1:
?
...............Q5
...............103
...............KQ103
...............AK973
AKJ982................6
A82......................KQ7
4...........................AJ87652
865.......................Q10
...............10743
...............J9654
...............9
...............J42
?
A fair amount may seem to depend on whether North opens 1C or 1D. East will come in with 1D over 1C, but West bid spades with considerable vigour and declared in spades at every table, 2S twice and 4S four times.
?
West can take ten tricks in spades by scoring six trump tricks to go with three hearts and a diamond. This requires trumping diamonds in hand three times along with the complication of not being able to cash three hearts. The layout is interesting; if N-S force East to ruff a club West will drop the spade queen perforce. Will West spurn the finesse if N-S ostentatiously avoid the force? Marudy and Jamob shared N-S top defending 4S -2 but all four other declarers took at least ten tricks. Mary was E-W top in 4S +1; South trumped an early diamond after North began with two clubs; discarding South's third club would have kept the result at =.
?
4S W -2 (2)
2S W +2
2S W +3
4S W =
4S W +1
?
2:
?
...............QJ74
...............A752
...............5
...............KQJ2
52.........................63
Q8........................K643
Q109762..............AK3
976.......................10543
...............AK1098
...............J109
...............J84
...............A8
?
1S from South and North has a maximum hand for a splinter raise of 4D. This is good news for South in that South has no big wastage in diamonds but the hand is still a balanced minimum. Cinbot reached 6S on the auction 1S-4D; 5C-5H; 5S-6S. Four pairs stopped in 4S S and one in 3S S.
?
With spades 2-2 and North's holding four clubs, twelve tricks always come in if there is no declaring error. A heart lead, however, forces declarer to draw trumps first before playing clubs. Had trumps split 3-1 a heart lead would have given the defence an excellent chance to prevail but a diamond lead allows 6S to make even if trumps split 4-0. One declarer in 4S took only eleven tricks but everyone else took twelve, giving Cindy's +1430 the N-S top and Ritold's -230 the E-W top.
?
6S S =
4S S +2 (3)
4S S +1
3S S +3
?
3:
?
...............KJ10
...............A3
...............QJ108
...............K1043
83..........................Q742
1086......................QJ542
K72........................A54
Q8762....................9
...............A965
...............K97
...............963
...............AJ5
?
Surprisingly only two N-S pairs reached game here. Showing the danger of changing one's mind in mid-auction, one South opened 1C but then passed North's response of 1D. One auction apparently was opened by North who then passed South's 1NT response. Another pair opted to defend 2Hx E and one auction ended in 2NT N - possibly a misunderstanding about the auction 1C-2NT? That just left two Norths in 3NT.
?
A heart lead against no-trumps puts declarer in a bit of a crunch. There is no time to set up the diamonds; declarer needs seven tricks from the black suits. At least the clubs can be misguessed but East must be played for the queen of spades. Wendric were E-W top defending 1NT S +1 but the other declarers in no-trumps took nine or ten tricks, ten if West unguarded the clubs of the run of the spades. Zia saved 2Hx -1 for 2/5 matchpoints; the contract was headed for -3 and -800 but after a diamond lead and club switch South played another club and gave declarer a big lead in timing. Ten tricks in diamonds was the par result; declarer took eleven to tie 2NT +1.
?
3NT N +1 (2)
2Hx E -1
1D N +4; 2NT N +1
1NT S +1
?
4:
?
...............105
...............AKJ62
...............106542
...............7
J632........................AK4
984..........................Q7
Q..............................J983
KQJ86.....................A982?
...............Q987
...............1053
...............AK7
...............1054
?
One pair ended in 2S W, quite likely after a support double by East: P-P-1D-P; 1S-2H-X and West will return to 2S. Had East opened 1C instead West might likely have chosen 3C over the double rather than trying a seven-card fit with a weak four-card suit. Everyone else finished in some number of no-trumps: 1NT E thrice, 1NT W(!) and 3NT W, though I imagine more Norths would have been willing to interfere over a 1C opening bid when both five-card suits would have been unbid.
?
