EVENT>VanLearners |SESSION>Monday Eve |SECTION> X N-S
------------------------,------ ------------,-------- --------------------------
DATE>April 1, 2024 |CLUB NO.>227231 | 04/01/2024 21:03
---------------------,-- ------------------- -------------,---------------------
DIR> Bruce McIntyre |RATING>Pupil Game (Open) |MOVEMENT>MITCHELL
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AVE> 42.0 |TOP> 6 |MP LIMITS>5 |CLUB>Vancouver Lawn Tennis
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PAIRS> 7 ,------------,------,------,
-----------------------------------------------------------------| Section | |Sect. |
No Name Name | Rank|Score | Pct |Awards|
----------------------------------------------------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------
1 Pam Tomlins Tim Tomlins 3 45.50 54.17 0.07
2 7056451 Joan Christensen Carol Ward 30.50 36.31
3 3454967 Brenda MacLean-Longpre 5910994 Cindy Chan 42.50 50.60
4 9418806 Diane O'Connor John Fraser 39.00 46.43
5 Barbara Spitz Jill Price 40.50 48.21
6 Ian Wong Alex Douglas 1 48.50 57.74 0.14
7 6013740 Curtis Ballard 5311853 Elizabeth Ballard 2 47.50 56.55 0.10
Totals 294.00
------------------------------- --------------------- --------------------
EVENT>VanLearners |SESSION>Monday Eve |SECTION> X E-W
------------------------------- --------------------- --------------------
PAIRS> 7 ,------------,------,------,
-----------------------------------------------------------------| Section | |Sect. |
No Name Name | Rank|Score | Pct |Awards|
----------------------------------------------------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------
1 Kelly Anderson Mike Bow 42.50 50.60
2 Niamh Kelly 6948057 Jacquie Brown 36.00 42.86
3 David Stokes Cathy Brown 1 48.50 57.74 0.14
4 Cindy Grauer 3717615 Marcia Smith 2/3 48.00 57.14 0.09
5 Ruth Castellino Ron Rogers 28.50 33.93
6 Doug Stewart NM Louise Forsyth 2/3 48.00 57.14 0.09
7 Doug MacDougall Donna Bridgeman 42.50 50.60
Totals 294.00
Congrats to the winners!
Didn't do as well as you hoped? Don't worry; there is a large luck factor in short sessions, so there are increased chances of scores outside the normal range of about 35-65%. Things tend to even out over time, but less time means less even-ing out! The important thing is to have fun and let the learning happen by gaining experience as declarer, defender, and even as dummy, and perhaps by reading a little about the hands below!
Our game results are posted online here at ACBL Live For Clubs, shortly after the main game ends.
The deals tonight are from March 18th after I inadvertently used a set of deals from last summer for last week's notes while in Kamloops two weekends ago.
Below is a full-colour screen version of the comments for each hand. This works best if you have kept score and brought your scorecard home with you so you can check your results against the hand records and see where there is room for improvement. You will find that the simple act of writing down the score on each hand (good or bad) serves as a sort of marker inside your memory that helps you recall later what the issues you thought about while playing that hand were. It's much easier to remember if you have taken the few seconds to write in the contract and the score than to rely on getting your results off the internet. Something happens in those few seconds inside our brains and you'll be surprised at how much you can remember later with the help of a well-filled scoresheet. More on this here
| Board 1 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | 98 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | AT42 | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | T92 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | A942 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | AK7652 | ♠︎ | QJ | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | 98 | ♥︎ | J63 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | K5 | ♦︎ | Q63 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | KQT | ♣︎ | J7653 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | T43 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 8 | ♥︎ | KQ75 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 15 | 7 | ♦︎ | AJ874 | NT | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||||||
| 10 | ♣︎ | 8 | ♠︎ | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♥︎n | Q♠︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
| 3♦︎s | K♠︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎w | 2♦︎ | -2 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎w | T♦︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 1♠︎w | T♦︎ | +2 | 140 | |||||||||||
| North and East pass and South has three options: pass, 1♦︎, and 2♦︎. Most will choose 1♦︎ since it is OK to open a little light in third seat. West overcalls 1♠︎ and North makes a negative double to promise four hearts and imply support for the other unbid suit, clubs. East passes and South bids 2♥︎. West competes to 2♠︎ and that may be all, unless North or South can wiggle out with another heart bid. 2♠︎ should make unless North finds the perfect lead of the A♣︎ and another. 3♥︎ also makes, even if West starts with two top spades and a third, allowing East's jack to overruff. Pass or 2♦︎ by South probably works out better for East-West, neither will allow the heart fit to be found with a negative double. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 2 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | 93 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | K5 | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AKQT3 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AQ73 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | 842 | ♠︎ | AKQJ75 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | QJT83 | ♥︎ | A4 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 95 | ♦︎ | 84 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | T95 | ♣︎ | J82 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | T6 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 18 | ♥︎ | 9762 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 3 | 15 | ♦︎ | J762 | NT | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | ||||||
