Silver Plate

We have been leading a bit of a charmed life in the Silver Plate. In the round of 32, our captain was prepared to concede with 8 boards to go, but we persuaded him to play on and turned round a deficit of over 30 imps. In the round of 16 against the Smiths from Bristol, our luck seemed to have turned - the opponents had a bidding mix-up to finish in 6♦ on a 4-3 fit which had about a 9% chance but was unbeatable as the cards lay. Then Ann and I bit to 5♦, which needed a trump suit of A J x x opposite  9 x x x x to play for one loser - about a 52% chance. The trumps were 4-0 offside and I was doubled for 500. All this meant we were 24 imps down after 8 boards.

We clawed the deficit back over the next two sets. This was a lucky gain where I got away with an inferior play.

West led what looked like a 4th highest spade to East's jack, and the defence then played a spade back to the ace and a third round to dummy's king. I ran the hearts and when nothing much happened in the discards, tried a diamond to the 9. This drew East's king and I had nine tricks.

That was not the best line. In dummy at trick 4, I should have run the ♦Q. If this lost to the king, I could take a diamond finesse when in dummy with ♥Q.

In the final set things were not going well at our table. Ann's 4♥ opening was doubled for 1100, we went down in 3NT after wrongsiding the contract, and the opponents made two close games. We had indeed conceded two game swings, but the minus 1100 was worth 14 imp after a triumph from Chris.

In our room the auction started in the same way but South passed the double. Chris was more ambitious, and justified his bidding with accurate play - ruff the opening lead, a trump to the king and then a finesse of the jack, four rounds of spades ruffing the last in dummy, ruff a heart to hand, draw the last trump and pick up the clubs.

A few small gains meant that we were 4 imp behind with two boards to play. This was the decisive hand.

In the other room Chris and Barrie ended in the best contract of 4♠ after West had overcalled 2♥. How do you play after a heart lead? I think the best line is to draw three rounds of trumps, then a diamond to the ace and run the queen, throwing a heart if West doesn't cover. This ensures the contract on a 3-3 trump break and will make most of the time on a 4-2 break. It's much easier to see this after the event, and at the table declarer went down after trying for a heart ruff in dummy.

At our table the opponents finished in an inferior 3NT and Ann led a heart to my queen. The contract is a trivial make if declarer ducks this but for some reason he won the ace. Now he crossed to the ♠A, played a diamond to the queen and cashed the ace, on which Ann threw a spade. Unwilling to believe that the spades were 3-3 (maybe Ann's Smith peter confused him?), he then tried a low club from hand, but Ann was able to win and cash out for three down. Plus 300 gained us 5 imps and after a 2 imp gain on the last board we had won by 3. Phew!