1:
?
...............A1098
...............109762
...............5
...............1082
Q43.......................K765
AQJ5.....................K
J10987..................AQ
5............................AKQJ94
...............J2
...............843
...............K6432
...............763
?
We started with a hand that does not seem to fit a lot of partnerships. Some Easts opened 2C and some 1C. The choice ought to have made the difference between slam and no slam. After 1C, East rebids 2S and it will be hard to move West off 3NT. East may raise to 4NT invitationally but that should be all. After a 2C opening bid West should move towards slam and East has a quite reasonable acceptance. At our tables slam was reached thrice, with two other pairs looking: 3NT E, 3NT W, 5NT W twice, 6C E and 6NT E twice.
?
Declarer has the tricks to make slam but cannot untangle them if the opening lead is a heart. After, say, a club lead, East wins and leads the spade king. If North takes that and returns a spade the hearts cannot produce four tricks by unblocking. Luckily North gets squeezed in the majors, although declarer is likely to try the diamond finesse instead. If North ducks the spade the squeeze still operates but in a different way. West comes down to the spade queen and the four hearts. North must keep all four hearts and blank the spade ace. East can then unblock the heart king, get out with a spade and North will have to lead into West's hearts. Chances are, though, that declarer will prefer the diamond finesse to the squeeze, and a heart lead ruins declarer's communications. John made 6NT after a diamond lead for E-W top; Leighry were N-S top after a heart lead was ducked and the result was 6NT -3.
?
6NT E -3
5NT W -1; 6C E -1
3NT E +3 (2); 5NT W +1
6NT E =
?
2:
?
...............AQ9
...............10964
...............KJ94
...............AQ
8743.....................J1062
53.........................QJ72
A862....................Q5
1095.....................KJ8
...............K5
...............AK8
...............1073
...............76432
?
We nearly had 3NT N at every table. One North, though, opened 1D instead of 1NT, E-W competed and the auction ended in a lowly 2S W.
?
3NT S would have offered West a couple of leads that might have made declarer squirm a bit, but with North declaring the only lead to hold declarer to the contract was a spade. Leigh Ann took ten tricks after the lead of the queen of hearts; by the time West got in for a club lead, she had her overtrick already secured. Harold and Kevin also took ten tricks in 3NT. Two declarers made the contract and Elott posted a set, declarer likely passing up the heart finesse.
?
3NT N +1 (3)
3NT N = (2)
2S W -1
3NT N -1
?
3:
?
...............AJ103
...............Q96
...............8743
...............K2
Q652.....................K974
A2.........................10854
K96.......................AQ
J963......................Q107
...............8
...............KJ73
...............J1052
...............A854
?
My personal choice of a 1S opening bid in third seat was made only by Kevin. Ritold and Giselaine produced a passout; at all the other tables East opened 1C in fourth seat, the hand just meeting the Rule of Fifteen. Two Wests were allowed to play in their 1S response (I don't know why South didn't make a balancing double. Jeff played 1NT S after Kevin's 1S opening. Higher contracts were 2D N, 2H S and 3D S after a curious auction in which South overcalled 1D on J1052, spades were never bid and N-S had a chance to defend 3C.
?
Haorge posted N-S top when declarer misguessed the trumps, began with a low spade to the queen and then at trick four led the good king from dummy, establishing Hank's jack and ten. Tracy took the seven tricks in 1S that he could force to be E-W top. Diamonds could have been held to eight tricks in either of two ways - either draw three rounds of trumps and wait, or else play a spade and force declarer to lose a spade trick by taking an early two ruffs (or transpose into the other line). Kin and Ken both took nine tricks in diamonds for a good score, tying Henry's 2H S =.
?
1S W -2
2D N +1; 2H S =; 3D S =
1NT S =
Passed Out
1S W =
?
4:
?
...............J
...............KJ106
...............A964
...............10874
532...........................A964
Q532........................98
Q108........................753
K52..........................AQJ3
...............KQ1087
...............A74
...............KJ2
...............96
?
It seemed a tossup which side would declare 1NT on the hand. I was looking for P-P-1C-1S; X and then does North pass and let East bid 1NT or does North bid 1NT first? It was evenly divided: 1NT E, 1NTx E, 1NT N twice, then 2C E and 2S S twice.
