Tollemache 2015

The draw for the Tolly put us in a tough group with no weak teams, suggesting that we would have a struggle to avoid the wooden spoon. So it proved, although we did manage two wins and a draw, and an honourable narrow defeat to the strong London team, and finished above East Wales to keep off the bottom of the table.

Here are a couple of lively deals from the match against Leicestershire.

When South bid 5♥ we were in a forcing pass position, so I doubled as my hand seemed more use for defence than offence. I was a bit worried when dummy went down, but fortunately declarer played for the drop in trumps and we were +100.

Not that it did us much good. At Table 2, with Dorset North-South, the auction started in the same way but they let the opponents play 4♠. After a heart lead, declarer played trumps and North took the first round.  Now declarer can keep control by discarding a club on the next heart, and ruffing in dummy if the defence continue hearts.  North can thwart this plan by ducking the first two rounds of trumps and forcing declarer in hearts - now declarer will lose control and go several down.

At the other table where Dorset sat North-South, East chose to bid 5♦ on the first round, which North doubled. On a good day South might have bid 5♥, as the double is likely to be based on top cards rather than trump tricks, but he chose to pass and that was -550 when the defence failed to find the spade ruff.

At the fourth table the Dorset East-West chose to bid 5♠ over 5♥, going one down. That all added up to a 41 imp loss on the cross-imp scoring (4 comparisons) used in the Tolly.

Then I held this collection at love all

                   ♠ Q5   ♥ Q8    ♦ AKJ543    ♣ J65

A Multi 2♦ was opened on my right and I chose to pass. I thought that a direct 3♦ would show a stronger hand and I could show this hand by passing and bidding 3♦ on the next round. On reflection, I think that's a rather pessimistic view of the hand. Anyway, this was followed by 2♠ on my left, 3♣ from partner and a pass on my right. Now what?

The pass on my right should show that the Multi was based on a weak two in spades, so maybe 3♠ is best, as long as partner is on the same wavelength. But I recall reading somebody's tip that Qx is a good holding for declarer in no-trumps, and it didn't look as if the opponents had a big fit in either major. So I gambled 3NT, a little concerned that I might be about to look foolish as they cashed the first six or seven tricks. I didn't get to find out, as leftie was still there and bid 4♥ which I doubled. 

It looks as if declarer can restrict his trump losers to one by crossing to dummy in clubs and leading a trump, getting out for two down.  But the defence can set up a trump promotion for three down. Ann led a diamond and I won the first two tricks. Now I should play a spade, then when declarer plays a trump to Ann's king, she can play a third round of spades which I ruff with the queen and promote a trick for the 9.

Unfortunately I messed this up and we only got +300, although this was enough to win the board as the opponents with our hands made 3♦ for +110 and defended 3♠ for +50.

Meanwhile, 3NT from my hand was cold on any lead and making an overtrick on the likely major suit lead. And the man who said that Qx is a good holding for declarer in no-trumps was certainly right on this hand, for at several tables 3NT by East went four down on a heart lead.