle of the Majors but intra-partnership instead of inter-. North opens 1S and South (if playing 2/1) has to choose between 2H and 1NT. North might jump to 3S; South might keep the contract in spades or go to hearts. One pair stopped in 3S S but everyone else got to game: 4H S eight times, 4S N twice and 5H S.
?
Hearts are right-sided declared by South. Despite there being a trump loser that happens not to exist in 4S, the ability to enter the South hand with ease means that hearts play better. West has to lead a diamond or the club ace to hold declarer to eleven tricks. If East is allowed to win the diamond king a club shift holds declarer to nine tricks; South must thus win the first diamond in dummy, cash the heart king and discard two diamonds on the spades at once, then finally discard a club on the fourth spade to come to eleven tricks. After a major lead declarer takes the heart king and discards clubs on the spades, then ruffs a club and draws trumps, with the diamond ace as an entry to the long spades. Of the nine declarers in hearts the trick results went 2/5/2 between nine, ten and eleven, eleven tricks taken by Don and Cindy. Against spades the key is to lead a heart before declarer can get organized. A trump lead robs North of the time to lead to the diamond queen but allows North to draw trumps and then discard a club before surrendering the lead. A heart keeps North from drawing trumps and taking an immediate discard. If North draws trumps and tries to reach dummy in clubs, E-W get three club tricks and East gets the diamond king? as well. If North takes a discard at once, East ruffs and the defence still have three winners in the minors. Playing in spades Gareth managed to tie for N-S top in 4S +1; the defence began well but in the middle of the hand East led a diamond instead of cashing the club queen and then forcing Gareth to ruff. As nobody set 4S, defending 4H -1 gave Pharah and Gel a tie for E-W top.
?
4H S +1; 4S N +1; 5H S =
4H S = (5); 4S N =
3S N +2
4H S -1 (2)
?
2:
?
...............862
...............AQ109832
...............7
...............76
AQJ104......................K75
J.................................764
943.............................J652
A832..........................KJ4
...............93
...............K5
...............AKQ108
...............Q1095
?
P-1D-1S and then North has to choose between 2H, 3H, 4H and pass. The bidding is sure to reach at least 2S whatever North does. A weak and natural 3H seems likely to be as high as N-S will go unless perhaps East goes to 3S and North decides to take the push, encouraged by the holding of three low spades. Contracts were 2S W, 3H N twice, 3S W twice, 4H N five times, 4S W and 5C S, occurring on the auction P-1D-1S-4H; P-5C. Some people just did not have good luck jumping to 4H this week.
?
Heart contracts play simply. E-W have to cash their four tricks off the top and either they do or they don't. The six heart contracts were evenly split between nine and eleven tricks for declarer, Rich and Judy (P) tying for N-S top in 4H +1. After two rounds of spades, Rich received a diamond continuation rather than the necessary club. Melen were E-W top defending 5C -4. Spades are interesting. If N-S start with two hearts or a trump, West has five trump and two club winners and can manage an eighth by cashing the top clubs and leading the third club off the top to score a ruff with the spade king. Early diamonds allowing North to discard the clubs are required; N-S can take the first six tricks, or North can wait to ruff the club ace. If West draws trumps there will be two club losers to go with the four red losers. Top defence came from Cliborah (3S -2) and Lourene (2S -1), Cliborah scoring 10/11 right behind Melen.
?
4H N +1 (2)
3H N +2
3H N =
3S W -2; 4S W -2
2S W -1; 3S W -1
4H N -1 (3)
5C S -4
?
3:
?
...............AQ109872
...............Q763
...............6
...............10
----...............................KJ653
A9542..........................K10
J54...............................KQ87
AKJ82..........................Q9
...............4
...............J8
...............A10932
...............76543
?
West opens 1H. How many spades does North bid opposite a passed partner at favourable vulnerability? I saw nine of the twelve overcalls: 1S thrice, 2S, 3S four times and 4S once. There may have been a second 4S overcall but no more than one, as only two auctions reached 4S. East would likely have left in more doubles had the vulnerability not been adverse. Contracts were 2Sx N, 3S N, 3Sx N twice, 3NT E five times, 4H W, 4Sx N and 5H W.
?