3C would have been an easy make; 2S also makes, although with a little more difficulty. There are three top losers in the red suits; if declarer trumps the third heart there are two spade losers and trying to draw trumps loses a third heart. Bob played 2S W = for a 60% score. Against no-trumps N-S can cash seven tricks off the top with the heart Qx in the East hand dropping. That result was easily obtained when West declared, giving Pave the N-S top defending 3NT -3. When East declared 1NT Harold took seven tricks, Eric and Laura eight to tie for E-W top. Eric received a heart lead to North, but North, fearing South would not unblock the queen from Qxx, returned a low heart at trick two.
?
3NT W -3
1NT W -1
1NT E =
2S W =
1NT E +1 (2)
?
5:
?
...............Q863
...............AK10963
...............K
...............A5
J10542.......................K
87...............................J542
J953...........................Q1074
K8..............................Q732?
...............A97
...............Q
...............A862
...............J10964
?
After 1H-1NT; 2H, South usually liked the singleton queen enough to raise with it, resulting in 4H N at three tables. One pair stopped in 3H N and one South misclicked and passed 1H, leaving only one to try a 2NT rebid, leading to declaring 3NT.
?
In hearts declarer can park the low club on the diamond ace. The spades, despite the 5-1 split, behave kindly enough to hold losers in the suit to one - the ace drops the king and then declarer leads through West. After a club lead declarer takes?a different tack and establishes the clubs; after a heart lead declarer comes to hand in diamonds and draws all the trumps. If the lead is a spade declarer just clears the diamond king, crosses back to the heart queen, discards the losing club and then leads a spade through West, finessing if West plays low. Eleven tricks, but nobody took them except for the declarer in 1H.. Karlene and Judy (P) took ten tricks in 4H N to tie for top. In no-trumps a diamond lead holds declarer to ten tricks; declarer does not have time to lose a heart and a black-suit trick. Judy (R) took nine tricks for a 60% score. E-W top went to Tombot defending 4H -1.
?
4H N = (2)
3NT S =
1H N +4
3H N =
4H N -1
?
6:
?
...............Q62
...............KJ
...............AJ
...............AJ10972
874............................K9
Q87642.....................10953
432............................Q76
8................................KQ64
...............AJ1053
...............A
...............K10985
...............53
?
I'm fairly sure Jevin would have reached the reasonable 6S here. The key is that South has solid intermediates and a good Losing Trick Count. Only one pair ventured beyond 4S, due entirely to North, on the auction 1S-2C; 2D-4NT; 5H-5S; it would have helped had North bid 2S first to set the trump suit before asking. South can give at least mild encouragement.
?
With both diamonds and spades behaving South can take all thirteen tricks in spades - club ace, heart ace, diamond ace, heart king, then probably a spade finesse and then either drawing trumps and guessing diamonds or ruffing the third diamond before leading another spade. Thirteen tricks. We ended with four declarers - Judy (R), Mary, Breta and Martin - taking twelve tricks for a 70% score. Tombot held declarer to eleven tricks and Laubot to ten for the E-W top.
?
4S S +2 (3); 5S S +1
4S S +1
4S S =
?
7:
?
...............842
...............Q10543
...............J732
...............A
97............................QJ10
J7............................AK62
K98.........................10654
QJ8753...................102
...............AK653
...............98
...............AQ
...............K964
?
What does South do after 1S-2S? We saw it all - pass, 3C, 3S and 4S. 3C seems best and then North surely accepts. Contracts were evenly divided - 2S twice, 3S twice and 4S twice.
?
Unfortunately for N-S their assets are badly meshed. AKxxx Kx AQ xxxx for South or Qxx xxxxx Jxxx A for North would give a much stronger chance of ten tricks; as is, declarer needs the diamond finesse and 3-2 trumps. The trumps behave; the diamonds do not. The E-W doubletons in clubs and hearts make things interesting. If a club is led, declarer likely takes the diamond finesse, losing, and then three rounds of hearts will establish at least a fifth trick for E-W. Breta was N-S top in 3S =. Three declarers took eight tricks and two took seven; E-W top was shared between Wendric and Laubot defending 4S -2; -1 scored 60% for N-S.
?
3S S =
2S S -1 (2); 3S S -1
4S S -2 (2)
?
8:
?
...............93
...............7532
...............J64
...............KQ65
----............................Q10872
AJ84.........................K106
Q752.........................K3
AJ842.......................1093?
