Section X North-South VanLearners Monday Eve Session April 15, 2024 Leaders after 16 boards Average: 42.0 Place Pct Score Pair 1 58.43 49.08 X-8 Diane O'Connor - Diane Hardouin 2 56.55 47.50 X-4 Ian Wong - Linda Collins 3 52.77 44.33 X-3 Pam Tomlins - Tim Tomlins 4 51.79 43.50 X-6 Vicki Torbett - Myrna Halpenny 5 51.69 43.42 X-7 Amanda Hill - David Hsu 6 48.01 40.33 X-2 Joan Christensen - Carol Ward 7 41.17 34.58 X-1 Lesley MacKay - Alexa Allen 8 39.58 33.25 X-5 Brenda MacLean-Longpre - Cindy Chan Section X East-West VanLearners Monday Eve Session April 15, 2024 Leaders after 16 boards Average: 42.0 Place Pct Score Pair 1 67.26 56.50 X-8 Cathy Brown - Scott Turner 2 61.21 51.42 X-5 Curtis Ballard - Elizabeth Ballard 3 53.57 45.00 X-4 Ian Humphreys - Donna Bridgeman 4 51.69 43.42 X-7 Niamh Kelly - Jacquie Brown 5 46.63 39.17 X-1 Marcia Smith - Cindy Grauer 6 46.63 39.17 X-3 Barbara Spitz - Marlee Sheinin 7 38.79 32.58 X-2 Bob Matthews - Judy Day 8 34.23 28.75 X-6 Doug Stewart - Louise Forsythe
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 the March 25th open game. The scoring was well done despite the refusal of my computer to recognize the BridgeMates (which we will have corrected by next week)....
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: | ♠︎ | AT7653 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | Q5 | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 972 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | J9 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | KQJ4 | ♠︎ | 82 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | A62 | ♥︎ | JT84 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q54 | ♦︎ | AK63 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AQ6 | ♣︎ | K42 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | 9 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 7 | ♥︎ | K973 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 18 | 11 | ♦︎ | JT8 | NT | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 | ||||||
| 4 | ♣︎ | T8753 | ♠︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 29 combined points | ♦︎ | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3Nw | 6♠︎ | +1 | 430 | |||||||||||
| 3Ne | 5♣︎ | +1 | 430 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 6♠︎ | +1 | 430 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 6♠︎ | +1 | 430 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 6♠︎ | +1 | 430 | |||||||||||
| Six to the ace-ten is not good enough for a weak two in first or second seat, so North passes, and East opens 1♦︎. South passes and West bids 1♠︎. North passes and East rebids 1NT. South passes and West does some calculations. It takes 33 combined points to make 6NT; West has 18, so East would need 15 more. But East rebid 1NT, promising only 12-14 balanced. So West settles for 3NT and it is a contest of overtricks. East counts three clubs, three diamonds, the A♥︎ and two spades once the A♠︎ is gone. Diamonds break 3-3 and that's ten tricks. An eleventh is possible if declarer plays enough winners so that North is endplayed when in with the A♠︎ or Q♥︎. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 2 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | A5 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | T | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AJT5 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AQT943 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | T974 | ♠︎ | 632 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | J42 | ♥︎ | A8653 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q82 | ♦︎ | 643 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | J85 | ♣︎ | 76 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | KQJ8 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 15 | ♥︎ | KQ97 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ♦︎ | K97 | NT | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 17 | ♣︎ | K2 | ♠︎ | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 32 combined points | ♦︎ | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Possible Slam | ♣︎ | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 6Ns | 4♠︎ | = | 1440 | |||||||||||
| 6Ns | 4♠︎ | = | 1440 | |||||||||||
| 6♣︎n | A♥︎ | = | 1370 | |||||||||||
| 3Ns | T♠︎ | +3 | 690 | |||||||||||
| 4Ns | 4♠︎ | +1 | 660 | |||||||||||
| East passes and South opens 1NT. West passes and North calls an unusual play: 2♣︎ Stayman, followed by 3♣︎ after South responds 2♥︎. This sequence, Stayman followed by three of a minor, is a slam try in the minor suit and does not say anything about the major suit opener responded in. South, with a maximum and only two clubs, should bid 4NT, asking for aces, and settle into 6NT rather than 6♣︎, which scores better. If West does not lead hearts, South runs six clubs, four spades, and takes the eleventh trick in hand with the K♦︎. If either opponent has the A♥︎ AND the Q♦︎, they will feel considerable pressure in coming down to two cards, and declarer might be able to finesse the J♦︎ to make all 13 (at the risk of going down if his radar is faulty....). | ||||||||||||||
| Board 3 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | QT962 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| South | ♥︎ | K86 | East-West | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 43 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AT8 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | J3 | ♠︎ | K4 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | A5 | ♥︎ | Q43 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | T652 | ♦︎ | AQ9 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | KJ654 | ♣︎ | Q9732 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | A875 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 9 | ♥︎ | JT972 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 9 | 13 | ♦︎ | KJ87 | NT | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||||||
