1:
?
...............AK8643
...............4
...............95
...............AK64
QJ5..........................2
A952........................K873
J8.............................AQ10732
Q875........................J9
...............1097
...............QJ106
...............K64
...............1032
?
This was a bit unlucky for N-S, as the auction was likely to start 1S-2D-2S and then it's very tempting for North to bid 4S with a Losing trick Count of five. Nine Norths went that high; one was doubled. Only two Norths stopped in 3S, perhaps after game invitations declined by South despite the well-placed diamond king. The hand is tricky to assess, as North is not dependent on any one asset; I think I like a short-suit game try in hearts best; swap South's hearts and clubs and 4S would be a perfectly good contract, although North is not dependent on a good club holding opposite; either black queen would do.
?
Spades are always held to nine tricks by a red-suit lead and 4S -1 was the plurality result. Some declarers took only eight tricks after taking insufficient care with the black suits and allowing West to cash the fourth club after drawing dummy's third trump; ideally North wants to lead one trump and then duck a club to be able to ruff the fourth club if trumps split 3-1. Sandra took ten tricks after a heart to the ace and a diamond return; East obligingly led the heart king next, allowing the club losers to go away on South's queen-jack.
?
3S N +1 by Sandra
3S N -1 by Gareth; 4S N -1 by Carol, Wayne, Jevin, Mike and Jamie
4S N -2 vs Eubot, Cinise and Elott; 4Sx N -1 vs Leobot
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2:
?
...............Q7
...............AQ4
...............A1083
...............9875
AK1043................J2
76.........................K932
QJ.........................K95
AK43....................QJ102
...............9865
...............J1085
...............7642
...............6
?
Despite the side's 27 HCP, E-W reached game by only a 7-4 margin. After West's 1S opening bid, North could have gotten into a lot of trouble with a takeout double. Had Jevin sat E-W, I suspect they would have defended 2Hx -2 or 2Dx -2 after some such auction as P-P-1S-X; XX, etc. If North was silent, the auction began P-1S; 1NT-2C. One East passed. Two Wests took a pessimistic view of the hand and passed a 2S preference; one felt stuck after a raise to 3C and passed that. The plurality contract was 3NT E, reached five times (fairly easily if West raises 1NT to 2NT instead), along with 3NT W and 4S W.
?
3NT can force an overtrick although nine tricks seems the reasonable outcome; declarer would need to drop the spade queen. Harold and Leigh Ann took ten tricks, three declarers took nine, and Mynn were allowed a set; after a heart lead to the queen, winning the first round and taking the spade finesse is an unlucky line of play. 4S finished -2, suggesting club ruffs, especially as North is unlikely to lead anything else. Had declarer feared 4-1 clubs and played spades from the top that would have been luckier.
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4S W -2 vs Owbot
3NT E -1 vs Mynn
3C W +1 vs Carbot
2C W +3 vs Wendric
2S W +2 vs Carbot and Kill
3NT E = by Ken, Steve and Scott
3NT E +1 by Leigh Ann; 3NT W +1 by Harold
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3:
?
...............J65
...............A5
...............KQ109876
...............Q
A1043.......................KQ73
J109642....................K3
J2..............................A
J................................987654
...............98
...............Q87
...............543
...............AK1032
?
Here was a hand for the gamblers. Left to themselves N-S might well have stopped in 2D, but a 2H opening bid from West jockeyed two N-S pairs into 3NT S. Other contracts were 2D N twice, 3D N thrice, 3H W, 4D N, 4H W and 5D N. It's a good thing Rita was not here to see all those 2H opening bids.
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Despite reaching a contract that would not have scored in a bidding competition, Jeff and Gernot both made 3NT. Jeff's line was straightforward. After two rounds of hearts, he led the diamond king to the ace and East switched to a club. East was lazy leading the second heart if West had opened 2H; the hand couldn't possibly have two entries. But I give West?a large share of the blame for not throwing the heart ten on the second round as a suit preference signal for spades. West had a choice of five different heart spots to play; anyone who plays the lowest spot every time (especially if partner already knows one's length in the suit) is missing out on a valuable opportunity to help partner, even though the clubs could not run. Gernot also made the hand after E-W found the spade switch but only took two rounds of the suit. The drawback of the 2H opening bid is that East usually led the heart king against diamond contracts and gave declarer a trick; four declarers in diamonds took ten tricks while only two were held to nine, although holding declarer to nine required E-W to begin with two rounds of spades, West winning the second round and switching to a heart (kudos to Leobot and Troward). Mike never received a spade lead and took eleven tricks. Heart contracts provided the top scores each way; 4H W -2 against Glynneth and 3H W +1 for Harold (I'd have expected nine tricks; even if declarer gets to ruff a diamond in dummy N-S can manage a spade ruff to compensate).
