1:
?
...............72
...............J62
...............1075
...............98654
A10854...............K9
AQ3....................975
632.....................AKQJ8
AK......................1072
...............QJ63
...............K1084
...............94
...............QJ3
?
?The auction begins 1D-1S; 1NT or possibly 1D-1S; 2D. Three?Wests liked the hand enough to move towards slam after a 1NT rebid, one selecting 4NT invitational and the other 4C. A third pair somehow got into 6S W. Apart from that there were outliers of 5D E and 4S W, with the other seven tables in 3NT, with East declaring by a 4-3 margin.
?
The hand does rather better played by West, as the hearts are protected from the opening lead. Either slam comes down to a question of the spades. Here N-S have an incredibly unlucky distribution of honours - South has an awful time finding discards on diamonds because North holds only the jack of hearts. South can afford to throw away the hearts?but this remains unclear as the diamonds are run. Kevin made 6NT when South made the unwise lead of the spade queen (a diamond is safest, as North is almost sure to be void), Zia when South discarded a spade on the diamonds; a club discard would have been unlucky. Assuming East holds the diamond king (likely, as the heart jack instead only brings declarer to 11 HCP), it is hard to say whether unguarding hearts or clubs is better. There is a tiny inference that East might have upgraded Kx Jxx AKQJx xxx to a 1NT opening bid, but it's more likely that a heart discard would prove disastrous. In 6S, alas, declarer has to draw trumps first and must guess whether to finesse on the second round or start with ace and king (assuming South has the wit to duck the second round). Ace and king is better by a 4-3 margin and also accounts for possible human error - so nice when technical superiourity and human allowance coincide. Elott were allowed to set 6S when declarer misguessed. Four declarers took twelve tricks in 3NT, East averaging a little better than West.
?
6S W -2
5D E +1
3NT W +1
4S W +1
3NT E +2; 3NT W +2
3NT E +3 (3); 3NT W +3
6NT E = (2)
?
2:
?
...............742
...............873
...............J102
...............K853
K106....................AQ852
A102....................Q95
8763....................K
J109.....................AQ76
...............J9
...............KJ64
...............AQ954
...............42
?
Whether South acts or not, West usually raises 1S to 2S and then it depends largely on how East values the diamond king. 2S E was left in four times. One West declared 2NT after 1S-P-1NT. Other contracts were 3S E, 3NT E and 4S E five times, West usually accepting an invitation.
?
Everything lies so favourably that 4S is cold for eleven tricks. Marudy and Mahn both set 4S, Marudy when declarer led a heart from dummy instead of a club. Harold had the best luck of all - by playing 3NT from the East side, he had an easy eleven tricks in 3NT after a low diamond lead. The singleton king gets lucky when the hand on lead has the ace, as the ace is almost never led. As three declarers in 4S took eleven tricks, the second overtrick was most helpful.
?
4S E -1 (2)
2S E +2 (3); 3S E +1
2NT W +2
2S E +3
4S E +1 (3)
3NT E +2
?
3:
?
...............K98
...............Q4
...............A4
...............AJ8743
A2............................10543
8752.........................AJ1093
KJ82........................Q973
KQ5..........................----
...............QJ76
...............K6
...............1065
...............10962
?
West opens 1D. North might have made an offbeat 1NT overcall but usually went with 2C, with East likely making a negative double. South raises clubs and then the usual outcome of the auction is in either hearts or clubs. Contracts were 3C N thrice, 3H E, 4Cx N, 4D W, 4H E thrice, 4H W twice and 5Cx N.
?
With trumps 2-2, hearts took ten tricks and clubs nine unless declarer began with the club ace. Everyone in clubs did, though, except for Yumi, and took only eight. Hearts could have had trouble had N-S started with two rounds of diamonds and declarer finessed the first heart, but everyone in hearts took ten tricks.
?
3C N =
3C N -1 (2)
4D W +1
3H E +1
4Cx N -2
5Cx N -3
4H E = (3); 4H W = (2)
?
4:
?
...............K64
...............32
...............10743
...............K1087
3..............................J872
K754........................A8
KQ...........................J852
QJ6542....................A93
...............AQ1095
...............QJ1096
...............A96
...............----
?