?
Whoever declares, no-trumps contracts ought to yield eight tricks to N-S. Both N-S pairs of defenders against 1NT took eight tricks, giving Karleta the N-S top thanks to the double. Harold managed a trick more than expected when the E-W club honours crashed together in three rounds. 2S could have forced nine tricks but both pairs of defenders held the contract to eight tricks.
?
1NTx E -2
1NT E -2
1NT N +2
2S S = (2)
2C E -1
1NT N =
?
5:
?
...............K5
...............54
...............AQ10742
...............K65
Q2.............................A1076
AKJ106.....................9872
K86...........................9
J74............................10832
...............J9843
...............Q3
...............J53
...............AQ9
?
This turned into a Battle of the Reds. After 1D-P-1S a 2H overcall from West?usually?secured the contract in hearts. 1D-P-1S-P; 2D-P-3D could have kept West out, with perhaps the exciting prospect of North's attempting 3NT. Hearts won out over diamonds by a 4-3 margin, with the three-level most popular: 2H W, 3D N twice, 3H W thrice and 4D N.
?
It would have been nice to see 3NT N attempted; would East have found the heart lead? Weirdly the hearts are the safest lead looking at just the East hand and become the killing aggressive lead looking at the whole deal. Against diamonds E-W should defend passively, but West got into a pickle after taking two rounds of hearts, although there is nothing wrong with a club switch. North must hold a spade honour to have opened the bidding and any spade losers will not go anywhere. Just sit back and wait. But all three declarers in diamonds took ten tricks. Hearts always come to nine tricks because the frozen spades allow declarer to establish the clubs. Three declarers took nine tricks in hearts while Louise took ten, which seems highly unlikely, an underlead of the diamond ace seeming to be the only helpful thing North can do that gives West a useful trick.
?
3D N +1 (2); 4D N =
2H W +1; 3H W = (2)
3H W +1
?
6:
?
...............Q9872
...............AQ72
...............2
...............KJ3
K4.........................A103
10853....................KJ9
98..........................AJ75
107654..................AQ9
...............J65
...............64
...............KQ10643
...............82
?
I never saw the auction for which I was looking. Marudy, I knew, would play 2NT E after a 2D opening bid. But I expected to see 1D-P-P-X; 1NT at least once. I did see one East follow the balancing double with 2NT, which, played thrice, was the plurality contract. Two Norths declared 2S after beginning with an overcall instead of a double. One South left a reopening double in.?At the last table East bid 1NT later in the auction and South removed that to 2D.
?
The hand is kind to E-W, who can take eight tricks in either no-trumps or diamonds. Diamonds even offer a chance of nine tricks, as the spade ruff and two entries to dummy are priceless. Only a diamond lead through East from North holds declarer to eight tricks; without that lead South in the end position will have to ruff two of North's winners and give East three trump tricks in addition to the spade ruff. Scott made two overtricks in 1Dx after a heart lead and return. 2NT can make because North gets endplayed and takes only three spades and two hearts, though that requires near-psychic levels of guessing. Jevin were N-S top defending 2NT -2; East played clubs first from hand instead of hearts and later started hearts instead of continuing clubs. Gareth made 2NT E for a fine declaring result and was unlucky not to score better against Scott's 1Dx E +2 and Mahn's 2D S -3. 2S turns into another titanic battle of throwing the opposition on lead. Perfect defence should produce a two-trick set but -1 was a reasonable practical result for Troward and I was not surprised to see Ken make 2S.
?
2NT E -2
2S N =
2NT E -1
2S N -1
2NT E =
2D S -3
1Dx E +2
?
7:
?
...............Q64
...............A832
...............KQJ2
...............A9
A98.........................K753
J10..........................K764
9853........................1076
Q873.......................J10
...............J102
...............Q95
...............A4
...............K6542
?
Could we get everyone into 3NT? Not this time. One South raised to 2NT only and North declined.
?
