The half time score in our county KO match read 41-40 after 12 boards of wild hands and gratuitous errors from both sides. I had two interesting 4♠ contracts to play. One I got wrong and it cost us a big swing, on the other I managed to avoid messing up but my play made little difference to the score. Such is life.
East's 2NT was Lebensohl, showing a weakish hand with a long minor. My 4♠ was a bit rose-tinted, but I had no way to make a game try as 3♠ would just be competing the part score. East gave this a little look before his final pass.
West started with ♣AK and I ruffed. Now I ran the ♠Q, hoping to squash a singleton 10, but this lost and East returned a heart. (A trump to the jack would have been better as it would keep entries fluid and still allow me to pick up a single 10 with East.) I ducked, West won the queen and returned the king to my ace. Now I drew a round of trumps and both followed. If hearts are 3-3 I can avoid the diamond guess, so I came back to my hand with a trump and ruffed a heart, but East showed out. I now needed to find the diamond queen - it looked as if East's shape was 3-2-3-6 in which case the diamonds were 3-3, and West had already shown up with 12 points, so it appeared to be a 50-50 guess. Needless to say I got this wrong by leading a diamond from dummy and finessing the 10.
It was only afterwards that I remembered East's little hesitation before passing 4♠. He could only be thinking of a sacrifice in 5♣, in which case he probably has at least seven clubs and West has four or more diamonds. I should cash dummy's last trump, which squeezes West in the red suits, so that a later diamond finesse will see me home.
In the other room West opened 1♦ and North was declarer. A diamond lead gave declarer an easy ride.
I was a bit more awake on this hand.
West led ♥Q to the ace. The bidding marks East with all of the remaining high cards, so you should resist the temptation to cash another top heart and play a diamond up. Then play another diamond when you are in dummy with the king of trumps. If you cash another heart at trick 2 and West ruffs, you can only lead diamonds once from dummy and will go down if East has more than three diamonds.
I made 4♠, but my play was almost irrelevant. The ♥Q was a singleton, but East started with ♦AQx so I could still have recovered even after trying to cash a heart at trick 2. And in the other room the opponents had a mix-up and lost 1100 in 5♥ doubled, so that the difference between making 4♠ and going one down was only 3 imp.
The second half was somewhat less volatile and we won by 25 imp.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Tollemache 2012
The Tollemache is the annual EBU inter-county championship for teams of eight, though we take five pairs as it is quite a demanding weekend. This year the Dorset team was
Janet Smith and Alan Wilson
Margot Wilson and John Gardner
Mark Hooper and Phil Norman
Tim Dunsby and Krzysztof Ginda
Ann Sharples and Bob Mott
The teams are split into four groups of nine or ten teams with the leading two teams going through to the final. Dorset teams have propped up the field in recent years so this year's finish of equal 5th represents something of an improvement.
We got off to a dreadful start, losing 94 imps in five boards to arch rivals Hampshire (that's not a misprint, each board is scored four times by comparing both North-South pairs with both East-Wests), but things improved after that and we finished just below average, pleased to find ourselves ahead of Hampshire in the final table.
The bidding in the Tolly tends to be a lot more aggressive and competitive than at the local club. Here are three examples where telephone number scores depend on your decision.
First, a simple bidding problem
Your 1NT overcall may not be straight out of the textbook but you look to have seven top tricks on a heart lead. Are you a man or a mouse?
Next, a choice between the frying pan and the fire.
I held this hand and was getting ready to bid 4♣ when East opened 2♠, a weak two-suiter with spades and another suit. You can't pre-empt over a pre-empt, so I had to pass but I was none too pleased when partner weighed in with 4NT to show a 2-suiter. I expect you can work out which two suits.
One of my adages is 'never put down a seven card suit as dummy', but what about an eight carder? Partner is short in spades and may have two or even three clubs. In Victor Mollo's menagerie they would solve this problem by bidding an insufficient 4♣ over 4NT, silencing partner for the rest of the auction when you correct to 5♣, but I didn't think that this would meet with the Best Behaviour at Bridge guidelines, so I left partner to stew in 5♦.
