Dealer: S Vul: E/W
NORTH
♠ K63
♥ 93
♦ J8643
♣ K73
WEST EAST
♠ AQJ107 ♠ 982
♥ AK74 ♥ 865
♦ Q95 ♦ 10
♣ Q ♣ A96542
SOUTH
♠ 54
♥ QJ102
♦ AK72
♣ J106
Congratulations to Gudrun Schmidt and Ian House on their first win in a weekly game. They built their success on robust bidding and successful defence. In the featured deal, they pushed their opponents to a higher level than they wanted to go. Ian (South) started the ball rolling with a slight underbid of 1D. With five-card support Gudrun was only too happy to raise the bidding to 2D after West’s bid of 1S. East, because of that singleton diamond, entered the auction with 2S. The bidding then gathered pace Ian and Gudrun were basically saying. “You will have to bid as high as 4S to stop us winning the auction. West obliged and became declarer in 4S.
Declarer faced four certain losers: the King of spades, two hearts and one diamond but because declarer misplayed trumps, declarer lost a total of six tricks, handing Ian and Gudrun 300 matchpoints.
Results, Monday, 05/01/26 (3 & 1/2-table Howell): J. Nankervis P. Kelly (63.5) 1; T. Hinde L. Don (62.5) 2; H. Price S. Goddard (54.2) 3. Friday, 09/01/26 (3 table Howell): G. Schmidt I. House (62.5) 1; N. Bonnell T. Hinde (61.2) 2; L. Don P. Kelly (53.3) 3.
NOTE: An incorrect phone number was submitted to Warwick Today in last week’s notes. The correct number to ring Neil for information on bridge lessons in 0408 361 482.