Declarer has a secure ten tricks in hearts. The 7-1 spade split is helpful as it eliminates the chance of declarer's losing control of the hand. Even if South is allowed to ruff a spade in an attempt to promote another trump winner, that attempt does not succeed. Both declarers in hearts took ten tricks. Declarer in no-trumps can also force ten tricks. A major lead makes it easy, as does a diamond. If North leads a club the psychic path is to win the queen, lead a diamond through which South must duck, then follow with three rounds of hearts. North gives East a spade, then declarer runs the clubs and throws North in again in hearts to get another spade winner for East. The are other possible routes; the key is just to avoid letting N-S score both aces and two hearts. The four declarers in 3NT E posted +630 thrice and Jane was E-W top on +660; after a spade lead North switched to a diamond when only a heart would do. Defending against spades, the simple way to seven tricks would be for East to lead hearts and then ruff both the third and fourth heart with the five-spot and six-spot of spades over dummy's four-spot, then wait to score the trump king-jack. Paul escaped for a crucial 4Sx -3 when West did not follow with the third heart but switched to a club. All the lower spade contracts finished -2; Paul had to avoid -4 and the dreaded -800, which would have been bottom; saving -3 scored 6/11 for him.
?
5H W -1
3S N -2
2Sx N -2; 3Sx N -2 (2)
4Sx N -3
3NT E =
4H W =
3NT E +1 (3)
3NT E +2
?
4:
?
...............Q964
...............J1084
...............J92
...............K3
1083.........................AJ75
76532.......................AKQ
K...............................Q107
10874....................... AJ2
...............K2
...............9
...............A86543
...............Q965
?
2NT from East. West might pass 2NT, leave in a transfer to 3H or bite the bullet and carry on with 3NT to offer a choice of games. East declared at every table; the distribution was 4/5/2/1 among 2NT, 3H, 3NT and 4H.
?
A red-suit lead (presumably diamonds) holds no-trumps to eight tricks; there is a chance of nine if West wins a diamond and leads a low club towards East. If South wins one of the first two clubs East has nine tricks. Two declarers in 2NT took only seven tricks against Cliborah and Randi. It gets interesting if South leads ace and another diamond; East leads the top three hearts and South is squeezed out of a diamond winner; East then cashes the third diamond and follows with ace and another spade. Eventually South has to break the clubs and give declarer two tricks there. 3NT -2 gave Linj the N-S top but Jane finished off a perfect round with 3NT E = when North unguarded the spades, allowing a ninth trick. Heart contracts had a placid nine tricks with one loser in each suit; Jurcia were allowed to defeat 3H one trick but all the other declarers in hearts took nine.
?
3NT E -2
2NT E -1 (2); 3H E -1; 4H E -1
2NT E = (2)
3H E = (4)
3NT E =
?
5:
?
...............865
...............K8652
...............87
...............K84
AQ10743..............KJ2
Q..........................AJ94
A52......................J63
Q73......................J96
...............9
...............1073
...............KQ1094
...............A1052
?
How good are East's jacks? That is the burning question. West opens 1S or overcalls spades if South opens - is East content with a single raise or does East invite? If East invites West probably accepts. West declared in spades at every table: 2S five times, 3S twice and 4S five times. Not vulnerable it would be an error from South to allow 2S to go through.
?
Even without a diamond bid from South North usually found the right lead. Declarer needs a very favourable heart lie and happens to get it. West wins the diamond ace and leads the heart queen. If North covers one heart ruff affords declarer three heart tricks. Erik played 4S +1 after the heart queen was covered for the E-W top. If North ducks declarer can only come to ten tricks; after the heart queen cash a trump from hand and one in dummy, then lead the heart ace and jack, discarding two diamonds or just take one discard on the ace and guess the clubs. Declarer will probably go wrong guessing the clubs, as the most likely play is to finesse the ten, but declarer can force a club trick with a backwards finesse by running the nine to ten-queen-king, then finessing North for the eight-spot. In the end the distribution of tricks from eight to eleven was 1/6/4/1, with N-S top defending 4S -1 shared between Cliborah, Lernot and Marudy.
?
4S W -1 (3)
2S W =
2S W +1; 3S W = (2)
2S W +2 (3)
4S W =
4S W +1
?
6:
?
...............KQJ986
...............K97
...............J6
...............Q9
3...............................1075
Q4............................532
AK854......................Q9
AJ654.......................107532
...............A42
...............AJ1086
...............10732
...............K
?
At least two Wests overcalled 2NT over a 1H opening bid from South. North might downgrade the hand for wastage in the minors but most pairs reached game. Contracts were 3H S twice, 3S N, 4H S twice, 4S N five times, 5C E and 5Cx E.
?