| 9 | ♣︎ | - | ♠︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 3 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♣︎e | J♥︎ | -3 | 300 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎n | 3♣︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎s | 5♣︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
| 3♥︎s | 4♣︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎n | 3♣︎ | -2 | 100 | |||||||||||
| South and West pass and North opens 1♠︎ in third seat, at favourable vulnerability, with only nine points. I have seen worse. Opening light in third seat is a good strategy, often catching the next player with a strong hand and a difficult decision. In this case, the 1♠︎ opener may get North-South too high, since South has a near opener with four spades and a club void. In spades, declarer should lose a spade, two hearts, and a diamond so 4♠︎ is too high, but 3♠︎ is just right. Whether South can put on the brakes in time is the main issue here. If North passes in third seat and East opens 1♣︎, South makes a takeout double and North-South will find their spade fit, and again might just get too high. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 4 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | A6432 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| West | ♥︎ | AK9 | Both | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 432 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | K8 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | T9 | ♠︎ | QJ5 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | QT43 | ♥︎ | 8 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | KQT7 | ♦︎ | AJ9 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AJT | ♣︎ | 976432 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | K87 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 14 | ♥︎ | J7652 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 12 | 8 | ♦︎ | 865 | NT | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | ||||||
| 6 | ♣︎ | Q5 | ♠︎ | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||
| N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points | ♦︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♦︎w | A♠︎ | -2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎n | 8♥︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 1♠︎n | 8♥︎ | +1 | 110 | |||||||||||
| 1Ne | 7♠︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎n | 9♦︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| West opens 1♦︎ and North overcalls 1♠︎. East hasn't enough diamonds to raise (since partner may have only three) and hasn't enough points to bid 2♣︎, so passes. South raises to 2♠︎ and this is enough to end the auction. East leads the singleton 8♥︎ against 2♠︎ and the battle begins. The defenders have a natural trump trick, three diamonds, and a club winner; getting a heart ruff gains a trick but loses the natural trump trick, so to get a sixth defensive trick the defenders need TWO heart ruffs: declarer can counter that by playing the A-K♠︎ first. Perhaps there is an eventual heart winner for the defense as well as the other five winners. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 5 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | 765 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | 85 | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AK98 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AK73 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | JT | ♠︎ | AKQ43 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | A7 | ♥︎ | KQJ93 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | QJ65 | ♦︎ | 2 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | QJ652 | ♣︎ | 84 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | 982 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 14 | ♥︎ | T642 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 11 | 15 | ♦︎ | T743 | NT | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | ||||||
| 0 | ♣︎ | T9 | ♠︎ | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 26 combined points | ♦︎ | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♥︎e | 2♠︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎e | 3♦︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 2Nw | 3♣︎ | +3 | 210 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | A♣︎ | = | 400 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎e | 3♦︎ | = | 420 | |||||||||||
| North opens 1♦︎ and East bids 2♦︎, the Michaels Cuebid showing 5-5 in the majors. South passes and West decides to try 3NT, since there is no 8-card major suit fit to play in and ♦︎QJ65 might be a stopper. North can only take the four winners before West is ready to roll ten in the majors, so 3NT is a success. All North can do is cash aces and kings to avoid giving up overtricks. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 6 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | JT6 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | KJ964 | East-West | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | JT52 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 7 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | Q95 | ♠︎ | K8432 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | AQ73 | ♥︎ | - | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AK3 | ♦︎ | 9864 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | K98 | ♣︎ | QJ52 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | A7 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 6 | ♥︎ | T852 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 18 | 6 | ♦︎ | Q7 | NT | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||
