1: N-S usually tried 3NT:
?
...............AQ2
...............J54
...............AKQJ
...............K64
75........................J10964
KQ107.................A93
932......................1085
A1075..................82
...............K83
...............862
...............764
...............QJ93
?
2NT -3NT was the usual auction. One pair made what looked to be a winning stop in 2NT S.
?
East led the spade jack and it was up to West to count points. East held three or four other HCP in addition to the spade jack. The heart ace offered the best chance of a set, but the heart jack and diamond king could work as well. There is clearly no purpose, when in with the club ace, in returning a spade. But no West found the heart switch and 3NT made every time. Curiously, Owbot held 2NT to eight tricks with Owen naturally finding the heart lead.
?
3NT N = by Jim, Louise, Mary Ellen and Laurie
2NT S = vs Owbot
?
2: Usually E-W took the bid in spades:
?
...............4
...............AQ93
...............KQ10752
...............83
AQ732.....................J95
J8............................74
A63..........................J94
J62..........................AQ1095
...............K1086
...............K10652
...............8
...............K74
?
The bidding generally began P-P-1S-2D; 2S, shutting out the heart suit, although North might have balanced with 2NT to show two places to play, correcting 3C to 3D, which would allow South to choose 3H. Our auctions ended in 2S W twice, 3D N and 3S W twice.
?
The spade contracts all took seven tricks, losing two tricks in each major and one in each minor. 4H would have made with ease on the favourable layout. Even in 3D Mary Ellen took ten tricks for the top board.
?
3D N +1 by Mary Ellen
3S W -2 vs Cinise
2S W -1 by Owen and Gareth; 3S W -1 by Ken
?
3: This hand was a full trap:
?
...............A853
...............4
...............K10982
...............K62
Q10........................9762
972.........................AQJ1083
QJ5.........................76
A9754.....................J
...............KJ4
...............K65
...............A43
...............Q1083
?
The auction might have begun 1C-P-1S-2H; X showing three card support, with North then doing I'm not sure what. But, except when West raised East to 3H and it was left there, South played in no-trumps at every table, 2NT and 3NT twice each.
?
East did not win a heart lead with the ace and declarer was in huge trouble right out of the box. 2NT -2 or 3NT -2 was the best declarer could do and one declarer in each contract dropped a trick, giving the E-W top to Ritold. 3H had to go down and finished -2, but any plus score would have given Maras the N-S top.
?
3H E -2 vs Maras
2NT S -2 by Ken
2NT S -3 vs Garbot; 3NT S -3 vs Heve
3NT S -4 vs Ritold
?
4: Only one East removed West from 1NT:
?
...............643
...............Q1083
...............QJ82
...............97
KJ108...................75
K96.......................J54
A5.........................1043
A1083...................KQJ54
...............AQ92
...............A72
...............K976
...............62
?
West opened 1NT, which went around four times. Only one East opted for a 2S response to transfer to 3C. West obliged and played 3C.
?
Against 1NT the usual opening lead was the heart three, chosen thrice. When declarer ducked the second heart it gave North a chance to find the diamond switch to hold declarer to seven tricks. Apparently Owbot found that defence and took the N-S top. West had to make 3C and finished with an overtrick when N-S did not get the hearts going tin time and allowed one heart loser to go on a spade. N-S paid no penalty, though, as 1NT was allowed to take nine tricks the other three times it was played.
?
1NT W = vs Miken
3C W +1 vs Jerik
1NT W +2 by Rita, Gareth and Mary
?
5: Everyone played 4S, usually by North and once by South:
?
...............Q1074
...............KQ10
...............A2
...............A972
9863......................J
J5...........................643
K753......................QJ1084
J84........................KQ65
...............AK52
...............A9872
...............96
...............103
?
After North opened 1NT, South usually responded with Stayman, raising a 2S answer to 4S. One South began with a transfer and then followed with 2S, reaching 4S from the other side.