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3NT S +2 by Jeff
3NT S +1 by Gernot
4H W -2 vs Glynneth
3D N +2 by Mike
2D N +2 vs Elott; 3D N +1 vs Myrne and Cinise; 4D N = vs Leighry
2D N +1 vs Leobot
5D N -2 vs Troward
3H W +1 by Harold
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4:
?
...............96
...............6
...............86532
...............AK1076
KQJ5......................10874
AQ842....................KJ10975
QJ...........................A7
82............................J
...............A32
...............3
...............K1094
...............Q9543
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Not surprisingly nobody stopped below game on this hand. If North came in with the Unusual 2NT over 1H South was quite good enough to go to 5C, which does not need much to make and in any case is sure to be a good sacrifice. Five pairs stopped in 4H W; higher contracts were 5C S, 5Cx N, 5H W thrice and 6Cx S.
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With favourable diamonds, 5C was set only because North's majors were 2=1 instead of 1=2. All the club declarers took ten tricks. E-W were stuck on ten tricks with the near-mirror distribution and the losing diamond finesse. Elizabeth made 5H when South switched to a diamond at trick three.
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5H W -1 vs Mayne and Donbot
5C S -1 by Lynn (G)
5Cx N -1 by Jamie
6Cx S -2 by Bill
4H W = by Leo, Anne, Renee, Judy and Wilma
5H W = by Elizabeth
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5:
?
...............10865
...............Q1053
...............7
...............Q763
AJ93......................KQ7
AK7........................J94
Q1054....................KJ32
95...........................A84
...............42
...............862
...............A986
...............KJ102
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Everyone got to game this time. It looked as if 1D-1S; 1NT-3NT could be universal but one pair reached 4S W.
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A club lead allows N-S to hold 3NT to nine tricks, a result which occurred six times out of ten. Four declarers took ten tricks. Carbot were N-S top when they found the diamond ruff to set 4S, although a club lead might have produced the same result.
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4S W -1 vs Carbot
3NT E = vs Owbot, Wendric, Jevin, Mynn, Sandnot and Donbot
3NT E +1 by Myrtle, Eugenie, Fay and Harold
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6:
?
...............10976
...............2
...............K10742
...............Q74
K2...........................A543
K107643.................QJ98
J9853......................Q
----...........................K632
...............QJ8
...............A5
...............A6
...............AJ10985
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This is an interesting one with various possible auctions. P-1C-2NT-P; 4H is possible. Jeff apparently opened 1NT and was left there when West had no way into the auction. E-W might bid 1C-1H; 2H uncontested before South comes in or South might overcall 1NT, over which West can come in with 2H. It is even possible that, if E-W open 1C on 2+, South might be able to overcall 2C naturally, after which anything can happen. Contracts were 1NT S, 3H W twice, 3S N, 4C S, 4H W twice, 4Hx W, 5Cx S, 5Hx E and 5H W.
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?Club contracts look like taking ten tricks but it seems that E-W got a diamond ruff, as the Souths declaring in clubs both took nine tricks (eleven is possible if East errs by covering the first or second club led from dummy). With clubs behaving, nine tricks in no-trumps for South were cold; Jeff somehow took a tenth. The important part is running the club seven first or unblocking if the first club led was the queen. Hearts should have taken ten tricks. Declarer had a double ruffing finesse in diamonds available if N-S led two rounds of trumps. Eleven were possible otherwise; four of the seven pairs declaring in hearts took ten.?
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5Hx E -1 vs Mynn
1NT S +3 by Jeff
4C S -1 by Bill
3S N -3 by Eric
3H W +1 vs Mayne
3H W +2 by Henry
5Cx S -2 vs Elott
4H W = by Wilma
4H W +1 by Judy; 5H W = by Anne
4Hx W = by Louise
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7:
?
...............AK96
...............10876
...............98
...............K85
Q2............................7543
AK932......................----
K732........................AQJ1064
73.............................AJ9
...............J108
...............QJ54
...............5
...............Q10642
?
East and West both have opening bids but a minor-suit fit and shaky spade situation. Will they get to game? It was a close call with game winning out over partials by a 6-5 margin. Contracts were 2D E, 3D E twice, 3NT E twice, 4D E, 4D W and 5D E four times.
