1:
?
...............1063
...............KJ3
...............K2
...............K8542
AJ8.........................Q2
AQ7.........................104
10853......................AQ74
A76..........................QJ1093
...............K9754
...............98652
...............J96
...............----
?
An auction in which East passes in second seat likely ends in 3NT W. It ought not to make much difference whether East opens or not. P-1C-2C could induce a pair like Jevin to take a crack at defending 2Hx. But P-1C-2C-3NT seems perfectly normal. 3NT W was played eight times. One pair stopped in 2NT W; the remaining contracts were 2D W and 4C W.
?
The 5-0 trumps were not a serious enough hindrance to allow a set of 4C, but Lernot tied for top anyway with Louff, who defended 2D +2. It looks as if it may help if West declares 3NT and that turns out to hold true because of West's spade eight. South on lead can start with a heart to North, followed by a spade switch and N-S come to four tricks. Swap the spade seven and eight and a spade lead might even allow declarer to go down, Declarer could always force ten tricks in 3NT; there was a fairly even spread of results - nine tricks thrice, ten tricks thrice and eleven tricks twice. Martin took eleven tricks when South discarded a club early in the play, allowing four diamond winners.
?
2D W +2; 4C W =
2NT E +3
3NT W = (3)
3NT W +1 (3)
3NT W +2 (2)
?
2:
?
...............A106
...............KQ96
...............K432
...............109
K742.......................QJ953
853..........................J107
A8............................J97
J732.........................86
...............8
...............A42
...............Q1065
...............AKQ54
?
This hand was a bit trappy. Could N-S find their way to 5D or even 6D, perhaps the interesting 4H, or would they stop the iffy 3NT? South has to decide how to plan the auction - start with 1C or 1D? rebid 2C or 2D over a 1S response? continue with 2C, 2D or 2H after a 1H response? rebid 3D or 3S if the auction begins 1C-1D? Eight pairs were unable to stay out of 3NT, played seven times by North. The other three pairs reached 4H on the 4-3 fit. One of the auctions included a Spiral ask: 1C-1H; 2H-2NT; 3D-4H. I wondered if N-S were both playing the convention the same way, but perhaps North was always going to play in hearts and just planned to stop had South rebid 3C to show 3H and a minimum raise.
?
3NT could not make after the spade lead, although at least there was play for it; declarer needed 3-3 clubs. Carthurl were E-W top posting 3NT -2. -3 was not out of the realm of possibility; if South discarded diamonds on the second and third spades, declarer may have tested the clubs and then played three rounds of hearts, leading the third round from the South hand, taking the Restricted Choice finesse. 4H could take twelve tricks on the friendly layout and Sarah did so, but I don't think declarer should play the hand that wide open. Assuming a spade lead, I like ducking. A second spade can be ruffed and then declarer just needs one red suit or the other to behave. The duck greatly reduces the chance of declarer's losing control of the hand and, even if both hearts and clubs split evenly, 4H should still take one trick more than 3NT. Bill will doubtless remember a similar hand conceived by Mr Mollo, on which the Rueful Rabbit and Karapet the Free Armenian got a top board against Papa the Greek and the Hideous Hog because the Rabbit left the crucial ace in the board, bidding and playing with only twelve cards and finding that brilliant duck without knowing it.
?
4H N +2
4H N +1
3NT N -1 (6); 3NT S -1; 4H N -1
3NT N -2
?
3:
?
...............J8
...............K107632
...............AJ5
...............A2
AK765.......................Q9432
Q4.............................A5
Q93...........................K874
983............................QJ
...............10
...............J98
...............1062
...............K107654
?
One South pressed the vulnerability to the maximum by opening 3C and declaring that contract. E-W declared in spades at all the other tables. West declared thrice, probably usually after opening the bidding. East likely overcalled 1S when North opened 1H and then West made some sort of invitational noise. E-W contracts were 2S E, 3S E four times, 3S W twice, 4S E twice and 4S W. E-W have nine trumps but very little else, the side queens particularly not being the most effective assets they could have held.
?