?
The 4-1 spade split makes it a little trickier in spades; opposite a 3-2 split and with behaving hearts declarer?would have had an easy twelve tricks. A club lead lets declarer take twelve tricks by taking a ruff before finishing drawing the trumps. A diamond lead makes twelve tricks impossible and trying leads to only ten. Maras' opponent got spooked by the bad trump split and went down; Mike took twelve tricks for the N-S top.
?
4S N +2 by Mike
4S N +1 by Louise; 4S S +1 by Hank
4S N -1 vs Owbot and Maras
?
6: E-W had a claiming 6NT W:
?
..............9852
..............Q109
..............5
..............QJ853
Q73....................AK
K8......................J72
Q10864..............AKJ9732
AK2....................10
..............J1064
..............A6543
..............----
..............9764
?
One auction had a big underbid as a response: 1D-1NT; 3NT. Three Wests responded 3NT to differing effects. One East went immediately to 6NT; the other two both invited slam with 4NT. This was passed once and converted to 6NT the other time. Nobody tried 6D, which not only scored lower but would also have been wrong-sided. The fourth auction was 1D-2D; 4NT-5C; 5D, East losing heart a bit too late, the damage having been done.
?
E-W have twelve top tricks in 6NT and, with West's heart king protected from the lead, cannot be set. All the contracts took twelve tricks except for Tas in 6NT +1, both North and South unguarding the clubs and letting her deuce score.
?
5D E +1 vs Heve
3NT W +3 vs Cinise; 4NT W +2 vs Jerik
6NT W + by Gareth
6NT W +1 by Tas
?
7: All but one East played 4H:
?
...............KQ976
...............4
...............AK95
...............J63
AJ53.....................4
KJ.........................Q10987532
7............................832
AK9852................4
...............1082
...............A6
...............QJ1064
...............Q107
?
West opens 1C and North overcalls 1S. Woe betide East if 4H is not a natural pre-emptive bid. One pair left North is 2S; the others all played 4H E.
?
Twelve tricks are possible in hearts if N-S go too passive. It looks as if declarer can always manage eleven tricks, as the clubs establish and N-S do not have time both to remove the spade entry from the West hand and draw dummy's trumps. If the opening lead is a spade (probable) declarer can only be sure of eleven tricks by ruffing the third club at once. Ducking a diamond lets South draw dummy's trumps with the clubs not yet ready to go. Two declarers missed the subtle line; Harold and Laurie both made the overtrick to share the E-W top. Cindy was N-S top in 2S +1.
?
2S N +1 by Louise
4H E = vs Owbot and Miken
4H E +1 by Harold and Laurie
?
8: All but one West played 3NT:
?
...............A10432
...............Q108
...............5
...............6432
KJ5.......................Q9
K...........................A764
KQ1072.................83
K1087....................AQJ95
...............876
...............J9532
...............AJ964
...............----
?
If West opens 1NT (not recommended) East uses Stayman and stops in game. After a 1D opening bid we could have 1D-2C; 3C-3H; 3NT or 1D-1H; 2C-2S; 2NT-3C or 3NT, likely with the same end result. The one-off contract was 3C E.
?
Declarer has nine easy tricks even after a heart lead but?North's natural spade lead allowed a diamond or even two to be established; ten trick was average and Tas took the top with eleven. Cinise were N-S top defending 3C E -1.
?
3C E +1 vs Cinise
3NT W +1 by Rita, Gareth and Laurie
3NT W +2 by Tas
?
9: All but one East played 3NT:
?
...............932
...............Q98
...............AJ7
...............J965
KJ874....................106
A53........................K1064
Q532......................K1084
K............................AQ8
...............AQ5
...............J72
...............96
...............107432
?
The aution begins 1D-1S; 1NT, West uses some means of looking for a spade fit and then subsides in 3NT. The one-off contract this time was 3D E.
?