Nine tricks was the probable outcome, reached at five tables of the seven. A spade lead and return, ducked by East, gives declarer the most interesting choice. The king of hearts onside is more likely than 3-3 clubs but also requires 4-3 spades, while playing for an even club split means wanting to be able to lose the lead to West. Kevin took ten tricks when each side persisted in playing the other's suit. East, moved by the better spots, led a heart to jack(?) and ace. Kevin then ran the spade jack to the ace and West returned a second heart, allowing Kevin a third heart trick and the time required to bring it in. Mahn defeated 3NT when declarer ducked a club and then cashed the king too early, establishing the fifth winner for the defence.
?
3NT N +1 (2)
3NT N = (4)
3NT N -1
?
8:
?
...............AQ742
...............KJ97
...............1064
...............5
KJ863.....................1095
1083........................6
97............................AKQ8
Q87.........................KJ643
...............----
...............AQ542
...............J532
...............A1092
?
This time we got everyone to game. The hand would have suited Jerik, who might have opened 1S in second seat and had an uncontested run to 4H, As it was, East usually opened in third seat, letting West bid 1S over South's 1H overcall. But the fit was good enough that nobody stopped in a partial; contracts were 4H S five times, 4S W and 4Sx W.
?
Mark had a lucky escape in 4Sx; North led a club, which would have allowed for two ruffs with the spade ace-queen still to win. South cashed the heart ace at trick two, though, unsure of where the singleton lay. But it was highly unlikely that North would have led a club from Q85 instead of partner's hearts. Both declarers in spades escaped with eight tricks. 4H makes on the splendid fit, with two aces and eight tricks with trumps. Whether the diamonds are led off the top or not declarer can cross-ruff right away. In a cross-ruffing situation it pays to count winners rather than losers; Troward's opponent drew a second round of trumps and had to go down.
?
4H S = (4)
4Sx W -2
4S W -2
4H S -1
?
9:
?
...............Q652
...............AKQ
...............K
...............A9854
A98.........................J4
10862.....................543
72............................QJ105
QJ103.....................K762
...............K1073
...............J97
...............A98643
...............----
?
it seems we have a game full of bypassers, as South declared in spades every time except when North opened 1S and the auction was 1S-3S; 4NT-5H; 6S. I wondered if any Norths would splinter into 4D after 1C-1S and how excited South might get if that happened. There was one contract of 6S S. One pair managed to stop in 3S S and another in 3NT N, leaving 4S S as only a plurality contract.
?
We see how important the trump jack can be when the fit is only eight cards and a higher honour is also missing. Eleven tricks are the limit in spades. Kevin gave the defence a chance to go wrong. After a diamond lead to his king he cashed his three heart winners and then began a cross-ruff. At trick ten, dummy having ruffed two clubs, West led the fourth diamond go through and Kevin scored a low ruff, then ruffed another club with the spade ten and was sure of two of the last three tricks. Had West ruffed the fourth diamond, Kevin would have had to overruff with his queen. Then, even if he finessed the spade ten, West would win the ace and set the contract by returning either a club or heart, whichever West had saved. A heart would be ruffed, overruffed and overoverruffed, leaving West with the thirteenth trump; a club would force South to ruff with the king and establish East's jack. Glynneth set 6S two tricks; the other spade contracts took ten tricks or eleven. 3NT was not terribly secure but made when the spades behaved.
?
6S N =
4S S +1 (2)
4S S =
3NT N =
3S S +2
6S S -2
?
10:
?
...............10943
...............A82
...............974
...............A102
A82........................K765
95...........................KQJ1063
AJ1032...................K8
K53.........................9
...............QJ
...............74
...............Q65
...............QJ8764
?
We did get everyone into game. Not everyone reached the same game; contracts were 3NT W, 4H E five times and 5H E. If West does offer 3NT as an alternative, East ought to return to 4H; the suit is playable opposite a low singleton and there is a good chance there will not be enough fast tricks in no-trumps to match the result in hearts.
?
Declarer catches a bit of a break in 3NT; only a club lead holds declarer to nine tricks (and then West has to duck to get them!). Callie led a spade but received good luck when West discarded diamonds on the hearts and came only to ten tricks. 4H always had eleven tricks with the friendly diamonds and a chance of twelve if the clubs were never led. Jevin set 4H after a spade lead when declarer avoided the diamond finesse.
?
4H E -1
3NT W +1
4H E +1 (3)
4H E +2; 5H E +1
?
11:
?