| 4 | ♣︎ | K64 | ♠︎ | 5 | 2 | 8 | 8 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 9 | 9 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♠︎e* | 2♦︎ | -2 | 300 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎e* | 2♦︎ | -2 | 300 | |||||||||||
| 3♦︎n | A♠︎ | +1 | 130 | |||||||||||
| 4♦︎n | A♠︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎e | 4♣︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
| East opens 1♠︎ and two passes later North doubles with the strong hand. East continues with 2♠︎ and again two passes follow. This time North tries 3♦︎ and East may feel that two bids with this hand are fine. South passes 3♦︎ and West comes to life and competes to 3♠︎. North now bids 4♣︎ to complete the picture: strong hand, diamonds and clubs. South is forced to correct to 4♦︎ and that should be all. North has no way to get rid of the two losers in spades and hearts and is down one, unless East leads the A♥︎ and sets up North's king. 3♠︎, if North allows that contract to be played, is down one with five tricks in the minors. Nobody can make anything because nobody has a singleton or void to allow ruffs to increase the total! | ||||||||||||||
| Board 3 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | JT4 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| South | ♥︎ | A7 | East-West | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | KQ8 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | J8754 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | AKQ83 | ♠︎ | 972 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | QJ95 | ♥︎ | T862 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 653 | ♦︎ | J97 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 6 | ♣︎ | A32 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | 65 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 11 | ♥︎ | K43 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 12 | 5 | ♦︎ | AT42 | NT | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | ||||||
| 12 | ♣︎ | KQT9 | ♠︎ | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 23 combined points | ♦︎ | 9 | 9 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♠︎w* | A♥︎ | -2 | 500 | |||||||||||
| 3♣︎n | 9♠︎ | +1 | 130 | |||||||||||
| 2♣︎n | 7♠︎ | +2 | 130 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎w | K♦︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 1Nn | 9♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| South opens 1♦︎ (higher of two four card suits) and West overcalls 1♠︎. North bids 2♣︎ and East might raise but at this vulnerability that might be trouble, so pass is best. South raises to 3♣︎ and West may consider 3♥︎ to give partner a choice, but it would be a choice of which suit to go for 500 in. West passes and 3♣︎ becomes the final contract. Two spades and the ace of trumps are the only losers North has, and 130 is the best score as long as East-West respect the vulnerability and stay out of the auction past the two level. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 4 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | A8 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| West | ♥︎ | 7 | Both | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | J7432 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AKJ32 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | 65 | ♠︎ | T9732 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | J964 | ♥︎ | A8532 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | T986 | ♦︎ | - | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | T95 | ♣︎ | Q64 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | KQJ4 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 13 | ♥︎ | KQT | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 1 | 6 | ♦︎ | AKQ5 | NT | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 20 | ♣︎ | 87 | ♠︎ | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 33 combined points | ♦︎ | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Likely Slam | ♣︎ | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 6Ns | 4♥︎ | = | 1440 | |||||||||||
| 6Ns | 4♥︎ | = | 1440 | |||||||||||
| 6♦︎n | A♥︎ | = | 1370 | |||||||||||
| 3Ns | 4♥︎ | +3 | 690 | |||||||||||
| 5♦︎n | A♥︎ | +1 | 620 | |||||||||||
| South picks up half the deck, and as usual, notes that he has to wait for the other three to bid first. West passes but North, surprisingly, opens 1♦︎. (1♣︎ is also reasonable.) East passes and South bids 1♠︎. No need to do more yet, just make a normal new suit, forcing, bid. North rebids 2♣︎ and South tries 2♥︎ next, another new suit, also forcing. North rebids 3♣︎, and South has good information: North must have at least five diamonds to be able to rebid the second suit, clubs, twice. Blackwood reveals one missing ace and 6NT is the obvious spot. Four spades, five diamonds, two clubs, and the KQ♥︎ combine for an easy 12 tricks! No need to jump if you can get opener to describe their hand by simple forcing bids! | ||||||||||||||