Curiously 3NT usually went down, despite the kind spade and diamond positions. Only Harold succeeded in making the contract, which might have been made with an overtrick by a zig-zagging approach, leading a diamond to the king, perhaps and then switching to spades, or the reverse. Zeena was above average in 3D =, while 3NT -1 split the N-S top three ways.
?
3NT E -1 vs Ritold, Owbot and Miken
3D E = by Zeena
3NT E = by Gareth
?
10: There was a six-trick difference between results here:
?
...............753
...............KQJ10853
...............3
...............Q5
Q86.............................K10
6..................................972
QJ642.........................K1098
A942...........................K763
...............AJ942
...............A4
...............A75
...............J108
?
After 1S from South, pairs that play splinter raises cannot bid 4H; the hand and suit are too strong for weak jump action and North is left between a 2H overbid and 1NT forcing to be followed by hearts. Some Norths raised the spades, but that was ill-advised, as the North hand is unlikely to play all that well in spades unless partner's major holdings work with anything. Better to insist on hearts if anything to escape the risks of a poor spade split. One pair played 3H N, though 3NT is nicer, with a guarantee of nine tricks and a fine chance for number ten. 3NT S was reached once, along with 3S S and 4S S twice.
?
4S got very lucky that there were not two sure losers in trumps. Even so the spades were only declared correctly by Hank; the other two declarers in spades took only nine and six tricks while Hank emerged with twelve when E-W never found club leads. 3H took its ten tricks and 3NT its nine.
?
4S S +2 by Hank
3NT S = by Erik
3H N +1 by Mike
4S S -1 vs Maurie
3S S -2 vs Maras
?
11: All N-S pairs reached game:
?
...............A8
...............K62
...............AJ8
...............A10973
653.............................KQ
954.............................Q87
7532...........................K1094
J64.............................K852
...............J109742
...............AJ103
...............Q6
...............Q
?
North opened 1NT in third seat and then it was up to South. 6-4 hand patterns are a little difficult to treat in response to 1NT; most pairs started with Stayman and ended in 4S declared by South. Gareth began with a transfer and liked the South hand well enough to explore for slam, finishing in 5S N. Heve, who have bit a little remiss in their favourite habit of late, resumed their usual place of being the pair in 3NT with an eight-card major fit.
?
If ever there were a hand for right-siding, this was it. The East hand is a nightmare to have on opening lead, knowing that West will have almost nothing to contribute. A trump lead is safe enough when North declares, but North will win and return the second trump, after which the closest thing to safe appears to be the club king.?West on lead may get lucky and choose a diamond, although, going blindly with only South's majors known, the best passive lead is likely a trump and the best active lead a club. Three spade declarers took eleven tricks and Erik twelve, from the South side. After a club lead, ruffing the second round before starting the spades eventually lets the suit establish for a discard of the diamond loser. The 6-2 trumps turn out to be an advantage with KQ offside doubleton; there is no way to go wrong. 3NT N turned out to be just about ideal; East was hardly going to lead the king of clubs and Steve had no trouble wrapping up twelve tricks for the top board.?
?
3NT N +3 by Steve
4S S +2 by Erik
4S S +1 vs Zeerry and Cinise; 5S S = vs Maras
?
12: All but one N-S pair declared in hearts:
?
...............AK102
...............KQ85
...............106
...............A42
Q94......................73
J32.......................10
K9........................AQJ843
KQJ95..................10863
...............J865
...............A9764
...............752
...............7
?
West opened 1C and North likely overcalled 1NT. This gave East a chance to come in with 2D, which over a 1NT overcall denies a hand good enough to start with a penalty double. Very convenient. One South tried the dreaded Stolen Bid double (NOT recommended) and it ended the auction when North took the double for penalty. Possibly two Norths recognized the double (or had an auction without a 2D bid), as 2H N became the final contract twice (East really could have continued with 3C). One South bid 2H and eventually played 3H, while one pair got all the way to 4H N.
?
