1:
?
...............A
...............10874
...............K9632
...............KJ8
J83...........................Q95
9653.........................QJ
107............................84
A1053.......................Q97642
...............K107642
...............AK2
...............AQJ5
...............----
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We began with a slam reached only by Jerik, despite the handicap that their 1D opening bid is a catchall. Their auction was 1D-2S; 3D-4NT; 5H-6D, the decision to open making a huge difference. Two pairs had some strange auction trouble, reaching contracts of 2C S and 4C S, making stopping in 2S not a scoring disaster.
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Although Jim made the overtrick in 6D and Erik was worried they would have a grand slam, 6D was quite enough looking at both hands. 7D would have required either 3-3 spades or 2-2 diamonds. The grand slam would have made more than half the time but not by a lot, and as seen here there is remarkably little reward sometimes in bidding seven instead of six.?
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6D N +1
2S S +4
2C S =
4C S -3
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2:
?
...............KQ3
...............KQ63
...............965
...............QJ7
8762.........................J109
842...........................A9
KJ4...........................A87
1083.........................AK542
...............A54
...............J1075
...............Q1032
...............96
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1NT by East usually went around. One North came in with a double. South probably would have been better off leaving the double in. 2H would have been a lucky guess; declarer would have escaped for -1, but 2D -2 could not have been prevented and resulted in the dreaded -200.
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1NT came down to the opening lead. This hand is pure timing. A heart lead establishes the setting trick for the defence. The actual diamond lead at every table let declarer establish an eighth trick first. Speed at its finest.
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1NT E +1 (3)
2D S -2
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3:
?
...............K3
...............9854
...............KJ93
...............1085
1053......................A92
K7..........................QJ102
A1054....................Q87
AJ64......................K93
...............QJ864
...............A63
...............62
...............Q72
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Here was a classic 12-12 hand. Does East raise to 2NT or 3NT after 1D-1H; 1NT? At the one table where South did not overcall 1S that was the auction and East raised to 3NT. The other Souths apparently all overcalled 1S, with West passing and East declaring, 2NT twice and 3NT once.
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Bob received a heart lead in 3NT W and got from that all the time he needed to take ten tricks. When East declared South led a spade and the best declarer could do was Roy's 2NT =. The other two declarers dropped a trick in the uncertainty of how to minimize the loss; this gave Cinise's 3NT -2 the N-S top.?
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3NT E -2
2NT E -1
2NT E =
3NT W +1
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Leaders: Harob 7, Cinise 6, Eubot-Jerik 5
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4:
?
...............Q109
...............Q1096532
...............Q6
...............8
AJ76............................K82
K84..............................J
AK5..............................974
AK2..............................QJ10943
...............543
...............A7
...............J10832
...............765
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West opened 2C and rebid 2NT; three Easts steered the auction to 3NT while the fourth languished in 5C instead of taking a decent shot at 6C.
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Everyone took eleven tricks, clear enough after a heart lead. The spade spots, though, did give declarer a squeeze for a twelfth trick, although declarer could easily choose the wrong squeeze. Does one try to squeeze North in hearts and either spades or diamonds, or try to squeeze South in spades and diamonds?
?
5C W =
3NT W +2 (3)
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5:
?
...............KJ1065
...............J104
...............A32
...............64
A...........................9732
9863.....................5
Q4.........................KJ85
J108753................AQ94
...............Q84
...............AKQ72
...............10976
...............K
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This time E-W got into the auction, as all the N-S pairs were pushed to 3H. Stalona reached game via the auction P-P-1H-P; 2H-X-3H-P; 4H. Heart contracts are held to ten tricks by either a spade or a diamond lead. Ilona made 4H when West led the spade ace but then missed the ruff. Garbot were the only defending pair to hold declarer to nine tricks.
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4H S =
3H S +1 (2)
3H S =
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6:
?