| Board 5 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | A9 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | J86 | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | T8 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | JT8643 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | T72 | ♠︎ | J843 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | T95 | ♥︎ | Q7 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | KQ4 | ♦︎ | 97632 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | K952 | ♣︎ | AQ | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | KQ65 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 6 | ♥︎ | AK432 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 8 | 9 | ♦︎ | AJ5 | NT | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | ♣︎ | 7 | ♠︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 23 combined points | ♦︎ | 7 | 8 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | T♥︎ | = | 620 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎s | T♠︎ | +2 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎s | 2♣︎ | +2 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | 7♠︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | T♠︎ | -2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| North and East pass and South opens 1♥︎. West passes and North raises to 2♥︎. East passes and South bids 4♥︎, ending the auction. West leads the T♠︎ and dummy's ace wins the first trick. South has a likely trump loser, possibly two, one club loser, and at least one in diamonds. Leading the J♥︎ off dummy is a poor play here; missing the queen, ten, and nine, there are very few distributions where it can be right. A crossruff might work: lose a diamond at trick two, let them take a club trick and ruff the club return, and now you can cash a second spade, ruff the third in dummy and crossruff as far as it goes, overruffing when the opponents ruff. Should be good for ten tricks. Cashing AK♥︎ and dropping the Q♥︎ doubleton also works, this time.... | ||||||||||||||
| Board 6 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | 9872 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | 54 | East-West | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AJ2 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | QJT4 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | A63 | ♠︎ | T4 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | KJT97 | ♥︎ | 8 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q64 | ♦︎ | KT9753 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | A5 | ♣︎ | K632 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | KQJ5 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 8 | ♥︎ | AQ632 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 14 | 6 | ♦︎ | 8 | NT | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||
| 12 | ♣︎ | 987 | ♠︎ | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
| N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points | ♦︎ | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 2♥︎s | Q♦︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎n | T♦︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎e | 8♦︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎n | 8♥︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 2♦︎e | K♠︎ | +2 | 130 | |||||||||||
| East opens 2♦︎ as dealer. It looks a bit aggressive, especially while vulnerable, but standards for a weak 2♦︎ are less than that of 2♥︎ or 2♠︎: friskiness works better when opening 2♦︎: opponents have three likely strains to choose from (notrump, spades, or hearts) and may go wrong. South doubles, and West raises to 3♦︎. North might pass and let East-West make 130 in diamonds, or may bid 3♠︎, which is down one and may fetch a raise from South and go down even more. People say 2♦︎ is a useless pre-empt. They are wrong. It works so well that you can relax your first- and second-seat requirements for a 2♦︎ opener. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 7 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | KJ532 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| South | ♥︎ | 7 | Both | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | J | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | KJT974 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | AQ | ♠︎ | T987 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | AKT8532 | ♥︎ | J96 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | A65 | ♦︎ | KQ72 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 5 | ♣︎ | 32 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | 64 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 9 | ♥︎ | Q4 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 17 | 6 | ♦︎ | T9843 | NT | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | ||||||
| 8 | ♣︎ | AQ86 | ♠︎ | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 23 combined points | ♦︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♣︎s | A♥︎ | = | 130 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎w | 7♥︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎w | J♦︎ | +1 | 650 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎w | J♦︎ | +1 | 650 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎w | J♦︎ | +1 | 650 | |||||||||||
