1:
?
...............AQ963
...............Q53
...............K853
...............3
----........................42
1074......................K9862
QJ642...................109
AQ1087.................KJ96
...............KJ10875
...............AJ
...............A7
...............542
?
This hand is an excellent illustration of the utility of the Jacoby raise with shortage-showing rebids. North opens 1S, South responds 2NT and North rebids 3C to show a singleton. (West can make life interesting by coming in with 3NT or 4NT over 2NT; do pairs have agreements for what they do over interference at that point?) South can now see an easy slam opposite as little as Axxxx in trumps and KQx in one of the red suits - only nine HCP. Give North 11 HCP in spades, hearts and diamonds and at worst 6S will need finesses in the red suits. Two Souths drove to 6S; two stopped in 4S.
?
North did need the heart finesse but it succeeded; Harold and Steve made 6S to tie for top. Riten were E-W top after a heart lead when declarer bypassed the finesse.
?
6S N = (2)
4S S +2
5S N =
?
2:
?
...............10732
...............A632
...............86
...............J85
QJ984....................AK
J.............................Q54
AKQ92...................J1053
Q2..........................A1043
...............65
...............K10987
...............74
...............K976
?
Here we had the best slam of the round; but it was the only slam that was never reached. The auction begins 1D-1S; 1NT and West is well off if the pair agrees that 2C is invitational and 2D game-forcing or something similar. East will try to go into no-trumps again, but when West shows the diamond support in a game-forcing hand East can then bid spades on the fourth round with ace-king doubleton; if West then shows the heart control and East a club control West could well reach the fine 6D. At the tables two Easts played the normal-looking 3NT while two Wests did reasonably well to get into 4S.
?
3NT has about even chances, making if the heart ace and king are together and on a few layouts when they are split. Here, though, both Souths had a heart lead against 3NT and the suit ran for a set. 4S took the expected eleven tricks at one table and twelve for Erik when South, in with the club king, missed the last chance for N-S to cash the heart ace.
?
3NT E -1 (2)
4S W +1
4S W +2
?
3:
?
...............J108
...............3
...............AQ987642
...............Q
53.................................K964
KQJ102........................A98654
KJ3...............................----
K82...............................1093
...............AQ92
...............7
...............105
...............AJ7654
?
South opened 1C and there were numerous long and winding auctions ending in at least 5D. Garbot had an auction with multiple balances: P-1H-2D-4H; 5D-P-P-5H; P-P-6D-P; P-X, Gareth's inspired raise to 5D playing a critical role.
?
Switching to the North seat. Gareth took the double finesse in diamonds to make the contract when the spade finesse worked as well. In 5D, Ken took twelve tricks; the other declarers played East for the singleton jack, finessed the queen and took eleven.
?
6Dx N =
5D N +1
5D N = (2)
?
Leaders: Jerik 6, Heve-Miken 5.5, Riten 5
?
4:
?
...............5
...............AK1083
...............Q102
...............J1072
AJ43.........................Q10987
642............................Q
763............................85
863............................AKQ95
...............K62
...............J975
...............AKJ94
...............4
?
This auction turned into a Battle of the Majors. At all four tables East opened 1S in third seat. Things got competitive and ended in 3S E, 4H N, 4S E and 5H N.
?
N-S have a fine double fit and a sure eleven tricks. E-W have a nice double fit as well and ten tricks when the spades behave. Harold took a twelfth trick in 5H after East began with two clubs; 4H took eleven tricks and both spade contracts ten tricks.
?
5H N +1
4H N +1
3S E +1
4S E =
?
5:
?
...............K1043
...............Q5
...............K8752
...............Q7
Q876.....................952
K104.....................AJ876
A...........................QJ93
J10865..................2
...............AJ
...............932
...............1064
...............AK943
?
South opened 1C and North responded either 1D or 1S. One South left 1D in and North played it there. Another North played 2D. One South played 3D; the longes auction dragged on all the way to 3H and then eventually finished in 4D N.
?
