Monday evening July 21, 2008
Board 8
North Deals None Vul | ♠ J 7 6 2 ♥ J 9 3 ♦ 10 7 ♣ J 7 5 3 | ||||||||||
♠ A K 9
♥ A 8 7 6 5 4 2 ♦ 4 2 ♣ K |
| ♠ Q 5 3
♥ K Q ♦ A K 6 ♣ A Q 9 4 2 | |||||||||
| ♠ 10 8 4 ♥ 10 ♦ Q J 9 8 5 3 ♣ 10 8 6 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | 2 NT | Pass | |
| 3 ♦ | Pass | 3 ♥ | Pass |
| 3 ♠ | Pass | 4 ♣ | Pass |
| 4 ♠ | Pass | 5 ♣ | Pass |
| 5 ♠ | Pass | 7 NT | All pass |
| 7 NT by East |
| Made 7 — +1520 |
Lead: doesn't matter
Over 1NT West should bid 3H to show an opening hand and a nice heart hand. West should treat the 4C bid as Gerber since the presumed trump suit is hearts after West's 3D bid. East gets a good read on partner's hand with his positive spade responses indicating two aces and two kings, and jumps to 7NT over 7H. There's no lead that defeats the contract.
Monday evening July 21, 2008
Board 12
West Deals N-S Vul | ♠ 9 3 2 ♥ — ♦ K Q 10 8 4 ♣ K Q J 4 2 | ||||||||||
♠ 7 4
♥ 9 7 3 2 ♦ 5 3 2 ♣ A 9 8 5 |
| ♠ J 8 6
♥ A J 5 ♦ A J 9 7 ♣ 7 6 3 | |||||||||
| ♠ A K Q 10 5 ♥ K Q 10 8 6 4 ♦ 6 ♣ 10 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | Pass | Pass | 1 ♠ |
| Pass | 2 ♦ | Pass | 2 ♥ |
| Pass | 3 ♣ | Pass | 3 NT |
| Pass | 4 ♠ | All pass |
| 4 ♠ by South |
| Made 4 — +420 |
Lead: nine of hearts
The nine indicates either the top of nothing or two higher, in this case the top of nothing. At our table we received a low club (never lead from an ace!) and made five. At trick two ruff a heart low on the board (2), then a club ruff in hand (3) followed by another heart ruff (4) and another club ruff in hand (5), followed luckily by a third heart ruff (6). Lose the king of diamonds to East's ace, who now must either lead a spade to your A-K-Q or a diamond from his J-9-7 to your Q-10-8 on the board (7). Either way, you're on the board and can cash the top diamond (8), followed by the A-K-Q of trumps (9, 10, 11).
Monday evening July 21, 2008
Board 25
North Deals E-W Vul | ♠ K 10 8 ♥ Q 10 3 ♦ 9 7 6 2 ♣ J 5 2 | ||||||||||
♠ —
♥ A 6 ♦ A Q 10 ♣ A K 10 9 7 6 4 3 |
| ♠ J 4 3
♥ 9 7 5 4 2 ♦ K J 5 3 ♣ 8 | |||||||||
| ♠ A Q 9 7 6 5 2 ♥ K J 8 ♦ 8 4 ♣ Q |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | Pass | 3 ♠ | |
| 6 ♣ | All pass |
| 6 ♣ by West |
| Made 6 — +1370 |
Lead: king of spades
I might be tempted to overtake North's queen of spades with the ace, although it's a risk if you win. Return a low spade or the queen? It's safer to let the king ride. Doesn't matter. The killing lead is a heart. If North leads a heart the defense gets a trump and a heart for sure .