| West opens 1♥︎ and North overcalls 2♥︎, a Michaels Cuebid promising 5-5 in spades and an unknown minor. East would love to raise but the three level seems a bit much, so passes. South's 2NT response says "what minor?" West's 4♥︎ rebid says "whatever, I was about to open 2♣︎ and you're not pushing me around!" North may decide to bid 5♣︎. If so, East should get into the action and bid 5♥︎: partner has bid 4♥︎ without any help, and J96♥︎ plus the KQ♦︎ has to be worth something. Eleven tricks in hearts are easy. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 8 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | J965 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| West | ♥︎ | Q8 | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 9862 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | QT8 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | AK743 | ♠︎ | - | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | A953 | ♥︎ | JT762 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | T5 | ♦︎ | AKQ3 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | K7 | ♣︎ | J654 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | QT82 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 5 | ♥︎ | K4 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 14 | 11 | ♦︎ | J74 | NT | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | ||||||
| 10 | ♣︎ | A932 | ♠︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 25 combined points | ♦︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Likely Game | ♣︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♥︎w | 8♣︎ | +2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 3Ne | 2♠︎ | = | 400 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎e | 4♦︎ | +1 | 450 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎e | 7♦︎ | +1 | 450 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎w | 9♦︎ | +1 | 450 | |||||||||||
| Three bids should be enough for East-West: 1♠︎ - 2♥︎ - 4♥︎. Since 2♥︎ is forcing to game, the immediate game bid is not as strong as the 3♥︎ call, which leaves room for exploration. This, East should pass 4♥︎. If East does bid on, trouble awaits as there is a trump loser and clubs will be one more. No trouble making eleven tricks though. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 9 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | Q875 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | J653 | East-West | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 86 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AQ5 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | JT63 | ♠︎ | K42 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | K2 | ♥︎ | A87 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AT543 | ♦︎ | KQJ | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | J6 | ♣︎ | 9874 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | A9 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 9 | ♥︎ | QT94 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 9 | 13 | ♦︎ | 972 | NT | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||
| 9 | ♣︎ | KT32 | ♠︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 2♥︎n | K♦︎ | +1 | 140 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎w | 3♥︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 1♦︎w | 5♠︎ | +1 | 90 | |||||||||||
| 2♦︎e | A♠︎ | +1 | 110 | |||||||||||
| 1Ne | 9♥︎ | +2 | 150 | |||||||||||
| North passes and East opens 1♣︎. South passes and West responds 1♠︎. This bypassing of longer diamonds is a feature of modern bidding: the idea is to quickly find a 4-4 fit in a major if there is one. North passes and East rebids 1NT, which should end the auction. Five tricks in diamonds and two in hearts make the contract but a lead of the J♠︎ at some point will set up an overtrick when the whole family: J♠︎ Q♠︎ K♠︎ A♠︎, comes out to play. If West instead responds 1♦︎, North might get in with a takeout double and N-S may find their heart fit, which is another reason why bypassing diamonds works well. The only time you respond with diamonds first rather than a major is when you have opening values as responder and can bid the major later. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 10 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | A96 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | K8654 | Both | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | JT4 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | J7 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | KJ | ♠︎ | QT8753 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | 32 | ♥︎ | - | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AQ865 | ♦︎ | K32 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AQ94 | ♣︎ | T865 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | 42 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 9 | ♥︎ | AQJT97 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 16 | 5 | ♦︎ | 97 | NT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||||
| 10 | ♣︎ | K32 | ♠︎ | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 21 combined points | ♦︎ | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♥︎s | K♠︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | 8♦︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎e | A♥︎ | +2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 5♥︎s | K♠︎ | -3 | 300 | |||||||||||
| 5♥︎s* | K♠︎ | -3 | 800 | |||||||||||