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This hand was something quite rare. Both 3NT and 5D had an obvious outcome of making on the number. All the diamond contracts took eleven tricks, the hearts providing discards for East's clubs. 3NT had nine top tricks barring five running spades off the top. All the game bidders and partial defenders shared the top score.
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2D E +3 vs Jamob; 3D E +2 vs Jevin and Sandnot; 4D E +1 vs Owbot; 4D W +1 vs Wendric
3NT E = by Myrtle and Howard; 5D E = by Cindy, Leo, Fay and Harold
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8:
?
...............6
...............QJ43
...............KJ1064
...............QJ9
A109...................KJ754
A6.......................K10952
A7........................85
AK10632.............8
...............Q832
...............87
...............Q932
...............754
?
Multiple Wests opened 2NT. The hand is certainly upgradable into that category; some might even value the hand as too good for a 2NT opening bid. Seven Wests finished in 3NT after a 1C opening bid. Two Easts got to bid both suits and played 4S; 4S W was played once after a 2NT opening bid. The highest contract came about after the auction 2NT-3H; 3S-4H; 6S.
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Declarer can take all the tricks in spades but would have to play South for Qxxx in trumps and then some: diamond to ace, heart to king, spade jack, spade to ten, spade ace, club ace, club king, club ruff, spade king discarding West's diamond and then the West hand is high (the club ruff could come ahead of the heart to the king). It was not practical to expect declarer to find such a line. In the four spade contracts one declarer took nine tricks, two ten and one eleven. But the 4-1 spades doom 3NT if the opening lead is a diamond, whether declarer guesses the spades correctly or not. As five declarers in 3NT pushed the panic button after a diamond lead and were -2 instead of -1, Fay's 4S -1 turned out to score 60%.
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3NT W -2 vs Wendric, Glynneth, Jevin, Sandnot and Jamob; 6S W -2 vs Mayne
4S E -1 by Fay
4S W = by Louise
4S E +1 by Howard
3NT W +2 by Harold
3NT W +3 by Henry
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9:
?
...............5
...............A109872
...............8764
...............109
KJ3............................108764
543.............................Q
AK10..........................Q92
8543...........................KQJ7
...............AQ92
...............KJ6
...............J53
...............A62
?
A few Norths opened 2H and declared the hand (4H twice and 3H once). Seven times South opened 1NT and declared 2H after a transfer. The last auction ended in 2S E; North really ought to have competed to 3H.
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Nine tricks are the limit in hearts. Myrne defended 4H -2 when declarer took the spade finesse in an attempt to make the contract. Declarer can, after a club lead, ruff out the spade king and discard the losing club on the spade queen, but then the fourth diamond will not cash, as declarer runs out of trumps long before the diamond establishes. Six of the ten declarers in hearts took the expected nine tricks; four took eight. Fay kept calm in the face of the bad trump split and took nine tricks in 2S for the E-W top as South ran out of hearts after two ruffs.?
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2H S +1 by Wendy, Mark, Gernot and Bill
2H S = by Owen, Carole and Lynn (G)
3H N -1 vs Rekenee; 4H N -1 vs Eubot
4H N -2 vs Myrne
2S E +1 by Fay
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10:
?
...............43
...............87432
...............K85
...............874
QJ10865..............K972
K95......................J6
Q6........................AJ742
A10.......................53
...............A
...............AQ10
...............1093
...............KQJ962
?
South opens 1C, West overcalls 1S and then it comes down to whether East or West makes an invitational noise. If East values the hand as worth inviting, West likely accepts, especially if East shows four trumps. Some Wests may go on to 4S over any raise showing four trumps. Except for the one South to play 2H (after a 1NT opening bid scared West out of the auction completely?) contracts were 3SW six times and 4S W four times.
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The diamond king turns out to be the key card on the hand. North has to lead a heart or club to allow N-S to establish their third trick in the club suit. Henry did not receive a heart or club lead; he took eleven tricks for the E-W top. N-S top was Bill's in 2H S =.
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2H S = by Bill
3S W = vs Jamob
3S W +1 vs Wendric, Glynneth, Jevin, Sandnot and Donbot
4S W = by Harold, Leo and Eugenie
4S W +1 by Henry
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11:
?
...............AJ3
...............A54
...............K2
...............QJ743
K4...........................Q9
KJ1093...................862
1084.......................AQ96
652.........................A1098
...............1087652
...............Q7
...............J753
...............K
?
A few Souths channeled Marge Fiedler or Helen Shields and opened 2S, which might have been all right left to themselves but which resulted in 3C N, 3S S, 3NT N and 4S S. the game auctions were 2S-4S and 2S-2NT; 3C-3NT. At other tables North opened 1NT and declared 2S six times and 3S once.
