Three 2 imp matches

In the last couple of months we have played three matches, all of which ended with 2 imp margins. We were on the right side of the results in the County KO and the NICKO, but our luck ran out in the Faulkner Salver against Warner Solomon's team. Here are three boards that could have changed the result.

This was a bad hand for the strong no trump, where we had a big loss without doing too much wrong.

West led a spade which I ran to the queen. Now what? I cashed a top club and tried a heart to the king but this lost to East's ace and the spades were cleared. A club finesse lost and the defence cashed out in the majors for -1100. The winning line is not very obvious except at double dummy - to duck a club at trick 2 . West is likely to return a spade, in which case I can end-play East in the red suits to get out for one down - and a flat board, as South's 1NT opening was passed out in the other room, going two down after a misdefence.

This was another expensive board where the swing might have gone the other way. The auction at our table was

East kicked off with a spade lead. Declarer ran the 10 of trumps successfully (West made a mistake by not covering), played another trump to the queen and ace, and led a diamond up. This was the key point of the hand - East can defeat the contract by ducking this trick but he went in with the ace. Declarer should now unblock dummy's king, but this play was also missed and declarer eventually lost control and went three down.

It's a difficult hand but the double is a clear warning of a bad trump break. In hands like this, when you have a side suit to develop and an awkward trump position, it is usually right to set up the side suit before tackling trumps. Declarer might played the king of diamonds at trick 2, and should certainly have played on diamonds after West had ducked the first round of trumps.

At the other table South declared 4♥ undoubled. West started with the strange lead of a small trump and the contract made. On a black suit lead, and with no indication of the bad trump split, declarer would probably have started with trumps and gone down.

This is another hand where we could have done better.

We were both a bit feeble in the bidding. Ann should have bid 4♥ at her second turn, after which we would bid 4NT - 5♥ - 5NT - 7♣. Simples. And I should have made a try with 5♥ instead of 6♣, then Ann will bid 5♠ and I can bid the grand.

On this layout the grand is defeated by a first round diamond ruff, which the defence would surely have found if East was able to make a Lightner double. But maybe his partner would have sacrificed before he had the chance.

Ann led a top diamond against 6♥ doubled. Declarer ruffed, played a trump to the queen to get the bad news and led the queen of spades. Ann won this and played a club to my queen and I continued with another club. Declarer ruffed this and played a spade to the ten, so that I could only make my three trump tricks for down four.

After I won the first club, I should have played a diamond to force dummy. Declarer does best to ruff a club in hand and take a spade finesse, but I can duck this and ruff the third round of spades. This kills the spade suit and declarer must go at least five down.

This hand is another example of the need to set up a side suit before drawing trumps. If declarer plays a spade to the queen at trick 2, he can always escape for four down against any defence.

We gained 4 imp as Roger and Warner somehow stopped in game at the other table, but it should have been a lot more.