| East doesn't quite have enough for a 2♠︎ opener in first seat vulnerable and should pass. South opens a much better weak two in hearts and West overcalls 3♦︎. North preempts to 4♥︎ on the basis of the eleven card fit and that will probably be enough to keep East-West out of the auction. 4♥︎ has little chance of making, but pre-empts work and East-West can make game in any other suit, and twelve tricks in spades by some miracle! Maybe the void in East's hand is an indicator that 2♠︎ is a smart call here, but more often than not partner will have more than two of the outstanding 13 hearts. 19 combined points with an 11 card fit will usually prevail over 21 combined with eight-card fits! | ||||||||||||||
| Board 11 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | QT9832 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| South | ♥︎ | K | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AQ | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | Q965 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | J5 | ♠︎ | K7 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | AT87 | ♥︎ | QJ42 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 854 | ♦︎ | JT976 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | KJ73 | ♣︎ | A8 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | A64 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 13 | ♥︎ | 9653 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 9 | 11 | ♦︎ | K32 | NT | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||||||
| 7 | ♣︎ | T42 | ♠︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||||
| N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points | ♦︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 2♠︎n | J♦︎ | +2 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎n | J♦︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎n | 2♥︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
| 1♠︎n | J♦︎ | +2 | 140 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎n | 2♥︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| South and West pass and North opens a light 1♠︎, 13 points but five of them are a little dubious (singleton K♠︎ and doubleton AQ♦︎). East passes and South raises to 2♠︎, and the auction is over. East gets off to the best lead, the A♣︎ and a second club, and the J♣︎ is led at trick three, covered by declarer's Q♣︎ and ruffed by East. A heart to West's ace follows and the defenders have four tricks in. A fourth club is ruffed by the K♠︎ and overruffed in dummy with the A♠︎. Declarer should now guess the location of the J♠︎ and finesse the T♠︎, claiming the rest. If East began with ♠︎KJ7, the fourth spade would be ruffed with the J♠︎, not the K♠︎. Bridge is primarily a game of logic: making sense out of all the clues! | ||||||||||||||
| Board 12 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | J9764 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| West | ♥︎ | AQ75 | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | - | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | KT94 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | A | ♠︎ | KT3 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | KT | ♥︎ | J83 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | QT76 | ♦︎ | AKJ843 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | Q87632 | ♣︎ | 5 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | Q852 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 10 | ♥︎ | 9642 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 11 | 12 | ♦︎ | 952 | NT | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||
| 7 | ♣︎ | AJ | ♠︎ | 9 | 9 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 9 | 9 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 23 combined points | ♦︎ | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♠︎n* | 5♣︎ | = | 790 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎n | A♦︎ | +2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 5♦︎e | 2♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 5♦︎e | A♣︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 5♦︎w | A♥︎ | = | 400 | |||||||||||
| West and North might both pass but more likely is that West opens 1♣︎ and North overcalls 1♠︎, not wanting to make a takeout double with no diamonds. East bids 2♦︎ and South raises to 2♠︎ and the battle is on when West raises to 3♦︎. It seems unlikely to end below game, but 4♠︎ and 5♦︎ can be defeated a trick. 5♦︎ goes down on a heart lead but on a spade lead declarer can win the ace in dummy, cross to the A♦︎ and play the K♠︎, pitching a heart loser and lose only a heart and a club. In 4♠︎, it looks like repeated diamond leads are the key to forcing declarer to lose control eventually and cough up four tricks, but lots of lines lead to 4♠︎ making. I hear about deals like this after you've all left and the main game scores appear.... | ||||||||||||||
| Board 13 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | AT752 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | Q2 | Both | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | T862 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 62 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | KQ94 | ♠︎ | 6 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | A64 | ♥︎ | JT5 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | K9 | ♦︎ | QJ753 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AKQT | ♣︎ | J874 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | J83 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 6 | ♥︎ | K9873 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 21 | 5 | ♦︎ | A4 | NT | 3 | 4 | 8 | 9 | ||||||
