Dealer: E Vul: Both
NORTH
♠ AQ8
♥ KQ
♦ 62
♣ AJ9632
WEST EAST
♠ 65 ♠ J1097432
♥ 872 ♥ A954
♦ AJ94 ♦ 107
♣ Q854 ♣ —
SOUTH
♠ K
♥ J1063
♦ KQ853
♣ K107
Jenny Smith is on a winning streak. She has followed up her win with Leanne Munson on Friday with a win on Monday with Claire Duggan.
On Board 10 (above) they were the only pair to reach the par contract of 3NT.
Only two bids were needed. South (Claire) opened the bidding with 1D after a wise East had passed.
North (Jenny) could have bid 2C to seek more information from partner, but that would have given East/West more information too. A jump to 3NT was the winning bid.
East led a hopeful Jack of spades, which was won by South’s King.
The winning play from here is to begin with the King of clubs and follow it with the ten of clubs. Whatever club played, North can beat and if necessary later return to dummy (South) to complete the finesse by leading the seven of clubs and, assuming that West has played low twice, North will have the Ace-Jack sitting over West’s Queen-eight. Three heart tricks can be established by first playing the King and the Queen. If East stubbornly refuses to play the Ace, declarer can force an entry to dummy’s diamonds to reach the Jack and ten. East’s hand will of course, suffer wholesale degradation as North’s clubs are played and East is forced to make discards. North’s stoppers in spades and diamonds are strong enough to repel attacks on those suits while tricks are being made in hearts and clubs. In the end, East/West won just the two Aces that they started with.
Results: Monday, 22/05/23 (5 & 1/2-table Howell): Jenny Smith L. Munson (58.3) 1; R. Hart N. McGinness (56.5) 2; J. Nankervis P. Kelly (56.0) 3; J. Rose T. Hinde (54.2) 4. Handicap: C. Hall D. Dawes 1. Friday, 26/05/23 (4-table Howell): Jenny Smith C. Duggan (66.1) 1; D. Moran N. McGuinness (57.7) 2; T. Hinde J. Mobbs (56.5) 3.
