| April 28 2021 |
The Decider
Saturday 24th April the Counties Intermediate Swiss pair was held - as we only had 6 tables it was converted to a Howell. When it was all over, 1.4 match points separated 1st and 4th place! The last hand of the tournament was a decider.
Board: 22
Dealer: East
Vul: E/W
Pairs
North
♠ K102
♥ J106
♦ Q108
♣ KQ82
West East
♠ J5 ♠ 876
♥ KQ854 ♥ 93
♦ 73 ♦ 964
♣ J974 ♣ A10653
South
♠ AQ943
♥ A72
♦ AKJ52
♣ -
South West North East
pass
1♦ 1♥ 2 NT pass
4 ♣ pass 4 ♦ pass
4 ♥ pass 4NT pass
6 NT
This is how Carole Roberts and Peter Middlehurst bid their way to 6NT.
None of the bids are alerted so I’ll have to guess what they meant! 4♣ , based on the 4♦ bid by North is Gerber. 4 ♦ shows 0 or 4 Aces. 4♥ is a cue bid and South raised 4NT to 6.
Now it all depends on the lead. I always try to tell people to play partners suit. There are 3 reasons for this. Firstly, it is often right. Secondly, it makes partner happy and thirdly, when it is wrong, you are on the right side of a bad argument.
Here a ♥ lead kills the contract as North has to go via the ♣ Ace to get close to 12 tricks. East had not heard my advice, so the serve was the ♣ Ace . After the Ace, another club was played, won in North with the Queen. There are now 13 tricks between the two hands, and Peter cashed 5 spade tricks and two diamond tricks before he claimed. The endeavour gave them a full pot of match points.
In second place Andrew O’Brien & Brian Irlam also got 10 Match Points by defending 4♠ and holding it to 11 tricks.
Kevin Wood and Phil Withers came third as they “only” got 7 Match Points for being in the top contract of 6 spades.
Congratulations to all.
This is the last Deal Of The Week. We will now change to Deal Of The Month, and publish it in the beginning og the month, starting in June. If you have a good hand, send me a line on Espen
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| April 19th 2021 |
Robots
A year ago not too many of the County’s players had come across BBO robots. Now we have learned to either love or hate them. One thing is certain - even though they can be erratic to say the least in the bidding, they do sometimes play very well.
Board: 5
Dealer: North
Vul: N/S
IMP
North
♠ Q4
♥ KJ32
♦ 10532
♣ 962
West East
♠ AK1075 ♠ J92
♥ 98 ♥ A105
♦ 964 ♦ AQJ
♣ J107 ♣ AK43
South
♠ 832
♥ Q764
♦ K87
♣ Q85
South West North East
pass 1♣
pass 1♠ pass 2NT
pass 3♦ pass 3♠
Pass 3NT pass 4♠
All pass
3♦ was new minor forcing, and the bot in East did not like ending up in 3 NT so converted to 4♠. The bidding might not be to your liking, but the Bot showed how to play the hand on the ♣ 6 lead (♥ lead is the best, but hard to find from KJ32!).
The lead was won in dummy with the Ace and a spade played to the Ace followed by a Diamond to the Ace. The ♠ Jack followed and when South didn’t cover the finesse was abandoned and the ♠ Queen fell from North. The ♠ 10 pulled the last trump and now came the first finesse with the ♣ Jack that ran to the Queen. South cashed the ♦ King, but that was the end of the road as West’s Heart loser was parked on dummies last Club when the suit split 3-3.
A nice lesson in finesse avoidance!
Espen Gisvold
PS
If you see a hand you think is worth mentioning please leave me a note at: Espen
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| April 12th 2021 |
Automatic Squeeze.
This hand popped up in the match between Je Vamp and Minty1 in 2nd Division of MCBA’s Online League. Paul Beckwith had this to say after the board: “Shows the downside of CRO overcalls. The line was pretty much marked once West has shown Spades and Clubs.”