| 10 | ♣︎ | AT643 | ♠︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 24 combined points | ♦︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Possible Game | ♣︎ | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♠︎e | 2♥︎ | -3 | 300 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎e | 2♥︎ | -2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 2Nw | 6♥︎ | -2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 6♥︎ | -2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎e | 8♥︎ | -2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| East passes and South opens 1♣︎. West has a little too much for a 1NT overcall, and should double first and then bid 1NT (or 2NT if necessary) to show 18 balanced. North finds a 1♥︎ response and East bids 1♠︎. South raises to 2♥︎ and West should jump to 3♠︎ or maybe even 4♠︎. In spades, there is a trump loser and a loser in diamonds and clubs, and if bid, the game in spades can only be defeated with a club ruff. But with South on lead, this seems unlikely, unless South sees the possibility when in with the A♠︎. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 7 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | J | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| South | ♥︎ | JT5 | Both | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AQ987 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | QJ74 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | T753 | ♠︎ | 942 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | K2 | ♥︎ | AQ743 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | KJ62 | ♦︎ | 4 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | T93 | ♣︎ | AK62 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | AKQ86 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 11 | ♥︎ | 986 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 7 | 13 | ♦︎ | T53 | NT | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | ||||||
| 9 | ♣︎ | 85 | ♠︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
| N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points | ♦︎ | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♦︎n | 4♦︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 2♦︎s | 2♠︎ | = | 90 | |||||||||||
| 2♦︎n | K♣︎ | = | 90 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎w | A♠︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 3Ne | 8♦︎ | = | 600 | |||||||||||
| South and West pass and North opens 1♦︎ in third seat. East overcalls 1♥︎ and South responds 1♠︎, showing five since a negative double is available for hands with four spades only. West passes and North rebids 2♣︎. East passes and South prefers 2♦︎. This should end the auction although East might compete with a double rather than passing out 2♦︎. If East does double, West is happy to pass and defend 2♦︎ doubled. The defense begins with three heart tricks and two club tricks and North needs the rest. Not gonna happen, the trumps are not behaving and West must get at least one. Must have been some really bad defending to allow 2♦︎ and 3♦︎ and even 3NT to make on this layout! | ||||||||||||||
| Board 8 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | T8 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| West | ♥︎ | J62 | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q542 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AJ73 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | 7 | ♠︎ | Q9652 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | K98754 | ♥︎ | AQT | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | KT9 | ♦︎ | J3 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | T62 | ♣︎ | 984 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | AKJ43 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 8 | ♥︎ | 3 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 6 | 9 | ♦︎ | A876 | NT | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | ||||||
| 17 | ♣︎ | KQ5 | ♠︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 25 combined points | ♦︎ | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Likely Game | ♣︎ | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♥︎w | T♠︎ | -3 | 150 | |||||||||||
| 2♦︎s | 7♠︎ | +3 | 150 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎s | 5♥︎ | +1 | 140 | |||||||||||
| 2♦︎s | 4♥︎ | +1 | 110 | |||||||||||
| 5♦︎n | 7♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| West and North pass and East may consider opening a light third-seat 1♠︎. If so, South passes and hopes for North to find a re-opening double after West passes. North has only eight points but it is difficult to imagine that passing is correct, since the points need to be somewhere. If North finds the double, South calls the bank and arranges for the Brinks truck to collect the winnings. If East passes it out, 150 is still a pretty good score for North-South. If East passes and South gets to open 1♠︎, the test will be on North-South to avoid getting too high. 1♠︎ - 1NT, 3♦︎ - 3NT is one possible hazard. A 2♦︎ rebid on 17 points with shape is a clear underbid, yet might work on this deal where no game will be successful. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 9 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | 5 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | A3 | East-West | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | T9854 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | KJ874 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | Q97 | ♠︎ | T832 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | QJ4 | ♥︎ | 9652 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | A6 | ♦︎ | K72 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AT653 | ♣︎ | Q9 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | AKJ64 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 8 | ♥︎ | KT87 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 13 | 5 | ♦︎ | QJ3 | NT | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | ||||||
| 14 | ♣︎ | 2 | ♠︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 2♥︎s | A♦︎ | +1 | 140 | |||||||||||
| 2Nn | 3♠︎ | = | 120 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎s | A♦︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎s | A♦︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
| 2♥︎s | A♦︎ | -2 | 100 | |||||||||||