...............AKJ654
...............Q9
...............A1098
...............7
?
South may be able to overcall a natural 2S after 1D-P-1Sl partnerships ought to clarify the meanings of X, 1NT, 2D, 2S and 2NT on this auction. Quite a few pairs play both 2D and 2S as natural, in which case South can overcall 2S comfortably enough; RHO's holding four trumps holds no terrors. One South passed and West rebid 1NT, playing the hand there. Another West rebid 2D and was left there, although 1D-1S; 2C-2D is another possible auction. One South overcalled 2S and was left there; another 2S overcall was doubled by West for takeout and East opted to defend. Higher contracts were 3Sx S and 3NT W.
?
Defending 2Sx looks great. A diamond lead from West puts E-W on the track for two heart winners, one diamond, one club, two diamond ruffs and still a spade, Against Breta in 2S undoubled, however, the defence began well enough - club ace, diamond to king and ace, diamond to queen. But then West led a second club, allowing Breta nine tricks. Mary took nine tricks in 2Sx for the N-S top. Cinbot produced close to optimal defence for the E-W top defending 3Sx -2. The two E-W no-trumps contracts finished -1 and -3 but declarer took four and eight tricks, not six and six; 1NT -3 against Ritold and 3NT -1 for Tommy; par was seven tricks after a spade or diamond lead. Declarer's read of the heart suit was significant. Nobody matched par in any contract; Laura scored 60% in 2D -2 when she could have been -1.
?
2S x S +1
1NT W -3
2S S +1
2D W -2
3NT W -1
3Sx S -2
?
9:
?
...............9652
...............AJ75
...............8542
...............A
K3..........................AQJ4
KQ62.....................1093
QJ1076..................9
Q3..........................K10972?
...............1087
...............84
...............AK3
...............J8654
?
I thought we might see at least one 2NT contract after P-P-P-1D; P-1S-P-1NT; P-2NT, but we never did. Three Easts passed 1NT; two Wests went on to 3NT. The sixth contract was 2D W after a 2D rebid; East might have tried 2NT.
?
Declarer in diamonds takes seven tricks; neither side can quite do everything needed to force a different result. In this case, though, Pave defended slightly too actively and allowed 2D to make but they were still N-S top. Declarer is held to eight tricks in no-trumps with reasonable defensive care; when in with the first diamond, South leads a heart and North ducks; then comes another heart when South is in with the second diamond and N-S have five tricks. But only Tombot held declarer to eight tricks; the other four declarers all took nine, likely after a heart lead, as was the case for Wendy, who shared E-W top with Bob.
?
2D W =
1NT W +1
1NT W +2 (2)
3NT W = (2)
?
10:
?
...............A3
...............876
...............653
...............AJ1054
KJ42............................Q10985
J5.................................K
AK984.........................QJ107
86.................................KQ9?
...............76
...............AQ109432
...............2
...............732
?
If East passes, N-S might steal the bid in 4H via P-3H-P-4H. After a 1S opening bid from East West gets to 4S. P-3H-P-P leads to 3S from East (or a double) and again E-W reach 4S.
?
Neither 4H nor 4S quite makes. 4H has below even chances, needing the hearts and clubs to behave. 4s depends on whether or not South can get a diamond ruff. The natural lead of or even switch to the singleton diamond seems likely to lead to -1, but only Study and Ritold achieved that result. Cindy made 4S after the defence began with two rounds of hearts; 4S = scored 70% for Cindy, Laura, Judy (P) and Karlene.
?
4S E -1 (2)
4S E = (4)
?
11:
?
...............109
...............AQ10632
...............10953
...............J
J63..............................AQ852
K985...........................74
AK2.............................Q7
K107............................Q985
...............K74
...............J
...............J864
...............A6432
?
We start P-1C-2H and then likely 2S or possibly double from East. One South raised to 3H on the singleton jack, ending the auction. Other contracts were 2NT W, 3S E twice and 4S E twice.
?