3C is not that bad looking at just the two hands but finished -2 against the 5-1 split. Diamond contracts could take eight tricks. Steve took nine tricks in 2D when East led a spade instead of a heart fairly early in the hand.
?
?
?
2D N +1
1D N +1
3C S -2; 4D N -2
?
6:
?
...............9532
...............5432
...............KJ4
...............K4
10764...................J8
Q9........................KJ1087
1092.....................Q76
Q1082..................J53
...............AKQ
...............A6
...............A853
...............A976
?
Every South opened 2NT and North eventually got into 3NT after Stayman.
?
A heart lead would have given declarer a tricky time in diamonds; it would have been possible to lose a diamond to West but the play would have been against percentages. Nobody found the heart lead and declarer was able to establish the ninth trick in diamonds before the heart ace was knocked out. All four declarers took nine tricks, although at least one declarer had a sure tenth. West discarded a club on the fourth diamond and South, having won seven of the first eight tricks with three clubs and two hearts. When South returned to hand with the club ace, there was only one club out and one spade, so that the third club would have established a foolproof overtrick with E-W only able to cash two tricks.
?
3NT S = (4)
?
Leaders: Jerik 13, Heve 11, Harob 9.5, Riten-Miken 9
?
7:
?
...............AQ109
...............87
...............A
...............KQ10962
K8763.......................J
A...............................KQJ9643
Q832.........................K974
543............................J
...............542
...............1052
...............J1065
...............A87
?
1C from North and then East bids some number of hearts. Strangely, hearts were never trumps. One South somehow ended in 4D. East played in 5D at another table after misclicking on 1D and 2D on the first two turns; West eventually competed with 4D and was shocked to see 4H, quickly converted back to 5D E. The other auctions ended in 3S N and 4C N.
?
The top boards went to defending 4D S -6 and 5D E -2. 3S could have been made despite the 5-1 split but Riten posted -2 when declarer didn't start trumps from dummy. Declarer cold take eleven tricks in clubs by luckily finessing the queen first or getting a helpful spade lead. Harold did manage 4C +1, likely to be top had East played 4H instead of 5D.
?
5D E -2
4C N +1
3S N -2
4D S -6
?
8:
?
...............Q8654
...............7
...............KQJ5
...............952
AK10....................J3
KQ10543..............AJ82
8...........................963
K104.....................QJ86
...............972
...............96
...............A10742
...............A73
?
1H from West and then North may have entered the auction and did so at least once. East raised hearts and had the right hand to accept whatever invitation West happened to offer. Three Wests did declare 4H; the fourth auction finished in 4Sx N.
?
4H took eleven tricks without any serious chance of a different outcome as North had a natural diamond lead to remove the chance of a twelfth trick. 4Sx could have been set three tricks for a top board but Rita escaped for -2; West lead a club to take out East's entry for the diamond ruff before the ruff could be taken.
?
4Sx N -2
4H W +1 (3)
?
9:
?
...............Q96
...............5
...............QJ3
...............KQ10873
1082..........................A543
K9764........................AJ108
107.............................9862
A54............................J
...............KJ7
...............Q32
...............AK54
...............962
?
One or two Norths opened 3C; at least one was left in that opening bid - I did not see how the other 3C N came about. P-1D; 2C-2NT; 3C seems plausible as well. The other two auctions ended in game: 3NT S at one table and 5C N at the other.
?
For once all four contracts took exactly the double dummy number of tricks. E-W had seven top tricks against 3NT and Lynnbot took them all. The club contracts all took ten tricks, giving Harold and Jim a tie for top.
?
3C N +1 (2)
5C N -1
3NT S -3
?
Leaders: Jerik 19.5, Lynnbot 16.5, Harob 15, Heve 14.5, Riten 14
?
10:
?
...............AQ974
...............J64
...............2
...............A863
KJ10.......................----
975.........................AK1082
Q653......................AKJ1098
K75.........................94
...............86532
...............Q3
...............74
...............QJ102
?