...............Q3
...............J4
...............63
...............KQJ9832
1075............................642
AQ832........................97
752..............................AKJ108
75................................1064
...............AKJ98
...............K1065
...............Q94
...............A
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This one is another?deal with 26 HCP in the combined N-S hands but only a shaky game at best. wo pairs reached 3NT by the auctions 1S-2C; 2H-3C; 3NT and 2D-2S-P-3C; P-3NT. The other two pairs went to 4S and 5C.
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3NT is rather shaky but declarer gets lucky. Swap the E-W hands and 3NT can be -2 off the top with a high diamond lead, heart switch and diamond continuation. But here South's Q9x holding is a stopper. A spade or diamond lead holds the contract to nine tricks, though in rather different ways. A spade lead blocks the spades and leaves declarer with nine winners in the black suits because clubs must be unblocked. A diamond lead lets E-W cash their four tricks. Steve took ten tricks in 3NT after a diamond lead and three rounds of hearts. The other declarers all took nine.
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3NT S +1
3NT S =
4S S -1
5C S -2
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Leaders: Harob 11.5, CInise 10.5, Eubot-Jerik 9.5, Garbot 9
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7:
?
...............84
...............Q9874
...............975
...............J97
J9732....................K105
32..........................AJ
AKQ6....................J843
105........................A632
...............AQ6
...............K1065
...............102
...............KQ84
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South opened 1C and then either West came in or East balanced. All the E-W pairs took the bid in spades: 2S E, 2S W twice and 3S W after the auction 1C-1S-P-2D; P-3D-P-3S. East could have cue-bid 2C to show a limit raise and stop at the two-level.
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Fortunately for the pair in 3S, there was no way for N-S to force their diamond ruff in time. Everyone took nine tricks for a flat board.
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2S E +1; 2S W +1 (2); 3S W =
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8:
?
...............J987
...............AQ10975
...............4
...............J8
AQ32........................K105
J3..............................K84
KQ1072.....................9863
76..............................Q104
...............64
...............62
...............AJ5
...............AK9532
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1D-2H ended the auction twice. Twice E-W kept pushing, with one North going to 3H and another West finishing in 4D.
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4D could likely have finished only -1 but went -2, though it made no difference. 2H could always have taken ten tricks. Harold managed an eleventh for the N-S top. Jerik defeated 3H when declarer was going along nicely after jack/queen/ace of clubs but then, with no entry back to dummy at the point, needed to return to hand with a diamond ruff to finesse the club nine.
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2H N +3
2NT E -3
4D W -2
3H N -1
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9:
?
...............AK10972
...............----
...............A92
...............J1074
Q864.........................3
A72............................KQJ10654
K1065........................Q83
A2..............................Q5
...............J5
...............983
...............J74
...............K9863
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This became a Battle of the Majors. Nort opened 1S and East overcalled hearts, which West supported. One N-S pair managed to end the auction in 3S. Two Easts played 4H and one North sacrificed in 4Sx.
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4H makes comfortably; it takes a spade lead to hold declarer to ten tricks. The ideal club layout gives 4S a good chance to make; the only way to hold declarer to nine tricks by force is to lead a diamond. Declarer needs to reach dummy in clubs to finesse the spades. When in with the club ace, E-W take their two diamond tricks and then West leads the last diamond. If North waits to ruff in dummy, the trumps cannot be picked up for no losers. If North ruffs in hand East discards a club and there is no entry for the spade finesse. Hank made 3S for N-S top; 4Sx finished -2 but still gave Louise a good score.
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3S N =
4Sx N -2
4H E = (2)
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Leaders: Harob-Jerik 16.5, Cinise 16
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10:
?
...............KQ92
...............87
...............9
...............AKJ1072
A65..............................73
AJ54............................Q3
J42..............................AKQ763
964..............................Q85
...............J1084
...............K10962
...............1085
...............3
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1D-P-1H and then North either doubles or bids 2C. If East rebids diamonds E-W compete to 3D; N-S might get into spades either after a double from North or after North's bidding clubs first and then spades. Contracts were 3D E twice, 3S S and 3Sx N.