| 8 | ♣︎ | 953 | ♠︎ | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 26 combined points | ♦︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 2 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 1Nw | 5♠︎ | +2 | 150 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 5♠︎ | = | 600 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 5♠︎ | = | 600 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 5♠︎ | = | 600 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 5♠︎ | +1 | 630 | |||||||||||
| West is unsurprised to see the other players pass and opens 2NT in fourth seat (20-21 balanced). North passes and East raises to 3NT. There are not many 20 point hands without a spade stopper, and 25 combined is usually enough for a shot at game. North leads the 5♠︎ against 3NT and West counts four clubs, four diamonds once the A♦︎ is knocked out, a heart, and a spade. Capturing the J♠︎ with the queen, West plays a low diamond to the queen and South's ace. The 8♠︎ is South's next play and West tries the nine, losing to North's ten. North plays the A♠︎ and another spade to West's nine, and when West plays the K♦︎, J♣︎, and J♦︎, the trouble emerges: North has a diamond winner and a spade waiting to cash. West has to cash out for nine tricks only. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 14 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | K75 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | J5 | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | QJT8 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | KQ97 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | 843 | ♠︎ | QJ962 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | AK987 | ♥︎ | T32 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 92 | ♦︎ | K75 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | JT3 | ♣︎ | 54 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | AT | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 12 | ♥︎ | Q64 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 8 | 6 | ♦︎ | A643 | NT | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | ||||||
| 14 | ♣︎ | A862 | ♠︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 26 combined points | ♦︎ | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3Ns | 8♥︎ | +2 | 460 | |||||||||||
| 3Nn | Q♠︎ | +1 | 430 | |||||||||||
| 5♦︎n | T♥︎ | = | 400 | |||||||||||
| 3♦︎s | A♥︎ | +2 | 150 | |||||||||||
| 2♣︎s | K♥︎ | +3 | 150 | |||||||||||
| East passes and South opens 1♦︎. If West passes, North's best call is likely 3NT, which is an easy make with the K♦︎ onside and eight tricks in the minors. If West overcalls 1♥︎ or even pre-empts an agressive 2♥︎ it makes it a lot more difficult for North-South to find their game. The best call for North after a heart bid by West is to cuebid hearts. This promises near-opening points and asks if South can stop hearts, but does not suggest spades (most hands with spades would begin with a negative double after the heart overcall). South is not really happy with the Q64 as a stopper, but the alternative of bidding clubs is worse, so a reluctant 3NT it is, and when the Q♦︎ wins a big hallelujah! | ||||||||||||||
| Board 15 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | 5 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| South | ♥︎ | JT652 | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AK85 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | QT5 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | 72 | ♠︎ | AT864 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | A3 | ♥︎ | K74 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q976432 | ♦︎ | - | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 64 | ♣︎ | AKJ92 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | KQJ93 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 10 | ♥︎ | Q98 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 6 | 15 | ♦︎ | JT | NT | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||
| 9 | ♣︎ | 873 | ♠︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 21 combined points | ♦︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 3 | 3 | 10 | 9 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♦︎w | 5♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 3♥︎n | A♣︎ | -3 | 300 | |||||||||||
| 3♥︎n | A♣︎ | -3 | 300 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎n | A♣︎ | -4 | 400 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎s | A♥︎ | -5 | 500 | |||||||||||
| South passes and West probably does as well, although 2♦︎ is a reasonable shot at favourably vulnerability: bad suit quality but an extra diamond makes up for it. North will pass 2♦︎ and East will frown and eventually pass and it will struggle home with an overtrick somehow. If West passes, North opens a light third-seat 1♥︎ and East can bid 2♥︎, a Michaels Cuebid showing spades and a minor, at least 5-5. South passes and West should settle for 2♠︎ (the chance that East has spades and diamonds when West has seven of them is almost zero). 2♠︎ is another struggle, but East should be able to crossruff eight or nine tricks. If North-South compete in hearts, the defense will prevail with a big score. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 16 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | AT4 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| West | ♥︎ | J84 | East-West | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AKT | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | J864 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | Q72 | ♠︎ | 853 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | QT3 | ♥︎ | K5 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 32 | ♦︎ | QJ9654 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AK753 | ♣︎ | T9 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | KJ96 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 13 | ♥︎ | A9762 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 11 | 6 | ♦︎ | 87 | NT | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | ||||||