The layout is brutal to spade contracts. With optimal defence N-S get two club ruffs and six tricks total, but this requires South to ruff a heart that can be won by North, although declarer can go wrong. The four results in spades averaged out at par, with Wendric's 4S -3 and Zibot's 3S -3 tied for E-W top. 4S -2 and 3S -2 shared the middle score. Cindy?finessed the ten on the first club for 2NT -1 instead of +1 but still scored 80%. The play is most interesting in hearts. One West ducked the heart jack, giving North an opportunity to score all six trumps separately and finish with eight tricks. Declarer was headed for 3H -1 but eventually led the heart ace. Even -1 would still have given Pave the E-W top for defending instead of declaring on this nightmare hand.
?
3S E -3; 4S E -3
3S E -2; 4S E -2
2NT W -1
3H N -2
?
?
?
12:
?
...............4
...............A3
...............32
...............K10985432
AQJ5................................K7632
10852...............................KQ9
Q6....................................AK108
Q76...................................J?
...............1098
...............J764
...............J9754
...............A
?
Does North open 3C or 4C? 3C elicits either a double or a 3S overcall from East and then E-W get to 4S. 4C ended the auction once and was doubled, also ending the auction, once. East played 4S thrice and West once.
?
Eric was the lucky North to play 4C undoubled -2 for N-S top, losing four tricks in the side suits and one trump. Judy (P) was the East to double 4C and Martin the West to pass, collecting +500 and E-W top. Declarer can take eleven tricks in spades, although South has a chance at an overruff after club ace, heart ace and club back. Study scored 80% against 4S = when East ruffed the second club low; the other three declarers in 4S all took eleven tricks.
?
4C N -2
4S E =
4S E +1 (3)
4Cx N -2
?
13:
?
...............3
...............109874
...............AKJ43
...............J7
K87............................AQ9542
Q62............................KJ3
Q105...........................98
8632...........................Q9?
...............J106
...............A5
...............762
...............AK1054
?
After 1S-2S from E-W North might make a responsive double if South overcalled 2C and do something (3D? 2NT? double?) if South passed. Nobody played at the two-level; contracts were 3C S, 3S E, 3Sx E, 4H N and 4S E twice. Pushing East to 3S ought to be enough.
?
E-W have five top losers in spades; all four spade contracts yielded eight tricks. Clubs can take ten tricks, although declarer may need to be careful about keeping control. 3C = was a reasonable result for the one declarer there and +1 would not have scored any better. 4H is defeated if E-W force North twice in hearts before trumps are drawn. North then cannot afford to draw the third trump. Harold made 4H when East led a diamond in the middle of the hand instead of forcing with the third round of spades, which would have forced Harold to allow the last to E-W trumps to score separately.
?
4H N =
3Sx E -1; 4S E -2 (2)
3C S =
3S E -1
?
14:
?
...............KQ8
...............103
...............J105
...............K8432
A9643........................1072
AJ75...........................K982
AK7............................86432
J.................................6
...............J5
...............Q64
...............Q9
...............AQ10975
?
West likely overcalls 1S over a possible 1C opening bid and doubles a 3C opening bid. One West got to declare 3Sx after 1S-2C-P-P; 2H-P-2S-3C; 3S-X (a downside of the 1C opening bid on iffy top values) but South declared in clubs at all the other tables: 2C, 3C twice, 4C and 4Cx.
?
In spades (or hearts) with the hearts behaving the 1-1 clubs stop N-S from any effective forcing defence and allow declarer nine tricks. Cindy duly made 3Sx for E-W top. South has five top losers in clubs, and eight tricks was the result every time except that Zia escaped in 4C -1 to score 60%. Being allowed to play 2C = gave Tommy N-S top.
?
2C S =
3C S -1 (2); 4C S -1
4Cx S -2
3Sx W =
?
15:
?
...............K764
...............J72
...............108742
...............2
----..........................Q832
K94.........................85
AKQ5......................J96
AQ8753...................KJ96
...............AJ1095
...............AQ1063
...............3
...............104
?
The auction appears likely to start 1S-X-3S-P. If South passes West may well double again (or bid 4C) and then East has to resist the temptation to pass. N-S appear to hold nine trumps; this hand is not going to be able to do much if the opponents can cross-ruff. Contracts were 3Sx S (West doubled after having starte with 2C, making East's pass rather worse), 4C W thrice, 5C W and 5Cx W. The South who doubled 5C complained, thinking that E-W were colluding, but the auction had had a 2C overcall from West and a raise from East; West, with a Losing Trick Count of three, could hardly do less than go to game.
