Dealer: N Vul: E/W
NORTH
♠ Q84
♥ Q
♦ AKQ762
♣ KQ3
WEST EAST
♠ 7 ♠ J832
♥ KJ872 ♥ 1053
♦ J98 ♦ 103
♣ J1052 ♣ 9876
SOUTH
♠ AK1095
♥ A964
♦ 54
♣ A4
There are times when it is wise to upgrade your hand if it contains special features, such as North’ six-card diamond suit containing Ace, King, Queen.
At three of the four tables the bidding appears to have been 1D (when it could have been a strong 2C) from North, 1S from South, a jump to 3D by North, 3H from South, then 3NT from North to end the auction. It was frustrating for North/South to discover that 7NT was the par contract.
Leanne Munson and John Nankervis were the only pair to bid higher than 3NT. Their choice was 6S. Their bidding differed from the others in that Leanne supported John’s spades at some point. This encouraged John to initiate an Ace-asking sequence. When Leanne’s response showed the missing Ace in a hand already shown as strong, 6S (requiring twelve tricks to be won) by South was the logical contract.
The strange lead of the Jack of hearts cost nothing as the only problem facing declarer was finding the location of the Jack of spades. After the Queen of hearts won the first trick, the Queen of spades was the next card played. Both East and West followed suit. When East could not follow suit after the continuation of the Ace of spades, John knew that East held the Jack and another spade. It was an easy matter to return to dummy (North) and lead a small spade to the nine. The King then dropped East’s Jack. With six tricks in diamonds, five in spades and three in clubs to come, North/South had more tricks than they needed at the end.
Results: Friday, 3 January (4-table Howell): N Bonnell, J Rose (59.5) 1; J Smith R Hart (56.3) 2; L Munson, J Nankervis (54.6) 3; W Milne J Sipple (51.8) 4.
On Monday 16 December Nea McGinness celebrated her 90th birthday with a sumptuous cake and a first place East/West. The bidding promised to be fast and furious, with East and West arguing about whose suit was best. Any South with a backbone would jump to 4D. North had to be satisfied with sitting and watching.
Nea was the only West player to play in the par contract of 4H.
Nea (West) received the lead of the nine of diamonds, which went to dummy’s Jack and South’s Ace.
When the continuation of the Ace of diamonds forced West to use a trump, the contract was on a knife-edge. As Nea was to find out, the trumps were split 4-4 and the Queen had to be lost. As cross-ruffing would not work, the best line of play was to concede the Queen of hearts early, draw rest of the trumps and to hope that all of East’s spades were winners. That is exactly how things worked out. 650 was an equal top score.
Pat Kelly was the only South to steal the auction with 4D, which became a top score North/South even though failing by one trick. Of the three East/West pairs who played in spades One scored an equal top undeservedly when South made the opening lead of the Ace of diamonds, thereby promoting East’s King.
Results, 16/12/24 (5-table Mitchell): N/S N. Collins M. Simpson (60.3) 1; R. Hart J. Mobbs (54.9) 2; J. Nankervis P. Kelly (53.3) 3. E/W C. Duggan N. McGinness (61.2) 1; W.Milne J. Sipple (53.2) 2; H. Tilbrook V. Prentice (52.2) 3. Friday, 20/12/24 (3-table Howell): P. Kelly D. Moran (72.1) 1; R. Hart N. McGinness (60.4) 2; T. Hinde N.Bonnell (53.1) 3.