The N-S hands have a golden fit in either major; North's doubleton is pulling its full weight and there is no duplication in clubs. With the spade finesse working 4H had an easy eleven tricks for Steve. Erik and Harold took eleven tricks in 2H. Maras were able to hold 3H N to nine tricks through some declaring carelessness.?2Dx?could have been defeated had South led the singleton club but -1 would still have been the top score for Louise, who was allowed ten tricks through dispirited defence.
?
4H N +1 by Steve
2H N +3 by Jim and Harold
3H S = vs Maras
2Dx E +2 by Louise
?
13: This was North's heart suit versus West's spades:
?
...............4
...............A9643
...............AK2
...............A1043
J762.........................KQ93
K102.........................J5
763...........................QJ95
J52...........................KQ8
...............A1085
...............Q87
...............1084
...............976
?
It seems as if West was in an adventurous mood at most tables after 1H-X-2H, as North only declared twice. A 2S bid might be scraped up on a hand with which one would have responded to an opening bid from partner, but the hand's main asset being the king of opener's hearts seems to be something that should have put West off. It would have put me off, at least. North is good enough for a game try whether West bids or not, likely with 3C, but South will decline any invitation with a minimum raise and no help in either minor. Apparently some Easts liked the hand enough to compete three-over-three, which really could have been left to West. Contracts were 3H N, 3S W thrice and 4H N.
?
3S runs into 4-1 trumps but the red suits are remarkably kind and Harry even managed an impressive -1 while the other declarers were both -2 against Ritold and Garbot. Hearts had very straightforward play. The hearts sat less than kindly but the clubs behaved. There is a decent case for starting the hearts by leading low from hand instead of ace first here, as there is a chance that, if?clubs break poorly, declarer might be able to ruff the fourth round in dummy after two rounds of trumps have been played, especially if the queen has lost to the king.
?
3S W -2 vs Garbot and Ritold
3S W -1 vs Maurie
3H N -1 vs Maras
4H N -2 vs Heve
?
14: At last we had the same contract and declarer at every table:
?
...............K1064
...............J95
...............10863
...............J4
Q732......................A85
Q10........................A832
AQ2........................975
K1086....................AQ9
...............J9
...............K764
...............KJ4
...............7532
?
We likely had the same auction at every table: 1C-1S; 1NT-3NT. It seems within the realm of possibility that some West only raised to 2NT but I shall hope for happy unanimity.
?
On a flat hand like this with neither side holding an eight-card fit or a five-card suit, relatively passive play or defence often wins the day. A club lead might even lead to a set if declarer misguesses the hearts, although North's J9x in the suit and South's J9 doubleton in spades are probably just enough to let declarer squeak through. It looks a little more likely after a heart lead that?N-S will give?E-W a tenth trick than that E-W will give N-S a fifth. Nine tricks was the usual result, with Mary Ellen squeezing out a tenth, most likely with four clubs and two tricks in each of the other suits, the spade eight and seven proving to be the stars of the hand.
?
3NT E = vs Owbot, Ritold, Garbot and Maurie
3NT E +1 by Mary Ellen
?
15: All but one South played 4H:
?
...............J10
...............Q754
...............AQ
...............108762
97643.....................AK2
J96.........................103
9.............................J106542
QJ53.......................K4
...............Q85
...............AK82
...............K873
...............A9
?
South opened 1NT and North bid Stayman. I shall guess that one East overcalled 2D (not really a good idea, as one does not want a diamond lead if it's not partner's idea), as one North passed South's 2H reply to 2C, which only seems to make sense if North devalued the diamond queen in front of the overcaller. There is some sense to that. Everyone else raised and South accepted any invitation.
?
I'm a little puzzled as to why Tas was the only declarer to make 4H and everyone else took only nine tricks. Declarer draws trumps and starts on spades, coming in due time to three rounds of trumps, two ruffs, three diamonds, one spade and one club. There is no way to block declarer out of the South hand, and I find it difficult to believe that there would be four tables allowing a diamond ruff. But so it happened, fortunately for Maurie.