1C-1S takes the wind out of South's sails; E-W may have a quiet auction ending in 3C or perhaps even 2C. If West passes South opens 1S and then the auction usually sees whether South likes the hand enough for a game invitation. Contracts were 2H S twice, 2Hx S, 2NT E, 3C W four times, 4S S, 4Sx S and 5C W twice.
?
The Law was spot on this time. Declarer in spades can take nine tricks if E-W defend passively, but an early club force lets East lead another club back through later and force declarer to allow a fifth trick. Clubs take nine tricks on the 4-0 split. Declarer can hold the club losers to one or ruff a heart but not both unless North gets to ruff the diamond jack. Hank (B) and Pamela took ten tricks in clubs; only Marmi held declarer to eight after the last chance to get diamonds going was missed. Spade and heart contracts all took the expected eight tricks; Mattbot managed to defend 2Hx -1 when declarer led a spade instead of a red card at trick eight.
?
5C W -3
2NT E -2; 5C W -2
2H S =
2H S -1
3C W = (2)
3C W +1 (2)
2Hx S -1; 4S S -2
4Sx S -2
?
5:
?
...............AQ103
...............4
...............J6
...............J97642
J64......................K8
1086....................KQJ95
AK10852.............943
5..........................AK8
...............9752
...............A732
...............Q7
...............Q103
?
Does East open 1H or 1NT? If 1NT, West likely goes right to 3NT. Over 1H West has a slightly awkward choice between 2H and something more forward-going; then does East move towards game over a 2H raise? Contracts were 2H E, 2NT E, 3D W, 3H E, 3NT E four times and 4H E four times.
?
The 2-2 diamonds are a huge help in either contract. Hearts take eleven tricks despite the 4-1 trumps. 3NT takes nine tricks after a spade lead and eleven otherwise. Only Mark found the spade lead against 3NT. Matt posted 3NT +3 when South led a club instead of a spade late in the hand; Hank (B) and Gareth posted 4H +2, Hank when South led a diamond instead of a spade at the third trick. It would have been interesting to see 4H played after the lead of the diamond queen, but that never happened.
?
3D W +1
2NT E +1
2H E +2
3H E +2
3NT E =
4H E =
4H E +1
3NT E +2 (2)
4H E +2 (2)
3NT E +3
?
6:
?
...............752
...............J72
...............AQJ2
...............QJ2
AQJ43...................K98
64..........................A985
K9..........................1064
10985.....................K64
...............106
...............KQ103
...............8753
...............A73
?
This was the balancing hand without much balancing. West generally opened 1S in third position. Not vulnerable, 2S might work better, likely ending the auction. Whether East raised to 2S or trotted out Drury, N-S had a chance to balance but almost never did. West declared 2S nine times and was never pushed to 3S, the contract once after a direct raise. North declared 3D twice, but both times happened after West passed and North opened 1D in fourth seat.
?
The play is remarkably straightforward. West gets two club tricks and makes 2S; declarer in 3D can get rid of a club loser on a heart for ten tricks but still makes nine otherwise. Eric posted 3D +1 and Steve (R) 3D =. All the spade declarers but one took eight tricks, Mattbot getting a crucial top defending 2S -2 when declarer didn't draw all the trumps.
?
2S W -2
3D N +1
3D N =
3S W -1
2S W = (8)
?
7:
?
...............-----
...............AKQ109
...............10854
...............KQ62
AQJ95......................K643
542...........................3
73.............................AKQJ2
J84...........................1097
...............10872
...............J1076
...............96
...............A53
?
Wests inclined to open 2S would have done well here, likely playing 4S undoubled or else pushing North to the five-level. If West passes North opens 1H, East doubles or overcalls in diamonds and South squeezes out a heart raise. A double may get E-W to 4S. Otherwise a lot rides on how well North likes the spade void or possibly how highly South values the doubleton diamond if North goes with a help-suit try. Contracts were 2H N, 3H N, 3S W five times, 4H N twice and 4S W thrice.
?
5H makes with clubs 3-3 and there being a lack of entries to the West hand for trump leads; declarer gets two diamond ruffs in dummy or at the most extreme has to ruff all the spades in hand and play with a sort of reverse dummy. Only Marcia produced the right line of play for eleven tricks in hearts, scoring +650 with Yumi scoring +620. Spades have four top losers; 4S was set every time but Zia posted 3S +2 when North began with two high hearts, a bit lazy given the sight of dummy.
