1:
?
...............J1094
...............KQ1094
...............5
...............J63
Q63...........................A7
J852..........................3
J98............................KQ10632
KQ10.........................9874
...............K852
...............A76
...............A74
...............A52
?
Left to their own devices N-S might have found the?okay 4S had North begun with Stayman. But a 2D opening bid from East and 2NT from South somehow changed things. 3S S was played once along with 2H N after South doubled 2D and 2NT N I don't know how. Hearts had nine tricks if declarer didn't get into trump trouble through diamond forces. 2NT finished an expected -1. Spade contracts are a little tricky. Declarer has a fairly easy ten tricks after a club lead from West and ten or eleven after a diamond. A heart lead gives the defence a chance to take four tricks; East wins the first spade with the ace and plays a club through and then declarer gets either nine tricks after ducking or eleven after rising.
?
3S S +1 by Louise
2H N +1 by Mike
2NT N -1 vs Ibot
?
2:
?
...............Q74
...............10763
...............AK9
...............Q62
KJ10983...........65
J........................KQ952
64......................Q732
AK53.................97
...............A2
...............A84
...............J1085
...............J1084
?
Everyone played 2S W, North and South both wisely declining to compete. Any lead but a club gives N-S the chance to draw dummy's trumps and leave declarer stranded in hand for -2. But nobody was set. Two Wests made 2S and Dave made an overtrick when he won a club lead with the ace, then ran the heart jack and South ducked.
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2S W = vs Loubot and Heve
2S W +1 by Dave
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3:
?
...............AQ
...............64
...............AK9543
...............983
J92............................74
AJ10..........................K8532
Q1086.......................J72
AK5...........................1072
...............K108653
...............Q97
...............----
...............QJ64
?
One South opened 2S, only to be raised to 4S at once. Another 2S appears to have ended the auction; the third fetched a double from West and resulted in 3H E. Hank made 4S after West cashed out, missed East's encouraging signal for hearts and then played another club. The 2S contract took the expected nine tricks for an unlucky bottom when 3H finished -2, a result which can be forced but takes some precision from the defence.
?
4S S = by Hank
3H E -2 vs Loubot
2S S +1 vs Nave
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Leaders: Nave 5, Loubot 4.5, Heve 3.5
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4:
?
...............KQ932
...............KJ85
...............A104
...............7
A8..........................J5
A92........................Q1043
QJ2........................73
Q8632....................AKJ109
...............10764
...............76
...............K9865
...............54
?
E-W avoided a bit of a trap here. After 1C is opened?by West, East has a game invitation and West might just take a go at 3NT. Of course North comes in with 1S or a double but 3NT is defeated if North starts with a high spade; a low spade lead lets declarer sneak home. One pair stopped in the safe 3C E, another went to 4C W -1 after a spade lead and the third pair had an accident, East bidding 3S looking for a stopper but West leaving it there. This was -4 to give Nave the N-S top.?
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3S E -4 vs Nave
4C W -1 vs Loubot
3C E = by Jim
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5:
?
...............965
...............A74
...............KQ1094
...............J7
K1087......................A32
K85..........................QJ9632
J73...........................2
K62..........................A98
...............QJ4
...............10
...............A865
...............Q10543
?
This seemed headed for either 2H or 3H depending on whether West liked or disliked the three kings. Two pairs stopped in 2H but the third went all the way to 4H. 4H probably goes down after a club lead but can make on a weird sort of endplay; declarer wins the club in hand and plays a diamond, wins the second club in dummy, ruffs a diamond, then leads a trump to king and ace. Declarer wins the second trump in hand and leads a spade; South must split honours. Dummy wins, the third diamond is ruffed and then, leaving the last trump out, South is given the club winner and must either lead a spade or give declarer a ruff-and-discard. Jim made 4H, though likely the easier way by receiving the lead of the spade queen.
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2H E +1 vs Nave and Loubot
4H E = by Jim
?
6:
?
...............103
...............A107
...............A5
...............AKJ842
AK7642..................985
QJ...........................98653
QJ7.........................43
97............................Q65
...............QJ
...............K42
...............K109862
...............103
?
This time the trap was for N-S. If West stays quiet over a 2D opening bid, North may get to 3NT and then East has two chances to find Bill's favourite lead of a three-card major. Two pairs managed to stop in 3D, taking the expected ten tricks and avoiding catastrophe. The third reached 5D S, against which Heve had only to cash two spades ad wait for a trump trick, picking up a second undertrick along the way.
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3D S +1 by Ken and Dave
5D S -2 vs Heve
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Leaders: Nave 10, Heve-Loubot 7, Jerik 6
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7:
?
...............62
...............AK987
...............KJ72
...............Q6
Q104.......................AK98
J106........................52
Q84.........................A1053
J753........................K98
...............J763
...............Q43
...............96
...............A1042
?
