Board 3 (above) from last Monday is instructive both in the bidding and play. 1NT by South, showing about 16 High Card Points, was a common opening bid, which led to North/South playing in 4S. This contract was doomed to fail because of the bad split in the defenders’ trumps. Because both North and South had flat hands, there was no opportunity to trump losing cards. In hands like these, 3NT is a better proposition. Judy Mobbs and Sue Goddard demonstrated this by making nine tricks in 3NT. This was the only positive score for North/South.
Let’s talk about leads. Sue, sitting South, received the strange lead of the nine of clubs, which normally denies holding any higher cards. Leading the King of clubs, showing the top of a sequence would have been much more informative for partner. Fortunately for West, partner held the Jack, which forced out the Ace. Sue entered dummy with a top heart and tried the spade finesse, which lost to West’s King. West could now cash three club winners, but then exited with a diamond to dummy’s Jack. Sue could now cash eight winners: three spades, three diamonds and two hearts to go with the Ace of clubs. At another table, with East on lead against 4S, East led the ten of hearts, which was won by North’s Jack. The other red ten (diamonds), which was the top of a sequence would have led to the promotion of West’s Queen of diamonds. There is rarely a better lead than the top of a sequence.
Results, Friday 16/09/22 (5-table Mitchell): N/S Jenny Smith R. Hart (59.6) 1; T. Hinde J. Mobbs (55.3) 2. Handicap: No change. E/W P. Kelly D. Moran (55.8) 1; C. Duggan M. Johnston (50.0) 2. Handicap: L. Don G. Schmidt 1; A. Macdonald B. Reid 2. Monday, 19/09/22 (4 & ½-table Howell): T. Hinde P. Campbell (60.4) 1 eq: J. Mobbs S. Goddard (60.4) 1 eq: R. Hart P. Kelly (54.9) 3.
