Monday afternoon January 7, 2008
Board 1
North Deals None Vul | ♠ K 8 6 4 3 2 ♥ 10 9 5 ♦ 6 5 4 ♣ Q | ||||||||||
♠ Q J 10 9 5
♥ Q J ♦ K J 2 ♣ A J 8 |
| ♠ A 7
♥ 8 2 ♦ A 10 8 ♣ K 7 6 4 3 2 | |||||||||
| ♠ — ♥ A K 7 6 4 3 ♦ Q 9 7 3 ♣ 10 9 5 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | 1 ♣ | 1 ♥ | |
| 1 ♠ | Dbl | 2 ♣ | Pass |
| Pass | 2 ♥ | Pass | Pass |
| 3 ♣ | All pass |
| 3 ♣ by East |
| Made 3 — +110 |
Lead: ace of hearts
This is a perfect competitive bidding opportunity for both sides. As the cards show South would lose three diamonds and a club. West would most likely lead the queen of spades which would be trumped in hand. South loses a club. West's shift to a trump is too late. South trumps a club on the board, ruffs a spade back, then ruffs the third club; in all earning one diamond and eight trumps. Just bid it! Even with sloppy play, two hearts down 1 is only 50 points; better yet is the 140 and a top. On the EW side West must contribute to the competitive bidding with 3C. Partner has indicated he has 6 clubs and some values--aren't the aces wonderful? South leads the A-K of hearts followed by a diamond, hoping partner has the ace in order to return a spade for a ruff. No such luck. Again, as the cards flop East makes 5 clubs as the king of spades is finessed, the clubs drop and a free diamond finesse given. Isn't bridge wonderful?
Monday afternoon January 7, 2008
Board 9
North Deals E-W Vul | ♠ Q J ♥ A 7 6 2 ♦ Q J 3 ♣ A J 10 8 | ||||||||||
♠ 7 6
♥ 9 8 4 3 ♦ K 6 5 ♣ Q 9 5 2 |
| ♠ A K 9 8 4 3
♥ Q J 10 ♦ A 10 8 ♣ 4 | |||||||||
| ♠ 10 5 2 ♥ K 5 ♦ 9 7 4 2 ♣ K 7 6 3 |
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♣ | 1 ♠ | Pass | |
| Pass | 1 NT | 2 ♠ | Pass |
| Pass | 2 NT | All pass |
| 2 NT by North |
| Down 1 — -50 |
Lead: Ace of spades
Oh, how North liked a three-card spade suit headed by the ten! Declarer wins the third round of spades and finesses the ten of clubs. Back to the king to discover the split, followed by another club, then back to the king of hearts to clear the club suit; four clubs, a spade and two hearts--AND A GREAT COMPETITIVE BID! Two spades EW makes 2 or 3 depending on how sloppy the defense is. Declarer is able to develop hearts before losing the last diamond.
Monday afternoon January 7, 2008
Board 10
East Deals Both Vul | ♠ 6 ♥ K 7 4 ♦ K Q 8 5 4 ♣ Q 9 7 4 | ||||||||||
♠ J 7 5 4 2
♥ 10 8 ♦ A 9 7 ♣ 8 6 3 |
| ♠ A Q 10
♥ A 9 6 5 2 ♦ J 6 3 ♣ K 2 | |||||||||
| ♠ K 9 8 3 ♥ Q J 3 ♦ 10 2 ♣ A J 10 5 |
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♥ | Pass | ||
| 1 ♠ | Pass | 2 ♠ | All pass |
| 2 ♠ by West |
| Down 2 — -200 |
Lead: King of diamonds.
El foldo! Put the cards back in the board and move on to the next hand! The diamond lead is captured by the ace, followed by a finesse of the ten of trumps on the board, taken by South's king. Back comes the diamond ten, overtaken by the queen, followed by a third round of diamonds trumped by South. The queen of hearts knocks out the ace. Trumps are drawn but East has to lose two more clubs and a heart. Three other teams played 1 heart in the East--all down! Playing hearts South leads the ten of diamonds, North's king winning. Back comes the singleton spade, finessed badly by declarer. Back comes another spade to North's four of hearts, followed by the queen of clubs which creates two more club tricks. A third spade is led, trumped by North's seven of hearts. Another club forces out a trump from East who must lose two more trump tricks--DOWN THREE AT ONE HEART! AAAARGHHH!
Monday afternoon January 7, 2008
Board 14
East Deals None Vul | ♠ A J 4 ♥ A K J 5 ♦ Q 2 ♣ A J 9 7 | ||||||||||
♠ Q 9 6 5 2
♥ 6 3 ♦ J 10 5 4 ♣ 10 5 |
| ♠ K 10 8 3
♥ 10 4 2 ♦ A K 6 3 ♣ K 6 | |||||||||
| ♠ 7 ♥ Q 9 8 7 ♦ 9 8 7 ♣ Q 8 4 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♦ | Pass | ||
| Pass | 2 NT | Pass | 3 ♣ |
| Pass | 3 ♥ | Pass | 4 ♥ |
| All pass |
| 4 ♥ by North |
| Made 4 — +420 |
Lead: ace of diamonds
On the second diamond trick West has nothing worthwhile to try and communicate. The best lead by East is a diamond continuation, forcing North to trump in hand. The ace of spades is followed by a small spade trumped on the board, then the losing club finesse. West has nothing to lead.
Monday afternoon January 7, 2008
Board 22
East Deals E-W Vul | ♠ 10 7 6 3 ♥ Q 6 3 ♦ 10 6 ♣ A K 6 4 | ||||||||||
♠ Q J
♥ 5 4 ♦ A Q J 7 2 ♣ J 9 7 2 |
| ♠ A 9 5 4
♥ A 8 7 2 ♦ 9 5 3 ♣ Q 8 | |||||||||
| ♠ K 8 2 ♥ K J 10 9 ♦ K 8 4 ♣ 10 5 3 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | Pass | ||
| Pass | Pass |
Lead: none
The passed out hand got an Average plus for NS. Two/three diamonds was making three/four by West who loses two high clubs and a spade. Whose fault? Not sure. If I was North I wouldn't open the bidding unless I could bid a spade. The bones must lay at the feet of West who has the only five-card suit at the table.
Monday afternoon January 7, 2008
Board 28
West Deals N-S Vul | ♠ Q J 6 5 2 ♥ A Q 6 5 ♦ J 6 2 ♣ 7 | ||||||||||
♠ A 8
♥ 7 4 ♦ 9 8 7 ♣ A K J 10 9 6 |
| ♠ K 9
♥ K 9 3 ♦ K 10 3 ♣ Q 8 5 4 3 | |||||||||
| ♠ 10 7 4 3 ♥ J 10 8 2 ♦ A Q 5 4 ♣ 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♣ | 1 ♠ | 2 ♣ | 2 ♠ |
| All pass |
| 2 ♠ by North |
| Made 2 — +110 |
Why wouldn't you bid 3C with West's hand? Not vulnerable against vulnerable. Partner has raised your Most Excellent Suit, which means he has side values. What a wus! This is no time for cluck-clucks. What's the worst that will happen? You go down two not vulnerable (which you know isn't going to happen because your PARTNER SUPPORTED YOUR CLUBS. Three clubs making four is a top board for EW. Two spades making 2 is a top board for NS, who after looking at that poor collection of cards must have been cackling to themselves.