?
4H S = by Tas
2H S +1 by Mary
4H S -1 vs Zeerry, Heve and Owbot
?
16: East declared in either clubs or no-trumps:
?
...............KJ62
...............K4
...............KQ73
...............942
Q854......................A73
QJ96......................A8
J4...........................A62
J65.........................AK1087
...............109
...............107532
...............10985
...............Q3
?
Had North not opened, East would likely have upgraded the hand to a 2NT opening bid and played 3NT across the board. Over a 1D opening bid, East started with a takeout double and then rebid either clubs or no-trumps, leading to 1NT E, 2C E twice, 3C E and 3NT E.
?
Ritold managed the Herculean feat of defeating 1NT E; declarer was so desperate to get to dummy for the club finesse that nothing else mattered and tricks were established for N-S left and right. Louise, in her favourite contract, received a diamond lead and knew times were desperate enough to play to drop the club queen. When that happened she counted the points and crossed to the club jack to take the heart finesse. Nine tricks neatly made. 3C took eight tricks while 2C took nine. Perhaps the lead against 3C was a heart, presenting declarer with a gift of an entry with which to take the losing finesse.
?
1NT E -1 vs Ritold; 3C E -1 vs Jerik
2C E +1 by Mike and Steve
3NT E = by Louise
?
17: Here was our second slam:
?
...............A10983
...............Q943
...............KQ93
...............----
75..........................QJ4
J............................106
1087542................AJ
Q1072....................AKJ986
...............K62
...............AK8754
...............6
...............543
?
This slam with only 21 HCP seems far more likely to be reached with competition than without. Left to themselves N-S can only get there if North is able to make a splinter raise of hearts in clubs, probably not possible. There is also the danger that the wrong slam will be bid. But 1S-2C-2H-5C; 5H will likely tempt South to bid six if the player recognizes the value of holding three low clubs in the suit bid and raised vigourously by the opposition. A 3C raise lets North cue-bid 4C. 4C might be the Goldilocks raise to keep N-S in game. Some of our auctions were far too cold, finishing in 3H S at one table and 5C E at another. One South played in a placid 4H; the other two found themselves in slam and bid 6H. This ended the auction at one table but one East made what proved to be a cunning double, as it frightened South into running to 6Sx for the Whoopsie of the Day. Ouch!
?
6H can make as South's third spade is discarded on the second diamond and if need be the spades can be established, although that might not be necessary. 6S has to lose a trump as well as a diamond. Ritold were E-W top posting 6Sx -2;?Erik N-S top in 6H =.?
?
6H S = by Erik
4H S +1 by Tas
3H S +3 by Ken
5C E -2 by Owen
6Sx N -2 vs Ritold
?
18: East declared in a minor:
?
...............9865
...............10854
...............83
...............K32
KQJ4.......................7
96............................Q2
J52..........................AKQ976
J1098......................A765
...............A1032
...............AKJ73
...............104
...............Q4
?
After 1D-1H-X, North had the wrong?vulnerability for a raise to 3H. East usually persisted in the powerful diamonds rather than trotting out the clubs. We finished with East declaring 3D thrice, 5C and 5D.
?
A club lead against a diamond contract secures the fourth defensive trick at once. Starting with two hearts and a trump switch allows declarer to take ten tricks via our old friend Morton's Fork. East draws trumps and leads a spade. If South wins, the spades provide three discards for the club losers. If South ducks, declarer takes a club finesse and can repeat the finesse when back in dummy with the diamond jack. That Jerik and Zeerry held 3D to nine tricks was doing rather well. Maras posted 5D -1 and Garbot 5C -3 for the top N-S scores.
?
5C E -3 vs Garbot
5D E -1 vs Heve
3D E = by Louise and Mike
3D E +1 by Owen