East's hand meets the standard for a 2C opener but that initial action is not recommended, as it will prove very difficult to bid out the hand's pattern with six diamonds and five hearts. A reasonable plan for the auction might be to open with 1D, reverse into 2H and then jump to 4H. It takes little to give play for slam, making it not surprising that half the Easts played in 5H, at least one after bidding 4NT, although 4NT did not seem to accomplish anything much. A third East played in 5D and one North in 4Sx, despite not getting there all that quickly.
?
With the club finesse not working and a sure heart loser, the five-level contracts could have been held to ten tricks and two were; Irene made 5H after receiving a spade lead instead of a club. The make is rather pretty: declarer takes two trumps, then from one to three diamonds from the East hand and finally puts North in with a heart, a little care being required because West has only one entry in diamonds. 4Sx has to be set and at equal vulnerability there was no difference between -1 and the actual -2.
?
5D E -1; 5H E -1
4Sx N -2
5H E =
?
11:
?
...............A1098532
...............62
...............K4
...............A4
QJ74..........................6
J.................................AK85
Q109..........................AJ652
Q10732......................965
...............K
...............Q109743
...............873
...............KJ8
?
South usually opened 2H, perhaps always, and played the hand there twice. Our pair of?visitors, who met on the Partnership Desk, played in 2S after South passed 2H-2S. One other North responder 2S but South naturally took the bid as forcing, which resulted in a contract of 4H S. East might have come in with 3D on the lower auctions, which looks as if it just makes.
?
Both 2H and 2S give declarer eight tricks and no more, the result posted in two of the three partials. Declarer did not draw all the trumps against Miken, allowing 2H -1 on a ruff. Heve posted 4H -2 for the E-W top.
?
2H S =; 2S N =
2H S -1
4H S -2
?
12:
?
...............J63
...............973
...............Q102
...............Q543
Q5.............................72
Q1082.......................A654
A8764.......................K53
109............................KJ86
...............AK10984
...............KJ
...............J9
...............A72
??
East may have opened 1C?and South got the spades into the auction sooner or later. A 1S overcall was left in at one table. When South bid 1S and West made a negative double, East finished in 3H at another table. One North scraped up a raise and South finished in 4S.
?
E-W could have forced five tricks against spades and it looks as if N-S could have forced five tricks against hearts. All the declarers finished a trick off in one direction or the other. Lourene defended 4S -1 but the one-trick set was all they needed. Miken did a trick better defending when declarer in 1S misguessed the hearts and took only seven tricks, losing out on the top board. Jerik defended 3H -2 for N-S top.?
?
3H E -2
1S S =
4S S -1
?
Leaders: Jerik 25, Lynnbot 21.5, Riten-Harob 19, Heve 18
?
13:
?
...............Q103
...............1076
...............95
...............KJ862
J752........................AK864
K8543.....................AQJ
A64.........................Q7
4..............................1053
...............9
...............92
...............KJ10832
...............AQ97
?
This hand could have been in 4S, although a 1NT opening bid from East might have resulted in 4H, especially if South came in with 3D and E-W were not playing negative doubles. But 4S was the expected landing spot; West is good enough for a limit raise of a 1S opening. Had South felt so inclined, N-S could have found a sacrifice in 5C. South might have overcalled in diamonds and then bid no-trumps. Three auctions ended in 4S E, the fourth in 4D S, undoubled.
?
4S E can take twelve tricks by force but looks likely to take only eleven, as the line for twelve tricks is anti-percentage. Harold took twelve tricks; Jerik held declarer to ten when East missed the chance to discard a diamond on a heart. 5Cx is down one too many against an aggressive forcing defence starting with three rounds of hearts. Declarer cannot draw all the trumps before playing diamonds, which have to be started from hand. Then when West wins the diamond ace (East must not toss the queen on the first round) West plays a spade, East playing the top two and forcing dummy to ruff. Declarer now has no losers but cannot draw trumps; dummy will have to lead a diamond and promote East's club ten.
?
4D S -3
4S E =
4S E +1
4S E +2
?
14:
?
...............J10543
...............1043
...............J6
...............A102
AKQ2......................976
8765........................QJ
KQ10.......................942
Q8...........................J7643
...............8
...............AK92
...............A8753
...............K95
?