?
4H N +1
4H N =
2H N +2; 3H N +1
4S W -1 (3)
3S W = (3)
3S W +1
3S W +2
?
8:
?
...............87
...............K103
...............Q10852
...............Q75
AQ53.......................9642
AJ8..........................65
J743.........................AK96
A3............................J104
...............KJ10
...............Q9742
...............----
...............K9862
?
West opened 1NT and then either East or South did something. East might have bid Stayman or South might have balanced with the 5-5 hand pattern. Contracts were 2D E (likely 1NT-P-P-2C; P-P-2D?), 2H S, 2NT W, 3Dx E, 3NT W twice and 4S W a slightly surprising six times.
?
4S W sinks on a diamond lead; the first ruff does no harm but there is no entry to dummy to draw trumps. Every North found the diamond lead against 4S and the contract was never made, a big victory for the more cautious bidders. 3NT W is massively right-sided (South can lead either a heart or club to good effect if East declares) and can make by force if declarer gets four diamond tricks or possibly two tricks in either hearts or clubs. Jeff made 3NT easily enough; Jeanbot set the contract when Northbot led a club at trick six and dummy ducked instead of playing the jack or ten, leading to -2. Marbot posted 4S W -3 when declarer forgot the diamonds were being ruffed and played high from dummy on both ruffs.
?
4S W -3
2H S +1
3Dx E -1; 3NT W -2; 4S W -2 (3)
4S W -1 (2)
2D E +1
2NT W +2
3NT W =
?
9:
?
...............AK98
...............93
...............KQ53
...............AJ6
Q103.........................65
7642..........................A8
10764........................J982
103............................K8542
...............J742
...............KQJ105
...............A
...............Q97
?
North opens 1NT and then South has multiple possible roads - Stayman, transfer, Smolen, be content with game, look for slam... anything can happen. Usually the Stayman road was chosen and South was content with game. Contracts were 3NT N twice, 4S N eight times, 6S N and 6NT N. The 6S auction was 1NT-2C; 2S-4NT; 5D-6S; South might have stopped in 5S after finding out North did not hold the spade queen but not all pairs look for the trump queen.
?
6NT is technically better than 6S, although the spade eight narrows the gap significantly, as that essentially removes the chance of a fourth-round spade loser that would not matter in no-trumps. Judy (P) made 6S when West played the ten second hand on the first round and did not force her to find the winning guess. Cindy was the only other North to take twelve tricks in spades, with Hank (V) declaring 3NT N +2. Glynneth were E-W top defeating 6NT after a misguess in spades.
?
6S N =
4S N +2
3NT N +2
4S N +1 (6)
3NT N +1
4S N =
6NT N -1
?
10:
?
...............A9
...............83
...............K98
...............1087643
QJ1053...................4
Q5...........................J107642
A542.......................QJ76
KJ...........................A2
...............K9762
...............AK9
...............103
...............Q95
?
Does East open 2H vulnerable? Marge would, and the late Grace Z Postman would (because she played Ogust); anyone taking the view that matchpoints isn't really bridge might well do so without concern for the suit. If East opens, 2H may be left in or South may overcall 2S, playing the hand there. If East passes, the auction begins P-1S-P-1NT, perhaps passed if not forcing, with a 2C rebid otherwise. With six clubs and only a doubleton spade, North will leave it in clubs if possible. East may back in with 2H and North perhaps go on to 3C, Contracts were 1NT N thrice, 2C S twice, 2H E twice, 2S S twice, 2Sx S, 3H E and 3S S.
?
Heart contracts can be held to eight tricks by a diamond ruff; a black-suit lead allows declarer the chance of a ninth trick by playing a spade first to cut defensive communication. Jamie took nine tricks in hearts; the others took eight. All the spade contracts yielded the double-dummy seven tricks to declarer. 1NT could have been held to seven tricks; Scott and Myrtle took eight, but Mattbot posted 1NT -3 for the E-W top when declarer began spades at trick three instead of clubs. Club contracts should have taken nine tricks, ten if E-W missed their spade ruff, but declarers took only eight or seven.
?
1NT N +1 (2)
3H E -1
2C S = (2)
2S S -1 (2)
2H E =
2H E +1
2Sx S -1; 3S S -2
1NT N -3
?
11:
?