E-W have three winners in the minors and then declarer has to guess the queen of hearts, which most declarers ought to get wrong with East holding twice as many cards in the majors as West, or, if spades are trumps, three hearts to two if West has bid 2NT - an occasion on which giving declarer distributional information helps the defence. Only three N-S declarers made game: 4H S = for Marie, 4H S +1 for Martin and 4S N +1 for Paul after E-W began with three rounds of diamonds, hoping for a trump promotion that did not occur. Four declarers were down in game. 3S provided an overtrick; 3H did not, declarer finessing East for the heart queen. Against clubs North's doubleton queen insured a trump winner to go with the three top winners in the majors, giving Cliborah the N-S top defending 5Cx -2.
?
5Cx E -2
4H S +1; 4S N +1
4H S =
5C E -2
3S N +1
3H S = (2)
4S N -1 (4)
?
7:
?
...............A9732
...............K5
...............AJ93
...............Q10
J104.......................K86
10...........................QJ842
K875......................642
97542.....................A3
...............Q5
...............A9763
...............Q10
...............KJ86
?
N-S seem destined to play 3NT from one side or the other. South does not have the most comfortable rebid if the auction begins 1H-1S; 2C-2D without three spades, six hearts, a diamond stopper or five clubs. North might bid 3NT on the second round. If South passes, North opens 1S and rebids 2D over 1NT; then South likely invites with 2NT and North can accept. In the end everyone arrived in 3NT, with North favoured over South by a 7-5 margin. P-1S; 2H-2NT seemed the most likely auction to finish in a partial but we avoided it.
?
With spades and diamonds both sitting beautifully declarer has buckets of tricks; E-W can only force three tricks on defence with a heart lead, either West's singleton ten or a low heart from East. Betty was one of four declarers in 3NT +2 (three from the North side, one from the South); East led the heart queen. Eric was N-S top in 3NT S +3 after a club lead when East unguarded the hearts; West also had to cover a diamond for that to happen but it is still on East. E-W top went to Dane for defending 3H S =. In the end, the seven Norths declaring took 73 tricks total, the five Souths 52, a miniscule edge to North, appropriately enough.
?
3NT S +3
3NT N +2 (3); 3NT S +2
3NT N +1 (4); 3NT S +1 (2)
3NT S =
?
8:
?
...............Q106
...............J7543
...............1053
...............32
AK85.....................732
AKQ62..................98
KQ84.....................72
----.........................AJ10874
...............J94
...............10
...............AJ96
...............KQ965
?
How does West stop in time on this hand? Is it at all possible? Carl, Steve and Vicki managed to stop in partials after opening 1H, finishing in 2NT W (I don't think I want to know how), 1H W (no balance from South?) and 2H W. 2Cx S would have been an interesting contract to see but we never saw it. After a 2C opening bid game was assured. One East played 3NT, six Wests played 4H and two Wests wandered all the way up to 6H, which would have had some play had East held the diamond ace instead of the club ace.
?
It did not save them much in the way of matchpoints but the two Wests in 6H bettered par by two tricks and were only -1. A club lead to the ace followed by a diamond to the ace?almost produces eleven tricks. In the end North's heart seven is just high enough over West's six to allow North a high ruff at trick nine over dummy's remaining spot and then South's ten promotes North's seven; had North held J10543 and South the singleton seven then a club to the ace, diamond to the ace and no trump switch would have allowed declarer eleven tricks by force. Conndy, Lourene and Glynneth took the par four tricks to defeat 4H; the game was made by Erik, Sarah and Del. The only defending pair to better par against hearts was Linj, defending 2H W =. Par in no-trumps was eight tricks. Declarer gets locked in dummy and needs the club ace in the East hand to keep N-S playing diamonds. Dianne was E-W top in 3NT +2; North ducked a heart at trick three, allowing her a surprise entry to hand, and then South led a c lub for her later in the hand instead of a spade or diamond.
?
4H W -1 (3); 6H W -1 (2)
2H W =
2NT W =
1H W +2
4H W = (3)
3NT E +2
?
9:
?
...............43
...............4
...............KJ5
...............AQJ9432
K865...........................QJ9
KJ97............................Q1086532
A963............................7
5...................................107
...............A1072
...............A
...............Q10842
...............K86
?
This hand was Vioebe's triumph of the day. South went comatose and passed both times during the auction: 1C-3H-P-4H. Otherwise we had N-S choosing between 5C and 3NT, with two partials and one slam bid. Contracts were 3C N twice, 3NT S twice, 4H E, 5C N five times, 5Hx E and 6C N.