| North and East pass and South opens 1♠︎. West overcalls 2♣︎ and North passes, hoping that South can balance with a double and 2♣︎ can be defeated for a major haul. East passes and South should certainly double, and there is no escape. Down three is quite possible for 800 in 2♣︎ doubled. This is a textbook hand for why we try to have decent suit quality for a vulnerable overcall. In matchpoint pairs games, we can take a few more liberties, but especially at teams the 2♣︎ overcall here is just asking for trouble. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 10 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | KJT53 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | 8 | Both | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | J6 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AJT65 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | Q96 | ♠︎ | A8742 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | 94 | ♥︎ | 7653 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q42 | ♦︎ | K8 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | Q9732 | ♣︎ | K8 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | - | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 10 | ♥︎ | AKQJT2 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 6 | 10 | ♦︎ | AT9753 | NT | 10 | 10 | 3 | 2 | ||||||
| 14 | ♣︎ | 4 | ♠︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 24 combined points | ♦︎ | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Possible Game | ♣︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | 3♣︎ | +2 | 680 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎n | 3♣︎ | +2 | 680 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | 3♣︎ | +2 | 680 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | 2♣︎ | +1 | 650 | |||||||||||
| 3Ns | 3♣︎ | = | 600 | |||||||||||
| East passes and South has a remarkable 6-6 hand. 1♥︎ or 2♣︎? I think this is strong enough for 2♣︎: three quick tricks and three expected losers if partner shows up with an average share of the remaining diamonds. If the opponents have a spade fit and pre-empt, we're always going to be able to outbid them with shape like this. 2♣︎ - 2♠︎, 3♥︎ - 4♣︎ would be a reasonable start for North-South, and with a positive response to 2♣︎ South should just jump to 6♦︎ and tell partner to pick a red suit. Either makes twelve tricks as long as the first diamond is led from the North hand. There is probably a hilarious story about how a 6-6 hand came to even bid, let alone declare, 3NT! | ||||||||||||||
| Board 11 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | K2 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| South | ♥︎ | J842 | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | AQ75 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 742 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | A86 | ♠︎ | QJ97543 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | K5 | ♥︎ | 93 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | JT92 | ♦︎ | 643 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | QJT3 | ♣︎ | K | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | T | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 10 | ♥︎ | AQT76 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 11 | 6 | ♦︎ | K8 | NT | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | ||||||
| 13 | ♣︎ | A9865 | ♠︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 9 | 9 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 23 combined points | ♦︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 5♥︎s | Q♣︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | Q♣︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | J♦︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | Q♣︎ | -2 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎s | A♠︎ | -3 | 150 | |||||||||||
| South opens 1♥︎ with a concern that the only reasonable rebid if North responds 2♦︎ is 3♣︎, but North makes a limit raise to 3♥︎ instead. East passes and South continues on to game, since 13 points plus good shape is probably enough. Sadly, on this deal it is not. The Q♣︎ opening lead sets up two club tricks to go with the offside K♥︎ and the A♠︎, and South is down one at least. South might prevail by winning the A♣︎ and playing three rounds of diamonds, pitching the T♠︎ from hand and then playing A♥︎ and another. The all-knowing computer agrees and notes that the only way around this is for West to lead a LOW club to ensure the defeat of the contract, something nobody would ever do. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 12 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | JT42 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| West | ♥︎ | KQ5 | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 982 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | Q93 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | K98 | ♠︎ | A65 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | AJ83 | ♥︎ | T76 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | A73 | ♦︎ | QJT5 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | K54 | ♣︎ | 876 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | Q73 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 8 | ♥︎ | 942 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 15 | 7 | ♦︎ | K64 | NT | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||
| 10 | ♣︎ | AJT2 | ♠︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 1Nw | J♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 1Nw | 2♠︎ | = | 90 | |||||||||||
| 1Nw | 2♠︎ | +1 | 120 | |||||||||||
| 1Nw | 2♠︎ | +1 | 120 | |||||||||||
| 1Nw | 2♠︎ | +2 | 150 | |||||||||||
| West opens 1NT and everyone passes. One of my bridge maxims is that you can travel thousands of miles, find yourself in a bridge game in an unfamiliar club halfway round the world, and this auction: 1NT pass pass pass, will tell you who the good players are and who the not-so-good players are. I don't know why so many newer players are afraid of playing in 1NT. It's a lot harder to DEFEND against 1NT. If you open 1NT and play there the same auction will usually happen at most tables. The same pitfalls of distribution will befall every declarer. Why all the grimacing? Count your tricks carefully and do your best: you'll seldom get a bad score. If the opponents have a suit to cash, it will happen throughout the room. (Here 1NT should make a routine eight tricks.) | ||||||||||||||