Gernot caught a rather kind layout, especially in the trumps, and took ten tricks for a 90% score. 3S is right-sided played by West, as only a heart opening lead from South allows N-S to avoid being endplayed into breaking the diamonds or giving a ruff-and-discard. The notable point is North's doubleton club; if North lets South win the first club for a heart lead, North gets stuck on lead later; otherwise, declarer can ruff the third club before losing the second round of hearts. West declaring took nine tricks twice while Elaine took ten in 3S for the top after a diamond switch at trick three after two rounds of clubs. Delen and Jerik held East to eight tricks, with the other Easts declaring taking nine.
?
4S E -2
3C S +1
3S E -1; 4S E -1; 4S W -1
2S E +1; 3S E = (3); 3S W =
3S W +1
?
4:
?
...............942
...............J10
...............Q652
...............KQ94
6............................AKQJ83
KQ953...................----
J10874..................K93
A7..........................10863
...............1075
...............A87642
...............A
...............J52
?
If West opens 1H it keeps N-S out of the auction; East then drives to either 4S or 3NT, just possibly 5D. If West passes, East opens 1S. If South passes, West may respond 1NT but 2H seems more likely, probably leading to game with East's solid suit elevating the hand out of the minimum class. 1S-1NT may lead to 2S E, which was the contract twice, West wisely not moving again on the misfit. A 2H overcall from South convinced West to pass, hoping for a reopening double. 2Hx was the final contract once. If the auction is P-P-1S-2H; P-P, I prefer 2S to double for a reopening, as East has so little in defence that defending could work out quite poorly. Higher contracts were 3Hx S, 3S E, 3NT W, 4S E four times and 5Hx S when North went the whole hog.
?
Heart contracts could have been held to six tricks, with a chance of declarer's taking only five if West managed a club ruff in the early going. Larbot had the high score of the day, posting 5Hx -6 for a socre of +1700 and keeping Conndy's +1100 against 3Hx -4 from the top spot. 3NT could not quite make, finishing -1 against Jeb. Spade contracts depended on the lead: ten tricks after a heart lead, nine after a black-suit lead, eight after a diamond (declarer has to draw trumps early to prevent a ruff). Declarers in spade partials went plus, but 4S failed three of the four times it was played. The one successful declarer in 4S was George; South led the ace of diamond but then switched to the ace of hearts.
?
4S E -2 (2)
3NT W -1; 4S E -1
2S E = (2)
3S E =
2Hx S -2
4S E =
3Hx S -4
5Hx S -6
?
5:
?
...............K
...............AK9753
...............9843
...............K4
A94..........................Q87632
10642.......................QJ
KJ106.......................3
76..............................8532
...............J105
...............8
...............AQ72
...............AQJ109
?
N-S have yet another choice of games, selecting between 3NT, 4H, 5D or even possibly 5C. Every pair but one did end up in game, and three games were selected (nobody got into 5C); E-W even sacrificed in 4Sx once. N-S contracts were 2NT S, 3NT S twice, 4H N thrice, 5D S twice and 5Dx S twice.
?
Trump leads wreck 4Sx but Larry (Sh) was lucky to escape with -3. It did not help much, though, as only three games the other way made. 3NT and 4H were both all right, 3NT requiring a black lead to be held to nine tricks, 4H a diamond lead to be held to ten. Hank was N-S top in 4H +2 when West ducked a spade at trick two and did not win to give East a diamond ruff, which likely would have led to a set. Jerik posted 3NT S -3 when South took the diamond finesse instead of cashing out. With the bad trumps declarers in diamonds could take only nine tricks, Haorge and Lark tied for top after finding the double.
?
4H N +2
4H S =
3NT S =
4Sx E -3
2NT S +1
4H N -1
5D S -2 (2)
3NT S -3
5Dx S -2 (2)
?
6:
?
...............754
...............KQ842
...............5
...............Q982
106........................K92
7............................J10653
A1096....................J7
A107654................KJ3
...............AQJ83
...............A9
...............KQ8432
...............----
?