Monday evening July 21, 2008
Board 26
East Deals Both Vul | ♠ A 9 7 ♥ K 8 6 3 ♦ 9 6 5 3 ♣ 8 7 | ||||||||||
♠ 6
♥ Q 2 ♦ A K Q J 8 7 ♣ A J 10 6 |
| ♠ J 10 8 4 3
♥ A J 9 7 ♦ 4 2 ♣ Q 4 | |||||||||
| ♠ K Q 5 2 ♥ 10 5 4 ♦ 10 ♣ K 9 5 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | Pass | ||
| 1 ♦ | Pass | 1 ♠ | Pass |
| 3 ♦ | Pass | 3 ♥ | Pass |
| 4 NT | Pass | 5 ♦ | Pass |
| 6 ♦ | All pass |
| 6 ♦ by West |
| Made 6 — +1390 |
Lead: ace of spades
West takes some risk, hoping East has the ace of hearts instead of the ace of spades. The hand basically plays itself with both missing kings in the right position. Declarer draws four rounds of trumps and then starts finessing hearts and clubs. Sometimes it's OK to be lucky.
Thursday evening July 24, 2008
Board 18
East Deals N-S Vul | ♠ A K J 10 7 6 ♥ 10 2 ♦ 7 2 ♣ A Q J | ||||||||||
♠ 5 4 3
♥ A K Q J ♦ Q 3 ♣ K 9 6 5 |
| ♠ Q
♥ 9 7 5 4 ♦ A K J 10 8 6 5 ♣ 4 | |||||||||
| ♠ 9 8 2 ♥ 8 6 3 ♦ 9 4 ♣ 10 8 7 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
| 3 ♦ | Pass | ||
| 3 ♥ | 3 ♠ | 4 ♥ | All pass |
| 4 ♥ by West |
| Made 5 — +450 |
Lead: ace of spades
North will take his two black aces off the top or else he only gets the ace of spades. Five hearts makes five, five diamonds makes five; the key is East and falling in love, specifically with the seven diamonds. Surely East knows that West has a good heart suit with his overcall; and a 4-card dummy with two black singletons will bring in at least 420 vs 400 for making 5 diamonds. East needs to fall out of love and instead follow his heart(s).
Thursday evening July 24, 2008
Board 14
East Deals None Vul | ♠ Q 3 2 ♥ Q 10 8 5 ♦ Q ♣ A K Q 9 8 | ||||||||||
♠ A J 10
♥ K 9 ♦ J 3 ♣ 10 7 6 5 3 2 |
| ♠ 9 8 7 6
♥ A J 7 6 ♦ K 10 5 2 ♣ 4 | |||||||||
| ♠ K 5 4 ♥ 4 3 2 ♦ A 9 8 7 6 4 ♣ J |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | Pass | ||
| Pass | 1 ♣ | Dbl | 1 ♦ |
| Pass | 2 ♣ | All pass |
| 2 ♣ by North |
| Down 1 — -50 |
Lead: nine of spades
North's proper re-bid was 1NT. I'm sure the A-K-Q of clubs looked really good, but there aren't six of them. The rest of his hand consists of "quacks", vapor points that take no tricks. None of the Norths in this competition brought home the bacon; some ending up in 3C down 2.
Thursday evening July 24, 2008
Board 7
South Deals Both Vul | ♠ Q J 9 8 6 4 ♥ K 10 5 ♦ K Q 10 ♣ A | ||||||||||
♠ A 7 5
♥ 8 6 ♦ J 9 5 ♣ Q J 8 7 6 |
| ♠ 10 3
♥ Q J 9 2 ♦ 7 6 4 3 2 ♣ 9 5 | |||||||||
| ♠ K 2 ♥ A 7 4 3 ♦ A 8 ♣ K 10 4 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♣ | |||
| Pass | 1 ♠ | Pass | 1 NT |
| Pass | 3 ♠ | Pass | 4 NT |
| Pass | 5 ♦ | Pass | 5 NT |
| Pass | 6 ♥ | Pass | 6 NT |
| All pass |
| 6 NT by South |
| Made 6 — +1440 |
Lead: queen of clubs
West wanted to reach back and snatch the queen after seeing the board come down, the ace winning; South knowing where the missing clubs were now located, instead going immediately after the spades. Twelve tricks were now easily in sight. There was no killing lead available and this 29-point small slam coasted home. Unfortunately, none of the six teams playing the hand this evening bid it.