I was looking for P-1D-1NT, possibly left in, which occurred once. North might have taken a crack at 2S, but that never happened. One West overcalled 1S and North played 1NT. Doubles led to 2D S and a rather strange 3NT S.
?
The layout was ideal for N-S. The heart position is particularly kind, allowing an easy nine tricks, although at least West cannot be forced to break the clubs. Erik took ten tricks in 2D, not because West broke clubs, but because East rose with the jack when Erik led a club from dummy. No-trumps looked to provide eight tricks for N-S, the result attained by Irene in 1NT and Gareth in 3NT. Bob escaped a trick better in 1NT -1 but -2 would have scored the same.
?
2D S +2
1NT N +1
1NT W -1
3NT S -1
?
15:
?
...............----
...............98654
...............AQ932
...............K74
QJ432...................K1096
AKJ.......................1032
J5..........................106
1063......................AQ92
...............A875
...............Q7
...............K874
...............J85
?
Does North come in with a Michaels cue-bid after West opens 1S? If not we get 1S-3S. The one time the auction was competitive it ended in 5Hx S.
?
3S makes in comfort when the club suit produces one loser. Jerik set 3S when declarer did not draw all the trumps. 5Hx was always going down more than game and finished -4, giving Miken the E-W top.
?
3S W -1
3S W = (2)
5Hx S -4
?
Leaders: Jerk 33, Harob 25.5, Lynnbot 24, Miken 23, Heve 22.5
?
16:
?
...............AKQ
...............Q4
...............KJ3
...............Q10932
1063........................742
A9752......................KJ83
AQ9.........................1086
J6............................A74
...............J985
...............106
...............7542
...............K85
?
1NT from North could have gone around at every table but only did so twice. West declared after either opening or balancing, once in 2H and once in 3H.
?
1NT is an easy -1; East can lead a heart or switch to it. Lynn made 1NT when East was too passive. Heart contracts can be held to seven tricks, but South has to push a diamond through when in with the club king to prevent an endplay. Miken defeated 3H two tricks for N-S top, although -1 would have done as well; Helen made 2H on the endplay.
?
3H W -2
1NT N =
1NT N -1
2H W =
?
17:
?
...............K52
...............AQ83
...............8732
...............KQ
J63........................AQ1094
----.........................KJ54
AQ106...................954
AJ10753................8
...............87
...............109762
...............KJ
...............9642
?
1C-X might have been followed by either a redouble or by 1S. Eventually the 5-3 spade fit was found at all four tables. The East hand is good enough for at least an invitation, and West has the playing strength and controls to accept. We saw 2S E twice and 4S E twice.
?
The layout is perfect for E-W; every finesse works and the clubs establish with only one ruff, allowing thirteen tricks to be made. Jim took all thirteen tricks. Lourene held declarer to ten when dummy led the jack on the second round of clubs. Both 2S contracts took eleven tricks.
?
2S E +3 (2)
4S E =
4S E +3
?
18:
?
...............A93
...............A2
...............AK108
...............9873
QJ86.......................10752
KJ106......................Q3
Q93..........................J642
AJ............................1062
...............K4
...............98754
...............75
...............KQ54
?
1D from West in third seat and then 1NT from North. One pair had a costly accident, South not thinking transfers were on after a 1NT overcall, which eventually resulted in 4S N. Another North played quietly in 2H after a 1NT overcall and transfer; the other two contracts were 1NT W, suggesting P-P-1D-X; P-1H-1NT, which is on the wrong end of the 1NT range.
?
4S -4 was E-W top for Harob and just enough to let them reclaim second place. 2H is making?as declarer can either get two ruffs in hand or establish a second club trick; West cannot stop both, and Irene made 2H to finish with a top. 1NT W only fails by one trick (although a diamond lead would likely produce -2 against 1NT E). Garbot managed that result while Erik concluded a golden day by getting away with a make.
?
2H N =
1NT W -1
1NT W =
4S N -4
?
Final: Jerik 39, Harob 29, Miken 28.5, Lynnbot 27