...............----
...............10953
...............KJ642
...............10985
10.........................J86543
AKJ8642..............7
9...........................AQ107
AQ72....................KJ
...............AKQ972
...............Q
...............853
...............643
?
The valuation of the singleton heart queen becomes significant here. If South opens 2S West has a practical 4H overcall. After 1S, 2H is unlikely to end the auction, but there seems a greater chance of stopping. West played in hearts at every table, with 4H outnumbering 3H by an 8-4 margin.
?
West could take twelve tricks in hearts by force, but the result was only posted by Bill, Jeff and Zia. With North void in spades, a 2S opening bid helps declarer enormously by flagging the diamond king with North. Jeff took the diamond finesse, then discarded his losing spade on the ace, and that probably happened at the other two tables as well. The other nine declarers all took eleven tricks.
?
3H W +2 (4)
4H W +1 (5)
4H W +2 (3)
?
12:
?
...............A1086
...............62
...............A752
...............KJ2
Q75.........................J4
AQ103.....................J9
KJ............................109864
A1095......................Q863
...............K932
...............K8754
...............Q3
...............74
?
1NT was left in nine times. The remaining three auctions saw South come in with a balance if 5-4 majors and a 5-4-2-2 hand pattern of less than opening strength were acceptable at unfavourable vulnerability; the auctions ended in 2NT N, 3S N and 3Cx W after a re-balance.
?
1NT could not be prevented from taking eight tricks; even after a spade lead the defence cannot force more than five. But declarer has to get to dummy with the club queen and then finesse the hearts; if South ducks two hearts the diamonds will yield the eighth trick. Lynn and Jeff took nine tricks in 1NT, Jeff after South discarded a second heart. Usually, though, declarer did not get the timing exactly right and most declarers took six tricks, with Cinise even setting the contract. Matt's re-balance landed him in an unsettable 3C - the double gave him the top score, although not doubling would only have saved N-S two or three matchpoints. Defending gave E-W the top two scores, 3S -2 against Zabot and 2NT N -3 against Kill.
?
1NT W -1
1NT W = (5)
1NT W +1
1NT W +2 (2)
3S N -2
2NT N -3
3Cx W -1
?
13:
?
...............QJ105
...............942
...............Q87
...............A96
K92........................A863
AKJ5......................10873
A.............................9532
QJ732.....................10
...............74
...............Q6
...............KJ1064
...............K854
?
If South did not open, it all came down to whether East responded to West's 1C opening bid. 1C was never left in, although the auction ending in 2D S might have begun P-P-P-1C; P-P-1D. Higher contracts were 2H W, 2NT W, 3H E and 4H E eight times, the usual auction being 1C-1H; 4H or perhaps 1C-1H; 4D.
?
A diamond lead holds 4H to ten tricks; declarer cannot get an eleventh trick out of the clubs. Four declarers in 4H took eleven tricks, Jamie after a spade lead (North has to win the first club, so that the spade split prevents the defence from cashing a spade after South's winning the second club). Myrne were N-S top defending 4H -2; West persisted in spades instead of going after clubs and came up short of tricks.
?
4H E -2
2NT W -1
3H E =
2D S -2; 2H W +3
4H E = (3)
4H E +1 (4)
?
14:
?
...............A52
...............83
...............K1092
...............K942
96.........................KJ108
Q10752.................J64
8653.....................J74
A8.........................Q103
...............Q743
...............AK9
...............AQ
...............J765
?
This could have had all twelve tables playing in 3NT S, but one auction ended in 1NT N and one other in the less comprehensible 2NT S.
?
Declarer needs a good bit of luck in 3NT and gets it. After winning a heart lead South starts the clubs from hand and eventually the spades from dummy, in the end coming to one club, four diamonds when the jack drops, two hearts and two spades. Four declarers went down in 3NT, against Mattbot when South won both the first two hearts before the ninth trick was established. Marcia took ten tricks but was only in 1NT.
?
3NT S = (5)
1NT N +3
1NT S +1; 2NT S =
3NT S -1 (4)
?
15:
?
...............983
...............KJ963
...............942
...............94
42.......................AJ10765
Q2......................84
QJ10876.............A
K75.....................J1082
...............KQ
...............A1075
...............K53
...............AQ63
?