One auction was surprisingly quiet: 1D-1H; 1S. I think that, with three losers, South can reasonably jump shift to 2S. I agree with the selection of 1D as the opening bid. West was usually wise enough to stay out of the auction. One North ended up in 3NT but South declared in spades at all the other tables: in addition to the one 1S, 3S twice and 4S seven times.
?
4S can take eleven tricks by force, the key being for declarer to ruff the second diamond and then eventually the third, perhaps after drawing two rounds of trumps. Largely due, however, to the tendency to cash winners early in such suits, Leigh Ann was the only declarer to take ten tricks in spades, posting 4S = for the N-S top: heart to the ace, heart ruffed, low diamond to the queen, diamond ruffed, club ruffed, diamond ruffed and overruffed, club ruffed, diamond ruffed and overruffed, club ruffed, draw trumps and the South hand was good. Everyone else in 4S was defeated, Jerik posting -3 to tie Carthurl and 3NT -3 for E-W top. The spade partials all scored +140.
?
4S S =
1S S +2; 3S S = (2)
4S S -1 (3)
4S S -2 (2)
3NT N -3; 4S S -3
?
7:
?
...............J96
...............AQ104
...............K1063
...............A6
K10........................52
K98........................J65
AQ9872.................J54
K4..........................Q9873
...............AQ8743
...............732
...............----
...............J1052
?
The auction usually began 2S-3D, with not a lot of variation after that. Four Norths left 3D in. Sarah raised Phyllis to 4S but 3S was the usual choice. 3S became the final contract five times and 3Sx once.
?
Against spades West is nearly endplayed on the opening lead, although I suspect one would get away with leading the ten of spades; who would play for the drop on the second round? A diamond lead establishes North's king and the club king allows declarer to lead towards the J10x with good consequences. West holds declarer to ten tricks with a heart lead. Phyllis took eleven tricks in 4S for what was nearly a double top, as only Gernot took eleven tricks in a spade partial. 3D could have escaped for -1 but only Larry (Sh) did as that required going through North with a middle diamond at some point. Randi were second-top N-S defending 3D -3 when declarer led a trump from dummy at trick four when it was necessary to run a middle club through South.
?
3Sx S +1
4S S +1
3D W -3
3D W -2 (2); 3S S +2
3S S +1 (3)
3D W -1
3S S -2
?
8:
?
...............K63
...............QJ842
...............32
...............862
J87.........................A42
AK..........................9753
J984.......................AK1065
K1054.....................Q
...............Q1095
...............106
...............Q7
...............AJ973
?
Unless South gets frisky after 1D-1H, which does not seem to have happened, E-W seem likely to find their way to game one way or another. One pair stopped in 2NT W, another in 3D W and one in 4D W but game was reached at the other eight tables: 3NT E, 3NT W five times and 5D W twice.
?
5D is set if North finds the active lead of a spade; Rich came through and delivered, establishing the setting trick before West could establish a discard on a club. There were nine tricks available in 3NT, the result half the time, while Judy, Hank (B) and Lee took ten, not that hard to do with West declaring, as N-S might try the clubs.
?
5D W -1
4D W =
2NT W +1; 3D W +2
3NT W = (3); 5D W =
3NT E +1; 3NT W +1 (2)
?
9:
?
...............10832
...............Q86
...............A65
...............KJ8
AKJ97...................64
J54........................A72
92..........................10874
632........................Q1095
...............Q5
...............K1093
...............KQJ3
...............A74
?
West is not likely to come in on the vulnerability after South opens 1NT. 3NT S became the contract nine times, either with Stayman or without. Two Souths did not open 1NT, those contracts eventually becoming 1NT N and 2NT N.
?
A low spade lead is the way to set 3NT by force. Even if West starts with the top spades the set is not necessarily ruined. Declarer may well decide to play East for the heart jack. Jerik and Larbot defended 3NT -2 to tie for E-W top. Sandi was one of the five Souths to make 3NT after a high spade lead; Keianne and Marudy defended 3NT -1.
?
3NT S = (5)
2NT N +1
1NT N =
3NT S -1 (2)
3NT S -2 (2)
?
10:
?