| Board 13 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | AK9865 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | J96 | Both | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | KQ | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 97 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | JT743 | ♠︎ | - | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | K5 | ♥︎ | AT432 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 75 | ♦︎ | AT9642 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | QJ54 | ♣︎ | 62 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | Q2 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 13 | ♥︎ | Q87 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 7 | 8 | ♦︎ | J83 | NT | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | ||||||
| 12 | ♣︎ | AKT83 | ♠︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 25 combined points | ♦︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Likely Game | ♣︎ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♠︎n* | A♦︎ | = | 790 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎n | 6♣︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎n* | A♦︎ | -1 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎n | A♥︎ | -2 | 200 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎n* | A♦︎ | -2 | 500 | |||||||||||
| North opens 1♠︎ and East bids 2♠︎, another Michaels Cuebid showing at least 5-5 in hearts and an unknown minor. South has a near opener and should double rather than bid 3♣︎ which may be East's second suit. West bids 2NT to ask which minor East has. North could bid 3♠︎ but decides that it might be more useful to find out which minor East has, so passes, and East bids 3♦︎. South passes and West prefers hearts, and North bids 3♠︎. South raises to 4♠︎ and West doubles. The 5-0 break is a deal breaker and North loses the A♦︎, the AK♥︎, a heart ruff, and a later trump for two down. Even though the clues are in the auction that the distribution is going to be nightmarish, it is awfully difficult for North-South to stay out of 4♠︎ on these cards. Unlucky! | ||||||||||||||
| Board 14 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | T95 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | AKJ3 | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q73 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | AK8 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | J8 | ♠︎ | Q64 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | QT842 | ♥︎ | 97 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | KJ5 | ♦︎ | 9864 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 953 | ♣︎ | QT42 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | AK732 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 17 | ♥︎ | 65 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 7 | 4 | ♦︎ | AT2 | NT | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | ||||||
| 12 | ♣︎ | J76 | ♠︎ | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 29 combined points | ♦︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3Ns | 4♥︎ | +2 | 460 | |||||||||||
| 3Nn | 2♣︎ | +2 | 460 | |||||||||||
| 3Nn | 2♣︎ | +2 | 460 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎s | 5♦︎ | = | 420 | |||||||||||
| 6♠︎s | 4♥︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| East passes and South opens 1♠︎. West passes and North needs to find a forcing bid. 2♥︎ is probably best. This should show five hearts, but if South raises hearts North can correct to spades. South rebids 2♠︎ and North should settle for 4♠︎: South has no more than 14 points for the minimum rebid, and North's 17 includes no distributional shape at all, so a slam is probably not quite in the cards. This assessment is quite accurate; there are potential losers in spades, diamonds, and clubs, and only a risky finesse of the J♥︎ allows North to get rid of a minor suit loser. North might instead bid 3NT despite the eight-card fit, knowing that a combined total of 28-31 usually makes the same number of tricks in notrump for a better score. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 15 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | 4 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| South | ♥︎ | Q9864 | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q65 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | K953 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | AQT8752 | ♠︎ | K6 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | K | ♥︎ | A52 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 87 | ♦︎ | KJT932 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | QT6 | ♣︎ | 72 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | J93 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 7 | ♥︎ | JT73 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 11 | 11 | ♦︎ | A4 | NT | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | ||||||
| 11 | ♣︎ | AJ84 | ♠︎ | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♠︎w | 3♣︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎w | 6♥︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎w | 9♥︎ | = | 420 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎w | 6♥︎ | = | 420 | |||||||||||
| 4♠︎w | 6♥︎ | +1 | 450 | |||||||||||