Marudy got to open their Mexican 2D, resulting in 3H S after a transfer, although West had a chance to mess up the auction with a 3D overcall. Usually the auction began 1C-2D, with East perhaps coming in with 2S and South possibly coming in again. Contracts were 2S E thrice, 3D W, 3H N, 3H S twice (Marudy and Wendric, who open 1NT with 18 HCP), 3S E, 4H N twice, 4H S and 4Sx E.
?
2-2 trumps spoil almost any defensive prospects against 4H, the?easist successful line of defence being to lead the diamond ace and then a club ducked by South. 4H was defeated, as declarer finessed the club queen, which had a higher chance of success than ruffing out the hing, which would have worked. Nobody in hearts took ten tricks. This was good for Myrne, N-S top defending 4Sx -2. Hank (B) made 2S when South led the spade king at trick three instead of a heart or club.
?
4Sx E -2
3H N =; 3H S =
3D W -2; 3S E -2
2S E -1
3H S -1; 4H N -1 (2); 4H S -1
2S E = (2)
?
16:
?
...............QJ7
...............J4
...............A96
...............Q6432
943.......................AK652
AQ1086................975
J105......................Q7
108........................KJ7
...............108
...............K32
...............K8432
...............A95
?
Only one auction did not have a 1S opening bid from East and 2S from West (whether South bid 2D or not). This time 2S E was left in only five times. South had favourable conditions for a blanace and usually did; higher contracts were 3D S twice, 3S E four times and 4D S.
?
Diamonds can be held to seven tricks, with the layout favourable for E-W on defence. Jevin picked up a third undertrick when declarer led a low club at trick seven when a spade or the ace was needed. This tied Ritold's 4D -3 for E-W top on +150; +100 would have scored quite poorly. Spades could have forced eight tricks. Four Easts posted +140, George (B) after South missed the last chance to switch to a heart.
?
3S E -2
3S E -1
3D S -2
2S E = (3)
2S E +1 (2); 3S E = (2)
3D S -3; 4D S -3
?
17:
?
...............A108632
...............9
...............KQ107
...............K3
Q4.............................K95
AQ874.......................KJ
A93............................54
J105...........................AQ8642
...............J7
...............106532
...............J862
...............97
?
E-W have 26 HCP but have to overcomes North's 1S opening bid, which makes reaching 3NT rather tricky, although 1S-2C-P-2H; P-2NT-P-3NT seems plausible enough. But only one pair reached the top (?) reasonable matchpoint spot of 3NT, although 6C has nearly identical chances as 3NT. Most auctions ended in partials: 3C E five times, 3H W, 3NT W, 4C E, 4H W twice and 5C E twice.
?
Club contracts were the simplest; when the trumps proved 2-2 with the king onside there were twelve tricks, although one declarer in 5C took only eleven. The 5-1 trump split proved too much for the heart contracts, which all yielded declarer exactly nine tricks. 3NT had a forced ten tricks (clubs and hearts cannot both run) but Wendric got lucky; declarer forgot that the fifth heart was not good.
?
3NT W -1; 4H W -1 (2)
3C E =
3H W =
3C E +3 (4); 4C E +2
5C E =
5C E +1
?
18:
?
...............105
...............J92
...............A87
...............AK1097
J8432.....................6
A1084.....................7653
972..........................QJ106
3..............................QJ52
...............AKQ97
...............KQ
...............K53
...............864
?
This looked as if it would end in 3NT at every table, which it did with an 8-3 margin favouring South as declarer, that hand having two chances to declare 3NT, either after a 1NT opening bid or the auction 1S-2C and then a rebid of either 2NT or 3NT. One auction, featuring one of our leading pairs at playing 3NT with an eight-card major fit finished in 4S S after South decided the spades were good enough for a 3S rebid.
?
Both 3NT and 4S yielded ten tricks double dummy. Declarers in no-trumps could do worse by persisting in going after clubs, although winning the first two rounds allowed a switch over to the spades. Elizabeth, Marcia, Renee and Martin (C) took eleven tricks in 3NT; if West leads a spade there is a pseudo-squeeze for the eleventh trick. Four declarers took the expected ten tricks and two took nine. Owbot ended the game on a high note, setting 3NT when South played high spades early and later lost a club to East unnecessarily.
?
3NT S +2 (4)
3NT N +1; 3NT S +1 (3)
4S S =
3NT N =; 3NT S =
3NT N -1