P-P-1H-X; 2H and two Easts let that go without a second double, which turned out to be just as well with N-S having the only eight-card fit. The best E-W can do is one down and that with a good deal of hard work. At the third table the contract somehow ended up being 2H W, which I cannot understand any more than either half of the declaring partnership.
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2H S can always make by force with a successful finesse in diamonds and a ruff. Both declarers avoided going for the ruff and eventually took a wrong turn at the ninth trick. 2H W finished -3 to give Jerik the N-S top.
?
2H W -3 vs Jerik
2H N -1 vs Ibot and Loubot
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8:
?
...............KQ8
...............85
...............AK108
...............Q653
104......................J96532
J10976432..........AQ
----.......................3
AK9......................8742
...............A7
...............K
...............QJ976542
...............J10
?
West likely opens 4H, even with the suit headed by the jack, as an eight-card suit is?nearly even money to bring in six tricks just on length. Everyone played 5D S, with or without a double from North. Indeed, after a double, South may well go to 6D, which only needs KQxx x A10xx Axxx to make.
?
Defensively this is where E-W need to be on top of their signals. West can begin with the top two clubs. East discourages on the first and can then signal for hearts on the second. For all West knows, South could just as easily hold AK 7 QJ976542 J10 as the actual hand. The correct switch to either a heart or spade could be vital. Hank and Louise led a heart in time but Ken's LHO did not.
?
5D S = by Ken
5D S -1 vs Heve and Loubot
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9:
?
...............AQ7
...............865
...............AQ1094
...............A4
9652...........................KJ4
732.............................A104
875.............................32
KJ3............................Q10985
...............1083
...............KQJ9
...............KJ6
...............762
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As happens so often someone who declined to open 1NT might have lived to regret it later but was saved by a Psychic Friend from a sure set. Two pairs reached 3NT N, against which unhappily East had a perfectly normal club lead and declarer finished -1. The third North opened 1D and eventually the pair reached the lucky contract of 2H S. Dave only made one overtrick but it did not matter. 4H N would score big in a bidding contest but one would probably have to be playing some sort of system with transfer responses to reach that one.
?
2H S +1 by Dave
3NT N -1 vs Ibot and Heve
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Leaders: Nave 13, Heve-Loubot 10, Jerik 9
?
10:
?
...............K3
...............864
...............532
...............AQ1063
J9642.......................AQ
J72............................K10953
A87...........................K104
97..............................KJ4
...............10875
...............AQ
...............QJ96
...............852
?
One East opened 1H and West left it there. The other Easts opened 1NT and declared 2S after a transfer. 2S could have made but both declarers went wrong at the ninth trick. Natalie dropped a couple of overtricks, but 1H began with a higher ceiling and +110 was still good enough for E-W top.
?
2S E -1 vs Miken and Ibot
1H E +1 by Natalie
?
11:
?
...............AK
...............83
...............AQ973
...............J652
Q854.........................10962
QJ10..........................62
65..............................KJ42
Q743..........................A109
...............J73
...............AK9754
...............108
...............K8
?
Perhaps one South opened a conservative 2H as North would surely not have stopped in 3H opposite a one-bid. The other contracts were 3NT N and 4H S. 3H took nine tricks for the middle score when the makable 4H was defeated - declarer ruffed a diamond at trick nine instead of discarding the last club; the play allowed West an overruff and a trump promotion. 3NT could also have made, although it looked the more likely to be set. But a diamond lead at trick two even allowed Jim an overtrick.
?
3NT N +1 by Jim
3H S = by Irene
4H S -1 vs Heve
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12:
?
...............A1062
...............AK86
...............J652
...............7
K943.......................----
Q5...........................J9742
10943......................AQ
K109.......................J86532
...............QJ875
...............103
...............K87
...............AQ4
?
Finally another hand with everyone in the same contract - and the expected contract at that, 4S S. If any South invited game North accepted. Declarer had eleven tricks despite the 4-0 trumps given the kind diamond position. Ken took his eleven tricks, Erik took ten and Loubot were allowed a set; declarer gave up one trick on the opening lead playing the diamond jack, then dropped another on trick five.
?
4S S +1 by Ken
4S S = by Erik
4S S -1 vs Loubot
?
Leaders: Nave 16, Lourene 13.5, Heve 12.5, Jerik 12
?
13:
?
...............AQ53
...............974
...............9875
...............102
964......................872
AKQ8...................J106532
Q62......................4
876.......................953
...............KJ10
...............----
...............AKJ103
...............AKQJ4
?