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Spade contracts can be held to eight tricks on either side but required different leads. If South declared the holding lead was a diamond; if North, a heart, either lead taking a successful finesse for the defence before declarer can knock out the trump ace. Four of the nine declarers in spades were held to eight tricks, two took nine and three played 2S +2. Lynn (G) received a heart lead away from the king. Eubot defended 3NT N -3 for the E-W top.?
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2S N +2 by Eric, Gareth and Jamie
2S N +1 by Kevin
2S N = by Owen and Carole
3S N -1 vs Elott; 3S S -1 vs Myrne; 4S S -1 vs Rekenee
3C N -2 vs Study
3NT N -3 vs Eubot
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12:
?
...............A9
...............AQ6
...............A632
...............Q984
KQ86......................J2
10874......................J53
K8...........................Q10954
AJ5..........................1063
...............107543
...............K92
...............J7
...............K72
?
One West was left in 1C. Otherwise the auction began 1C-1NT. 1NT was left in twice. Usually North declared 2S after a transfer. One auction was 1C-1NT-2D-2H, ending there because South thought 2H was still a transfer even with East bidding 2D (a bit bold but it certainly worked) while Northbot took 2H as weak and natural a la lebensohl.
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Falma were E-W top defending 2H S -2. Sandnot scored average for -90 against 1C W +1 as 1NT was set once of the two times it was played and 2S was set half the time. 2S N made only if East led a club. Kathy and Don both made an overtrick when a defender played a second round of clubs - East against Kathy, West against Don.?
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2S N +1 by Kathy and Don
2NT N = by Mike
2S N = by Jamie
1NT N = by Kevin
1C W +1 by Eugenie
1NT N -1 vs Cinise; 2S N -1 vs Harbot, Leighry and Elott
2H S -2 vs Falma
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13:
?
...............KQ4
...............Q10842
...............762
...............J8
AJ82.........................976
J975..........................A
J9..............................AKQ53
K75............................A1094
...............1053
...............K63
...............1084
...............Q632
?
I was not sure everyone would get to game but it happened. After 1D-1H; East might rebid 3C or West might rebid 2NT over 2C. Even 1D-1H; 2C-2D should see a third bid from East. One auction got higher when West took a very optimistic view: 1D-1S; 2C-2H (X); 2S-3NT; 6NT. My sympathies were fully with East.
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A heart lead held no-trumps to nine tricks; a minor lead allowed one overtrick and a spade lead allowed two. Mynn defended 6NT W -2 comfortably enough. Fay, Henry and Renee took eleven tricks in 3NT to share the E-W top. Jevin and Jamob both defeated 3NT. Jevin posted 3NT -1; declarer finessed the spade jack. Jamob posted a two-trick set after declarer ducked a spade lead and then, after a heart switch, voluntarily played spades again.?
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3NT W -2 vs Jamob; 6NT W -2 vs Mynn
3NT W -1 vs Jevin
3NT W = vs Wendric, Mayne, Sandnot and Kill
3NT W +1 by Judy
3NT E +2 by Fay; 3NT W +2 by Henry and Renee
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14:
?
...............842
...............K107
...............KQ1052
...............K8
73...............................K6
AQ32..........................9864
A97.............................J843
10972..........................QJ4
...............AQJ1095
...............J5
...............6
...............A653
?
North has a hand worth inviting game (if North does not decide just to go on over a 2S rebid; the hand is on the edge). Will South accept? Usually the acceptance occurred (justified by the 6-4 hand pattern if nothing else); contracts were 3S S twice and 4S S nine times. The auctions that stopped were an uncontested 1S-1NT; 2S-3S and P-1S-P-2D; P-2S-X-P; 3H-P-P-3S.
?
Eleven tricks were there. Twelve were possible if West ducked the first round of diamonds. Leighry and Myrne held 4S to ten tricks when declarer was a little careless. 4S +1 was the majority result; the one declarer to take twelve tricks was unfortunately in 3S.
?
4S S +1 by Owen, Carole, Wendy, Mark, Lynn (L), Bill and Don
4S S = vs Leighry and Myrne
3S S +3 vs Elott
3S S +2 vs Eubot
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15:
?
...............QJ4
...............K954
...............K8
...............A1052
10863.......................AK972
Q1087.......................J
A4.............................Q52
843...........................QJ97
...............5
...............A632
...............J109763
...............K6
?