...............A85
...............Q943
...............J10
...............AK32
KQJ97...................103
K762......................A105
A8..........................9743
J5...........................9864
...............642
...............J8
...............KQ652
...............Q107
?
West opened 1S and only three Norths passed, but Rich was among the passers. No South balanced on the auction. Swap the minors and those pairs who play Equal Level Conversion have a reasonable double. As the hand was, however, P-P-1S-X was followed by 2D from South, putting North in an uncomfortable position. Only once was 2D left in. Other doubles led to 2H N, 2S W twice, 3D S and 3NT N. The last two Norths overcalled 2C on the four-card suit, vulnerable, which can reasonably go into the Don't Try This at Home category. 2C led to 2D S and 3NT N as contracts.
?
1S looked to take eight tricks, with overperformance being the order of the day. Only Randi held declarer to seven tricks; Larry (Sh) took nine when North led a club at trick six. Henry's 2C overcall escaped when Leigh Ann played 2D =, the only successful N-S contract. Conndy and Keianne tied for E-W top with a score of +300, defending 2H -3 and 3NT -3.
?
2D S =
1S W =
2D S -1; 3D S -1
1S W +1; 2S W = (2)
1S W +2
3NT N -2
2H N -3; 3NT N -3
?
11:
?
...............A762
...............9
...............AJ93
...............A753
KQ3.......................J94
AK842...................J653
72...........................654
J92.........................1086
...............1085
...............Q107
...............KQ108
...............KQ4
?
When South passed at one table West opened 1H, North doubled and South bid a conservative 1NT, ending the auction. Usually South opened 1D, West overcalled 1H, North doubled and the auction reached at least 3H. One West played 3H undoubled (perhaps after P-1H-X-3H) and two played 3Hx. Both North and South played 3S, along with 3NT S twice, 3NTx S and 4S N twice.
?
With 3-3 clubs declarer had at least nine tricks in 3NT. Sadly for E-W the normal lead of a low heart just gives declarer an overtrick. Hank (V) emerged with the N-S top in 3NTx +1; Phyllis and Henry also took ten tricks in 3NT undoubled. 4S could have been made by force thanks to South's heart ten, but declarer must duck the first two rounds of spades to keep control of the hand if E-W play hearts at every opportunity. Delen and Jerik defended 4S -1 to tie for E-W top. Opting to defend 3Hx turned out to be a good choice for Glynneth and Jeb, whose +500 score for 3Hx -3 was sufficient to better any undoubled game.
?
3NTx S +1
3Hx W -3 (2)
3NT S +1
3NT S =
1NT S +3
3S S +1
3H W -3
3S N =
4S N -1 (2)
?
12:
?
...............AJ542
...............Q53
...............K974
...............J
K9..........................108
1087.......................AJ92
AQ852....................J3
875.........................Q10642
...............Q763
...............K64
...............106
...............AK93
?
Did North open 1S? Eight Norths did, almost always getting a 2NT forcing raise from South and leading to 4S N eight times. There were three passers, the passes eventually resulting in contracts of 1S N and 2S N twice, 1S making more sense than 2S.
?
A contrary layout might have set 4S but declarer had a clear eleven tricks with the 2-2 trumps and both finesses working. Seven of the eleven declarers took the expected eleven tricks. Lark were among the pairs holding declarer to ten when North did not bother with the spade finesse. Jerik were E-W top defending 2S +2.
?
4S N +1 (5)
4S N = (3)
1S N +4; 2S N +3
2S N +2
?
13:
?
...............9652
...............A1073
...............K74
...............A3
108........................AKJ
Q102......................KJ654
AJ3........................1086
QJ842....................75
...............Q743
...............9
...............Q952
...............K1096
?
Possibly up to three Norths found a light opening bid, for North declared 2S at one table and 3S at two others. Thoe contracts were also possible after P-1H-P-2H; P-P-X if West opted for 2H rather than 1NT forcing followed by 3H. Contracts were 1NT W, 2H E twice (not that brave on South's part), 2S N, 3H E thrice, 3S N twice and 4H E twice.
?
