The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The first match of the day.
E/W vul
Dealer North
S Axxxx H Kxxx D xx C xx S J10xx H xxx D Axx C AJx W N E S - 1D - 2C X 3C 3S 5D - - X - 5S X - - -All the heart honours were with East and Muggins had to go 4-off for -800.
This first hand of the day was a painful start. Could there be more?
Luckily this was the worst but there were times when the luck ran with us. Like when we were in a slam with two aces and a king off the top. At trick 4 the hand began to look better! In fact 10 tricks were made at both tables; luckily the other table were in 5S-1, only 3 IMPs away!
Education: Trust partner (not the opposition)
NV v NV
Dealer South
S J62 H 42 D Q32 C AJ873 S KQ10873 S 95 H 8 H Q1095 D AK10 D J754 C Q95 C 642 S A4 H AKJ763 D 986 C K10 W N E S 1H 1S X1 - 4H - - - 1 Sputnik doubleThe Princess gets the lead of the SK (it doesn't matter if the top diamonds are cashed). She wins with the ace, cashes the two top trumps to find the bad news of a 4-1 trump split.
Now the only chance of making this contract is if the CQ is with West and the outstanding clubs split 3-3. The Princess plays for that only chance. (Advice from Sam Spade: Play for the placement of certain cards if the contract depends on it!) CK followed by the C10 overtaken with the jack. The CA is cashed and a diamond is discarded. Now another club is led... Over to you Mr East. East ruffs with the boss trump whilst our Princess discards another diamond. East now allows his partner to cash his two (spade and diamond) winners.
West then plays a diamond to his partner's boss jack, alas this gets ruffed and East is stripped of his H10. 4H tick brings in 11 IMPs.
Education: Play for the placement of certain cards if the contract depends on it!
Sitting at Table 1 for the last match, the following is dealt.
N/S Vul
Dealer East
S 94 H 87 D 10642 C K10543 S AK105 S Q32 H AK5 H Q1042 D Q93 D KJ875 C Q72 C J S J876 H J963 D A C A986 W N E S - - 1S - 2D - 3NTWhat should North lead?
Muggins reasoned that if the club lead were to take the contract off immediately, the partnership would be in the same position if he delayed the attack. He thought there was another chance of defeating the contract if he could find partner with a 5-card heart suit and entries to establish and cash the suit. (Partner must have some values across there if there was ever a chance of defeating thecontract.) The H8 hit the baize. Muggins gulped as he saw the singleton CJ in dummy. Well all is not lost, partner is over there!
Declarer wins with the ace and runs the DQ to partner's singleton ace.... Like a true partner she returns a heart to partner's ...... king er seven. Declarer now cashes the top diamond, finds the layout and sets up the hand for 12 tricks!
After trick 13 Muggins asked partner if she had the CA, ... and yes she did. Muggins looked disappointed, then got the "Oh no why don't you lead your suit" message from across the table. "If only you lead your suit, I can read the layout and return your suit for 2-off." The arguments started and went on and on. Everyone from the other tables were looking across and expected the boxing gloves to be on.
The match was won but not by a sufficient margin. Another trophy is lost to our good friends from across the border.
Education: Play to beat the contract at teams
created by Tony Poole.
URL: http://www.hiltonproperty.co.uk/bridge
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