It seems that at least one South opened 2D and was left there, East curiously deciding against balancing. That may have kept N-S out of trouble, however, as otherwise the auction likely starts P-P-1C-1S; X and N-S may find their heart fit, which could lead to trouble. Contracts were 2D S, 2S E twice, 3H N twice, 3S E, 3Sx E, 4H N thrice and 4S E.
?
Only two contracts made. Lynn (L) made 2D S and Howard made 2S E, the expected result in spades (if N-S get a club ruff West's diamond loser goes away on the fourth club). Hearts could have taken nine tricks by force despite the 4-1 split and two of the declarers in 4H did so, but three of the five took fewer, with Leobot E-W top for posting 4H N -4. Two declarers in spades took seven tricks while three took eight.
?
3S E -2 vs Owbot; 4S E -2 vs Wendric; 3Sx E -1 vs Jamob
2D S = by Lynn (L)
2S E -1 vs Carbot
3H N -1 vs Eubot; 4H N -1 vs Leighry and Cinise
2S E = by Howard
3H N -2 vs Harbot
4H N -2 vs Leobot
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16:
?
...............AQ73
...............K7
...............76
...............K10976
52..........................J98
AQ9642.................108
932........................J105
52..........................AQJ83
...............K1064
...............J53
...............AKQ84
...............4
?
West's 2H opening bid did little to keep N-S out of 4S. North declared 4S four times and South five. One auction was left in 3C N and the last in 3NT N (the auction was 2H-X-P-3H; P-3NT).
?
Declarer in 3NT got a little lucky, as the hearts established with one lead ducked and then the diamonds split 3-3 to allow ten tricks. 4S could have taken eleven tricks. But the same diamond split allows 4S an overtrick due to the 4-4 fit when there is only one top club loser. +450 was the majority score, posted seven times of the nine. Myrne were allowed to hold 4S to ten tricks and declarer was set against Leobot, tying Elott and their 3C -1 for the E-W top.
?
4S N +1 by Owen, Carole, Gareth and Don; 4S S +1 by Wendy, Mark and Bill
3NT N +1 vs Cinise
4S S = vs Myrne
3C N -1 vs Elott; 4S S -1 vs Leobot
?
17:
?
...............AKQ5
...............QJ85
...............75
...............Q98
8743.....................J10
AK74....................1032
K...........................J109832
J1032....................K7
...............962
...............96
...............AQ64
...............A654
?
The auction seemed likely to go in any of a few different ways. One was for South to take a conservative view of the hand, respond 1NT to North's 1C opening bid and play the hand there. 1NT S was played three times. One similar auction saw South raise to 2C, which was left in. One East made a jump overcall of 2D and played 2Dx after South passed and then left in North's reopening double. Higher contracts were 2NT N twice, 3C N, 3NT N, 3NT S and an incomprehensible 3NT W.
?
The play results were a win for conservatives; no contract higher than 1NT made. The layout is not unkind if declarer is psychic; N-S can force ten tricks in no-trumps, but that involves catching both offside minor kings in the short holdings. Wendy and Lynn (G) posted +120 in 1NT and were only behind Donbot's 3NT W -4. Then came Jevin's defending 2Dx -1 and Carole's 1NT S = to complete the set of N-S plus score. Harbot were E-W top defending 2NT N -2.?
?
3NT W -4 vs Donbot
1NT S +1 by Wendy and Lynn (G)
2Dx E -1 vs Jevin
1NT S = by Carole
2C N -1 vs Myrne; 2NT N -1 vs Leobot; 3C N -1 vs Elott; 3NT N -1 vs Cinise; 3NT S -1 vs Troward
2NT N -2 vs Harbot
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18:
?
...............J73
...............A8752
...............K1082
...............7
KQ...........................A965
K1096......................Q3
Q976........................AJ4
K43..........................Q982
...............10842
...............J4
...............53
...............AJ1065
?
We were a whisker from getting everyone to 3NT, which was declared twice by East and eight times by West. The last auction ended in 2NT W.
?
Ten tricks were unstoppable, although only four declarers took ten tricks or better. It appears that South and East get into something of an endplay war in which declarer has something of an edge. Four declarers took nine tricks. Jevin and Jamob set the contract, with Jamob top on -2 when declarer played clubs twice. Judy took eleven tricks in 3NT W when North rose with the diamond king on an early round of the suit.
?
3NT W -2 vs Jamob
3NT W -1 vs Jevin
2NT E = vs Mayne
3NT E = vs Sandnot; 3NT W = vs Owbot, Carbot and Kill
3NT E +1 by Fay; 3NT W +1 by Louise and Eugenie
3NT W +2 by Judy