| 10 | ♣︎ | Q2 | ♠︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 23 combined points | ♦︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 2Nw | 4♣︎ | -4 | 400 | |||||||||||
| 3♦︎e | 8♦︎ | -2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎s | 3♦︎ | +1 | 140 | |||||||||||
| 1Nn | 4♦︎ | +1 | 120 | |||||||||||
| 2Nn | Q♦︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| West has a close decision on whether or not to open in first seat. After a pass, North opens 1♣︎, East overcalls 2♦︎, South doubles, and West stays out of the way. North will likely bid 2NT and South will raise to 3NT, which is possible but may go down. If West opens 1♣︎, North passes, East bids 1♦︎, and South doubles. West passes and North may just try the same 3NT, or may invite with 2NT. In notrump. North has a club stopper, two diamonds, three or possibly four spades if the Q♠︎ is located, and needs several heart tricks to come to nine total. Not easy, but it can be done. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 17 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | KT76 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | AQJ853 | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 8 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 63 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | AQ3 | ♠︎ | 42 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | T9 | ♥︎ | 762 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 943 | ♦︎ | QT762 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AJ542 | ♣︎ | KQT | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | J985 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 10 | ♥︎ | K4 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 11 | 7 | ♦︎ | AKJ5 | NT | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | ||||||
| 12 | ♣︎ | 987 | ♠︎ | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♠︎s | 4♣︎ | = | 420 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎s | A♣︎ | = | 420 | |||||||||||
| 3♣︎w* | 8♦︎ | -2 | 300 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎n | K♣︎ | +1 | 140 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎s | T♥︎ | -2 | 100 | |||||||||||
| North opens 1♥︎ and East passes. South responds 1♠︎ and West overcalls 2♣︎. North raises to 2♠︎ and this should propel North-South to the 4♠︎ game. A club lead will give the defenders two club tricks to start, so declarer needs to avoid losing more than one trump. With two honors missing and the ace always a loser, it comes down to the Q♠︎ being onside, and it is, so 4♠︎ should make. Declarer should start with the J♠︎ and if West plays low, duck in dummy. If East has the Q♠︎, the only way to make it is the unlikely first round drop; far better to take the 50% finesse. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 18 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | KT63 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | 63 | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q752 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | Q92 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | A | ♠︎ | QJ754 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | AKQT | ♥︎ | J98 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | J64 | ♦︎ | K83 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | A6543 | ♣︎ | T8 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | 982 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 7 | ♥︎ | 7542 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 18 | 7 | ♦︎ | AT9 | NT | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | ||||||
| 8 | ♣︎ | KJ7 | ♠︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 25 combined points | ♦︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Likely Game | ♣︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3Ne | 2♥︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎e | 7♥︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎w | 2♦︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎w | 5♦︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎w | 2♦︎ | +3 | 200 | |||||||||||
| East and South pass and West opens 1♣︎. North passes and East responds 1♠︎. South passes and West rebids 2♥︎. This type of rebid, at the two level in a higher suit, forcing partner to the three-level to prefer your first suit, is called a reverse and is a difficult concept for new players. A reverse shows 1) more (NOT equal) cards in the opened suit, AND 2) at least an ace more than a minimum opener, about 16 or more points. East bids 2NT and West has a few points in reserve and bids 3NT. A heart lead is won in dummy, and East needs club tricks, so ducks a club, wins the second heart in dummy again, and plays A♣︎ and a third. Now East has three club tricks to go with four hearts and the A♠︎; a ninth trick might come from the Q♠︎ or a diamond. | ||||||||||||||