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3D took a quiet nine tricks both times it was played, the expected result after the normal club lead. Spade contracts can take nine tricks if the defence is passive, but forcing North twice kills off any entry to the long clubs and makes -1 a good outcome for declarer, particularly with N-S vulnerable. This made the double important, as +200 was E-W top for Jerik, while Louise had the N-S top for -100 in 3S -1.
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3S S -1
3D E = (2)
3Sx N -1
?
11:
?
...............94
...............1043
...............J876
...............AKQ6
Q10.........................KJ8653
KQJ.........................76
AK932.....................Q54
983..........................J5
...............A72
...............A9852
...............10
...............10742
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After 1NT from West, East will transfer and perhaps invite game after West accepts the transfer. Two Easts even put West all the way into 4S. One transferred and passed. At the fourth table West opened 1D and let the auction end in 2S E.
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Spade contracts could have been held to seven tricks by a diamond lead or eight by a club lead. A major lead would have resulted in nine tricks. Even a minor lead could have led to nine tricks in the end, as all four declarers took nine tricks, Eugenie even after a diamond lead.
?
4S W -1 (2)
2S E +1; 2S W +1
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12:
?
...............65
...............KJ10932
...............K97
...............53
K72............................J983
AQ5............................76
AQ54..........................J3
974.............................AKQ86
...............AQ104
...............84
...............10862
...............J102
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Would North come in after a 1NT opening bid? It appears that none did. West finished in 3NT twice and 2NT once, presumably after an opening bid of 1D. The fourth table took so much time on the first two boards they missed #12.
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Declarer could have forced ten tricks, having right-sided the contract to protect the heart holding. Unfortunately the only declarer to take ten tricks was the one in 2NT against Heve. Roy did well enouh taking nine tricks in 3NT. Garbot defeated 3NT three tricks for the N-S top (-1 would have been enough); East discarded a good club and then took the diamond finesse at the wrong time.
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3NT W -3
2NT W +2
3NT W =
?
Leaders: Jerik 21.8, Harob 20.5, Cinise 19.5, Heve 18
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13:
?
...............K1065
...............K983
...............K6432
...............----
Q7..........................A43
J75.........................AQ42
1087.......................A
J7542.....................K10863
...............J982
...............106
...............QJ95
...............AQ9
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East opens 1C and, unless West comes in with light action, North balances with a double. Then we see how far West goes and N-S in return. Contracts were 2D N, 3C E, 3D S and 5C E.
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Club contracts were slated for nine tricks; Cinise defended 5C -2 for the N-S top. Jim fell short of par by dropping a trick in 3C but just buying the contract there was worth E-W top. Diamonds could have been held to eight tricks by a spade lead but Gareth took nine and Harold ten.
?
5C E -2
2D N +2
3D S =
3C E -1
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14:
?
...............KJ6
...............Q1086
...............A73
...............J82
842........................A75
K97432..................A
Q8..........................K92
Q5..........................AK10976
...............Q1093
...............J5
...............J10654
...............43
?
East opens 1C and likely jumps to 3C after West's 1H response, although 3NT also seems possible as the hand might make 3NT against a diamond lead opposite a Yarborough. One East was left in 3C, two played 3NT and the fourth auction finished in 4H W.
?
3NT can take ten tricks, Hank's result for E-W top. Roybot held 3NT to nine tricks when East won the opening spade lead. 4H turned out to be a slightly lucky make - even after a spade lead the 4-2 trump split worked in declarer's favour - as the third club stood up, declarer was able to discard both spade losers. E-W's stopping in 3C gave Garbot the N-S top.
?
3C E +1
3NT E =
4H W =
3NT E +1
?
15:
?
...............Q3
...............K8
...............AJ74
...............AQJ73
J87.............................102
754.............................Q932
10862.........................KQ5
864.............................K1095
...............AK9654
...............AJ106
...............93
...............2
?