...............10764
...............Q863
...............Q85
...............J5
AQ985...................KJ3
AJ..........................754
J92.........................1043
A63........................KQ94
...............2
...............K1092
...............AK76
...............10872
?
One West opened 1NT and was left there. I did not get the full breakdown of 1S or 1NT opening bids; one West declared 3NT. The other contracts were all in spades: 2S, 3S and 4S thrice. I did see one West bid 3S over 1NT-2NT.
?
This would have been a good hand for Heve, as declarer has nine top tricks in either no-trumps or spades and the clubs deny declarer in 4S a tenth. Weirdly, though, with West declaring at every table, South frequently unguarded the clubs, despite seeing the clear threat in the East hand. Two of the three 4S contracts made; it was only set by Jevin. Rekenee even set 3S when declarer didn't draw all the trumps and Ken ruffed a high club. Tracy was E-W top in 3NT +2; South unguarded the clubs and the opening lad was a heart to the ten and jack.
?
3S W -1; 4S W -1
2S W +2
1NT W +3
4S W = (2)
3NT W +2
?
12:
?
...............J7
...............AJ94
...............Q32
...............AJ86
9853.....................AKQ6
Q85.......................K87
86..........................K104
KQ72.....................543
...............1042
...............1032
...............AJ975
...............109
?
This was the last hand without a game contract. Over 1C from North, East had a choice between pass, double on a flat hand, 1NT without a stopper and 1S on four. It appears all four options were taken. Contracts were 1NT E, 1NT N, 2S E twice, 2S W twice and 4D S after the lengthy auction P-1C-X-1D; 1S-2D-2S-3D; P-P-3S-P; P-4D.
?
No-trumps can yield eight tricks to N-S. East declaring after a diamond lead has a chance of a make but cannot force it, although Judy did bring in seven tricks while Ken made 1NT N. 2S could have lost two tricks in each of the side suits; three declarers were set but John brought in the contract. Lin made 4D for the N-S top after E-W began with two rounds of spades, allowing her entries and timing to draw trumps and establish the discard she needed.
?
4D S =
1NT N =
2S E -1; 2S W -1 (2)
1NT E =
2S E =
?
13:
?
...............J103
...............----
...............AQ10842
...............Q1075
98754.........................----
Q982..........................AK107654
3.................................J6
J86.............................K943
...............AKQ62
...............J3
...............K975
...............A2
?
North often opened 2D, East came in in hearts and then South usually bid spades. West often raised hearts. Could N-S have found slam? Yes if North had made a splinter raise had there been room. It's irregular but, as North really ought not to hold four spades, a splinter raise can be made on three and then South knows that xxx x Axxxxx xxx makes slam more than half the time. I would also hold that 2D-2H-2S-3H; 4H ought to be considered a splinter, given the hand's already being so limited in strength. A little surprisingly the auction only once got higher than 4S: 2D-2H-2S-3H; 3S-4H-4S-X; P-5H-X, stumbling into a good spot. North declared twice, 4D and 5D; the other four contracts were 4S S.
?
Thirteen tricks were available in spades with a heart ruff, thanks to North's holding both jack and ten of trumps. Marudy held declarer to ten tricks when the spade ten was overtaken by the ace. John was always going to score 5/6 in 5Hx -1 or -2 but even managed to make 5Hx when North led a club.
?
4S S +3 (3)
4S S =; 5D N +1
4D N +2
5Hx E =
?
14:
?
...............A1052
...............Q52
...............9865
...............K8
J93.........................Q764
A96.........................3
10............................AQ732
1097542..................QJ6
...............K8
...............KJ10874
...............KJ4
...............A3
?
Would N-S find 4H? The North hand is just worth a limit raise, and will certainly accept any invitation from South after a single raise, whether East opens the bidding or not. South can reasonably invite if the auction does begin 1H-2H. 4H was reached by a 4-3 marin, with 3H played the other three times. At IMP scoring, there would be a huge premium on reaching the unsinkable 3NT. Jevin's auction was 1D-X-P-2S; P-3H-P-4H.
?
The opening lead was a diamond and the entire fate of the hand came down to whether South rose with the king on the second round or finessed. Results split four ways with four declarers playing the king (taking nine tricks) and three the jack (taking ten): +420 for Rita and Jeff, +170 for Renee, -140 for Elott and Marudy, and +50 for Mahn and Giselaine.