When the defence cashed a spade and two top diamonds, I had visions of an enormous penalty and was thinking that I should have bid 6♣, but my partner was good enough to hold QJ to six diamonds and ♥AKQ109 and escaped for 500, no big deal when the opponents had an easy 450 in 4♠. Meanwhile, East's second suit was ♣AKJ10 and 6♣ would have cost at least 1400.
Now another man or mouse decision
In spite of the unlimited auction, East was determined to show that he was homo sapiens rather than mus musculus by making a macho double of 3NT to call for a spade lead. Kris, not ashamed of his spade suit, was man enough to redouble and when Tim brought home 3NT with an overtrick they had the unusual score of plus 1000.
Back to the choice whether to stick or twist in 1NT doubled. The Dorset player who faced the problem does not scare easily and is planning a sponsored parachute jump, so it was no surprise that they sat for 1NT doubled. Not an unreasonable decision, but unfortunately the parachute failed to open as the full hand was
and they were soon writing 1400 in the out column. They were not alone, for three tables (out of 16) lost four figure penalties in 1NT doubled.
At another table South ran to 2♣ after a similar start, leaving West with a tricky problem. You need some well-defined partnership methods when opponents run from 1NT doubled - I play that pass is forcing over two of a minor and that the first double is for take-out. Even with such an agreement, I think that West should try and describe his hand with a jump to 3♦, otherwise partner will never expect such a long suit.
5♦ is an easy make for East-West (and slam is on a finesse that is almost certain to work after South's 1NT), but it is not so easy to bid, and all of the other three tables in our match stopped in 3♦. When I held the South cards I opted for a mouse-like 2♣ overcall. The auction continued 2♦ - pass - 2♥ - 3♣ - 3♦ before grinding to a premature halt. East should have raised to 3♦ at his second turn and then West would surely have bid on to game.
Janet Smith and Alan Wilson
Margot Wilson and John Gardner
Mark Hooper and Phil Norman
Tim Dunsby and Krzysztof Ginda
Ann Sharples and Bob Mott
The teams are split into four groups of nine or ten teams with the leading two teams going through to the final. Dorset teams have propped up the field in recent years so this year's finish of equal 5th represents something of an improvement.
We got off to a dreadful start, losing 94 imps in five boards to arch rivals Hampshire (that's not a misprint, each board is scored four times by comparing both North-South pairs with both East-Wests), but things improved after that and we finished just below average, pleased to find ourselves ahead of Hampshire in the final table.
The bidding in the Tolly tends to be a lot more aggressive and competitive than at the local club. Here are three examples where telephone number scores depend on your decision.
First, a simple bidding problem
Your 1NT overcall may not be straight out of the textbook but you look to have seven top tricks on a heart lead. Are you a man or a mouse?
Next, a choice between the frying pan and the fire.
I held this hand and was getting ready to bid 4♣ when East opened 2♠, a weak two-suiter with spades and another suit. You can't pre-empt over a pre-empt, so I had to pass but I was none too pleased when partner weighed in with 4NT to show a 2-suiter. I expect you can work out which two suits.
One of my adages is 'never put down a seven card suit as dummy', but what about an eight carder? Partner is short in spades and may have two or even three clubs. In Victor Mollo's menagerie they would solve this problem by bidding an insufficient 4♣ over 4NT, silencing partner for the rest of the auction when you correct to 5♣, but I didn't think that this would meet with the Best Behaviour at Bridge guidelines, so I left partner to stew in 5♦.
When the defence cashed a spade and two top diamonds, I had visions of an enormous penalty and was thinking that I should have bid 6♣, but my partner was good enough to hold QJ to six diamonds and ♥AKQ109 and escaped for 500, no big deal when the opponents had an easy 450 in 4♠. Meanwhile, East's second suit was ♣AKJ10 and 6♣ would have cost at least 1400.
Now another man or mouse decision
In spite of the unlimited auction, East was determined to show that he was homo sapiens rather than mus musculus by making a macho double of 3NT to call for a spade lead. Kris, not ashamed of his spade suit, was man enough to redouble and when Tim brought home 3NT with an overtrick they had the unusual score of plus 1000.