?
Spades took nine tricks; clubs took twelve. Boric were N-S top in 3Sx =. Only one table deviated from par; one South let the first heart go through to the king allowing 4C +3, but -190 just scored 60% instead of 80%.
?
Spades
?
3Cx S =
4C W +2 (2)
4C W +3
5C W +1
5Cx W +1
?
16:
?
...............QJ94
...............K107
...............K
...............Q10975
105..........................AK762
J432........................AQ95
A10753....................J4
43............................J2
...............83
...............86
...............Q9862
...............AK86
?
1S from East ended the auction thrice when West passed and North saw no reason to try to improve the contract, a wise decision. When West responded 1NT East rebid hearts and the auction got dragged to the three-level, with contracts of 3C N and 3H E twice.
?
Ten tricks are perfectly possible in hearts; declarer can ruff two spades in dummy while drawing trumps and lose only two clubs and a diamond. Judy (P) duly took her ten tricks in 3H for E-W top but Ritold were allowed to defeat 3H for an 80% score. E-W have five top tricks against clubs but have to get a heart lead from West. Eric made 3C when East began with the top spades and then switched to the heart ace. In spades declarer lacked the entries for two heart finesses and could only force seven tricks, the result at two tables but an assist from the defence allowed Nancy an eighth.
?
3C N =
3H E -1
1S E = (2)
1S E +1
3H E +1
?
17:
?
...............Q7
...............107
...............A862
...............KQ932
AJ942....................1053
865........................AJ932
QJ..........................1073
J54.........................86
...............K86
...............KQ4
...............K954
...............A107
?
1C-3NT or P-1NT; 3NT. Everyone played in 3NT S.
?
West's spade lead allows a relatively simple forced set but the entire field was caught up in Last Round Madness. NOBODY set 3NT. Declarer has nothing to stop E-W; if dummy wins the spade lead with the queen East gets in with the heart ace or diamond ten and pushes another spade through the king. If declarer ducks the first spade in both hands West ducks a second spade. East has to rise with the heart ace on the first round to prevent declarer from running nine tricks. Judy (R) took eleven after sneaking a heart trick when East unguarded the diamonds on the running clubs. Laura also took eleven tricks to tie for N-S top; allowing 3NT = was actually E-W top for Karleta, as the other three declarers all took ten tricks.
?
3NT S +2 (2)
3NT S +1 (3)
3NT S =
?
18:
?
...............KJ873
...............8
...............J7542
...............A10
2........................10954
QJ10974............A652
KQ3...................98
Q82....................K43
...............AQ6
...............K3
...............A106
...............J9765
?
After P-1C-2H, North may try 2S or may double. Had North been a passed hand 2S would have been fine. East likely goes to 4H, perhaps not being sure whether the hand wants to push N-S into 4S or not. Contracts were 2S N, 3S N, 4H W, 4S N twice and 5H W.
?
With a correct guess in clubs (which should happen unless N-S open 1C on doubletons, giving declarer a guess which opponent to play for Ax) declarer takes nine tricks in hearts; Jamob and Laubot scored 70% defending 4H -2 and 5H -2. The 4-1 trump split and diamond ten trapped most of the declarers in spades. Suppose East leads ace and another heart. Declarer discards the losing club and then will be tempted to draw trumps and play on diamonds but doing that will lose control of the hand and declarer will finish with eight tricks. Playing ace and another diamond will let declarer force ten tricks, as West has nothing useful to do when winning the second round of diamonds. A third heart is ruffed in dummy; then dummy's spades are cashed and the third diamond is led. A club opening lead prevents the discard but lets declarer draw trumps and establish clubs. A diamond lead does not kill the discard but, if declarer takes it, the timing gets mangled and the diamonds will not establish in time because South must lead the low spade to North at trick two. If declarer ducks a diamond to West, E-W can pick up a club trick along with the heart and two diamonds; East discards a club on the third diamond and then a club through from West promotes a trump trick. All the declarers in spades other than Tommy were defeated; Zibot were E-W top defending 4S -2. Tommy took ten tricks after a heart lead in 2S for the only declaring success on the hand and N-S top.
?
2S N +2
4H W -2; 5H W -2
3S N -1; 4S N -1
4S N -2
