Dealer: N Vul: Both
NORTH
♠ J4
♥ 10863
♦ 10874
♣ 965
WEST EAST
♠ Q10632 ♠ 8
♥ Q5 ♥ 2
♦ AK96 ♦ QJ9
♣ Q4 ♣ AKJ108732
SOUTH
♠ AK975
♥ AKJ974
♦ 32
♣ —
When opposing pairs hold long suits good enough to promise that ten or more tricks can be won, the bidding is likely to be robust as well as less precise than normal, as was the case on Board 29 (above) last Friday. East and South traded bids in hearts and clubs until the bidding reached 4H, at which point some high-level decisions had to be made. East/West can make eleven certain tricks with clubs as trumps, while North/South have some work to do to win their eleventh trick. On the day, there was a different result at each of the five tables. At Table A (names have been omitted to protect the guilty) East was allowed to play in 5C but was, somewhat optimistically, doubled. The defence erred when South tried to cash two top hearts. The second was ruffed, after which declarer drew trumps and collected eight club tricks and four diamonds for a score of 950. At Table B, South meekly allowed East/West to play in 4C and also tried to cash two top hearts. East also missed an opportunity. 5C would not have been an unreasonable opening bid.
5H was bid at the other three tables. Both declarers at Tables C and D made only ten tricks after the lead of the Queen of clubs. This made it difficult for declarer to avoid a spade loser in addition to the Ace and King of diamonds. At Table C, East/West salvaged something from the wreckage by doubling 5H and scoring 200 poiints.
At Table D an impatient West began by cashing the Ace and King of diamonds. This gave declarer a valuable tempo. Declarer drew trumps, cashed the two top spades and then cross-ruffed spades and the minors (clubs and diamonds). 650 for eleven tricks in 5H was the only positive score for North/South.
Results: Monday, 05/02/24 (6-table Mitchell Rd. 1 Red Point event): N/S T. Hinde N. Bonnell (69.8) 1; J. Nankervis P. Kelly (53.3) 2; L. James S. Head (51.9) 3, E/W N. Collins M. Simpson (65.3) 1; H. Price R. Hart (63.7) 2; J. Smith N. McGinness (48.5) 3. Friday, 09/02/24 (5-table Mitchell): N/S N. Bonnell B. Bonnell ( 65.6) 1; J. Smith R Hart (60.2) 2. E/W J. Mobbs T. Hinde (63.6) 1; M. Simpson N. McGinness (56.6) 2.