Board: 7
Dealer: South
Vul: All
Teams
North
♠ Q105
♥ A9
♦ J753
♣ A732
West East
♠ AK942 ♠ 8763
♥ 8 ♥ J1076432
♦ 106 ♦ 2
♣ Q9864 ♣ 10
South
♠ J
♥ KQ5
♦ AKQ984
♣ KJ5
South West North East
1♦ 2♦(1) 3NT pass
6♦
(1) Spades and Clubs
The bidding might not have been scientific, but when partner has to bid 3NT, the options are to pass or to try for the slam. To do so in a scientific manner warrants a good defence against two suited overcalls.
At the other table, West only got to show her Spade suit before North showed a good raise by bidding 2 spades, East raised the ante to 3 and South bid the diamond game.
At both tables West started with the Spade Ace and switched to the singleton Heart won with the Ace in Dummy.
Barbara Lewis, with lack of the information given by the two suited overcall did not waste too much time or effort in looking for an overtrick, so after pulling the trumps, she cashed two top clubs and after cashing her hearts claimed 11 tricks.
Paul also, after pulling the trumps with the a small to the Ace and a small to the Jack took another round of diamonds with a Diamond to the King. Now he cashed all his Heart winners. He also cashed the Club King leaving:
North
♠ Q
♥ -
♦ 7
♣ A73
West East
♠ A9 ♠ 876
♥ - ♥ J10
♦ - ♦ -
♣ Q98 ♣ 10
South
♠ -
♥ -
♦ Q98
♣ J5
When he now cashed the ♦ Queen West could let go of a Spade. On the ♦ 9 West could discard a Club as did Paul from Dummy. When the last Diamond was played, West had no good card to discard. She decided to discard a Club and the ♠ Queen had now served its purpose and was discarded. A smal club to the ace took care of West's Queen and the ♣ Jack was the 12th trick.
It looks easy, but you have to see it and do it at the table.
Espen Gisvold
PS
If you see a hand you think is worth mentioning please leave me a note at: Espen
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| April 5th 2021 |
Trick One
Most mistakes by declarer are made at trick one. Even if Dummy has a singleton in the suit lead - stop to think and plan the play. This week’s hand shows how declarer can make life harder for the opponents at trick one.
Board: 17
Dealer: North
Vul: None
Matchpoint Pairs
North
♠ J3
♥ 965
♦ AQJ72
♣ A108
West East
♠ KQ852 ♠ 7
♥ AK4 ♥ J1087
♦ 84 ♦ 10653
♣ J65 ♣ Q754
South
♠ A10964
♥ Q32
♦ K9
♣ K92
South West North East
1NT pass
2♥ pass 2♠ pass
3NT All pass
I should maybe have given Janet the chance to decide whether or not to be in game, but an opening hand opposite an opening hand should have some play for a game.
At all but one table, East lead the ♥ Jack against the NT game North/South. At two tables the Jack was covered by the Queen and won by the King. Three more rounds of hearts followed and North had to give away a spade or a club at the end for 8 tricks only.
At two tables a small ♥ was played from Dummy and the Jack was allowed to win the trick. Now East has to switch to a spade to set the contract, but no-one can blame East for continuing ♥. West won with the King and cashed the Ace and switched to a Diamond.
Janet won in Dummy and run all her diamond winners ending with this position:
North
♠ J3
♥ -
♦ -
♣ A108
West East
♠ KQ ♠ -
♥ - ♥ 8
♦ - ♦ -
♣ J65 ♣ Q754
South
♠ A109
♥ -
♦ -
♣ K9
Janet now ran the ♠ Jack won by West, who tried to get off lead with a small club catching the Queen and King. The ♠ Ace killed the King so no need for a club finesse for 9 tricks.
Had East kept one more Spade and a club fewer, the club finesse would be needed after the ♠ Ace.
I guess I can excuse my crime of jumping to game and not inviting to game by my trust in Janet’s declarer play!
Espen Gisvold
PS
If you see a hand you think is worth mentioning please leave me a note at: Espen
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| The Right Slam |
The Right Slam
I hope I did not leave you all gasping with withdrawal syptoms last week when I failed to put up a new Deal Of The Week. I’ll do my best to not let that happen again!
