Falling to Pieces

In our almost-weekly Tuesday night game Anna and I got off to a cracking start this time. The children were all nicely in bed, and the first hand was Passed Out, giving us time to settle. Even better, we got 85% for it. At the end of the first half we were at about 60%, the only two bad results coming from when the opponents bid and made something that everyone should have bid and made.

The highlight was Anna bidding this 6♠, and employing a little deception to make it:

I have a balanced 14 count and a five card major. I could have opened 1NT but am fed up missing the major fit, so decided to open 1♥ prepared to make an uncomfortable 2♥ rebid. When Anna replied 1♠ I switched tack and rebid 1NT, showing 15-17 (which I don't have), as that makes it easier to find a Spade fit if there is one. As tends to happen when I upgrade my hand, Anna launched us into slam.

6♠ needs trumps to be 3-2 (or 4-1 the right way) and something good to happen in the other suits. Anna got this good thing straight away with a crafty ♦Q on the first trick, after South lead a low Diamond. North really shouldn't cover this, as he knows from the bidding that declarer has the ♦A, but couldn't resist and that was the 12th trick sorted.

Of the 22 tables, seven bid 6♠ (making six times), someone went down in 6♣ and two bid 6NT (making once). 6♠= was worth 82%.

In the second half things began to slide a bit. We didn't compete enough, and suffered a 0% when our opponents bid and made 6♥ (most other tables in 4♥+2).

The lowpoint was when I wasn't sure if Anna's bid was forcing or not, so bid on, and found myself in a hopeless 4♠. The most common result was 2♠-1, I recorded 4♠-4, which could have been a respectable (but still very low scoring) two off. The worst part of my game is when I am playing a bad contract, when I just fall to pieces. The full debacle is recorded below:

We finished in 15th place with 54%.

Festive Pairs

Anna and I started rather slowly, as is often our way. On Board 1 Anna missed my encouraging signal of the Seven of Hearts (we play reverse attitude but the 2,3,4,5,6 were all visible so the 7 was actually an encouraging low card). It's quite understandable that she missed this, as she was upstairs seeing Zoe who had lost Mini-Monkey. On Board 2 I could have been more competitive in the auction, but was helping Alex who had dropped Bunny over the side of the cot.

At the half way stage we had only two positive boards, one of which was when everyone passed and that gave us +1.1 IMPs.

Things picked up a bit after that, but mostly through the good fortune of the opponents underbidding. They played 3♦+2 (giving us +4.8 IMPs), 4♠+2 (+7.8) and 3♠+1 (+4.9). So our good scores were mostly lucky, our bad scores self-inflicted.

This was a very strange board:

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Anna opened 1♥ and after the double I have a fairly automatic 4♥ bid. I don't really like it, but it's got to be done. When that got passed around to East he doubled, with four tricks in his own hand, probably expecting his partner to pass. West had four Spades he hadn't mentioned though and removed the double to 4♠.

I thought about doubling this - I do have quite good Spades, but for all I know Anna has ♥AKQJxx and not much else and 4♠ is making with an overtrick. I passed, but with expectation of beating it.

In fact, we have four trump tricks. Declarer drew these, played some Clubs and finally lead a Diamond up. This finesse was bound to win, but as a bonus for declarer both Anna and I were hanging on to a Heart for some reason so came down to a doubleton Diamond, meaning declarer won the last trick with dummy's ♦5.

Our score of 4♠-1 was worth -2.4 IMPs, 4♠-2 would have been about 0. The reason we don't do better is that, rather surprisingly, 4♥ actually makes. With East on lead declarer can discard two Diamonds from hand on dummy's Spades.

The good thing about doing quite poorly at the start of the evening is that it takes the pressure off. On the last board I decided to try a manoeuvre I've read about in a book by Ely Culbertson. You overcall in your second best suit, get doubled, then remove to your best suit. The opponents of course double you again, but now you go ahead and make the contract.

When East opened 2NT (20-22) I decided not to be put off and swung into action, "Six-five, come alive".