South open 1S and then there are two questions. Will anyone look for slam (nobody went past 4S) and will N-S opt for spades or no-trumps? 1S-2C; 2H likely puts North in the mood for no-trumps, although North might be thinking of inviting slam. Three pairs stopped in 3NT N while the fourth went on to 4S S.
?
Both 4S and 3NT can take three overtricks, although perhaps that's a bit less than realistic. In 4S, after a diamond lead, it makes some sense to take the ruffing finesse in clubs. Then declarer crosses back to the heart king, discards the diamond loser on the third club, but then to take all the tricks one has to finesse the second heart before ruffing the third and drawing trumps to leave the South hand good. Gareth produced a reasonable twelve tricks in 4S. Against 3NT N, declarer ducks a diamond lead and then East can temporarily stay afloat for a second trick by finding a spade switch, but East then gets squeezed on the run of the spades. Harold was N-S top in 3NT +3; Eubot and Jerik held 3NT to elven tricks, Eubot after declarer spurned the heart finesse.
?
3NT N +3
4S S +2
3NT N +2 (2)
?
Leaders: Jerik 28.3, Harob 25.5, Cinise 24, Garbot 23.5
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16:
?
...............A
...............AJ982
...............A76
...............J1053
J105......................K732
3............................Q4
J542......................KQ983
KQ642...................87
...............Q9864
...............K10765
...............10
...............A9
?
1H from North and then?what does South do? I rather like a 4D splinter. That might inspire 4S from North and then 5C from South, after which the side is highly likely to reach 6H. 2NT would be a tolerable second choice and then North might advance with 4C over South's showing a singleton with 3S. The only auction I saw had a raise to 4H; all the auctions ended there.
?
6H makes if the spades establish; if the opening lead is a club declarer has to clear the spade ace before drawing trumps. That way the first ruff is taken in the North hand. Declarer will lose a club along the way; that's all. Roy and Gareth both took twelve tricks declaring; Jerik and Stalona took two on defence.
?
4H N +2 (2)
4H N +1 (2)
?
17:
?
...............AK982
...............1064
...............K6
...............A104
1065.......................Q743
AKJ72....................Q5
984.........................732
KJ...........................7632
...............J
...............983
...............AQJ85
...............Q985
?
The auction begins 1S-P-1NT and then West may overcall 2H. This ended the auction twice; the other two contracts were 2D S and 3D S.
?
Diamond contracts make nine tricks after a heart lead; Eugenie posted that result, though Gareth took eleven tricks in 3D (club king lead or switch?). 2H seemed likely to be -2, but that would only have scored -100 for N-S, not enough for a good score when diamonds could make. Erik was E-W top in the expected result, but against Roybot declarer did not draw the last tumps and later allowed a promotion, giving Roybot a tie with Gareth for N-S top.
?
2H W -3; 3D S +2
2D S +1
2H W -2
?
18:
?
...............KJ964
...............Q106
...............J52
...............J2
Q1072...................A5
983.......................A54
AK98....................Q106
Q8.........................A9543
...............83
...............KJ72
...............743
...............K1076
?
E-W seem destined to play in no-trumps and all four Easts did, in 1NT, 2NT and 3NT twice. Unless West passes a 1NT rebid East seems highly likely to accept an invitation.
?
The re seems little either side can do to avoid a result of eight tricks for declarer. Spades cannot be attacked by the defence and going after clubs by declarer gives N-S plenty of time to get the hearts ready in time to stop East from a ninth trick. Both declarers in 3NT and Hank in 1NT took the expected eight tricks. Eubot defeated 2NT when declarer, after winning the third heart, played on diamonds before leading towards the queen of clubs.
?
2NT E -1; 3NT E -1 (2)
1NT E +1
?
Final: Jerik 34.8, Garbot 30.5, Harob 27.5