This week features Joy & Irving Blakey - They could consider applying for a season ticket to the column - playing in Diumraid MASTER SWISS Teams.
Board: 15
Dealer: South
Vul: N/S
Teams
North
♠ Q
♥ 1032
♦ Q972
♣ Q10863
West East
♠ A10843 ♠ KJ5
♥ A9 ♥ KQ8654
♦ K103 ♦ AJ54
♣ KJ5 ♣ -
South
♠ 9762
♥ J7
♦ 86
♣ A9742
West North East South
pass
1♠ pass 2♥ pass
2NT pass 3♠ pass
4♠ pass 5♣ pass
5♦ pass 5♥ pass
6♠ All Pass
I’ll leave the pen to Irving:
“One Spade was 5+ and 2 NT showed 15-18 and denied 3♥ with max hcp. After my 4♠ , 3 cue bids followed before I bid 6♠. 6♥ would have been better leaving it to Joy to decide whether or not to play the slam in ♥ or ♠ but then there would be no story as she would have correctly passed 6♥ which was a lay-down 7 on the actual layout. (Identifying Key Queens tends to be difficult when there is a void).
30 out of 32 tables made 13 tricks in either major - one went off in 6♠ - (presumably not solving how to continue after starting correctly) and those in the more difficult Spade contract presumably not seeing the danger!
Our counterparts at the other table gambled 6H after a misguided Gerber enquiry identified there was an Ace missing!
Anyway, the play's the thing.
The ♣6 lead was ruffed in dummy. The ♠Jack was run to keep control whenever the trumps break 3-2
The Jack lost to the Queen and North continued with a second low Club ruffed with the ♠King. Heart to the Ace and the ♠Ace just to discover the 4-1 split. Now a trump Coup is the only way to succeed.
South must hold at least two Diamonds and because an extra entry to Dummy is needed via the finesse, North must be played for the Diamond Queen.
South in fact made the hand easier by discarding a Club not a Diamond on the third heart so I was (fortunately?) not further tested”
We mortals might need to fill in the details. After the ♠ Ace revealed the 4-1 break and the need for a trump coup, Irving continued with a H to the King. This is now the position with the lead in Dummy:
North
♠ -
♥ 10
♦ Q972
♣ Q10
West East
♠ 1084 ♠ -
♥ - ♥ Q865
♦ K103 ♦ AJ5
♣ K ♣ -
South
♠ 97
♥ -
♦ 86
♣ A97
Irving played the ♥Queen and as he points out, if South now discards a ♦ he is put to the test of ruffing the heart winner and then follow up with a ♦ to the Jack. As it was, South discarded a club as did Irving. Now he ruffed a Heart and South discard another Club. ♦ King and a ♦ to the Jack left these cards around the table:
North
♠ -
♥ -
♦ Q9
♣ Q
West East
♠ 108. ♠ -
♥ - ♥ 86
♦ 10 ♦ A
♣ - ♣ -
South
♠ 97
♥ -
♦
♣ A
When a ♥ was led from Dummy South could choose how to surrender. If South discards the ♣Ace Irving discards a Diamond and on the next card from Dummy Souths ♠97 is killed by Irvings ♠108. After a great piece of declarer play Irving emerged victorious with a 1 IMP loss!
Espen Gisvold
PS
If you see a hand you think is worth mentioning please leave me a note at: Espen
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| February 8th 2021 |
Expertise
Sunday 7th February Gazette Cup was played with 13 teams lined up. Peter Foster - John Roberts, Alec Smalley - Tom Slater, John Holland - Michael Byrne & Rodney Lighton - John Curriewon and will have the privilege of playing in the EBU’s Garden Cities competition - we wish them the best of luck.
This board from the competition that caught my eye:
Borad: 17
Dealer: North
Vul: None
North
♠ 82
♥ K10982
♦ 6
♣ J10643
West East
♠ KQJ107 ♠ A64
♥ Q74 ♥ A6
♦ 109732 ♦ AKQ
♣ - ♣ AK875
South
♠ 953
♥ J53
♦ J854
♣ Q92
West North East South
2♥ dbl pass
3♠ pass 4NT pass
5♥ pass 7♠ All pass
This is how the bidding went at the table where John Roberts and Peter Foster from the winning team was sitting North/South.