?
This came down entirely to the opening lead when N-S declared. Against 3NT West forces declarer to cash out by leading a heart. Why N-S were allowed to declare 3NT is another question, but we shall let that pass; both declarers in 3NT took nine tricks. When North plays 5C it is?easier, as either a spade to establish the second winner or a diamond and a ruff will give the defence two tricks. NJ posted 5C +1 for the N-S top after the unlucky opening lead of a heart. One declarer in 3C received a diamond lead and West did not continue with a second round. Boric did the best they could defending 5Hx -1 to score 4/11. Vioebe's cold 4H = was E-W top.
?
5C N +1
3NT S = (2); 5C N = (4)
5Hx E -1
3C N +3
3C N +2
6C N -1
4H E =
?
10:
?
...............J1062
...............Q964
...............J10
...............KQ2
83............................4
KJ7..........................A108
K64..........................A8532
109764.....................A853
...............AKQ975
...............532
...............Q97
...............J
?
Most Norths apparently were content with a 2S raise after 1D-1S and whatever West did (pass? double? 2D?). Five Souths were allowed to play 2S. Six went on to or were pushed to 3S. The final auction was 1D-1S-P-2S; X-P-3C, N-S showing great restraint in avoiding the three-level. Jerik were E-W there and Jim was able to feel more free to force the auction to the three-level because of his HCP-limited 1D opening bid.
?
The club duplication is brutal. If E-W negotiate the two-way heart finesse they can take the first six tricks. This was done only by Pheileen, whose 2S -1 tied them with the 3S -1 posted by Keianne, Pharah and Heve. The final distribution of tricks from seven to nine was 1/6/4. +140 split the N-S top between Marie, Eric, Lynn and Louise. Erik had nine tricks in 3C and took them for the E-W top, but N-S could not have forced a better result. Change North's club and heart holdings and 3S is a probable make.
?
2S S +1; 3S S = (3)
2S S = (3)
2S S -1; 3S S -1 (3)
3C W =
?
11:
?
...............J985
...............732
...............9542
...............104
KQ.........................A107
KQJ6.....................1084
KQJ6.....................10
Q87........................KJ9632
...............6432
...............A95
...............A873
...............A5
?
1D from South and West presumably doubles before bidding no-trumps, although this is a poor 19-count. If East bids only 2C in reply to the double, the hand can easily raise to 3NT. That there were?seven contracts of 3NT W and one of 3NT E seemed a bit low. The one-offs were 1NT W, 2H W, 2NT W and 4C W (?).
?
In all three denominations N-S could take South's aces and nothing more. Helen and Erik both took ten tricks as declarer. Helen's play began with the club ace, another club and a diamond to the ace. South then had to cash the ace of hearts but led a spade instead. Conndy were N-S top defending 4C W =.
?
4C W =
2H E +2
1NT W +3; 2NT W +2
3NT W +1 (6)
3NT E +2; 3NT W +2
?
12:
?
...............A3
...............A2
...............KQ108742
...............J3
KJ107..........................53
105..............................KQ98763
J93..............................6
Q1092.........................K87
...............Q9864
...............J4
...............A5
...............A654
?
1D from North and then East bids some number of hearts from 1H to 4H. South will bid 1S or 2S, likely double 3H or 4H. Best outcome for N-S will be to play 3NT, but 4H removes that possibility and P-1D-3H-X is a tricky one for North. Bob was the only North who found a 3NT reply to a negative double of 3H and be left there. Contracts were 3H E, 3S S, 3NT N, 4D N five times, 4S S, 5D N twice and 5Hx E.
?
North has ten tricks in no-trumps and only ten in diamonds despite not having to fear a running suit. One declarer in 4D took twelve tricks and Bob was N-S top in 3NT +2 on a low heart lead when an honour would not have allowed him to score the jack. An opening lead of a minor allows North to get a club ruff and hold hearts to eight tricks; Matty posted the par 5Hx -3 to score 10/11. Spade contracts get ugly, held to seven tricks by a heart or club lead. Keianne took their par six tricks against 4S for E-W top.
?
3NT N +2
5Hx E -3
4D N +2
4D N = (4)
3H E -2
3S S -1; 5D N -1 (2)
4S S -3
?
13:
?
...............AQ94
...............Q3
...............AK9
...............AKJ9
K8..............................J2
AK97..........................J8652
8763...........................QJ102
643.............................87
...............107653
...............104
...............54
...............Q1052
?
