Saturday Aggregate at Buchanan

Team Rowan are having a poor run in the Glasgow League, and after the last loss our captain made a little hint that maybe we'd benefit from a bit of practice at the club. Consequently me and Anna took advantage of the once monthly Saturday bridge at the Buchanan to try the aggregate tournament.

When we drove up there was a crowd outside. Smokers? No, they were locked out. After a few minutes someone produced both a set of keys and the code to the alarm and we got inside. The Club President was very apologetic, and decided not to collect any table money and give everyone a free drink.

Although it's been a month or so Anna and I had no preparatory discussion and were soon in the thick of it. With no one vulnerable (and aggregate scoring), your right hand opponent deals and opens 3♠.

♠J3 ♥AQ732 ♦J ♣AQT93

1. What do you bid with this hand?

Before you suggest it, we do not play Non-leaping Michaels, and Anna won't even let me finish explaining what it is. I went for a double. To my surprise, the pre-emptor's partner then pulled out the Stop Card and produced 5♦! This was the full auction and deal:

No one vul N deal ♠ A K T 9 8 6 5 ♥ 9 ♦ 6 5 ♣ 7 6 2 ♠ Q 7 2 ♥ K T 8 5 4 ♦ T 4 ♣ J 5 4 7 6 14 13 ♠ J 3 ♥ A Q 7 3 2 ♦ J ♣ A Q T 9 3 ♠ 4 ♥ J 6 ♦ A K Q 9 8 7 3 2 ♣ K 8

Anna Danny W N E S 3♠ x 5♦ - - -

Anna lead the ♣4 against 5♦. I won the ♣A and went into a think. I could think of good reasons to lead a Club (maybe we have two winners to cash), a Diamond (cut down on ruffs in dummy) and a Spade (cut off the long suit). I agonised for a bit then returned a Club. Turned out it didn't matter, declarer always has 11 tricks. 4♠ also makes exactly. In the seven tables in the event North-South bid and made game on four, and on the other three East-West found a Heart sacrifice.

After this me and Anna had a run of good results, including doubling the opponents in 5♣. We took this off five, with declarer only making her six Club tricks, for a useful 1100 points. Our other doubles weren't so good. Anna doubled 1NT which made, then on the very last round came the tragedy below, against Mandy and Ronnie:

EW vul N deal ♠ T 8 7 ♥ Q J 9 7 ♦ Q T 8 6 ♣ J 6 ♠ A 6 4 ♥ 8 5 ♦ A K 9 7 5 ♣ Q 9 4 6 13 7 14 ♠ K Q J 9 ♥ 6 2 ♦ J 4 3 ♣ 8 7 3 2 ♠ 5 3 2 ♥ A K T 4 3 ♦ 2 ♣ A K T 5

Danny Mandy Anna Ronnie W N E S 1♥ x 3♥ 3♠ 4♥ 4♠ - - 5♥ x - - -

South opened 1♥ and I had the West hand.

2. Do you agree with my first bid of double?

After I did double North made a pre-emptive raise of 3♥, and Anna weighed in with 3♠. North bid 4♥ and I thought Anna had more Spades and more distribution so went for 4♠, which could have been expensive (three off). South saved me by bidding 5♥, which I eagerly doubled, then bodged the defence horribly.

First I cashed the ♦A, then the ♠A on which Anna played the ♠9, which for us is discouraging. Then I then continued with the ♦K, which declarer gratefully ruffed. He can now draw trumps and throw away his remaining two Spade losers on the two Diamonds. A disaster, conceding 5♥x= for -650. Every other table played the hand in a partscore. I wish Anna had played the ♠K on my ♠A to show me she had the ♠KQJ, but even so my defence is mad and if I just keep it cool and don't set up the Diamonds we take it two off.

After this I was a little on the tilt. The next hand was passed out and then I picked up the ideal hand for someone on the tilt. Anna dealt and opened 1♥, and I had:

♠5 ♥Q76432 ♦AQ53 ♣84

If you apply the losing trick count, it's a monster hand, and I soon got us to 6♥:

Game all S deal ♠ 5 ♥ Q 7 6 4 3 2 ♦ A Q 5 3 ♣ 8 4 ♠ Q J 4 2 ♥ A K T 5 ♦ 8 7 ♣ A K 9

Ronnie Danny Mandy Anna W N E S 1♥ - 3♠* x 4♣ - 4NT* - 5♦* - 6♥ - - -

Anna received a Spade lead, messed around for a while ruffing in both hands [Edit - ruffing in the North hand a lot], then finally took the Diamond finesse. It won, so we made the slam. Everyone else was in 4♥.

In the end we finished as the 2nd East-West pair behind Pauline and Ian Foulds. Mandy and Ronnie were the top North-South pair. Full results here.