The Law turned out to be spot on, with both 2H and 2S making on the number double dummy. The diamond suit offered a chance of either side to do better. In spades it did not make much difference whether E-W played out the trumps at once or allowed heart ruffs. Jerik were E-W top defending 3S N -2, Heve N-S top defending 4H E -3. Henry took nine tricks in 3S. Judy was one of two declarers posting +140 in hearts after N-S began with two rounds of clubs, missing the needed diamond switch.
?
4H E -3
4H E -2
3S N =
2S N =
3H E -1 (2)
3S N -2
2H E =
1NT W +1
2H E +1; 3H E =
?
14:
?
...............AJ
...............K
...............QJ86
...............J107653
K107643...............Q9
1054......................Q9873
1092......................743
A............................Q98
...............852
...............AJ62
...............AK5
...............K42
?
1NT from South seemed likely to lead to 3NT whether West bid or not. One West did come in with 2S and played there doubled; another North finished in 5C, winning the bidding contests, and everyone else fell into the trap and played 3NT S.
?
After a spade lead there was nothing declarer could do. Hearts could not even be finessed and clubs had to be played sooner or later. 3NT -2 was posted eight times. The one successful declarer in 3NT was Sharon; East inexplicably shifted to a heart after winning the first spade. Deb was the happy declarer in 5C N =, while Pharah took the expected seven tricks to score +300 against 2Sx.
?
3NT S +1
5C N =
2Sx W -2
3NT S -2 (8)
?
15:
?
...............8
...............3
...............KJ973
...............987532
J10962..................Q743
A98........................K542
A5..........................Q842
KQ10......................A
...............AK5
...............QJ1076
...............106
...............J64
?
This hand would have been much more enjoyable with the vulnerability reversed. Then, over West's 1S opening bid, North might have come in with 2NT looking to sacrifice against the nearly certain game the other way. But there is no point to North's coming in red against white, as a sacrifice could only go one down against a game, and 2NT would just help West read the hand accurately. One of the most effective light opening bids of the day came from Vicki, who opened 1H sitting South. This caused East to downgrade the hand to a single raise of West's 1S overcall, 2S ending the auction. One other pair stopped in 3S and one went looking for slam, finishing in 5Sx. The expected auction would be 1S-4C; 4S. East may not like making a splinter raise on a singleton ace but it's the standout call and West will be eager to sign off. One South doubled 4S, which was rather pointless. Yes, E-W were missing the ace and king of trumps but they had bid game anyway and ought to have the values to compensate. Had South held QJ107 AK65 106 J64 a double would have been better, as there would at least have been the unpleasant surprise of a bad trump split, although heart shortage or tipping declarer off to finesse in trumps holding AK986 opposite 5432 could still lead to a make. The trump QJ109 would likely see some doubles at matchpoints, especially if the hand would be on lead.
?
The play would have been much more interesting in 5C as well. How four declarers in spades managed not to discard two hearts on clubs and come to ten tricks is a complete mystery, but Randi, Pharah and Arday set 4S while Glynneth held declarer in 3S to nine tricks. No North led a diamond from the king, which would have allowed an eleventh trick. Everyone else took the expected ten tricks, giving Ken the E-W top in 4Sx = and Louff the N-S top defending 5Sx -1. The play would have been more interesting at reverse vulnerability as well in a hypothetical 5Cx. If E-W cash their heart winner off the top and get the club ace out early -4 can be achieved but a spade lead results in an immediate heart discard and allows -2, although declarer could still get into trouble by concentrating too hard on trumps.
?
5Sx W -1
4S W -1 (3)
3S W =
2S W +2
4S E =; 4S W = (3)
4Sx W =
?
16:
?
...............QJ97
...............AJ72
...............84
...............K54
53..........................AK84
K10985..................643
Q107......................KJ
J86.........................A1097
...............1062
...............Q
...............A96532
...............Q32
?
East opened 1NT and South usually stayed out of the auction. One West opted to leave 1NT in on the middlish strength of the hand, hoping 1NT would outperform 2H. Another West somehow finished in 2D. East played 2H six times. At least one South entered the auction, eventually declaring 3D. One East also declared 2NT and another 3NT.
?