| South passes and West opens 1♠︎. The singleton K♥︎ is a dubious value but it's a little bit too strong for a 3♠︎ opener. North passes and East bids 2♦︎. South now gets into the auction with a takeout double to show hearts and clubs, but West bids 4♠︎ before North-South can find their heart fit. The 22-point 4♠︎ game is an easy winner, just two clubs and a diamond to lose. West did well to realize that East would have some useful values for the two over one response and 4♠︎ was a two-way bid: either the obvious choice of games, or a bid to prevent North-South from reaching theirs in hearts. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 16 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | JT | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| West | ♥︎ | 965 | East-West | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | QJ72 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | 9762 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | A642 | ♠︎ | KQ53 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | AQJ72 | ♥︎ | KT43 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 53 | ♦︎ | T4 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | J4 | ♣︎ | K53 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | 987 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 4 | ♥︎ | 8 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 12 | 11 | ♦︎ | AK986 | NT | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||||||
| 13 | ♣︎ | AQT8 | ♠︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 23 combined points | ♦︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 4♥︎w | Q♦︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 5♦︎n | K♥︎ | -2 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 3♥︎w | J♦︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
| 5♦︎s* | J♣︎ | -2 | 300 | |||||||||||
| 4♥︎w | 2♦︎ | = | 620 | |||||||||||
| West opens 1♥︎ and North passes. East raises to 3♥︎ and South, with the best hand at the table, bids 4♦︎ hoping that it will not be too costly. West converts to 4♥︎ and North leads a diamond. South wins two diamond tricks and returns a trump. The best hope for South is that West has four spades and cannot rid himself of two eventual club losers. This is what happens, and 4♥︎ goes one down. Limit raises are having a tough time in this set, both times leading to games that are on a 50% finesse that fails... | ||||||||||||||
| Board 17 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | Q32 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| North | ♥︎ | K3 | None | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | Q4 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | JT7654 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | 76 | ♠︎ | T4 | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | JT972 | ♥︎ | 864 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | A983 | ♦︎ | KJT7 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | A2 | ♣︎ | KQ93 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | AKJ985 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 8 | ♥︎ | AQ5 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 9 | 9 | ♦︎ | 652 | NT | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | ||||||
| 14 | ♣︎ | 8 | ♠︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||
| N-S have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3♠︎s | J♥︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 3♠︎s | A♣︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎s | A♣︎ | +2 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎s | A♣︎ | +2 | 170 | |||||||||||
| 2♠︎s | A♣︎ | +1 | 140 | |||||||||||
| North and East pass and South opens 1♠︎. West passes and North raises to 2♠︎. South has just enough for a game try of 3♠︎ and North has eight points, right in the middle of the range, but the extra shape should be enough. In 4♠︎, South begins with six trumps and three hearts and a tenth trick is unlikely to appear in clubs, so it must come from ruffing the third round of diamonds in dummy. The defense begins with the A♣︎ and another, South ruffs in hand, and leads a diamond. West wins the A♦︎ and leads a trump, but too late: South wins in hand and leads a second diamond. East wins and leads a second trump, but dummy has a third to take care of South's third diamond and provide a crucial tenth winner. | ||||||||||||||
| Board 18 | ||||||||||||||
| NORTH | ||||||||||||||
| Dealer: | ♠︎ | T972 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
| East | ♥︎ | 8 | North-South | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | QT54 | |||||||||||||
| ♣︎ | Q987 | |||||||||||||
| WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
| ♠︎ | KQ6 | ♠︎ | AJ | |||||||||||
| ♥︎ | AQ | ♥︎ | K9742 | |||||||||||
| ♦︎ | 973 | ♦︎ | KJ862 | |||||||||||
| ♣︎ | KJT54 | ♣︎ | 3 | |||||||||||
| SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
| HCP: | ♠︎ | 8543 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
| 4 | ♥︎ | JT653 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
| 15 | 12 | ♦︎ | A | NT | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | ||||||
| 9 | ♣︎ | A62 | ♠︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||
| ♥︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||||
| E-W have 27 combined points | ♦︎ | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
| 3Ne | 5♠︎ | -2 | 100 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 2♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 2♠︎ | = | 400 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 9♣︎ | = | 400 | |||||||||||
| 3Nw | 4♦︎ | +1 | 430 | |||||||||||
| West opens 1NT, North passes, and East bids 2♦︎, a transfer to hearts. South passes, liking where this auction appears to be going, and West bids 2♥︎ as commanded. North passes and East continues with 3♦︎, showing 5-5 in the red suits. South passes and West bids 3NT. North leads a spade and West must be careful! With limited entries to the East hand, the best play is to win the A♠︎ and pitch the K♠︎ (or the Q♠︎) from hand, preserving the J♠︎ as a second entry. West cashes the AQ♥︎, noting the 5-1 break, and plays North for diamond honours, leading the 9♦︎ from hand and running it. South wins the A♦︎ and leads a spade to dummy's jack. Nine or ten tricks should be available in the end for West. | ||||||||||||||