2 ♥ was weak and East/West rocketed themselves to the grand slam as the only pair in the competition.
North lead the single Diamond won with the Ace. West now continued with a small spade to the King followed by the Queen of Spade and a spade to the Ace. When the Diamond did not split, it was one down.
Can it be made? Lets give the pen to John Roberts:
“But declarer missed an extra chance.
Declarer should draw only two rounds of trumps before cashing a second top. diamond. If diamonds are 3-2 then revert to trumps and claim.
But if diamonds are 4-1 there is the slight extra chance that the hand with singleton diamond has only 2 spades, as was the case on this hand. The entries are there to cash the third diamond come to hand with a club ruff, ruff out the diamond suit before returning to hand to draw the last trump and claim.
If the Second top diamond is ruffed then the contract could not have been made anyway. This layout was quite likely after north's opening bid.
Fortunately for us, the failure to find this play converted what would have been an enormous minus for us into an enormous plus”
Lets hope they have the same skill and luck when they play in EBU’s Garden Cities!
Espen Gisvold
PS
If you see a hand you think is worth mentioning please leave me a note at: Espen
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| February 1st 2021 |
FOUR SLAMS
The probability that either side can bid a slam on any given hand, according to my research on the net, is 0,7% if we assume we need 33 hcp. The chances for us then having 4 slams in a row is for others to calculate, but high it ain’t!
In the match between Inverted Minors and Nelly it did happen though as the first 4 hands were slams! Slam three was a very difficult hand to declare and is all about timing and combining chances.
Board: 3
Dealer: South
Vul: E/W
Teams
North
♠ AK95
♥ 42
♦ A43
♣ KQ43
West East
♠ 42 ♠ J63
♥ 103 ♥ A976
♦ K10872 ♦ Q6
♣ J1096 ♣ 8752
South
♠ Q1087
♥ KQJ85
♦ J95
♣ A
West North East South
1♥
Pass 1♠ pass 3♠
Pass 4NT pass 5♣
Pass 5♦ pass 5♠
Pass 6♠
4NT was RKCB and 5♣ showed one of 5 aces. 5♦ Asked if South had the King and 5♠ confirmed its presence.
At the other table it stopped in 5♠ and East lead a club won in dummy and Declarer pulled 3 rounds of trump and West discard the ♥ 10 on the last trump. A heart from North and East jumped up with the Ace and it was all over.
Joy got the menacing lead of ♦ 6 won in hand. She cashed the ♠ Ace and played a club to the Ace. Now the ♠ Queen was cashed and a spade played to North, on which West discard a ♦ and the slam could no longer be made.
Joy did her best with a ♥ to dummy - ducked by East, a second high ♥ won with the Ace in East. East came off lead with the ♦ Queen which had to be ruffed with Dummies last ♠. When the ♥ Jack was cashed, and the suit didn’t split 3-3 Joy ended up losing a club at the end.
Lets Go bck to the situation after trick 3:
North
♠ K95
♥ 42
♦ 43
♣ KQ4
West East
♠ 4. ♠ J6
♥ 103 ♥ A976
♦ K1082 ♦ Q
♣ J109 ♣ 875
South
♠ Q108
♥ KQJ85
♦ J9
♣ -
As pointed out by Irving Blakey you now have to play a small ♠ from South to the King in North. Two top clubs are cashed discarding Dummies diamonds. Alt this point you play a ♥ towards Dummy, and East does best by ducking. North persists with another high Heart from Dummy. As soon as the second ♥ stands up you play a third. If either opponent ruff the third ♥ Declarer will get the rest on a cross ruff. As West did not have the last trump, North can win on a cross ruff or discarding allowing East to win just to establish the last Heart in dummy for her 12th trick.
A hand to study and relish.
Espen Gisvold
PS
If you see a hand you think is worth mentioning please leave me a note at: Espen
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