?
4H S = (2)
3H S +1
3H S = (2)
4H S -1 (2)
?
15:
?
...............9765
...............A
...............KQ97
...............AJ95
K82......................J43
J1098...................7532
53.........................A1062
K1042...................83
...............AQ10
...............KQ64
...............J82
...............Q76
?
We finally got everyone into the same game, although not from the same side of the table every time. Everyone arrived in 3NT, six times from the South side and once from the North.
?
Declarer can always take eleven tricks, but E-W might talk declarer out of finessing in clubs by persisting in hearts and establishing the suit or perhaps can get two diamond tricks if East ducks two rounds. Breta and Lin were the only two declarers in 3NT to take the possible eleven tricks. Against Breta East switched to a spade when in, allowing declarer time to play on clubs. Lin led a diamond from dummy and East rose with the ace, making the play of the hand rather easier.?
?
3NT S +2 (2)
3NT S +1
3NT S = (4)
?
16:
?
...............----
...............Q9843
...............J8643
...............J98
8642......................QJ1053
752.........................AKJ10
9.............................K2
KQ1075..................43
...............AK97
...............6
...............AQ1075
...............A62
?
Possible auctions might be or begin 1S-2D-3S-5D or 1S-X-3S. west might begin with 2S over a pass, but 3S in a competitive auction seems fine. One South ended in 3NT and another in the only partial of 4D. East played 4S and 4Sx, along with 5D N, 5D S and 5Dx S.
?
5D can force eleven tricks but not twelve. The hearts can establish but declarer cannot do that and draw the trumps, certainly not without help. All the diamond contracts took eleven tricks. 4S looked like taking eight tricks; Leighry picked up a third undertrick against 4Sx but -2 would have been top anyway. 3NT is -2 against a major lead, -1 against a diamond and = against a club. Elott began with a major lead and dropped a trick along the way, but were still E-W top.
?
4Sx E -3
5Dx S =
5D N =; 5D S =
4S E -2
4D S +1
3NT S -1
?
17:
?
...............65
...............KQJ975
...............Q108
...............97
AJ8743..................----
10...........................862
AJ75......................K96432
A8..........................KJ43
...............KQ1092
...............A43
...............----
...............Q10652
?
North began with 2H and then it was up to South to see what came next. The three undoubled contracts were all partials: 3H N, 3S W and 4C E. Four auctions ended with a double: 2H-P-4H-X, 2H-P-2NT-3S; P-P-X, 2H-P-4H-4S; 5H(?)-P-P-X and the lengthy 2H-P-P-X; P-3D-3H-3S; 4H-P-P-4S; P-P-X-5D; P-P-5H-X, presumably the longest auction of the game.
?
No contract made. South's diamond void was of moderate use, but there was nothing useful for declarer to do after ruffing a diamond lead. The defence could get a bit busy and give declarer more than eight tricks. Spades could take seven tricks, although the declarers in spades were held to six. Just defending meant at worst an average score, 3H N -1 when Leighry opposed Elott, the only defenders to take their full five tricks against hearts, as everyone else allowed nine.
?
3Sx W -3
3S W -3; 4C E -3
3H N -1
4Hx N -1
5Hx N -2 (2)
?
18:
?
...............8
...............862
...............AQ106
...............AJ1074
A109.......................KQ752
Q1093.....................AKJ4
943..........................75
K65..........................92
...............J643
...............75
...............KJ82
...............Q83
?
East declared in spades at every table. North might have opened and/or N-S might have competed to the three-level, especially if North began with 1D for rebid considerations instead of 1C. North is more likely to take action after P-1S-P-2S (presumably with 2NT) than after 1C-1S-P (or 1NT)-2S. Contracts were 2S E twice, 3S E four times and 4S E.
?
Declarer in spades could force nine tricks but was unlikely to bring in the trumps unless South had obligingly bid 1NT over a 1S overcall. Soctt?played?2S +1 despite not guessing the spades when South led a club to North's ace. Frank also took nine tricks in 3S but most declarers took the normal eight and Jevin held declarer to six to finish with a shared top.
?
2S E -2; 4S E -2
3S E -1 (3)
2S E +1; 3S E =