This hand excellently illustrates the principle of the Thirty Point Pack when one partnership has a strong fit and a void. Counting only spades, diamonds and clubs, N-S have 28 of 30 HCP in the other three suits, which, with the heart void and nine-card fit, makes it a question of whether to play 6D or 7D. With the diamond queen missing the small slam is the better bet. At matchpoints the best spot could be 6S but that is not likely to be found without highly detailed agreements. The auctions all came up short, one decidedly so: P-P-1D-1H; 2D-P-2S-P; P-3H-5D (having opened 1D declarer could really have gone to 6D once partner has shown responding values) and two uncontested auctions: 1D-1S; 2C-2D; 4D (2C would have outdone even the late Alvin Roth) and 2C-2D; 3C-3S; 4D-5D. Everyone took twelve tricks and moved on. Any pair playing Exclusion would have had no trouble finding out that North's ace was in spades, making slam well worth bidding.
?
5D N +1 by Steve; 5D S +1 by Ken
4D S +2 vs Jerik
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14:
?
...............KQJ86
...............AJ43
...............K8
...............72
9...........................1073
Q10985................K2
A104.....................J752
AQ98....................10643
...............A542
...............76
...............Q963
...............KJ5
?
If South likes the hand enough to invite a spade game, North likes the hand enough to accept with only six losers in the overcall. South's holding four trumps is a good thing; as long as West does not rise with the ace on the first round of diamonds and take air, declarer has to guess the clubs and neither guess succeeds. Mike took his nine tricks in 3S while Nave set 4S for the tops in each direction.?
?
3S N = by Mike
2S N = by Irene
4S N -1 vs Nave
?
15:
?
...............J7543
...............Q9
...............9873
...............J7
K9.........................Q82
AJ532...................86
1064......................AQJ5
K109.....................8632
...............A106
...............K1074
...............K2
...............AQ54
?
This looked like a simple transfer hand to finish in 2S S, but North declared 2S at one table and another North did not move over South's 1NT opening bid. 2S looked to make and did so from either side; declarer does not have quite enough trumps or communication between the hands to take a ninth trick. 1NT might have had a shot at an eighth trick had the doubleton honour in spades been with East, but with West holding the doubleton E-W had plenty of time to get their sixth trick ready and take it - another top for Nave, who entered the last round with the win almost clinched.
?
2S N = by Irene; 2S S = by Ken
1NT S = vs Nave
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Leaders: Nave 20.5, Jerik 15.5
?
16:
?
...............9752
...............962
...............5
...............Q8742
AQ3.......................108
4.............................AKQ107
KJ842....................10976
AK93......................106
...............KJ64
...............J853
...............AQ3
...............J5
?
Here all roads led to 3NT W. 1D-1H; 2C-3D; 3NT would be possible. West would likely have bid 2NT over 2D on the second round; East is a bit strong for 2H as a rebid but should accept any invitation. 3NT takes nine tricks after a spade lead, ten after a club or heart and eleven after a diamond with double dummy play. Heve managed to set 3NT after careless declaring. After a club to the jack and king and another club to the ten, Dave followed with a diamond and had eleven tricks for the E-W top and clinched first place.
?
3NT W -1 vs Heve
3NT W = by Erik
3NT W +2 by Dave
?
17:
?
...............A5
...............854
...............AKQ86
...............643
Q1042....................9873
AJ10.......................632
53...........................J742
A1052.....................87
...............KJ6
...............KQ97
...............109
...............KQJ9
?
This time all the N-S pairs played 3NT, but not always from the same side. Only one North rebid 1NT after 1D-1H. The other two rebid 2D and South went to 3NT. Bizarrely the double-dummy outcomes with North declaring were identical to those of Board 16 - nine tricks after a spade lead, ten after a heart or club, eleven after a diamond. Even with South getting a free finesse from a spade lead, all three declarers took ten tricks for a flat board. North as declarer led a low diamond from hand to the ten and East ducked, the correct play if West held Qx or Kx. When South declared West discarded a club, letting declarer score the nine-spot.
?
3NT N +1 by Mike; 3NT S +1 by Louise and Hank
?
18:
?
...............J10543
...............KQ109
...............----
...............K752
92.........................A86
----........................A8763
QJ9852.................74
A9643...................QJ10
...............KQ7
...............J542
...............AK1063
...............8
?
The final hand showed the drawback of duplication. South's diamond ace and king are not completely wasted but would pull more weight in other suits. South's 1D opening bid shuts out West's Unusual 2NT unless Jerik had opened a potentially short 1D, in which case it would likely be better to play 2NT as showing both minors. I thought I might see a 4H contract after an auction such as 1D-1S; 2S-3H; 4H. But contracts were 3H N, 3S N and 4S N.
?
East just had too many trumps for declarer in 3H, which finished -2. 3S took nine tricks in comfort, the expected result if E-W can find their heart ruff. Second place rode on the result at the last table, where Louise was declaring the settable 4S. Play began with the club queen to the ace, diamond queen to the king and then the spade king ducked. This was enough to let Louise take out West's last trump before a heart could be ruffed. Louise finished with ten tricks, the N-S top and second place.
?
4S N = by Louise
3S N = by Mike
3H N -2 vs Ibot
?
Final: Nave 24.5, Loubot 18.5