This was similar to Board 4 in reverse except that opener is a bit stronger and has even better support?while responder has a side Q10xx instead of a singleton king. The opening bid is 2C with a 2NT rebid instead of 2NT. 2NT N was left in thrice. Two Norths did not pre-accept a transfer and South opted to let 3S go. Strangely two Norths declared 3NT. Four Norths declared 4S. One West got into the bidding (presumably thinking it would do no harm to throw in a lead-directing 2H after 2C-P-2D) and ended declaring 4H - undoubled.
?
No E-W pair took their five tricks against no-trumps. The usual lead was the diamond queen; trick counts were nine, ten, eleven twice and twelve (N-S top) for Connie. Spades take eleven tricks with the trumps behaving. At IMPs, with exactly two losers in the other suits, declarer should play the ace first to avoid losing two tricks when East holds a singleton king. At matchpoints, if one thinks 4S is likely to be played at most tables, the finesse is more than three times as likely to produce an extra trick and may well gain in score over the long run. Paul, Rich and Larry all posted +650; Judy (G) +620. Jatin got very lucky; not only did he avoid the double but two leads from North each dropped a trick and allowed him to scape for -2 and a score of 10/11 thanks to declarer's overperformance in no-trumps.
?
3NT N +3
4S N +1 (3)
4S N =
3NT N =
2NT N +3 (2)
3S N +2 (2); 4H W -2
2NT N +2
?
14:
?
...............KJ97
...............8
...............A1092
...............K1096
5................................AQ1032
AQ543.......................9
K6543........................QJ8
A4..............................8752
...............864
...............KJ10762
...............7
...............QJ3
?
2H from South should silence both West and North. East will probably balance with either 2S or a double. West may be tempted to leave the double in, although it would be nice if the trump spots were better. West might bid no-trumps or diamonds over a double or an overcall. Contracts were 2H S twice, 2S E twice, 2NT E(!), 2NT W twice, 3D W, 3Hx S, 3NT W twice and 4D W.
?
The E-W hands fit well enough that the best defence against diamonds is for North to sacrifice the probable second trump fit and lead the ace and another, holding declarer to nine tricks. Steve took eleven tricks in 3D but Conndy were able to defend 4D -3. No-trumps can be held to eight tricks because the diamonds do not establish easily.?Three of the four declarers in no-trumps held themselves to seven tricks (Matty's 3NT -3 tied Conndy for N-S top), reasonable without getting the diamond position right. A club lead holds spades to seven tricks; the diamond ruff helps declarer more than it hurts. Declarer can duck in dummy but the South switches to a spade and eventually N-S get two spade tricks, three clubs and the diamond ace. Paun defended 2S -2 but Gene made 2S, one of only three successful contracts. Hearts can be held to five tricks after a spade lead. Ritold were E-W top defending 3Hx -3 for the E-W top. NJ scored 9/11 for a surprising 2H =. West led the club ace instead of a spade, switched to a spade and then East returned a heart.?NJ was then able to draw trumps and score four heart tricks, three clubs and the diamond ace.
?
3NT W -3; 4D W -3
2H S =
2S E -2; 2NT W -2; 3NT W -2
2NT E -1; 2NT W -1
2H S -2
2S E =
3D W +2
3Hx S -3
?
15:
?
...............7
...............KQ
...............8743
...............A109652
Q1098643..........A5
53.......................AJ1076
Q10.....................KJ5
84.......................J73
...............KJ2
...............9842
...............A962
...............KQ
?
South opens 1D and then West bids 2S, 3S or 4S. One West passed, leading to the auction 1D-P-3D-3H. One South ended in 3NT, likely after 1D-3S-X-P; 3NT. At every other table West played in spades: 2S, 3S thrice, 4S thrice and 4Sx thrice.
?
It was unfortunate that South opened 1D, as a club or heart lead is required for N-S to collect their five tricks against spades. Declarer in 2S and five of the six declarers at the four-level took eight tricks but all three 3S contracts were made by Ken, Del and Carl, while Rita posted 4S -1. Par for hearts was seven tricks; it did not matter how many tricks Jurcia set 3H (in the end it was three). NJ made 3NT, which could have finished -3. The defence began with two rounds of spades (it was necessary to switch to a heart; a low heart both establishes the suit and prevents declarer from enjoying the blocked clubs).
?
3NT S =
4Sx W -2 (3)
3H E -3
4S W -2 (2)
4S W -1
2S W =
3S W = (3)
?