Despite the 4-1 trump split declarer has a good chance of emerging with nine tricks in hearts, although N-S can hold hearts to eight tricks if North gets to ruff a third diamond with the seven-spot. Three declarers took nine tricks in hearts; Judy was not assured of her overtrick in 2H until trick nine when South, having just won a club finesse with the queen, returned a second club instead of finally playing the diamond. Play in no-trumps was equally interesting. The way to make 1NT by force was to win a diamond lead with the queen and finesse clubs right away; then N-S had to switch to spades to hold declarer to seven tricks. Arday set 1NT while declarers in 2NT and 3NT both took eight tricks. Leighry might have set 2D W two tricks but still scored 90% for -1.
?
1NT E -1; 2D W -1; 3NT E -1
3D S -2
2H E = (3)
2NT E =
2H E +1 (3)
?
17:
?
...............J32
...............J10972
...............52
...............KJ4
9.............................A10854
643.........................AK
A963.......................J87
Q9862....................A103
...............KQ76
...............Q85
...............KQ104
...............75
?
Seven Easts opened 1NT and played the hand there. A 1S opening bid might have led to a contract of 2C, in which declarer could have taken nine tricks without much trouble, but the one uncontested auction to begin 1S-1NT saw East raise to 2NT, passed by West. One East finished in 2S, while competition, presumably after an off-shape double from South, led to 2H N and 3H N.
?
Results in no-trumps saw declarer usually take seven or eight tricks, with both five and nine also appearing. Pharah defended 1NT -2 to tie Louff's 3S -2 for N-S top. 1NT's going down?is not unreasonable. After the diamond king and heart switch, East might lead ace and another club, securing -1 if the diamond switch is ducked. East led a diamond at trick three and could still have taken seven tricks after ducking, but could no longer make the contract after winning the ace. Mark took nine tricks for E-W top.
?
1NT E -2; 3S E -2
2NT W -1
1NT E = (2)
2H N -2; 3H N -2
1NT E +1 (3)
1NT E +2
?
18:
?
...............9
...............AK63
...............9
...............QJ108763
J832..............................64
J842..............................107
7.....................................AJ1086532
AK94..............................2
...............AKQ1075
...............Q95
...............KQ4
...............5
?
At this vulnerability, I am perhaps a little surprised that no East opened 5D. Maybe we needed Paun to be playing - as they play Namyats 4D would have been unavailable and 5D certainly applies maximal pressure. In the end there were seven 4D opening bids while 3D was opened thrice and 2D(!) once. Curiously, 2D worked best, as the final contract was 5Cx N. The 3D bidders reminded me of the late Inge-Maria Bellis, who frequently opened with a pre-empt and then bid the suit again (which always drove Florence Schannon up the wall); one 3D opening led to 4S S and the other two to 4Dx E. 4D opening bids drew 4S from South; this ended the auction five times. One North pulled to 5C and one East to 5Dx.
?
The play was clear in spades - everyone took ten tricks, losing one club, one diamond and one trump. Even if declarer were stuck with a third diamond for a fourth possible loser West is easily squeezed in clubs and hearts. Declarer also took ten tricks in both 5C and 5Cx. If East leads the diamond ace it is best not to follow with another diamond, as West with AK94 should not be given the opportunity to ruff. Just get out with a hear or even a spade and force declarer to find a finesse of the club eight. A major lead even brings a make into play, as North can discard the losing diamond right away. In diamonds N-S can take six tricks by cashing their major winners first and then sitting back to let South take two trump tricks. After a club lead or early switch, South can ruff the king on the second round but N-S will only take six tricks if East misplays and lets South score all three trumps. 4Dx was -3 both times, not enough to score as well as 4S. Arthur, playing 4Dx, escaped for -2 after what seemed to be a defensive miscommunication. South began with two top spades, North discarding the heart three. South then switched to a club and Arthur escaped. This made only a small difference in the matchpoints; Gisela in 5Dx also lost obly fice tricks and avoided finishing with a bottom score.
?
4S S = (6)
4Dx E -3; 5Dx E -3
4Dx E -2
5C N -1
5Cx N -1