Back to the choice whether to stick or twist in 1NT doubled. The Dorset player who faced the problem does not scare easily and is planning a sponsored parachute jump, so it was no surprise that they sat for 1NT doubled. Not an unreasonable decision, but unfortunately the parachute failed to open as the full hand was
and they were soon writing 1400 in the out column. They were not alone, for three tables (out of 16) lost four figure penalties in 1NT doubled.
At another table South ran to 2♣ after a similar start, leaving West with a tricky problem. You need some well-defined partnership methods when opponents run from 1NT doubled - I play that pass is forcing over two of a minor and that the first double is for take-out. Even with such an agreement, I think that West should try and describe his hand with a jump to 3♦, otherwise partner will never expect such a long suit.
5♦ is an easy make for East-West (and slam is on a finesse that is almost certain to work after South's 1NT), but it is not so easy to bid, and all of the other three tables in our match stopped in 3♦. When I held the South cards I opted for a mouse-like 2♣ overcall. The auction continued 2♦ - pass - 2♥ - 3♣ - 3♦ before grinding to a premature halt. East should have raised to 3♦ at his second turn and then West would surely have bid on to game.
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Overtime
In our first round Crockfords match against a Devonian team we were 31 imp down at half time. This slam hand did not help
It was a perfect hand for a weak 2 Diamond opening. 2NT was an enquiry and I showed a weak hand with a six card suit to two top honours. Unfortunately West led the ace of hearts and, after an agonising pause, continued the suit for his partner to ruff. They stopped in 4 spades in the other room so we lost 13 imp.
At the time I was moaning about our bad luck, but maybe West's 3 Hearts gave us a warning. If North bids 4 Clubs over 3 Hearts and this is taken to be a cue bid with diamonds agreed, South would surely bid 4 Hearts with a singleton or void. On the actual hand this might help us to avoid the doomed slam.
When the opponents then proceeded to make a grand slam on a finesse it seemed as if it was not our night. But the fates were smiling on us for this board in the last set.
In 3NT I won the second heart and had nine top tricks when the jack and nine of diamonds fell. If the diamonds had not come in, I would have needed West to hold the ace of clubs.
In the other room North bid 3 Spades over the double and South ended in 6 Clubs. On a heart lead declarer played three rounds of spades but East was able to ruff and prevent declarer getting rid of the heart loser. Declarer should now settle for one off but he played three rounds of diamonds so East was able to ruff and take the contract two down.
The extra undertrick was crucial; we gained 13 imp instead of 12 and the match ended in an exact tie. Our good luck continued in the extra four boards when our opponents kept Ann and me out of the auction with an emaciated weak two bid which was too much even for Keith. In the other room the opponents reached their cold vulnerable game but misplayed it to lose the match by 4 imp.
It was a perfect hand for a weak 2 Diamond opening. 2NT was an enquiry and I showed a weak hand with a six card suit to two top honours. Unfortunately West led the ace of hearts and, after an agonising pause, continued the suit for his partner to ruff. They stopped in 4 spades in the other room so we lost 13 imp.
At the time I was moaning about our bad luck, but maybe West's 3 Hearts gave us a warning. If North bids 4 Clubs over 3 Hearts and this is taken to be a cue bid with diamonds agreed, South would surely bid 4 Hearts with a singleton or void. On the actual hand this might help us to avoid the doomed slam.
When the opponents then proceeded to make a grand slam on a finesse it seemed as if it was not our night. But the fates were smiling on us for this board in the last set.
In 3NT I won the second heart and had nine top tricks when the jack and nine of diamonds fell. If the diamonds had not come in, I would have needed West to hold the ace of clubs.
In the other room North bid 3 Spades over the double and South ended in 6 Clubs. On a heart lead declarer played three rounds of spades but East was able to ruff and prevent declarer getting rid of the heart loser. Declarer should now settle for one off but he played three rounds of diamonds so East was able to ruff and take the contract two down.
The extra undertrick was crucial; we gained 13 imp instead of 12 and the match ended in an exact tie. Our good luck continued in the extra four boards when our opponents kept Ann and me out of the auction with an emaciated weak two bid which was too much even for Keith. In the other room the opponents reached their cold vulnerable game but misplayed it to lose the match by 4 imp.
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