16:
?
...............Q8
...............K10932
...............Q932
...............J2
J6532......................K
A..............................QJ876
KJ75........................A4
AQ10.......................98643
...............A10974
...............54
...............1086
...............K75
?
East was lucky to hold so many HCP, as at least it was possible to choose a rebid of 2NT after 1S-1NT; 2D. Make the heart queen the deuce and East would have not even close to a good call. Curiously, however, 3NT E was only reached once. Two Wests left 1NT E in. Over 2D, one East passed, two bid 2H and were left there and another gave a false preference back to 2S. One North got into the auction and got stuck in 2Hx. West declared in no-trumps four times, 2NT and 3NT thrice. A 1NT opening bid and a 2H response from East both seem rather unlikely.
?
A diamond lead (or spade ace and diamond switch) holds East to seven tricks in no-trumps even if declarer guesses the clubs correctly; West always has eight tricks declaring with good guessing. But East declaring overperformed while West had a mixed bag - six, seven, eight and nine tricks, Erik playing 3NT W =. Gene was E-W top in 3NT E +1; both South and North helped by leading a heart when a diamond or spade would have been in order. A trump lead holds spades to seven tricks; Rita played 2S W =. Linj took their par five tricks to score 8/11 defending 2D W =. The pleasant surprise for East is how well 2H plays; if anything North's holding five trumps helps as South can never overruff. A diamond or spade lead allows East to score four ruffs and come to nine tricks total; a club or heart lead removes a vital entry to the West hand for that ninth trick. Helen took nine tricks in 2H E; Conndy held declarer to eight.
?
2NT W -2; 3NT W -2
3NT W -1
2D W =
2H E =; 2S W =
1NT E +1
2H E +1
1NT E +2
3NT W =
3NT E +1
2Hx N -4
?
17:
?
...............A10
...............1082
...............KQ108543
...............4
J94.................................KQ863
Q43................................AK9
AJ2.................................----
6532 ..............................KQ1087
...............752
...............J765
...............976
...............AJ9
?
Over 3D from North, does East double or bid 3S? Does South come in? West might pass a double, bid 3NT or even 3H, which occurred at least thrice. 3S might be passed or raised. Contracts were 3Dx N twice, 3S E, 3NT W thrice, 4D N, 4H W twice and 4S E thrice. The longest auction was 3D-X-P-3H; P-3S-P-3NT; P-4H-P-4S; although it does not work I prefer 3NT.
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The cards lay ideally for N-S against 3NT. North leads a diamond and switches to a club; South returns a diamond to establish the suit and North still has an entry in the spade ace. As the clubs do not run, -4 is possible and was recorded by Lourene. But Ken made 3NT W when North, after winning the first diamond, continued with a heart. Jatin also made 3NT W. Keeping as much control as possible will let West escape with eight tricks in hearts, but players are so unused to games in 3-3 fits that Cliborah posted 4H -3 and Boric 4H -4, tying Boric with Lourene for N-S top. In diamonds declarer had a striaghtforward five losers; Linda and Larry were above average playing 3Dx -1 but Carthurl bettered par by one trick to score above average defending 4D -3. The spade declarers took ten tricks (giving Jim and Sarah a tie for E-W top) except against Matty; declarer erred by cashing the heart king at trick eleven:
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..........----
..........10
..........108
..........----
----..............----
4..................K
----..............----
65................108
..........----
..........J7
..........----
..........J
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3NT W -4; 4H W -4
4H W -3
4S E -1
3Dx N -1 (2)
4D N -3
3S E +1
3NT W = (2)
4S E = (2)
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18:
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...............9543
...............K
...............AK10752
...............Q8
AK............................J86
A10753.....................Q862
J94...........................Q6
J105..........................A943
...............Q1072
...............J94
...............83
...............K762
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West played in hearts at every table. After P-P-1H-2D, East raised to 2H or 3H. 2H was left in five times, North being scared out of a clear balance by the vulnerability. Six Wests played 3H and one 4H.
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Hearts had a straightforward nine tricks, losing one trump, two diamonds and one club. Marudy held 2H to eight tricks, while N-S top went to Lernot for defending 4H -3; every other N-S pair scored -140. 3D would have finished -1. Had North or South played 2S, eight tricks would have been par. E-W must force North to ruff to kill off the diamond suit. A club force means using East's only entry early while a heart force has to come from West and lets South discard a loser from North to set up the jack.
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4H W -3
2H W =
2H W +1 (4); 3H W = (6)