I overcalled 3♣, and West doubled. I wasn't not sure what his double showed, and I'm not sure him or his partner did either. When it came back round I duly bid 3♥, doubled again. I was praying that Anna wouldn't have the sort of hand to correct me back to Clubs (that is the flaw in Culbertson's plan), but luckily it was passed out.

3♥x has at least five losers: one Heart, two Spades, two Clubs. So there's a chance of off one. As it happens Clubs are 4-2 and Hearts 3-1 so I can do no better than two down, still a good saving (-300) to their making game (4♠+1 for -450). My antics gained us 1.4 IMPs. Needless to say we were the only North-South pair declaring the contract.

Overall our IMP score of +6.95 was good enough for 15th out of 36.

Norfolk and Norwich Bridge

After another day quarantining Anna really fancied a game in the evening. Our local Buchanan club were having their Christmas party, so we looked further afield. On the recommendation of some locals we were put onto the Norfolk and Norwich Bridge Club. I looked at last week's results and it looked like there was a good standard.

The event was on Real Bridge, starting at 1915 but login from 1850. We have got better at getting the kids to bed early (dinner just after five helps, bath before dinner too), and were comfortably sitting down ready for this game.

The first few boards were competitive. I was pushed to 3♥, doubled and off one, for a good score against their making 2♠.

We were warned about Bogdan being a good player, and were slightly nervous on joining his table. It didn't help that they played a Polish Club system, where the 1♣ opening has three meanings (weak NT, 15-17 with Clubs, any 17+). We do actually have a defence for this (double is majors, 1NT is minors), but not surprisingly in the two board round it didn't come up anyway.

On the first one Bogdan propelled himself into an uncomfortable 5♥. We were unable to extract our three tricks and it made, giving us 30%. On the second I pushed to game with a distributional 10 point opener, and ended up making +2 when I managed to sneak a Spade through, giving us some matchpoints back.

One thing about Real Bridge is after every round you get to see the current standings. At the half way point we were in the lead, with Bogdan lurking in second.

In the second half I was mostly dummy. Anna played most of the hands, including these two with a similar theme, where you have to hold off ruffing in dummy so that you can establish the side suit.

The first was not a triumph:

Danny Anna W N E S 1♦ - 1♥ 1♠ 3♥ - - -

I open the West hand 1♦ and when Anna responds 1♥ I decide I am good enough for 3♥. It's not sensible for me to bid an immediate 4♥ as if Anna has four weak trumps and wasted Club honours it's got no chance. As it is, Anna has a very suitable hand, with the crucial fifth trump and King of Diamonds (my suit). It's a textbook hand that is weak in points but strong in tricks, but Anna chose to pass.

In 3♥ dummy has Clubs that can be ruffed, and also a source of tricks in Diamonds. It won't be possible to do both. At the table the defence took two Spades then North switched to a Diamond, which ran round to the Queen and Ace. At this point it's clear to go after the Diamonds, unblocking the ♦A, drawing trumps, then leading the ♦T from dummy and running it. Even if this loses you still have ten tricks (five top Hearts, four Diamonds and a Club ruff). On this layout you get 11 tricks, as North has the ♦J.

Anna followed this then mentally misclicked and ruffed dummy's ♦T, and she now can't set up the Diamonds and 11 tricks became 9. Lucky we were only in 3♥. 3♥= scored 10%, but as it happens even making 11 tricks would still only have scored 30%, as really the board was lost in the auction. It shows the good standard of the club that many were bidding 4♥ despite the limited values.

With two rounds to go we had slipped into second. Could Anna pull it back?

Danny Anna W N E S - 1♥ 1♠ 3♥ 3♠ 4♥ - - -

Anna has the strong NT hand sitting East and opened 1♥. South overcalled 1♠ and I made a pre-emptive bid of 3♥. Although I would like a fifth Heart for this, I have the distribution to play at the three level and it makes life hard for the opponents. My second choice would be 4♥, which (according to Andrew Robson) will often bounce North into 4♠, which goes one off.

Despite her flat nine-loser hand Anna found the raise to game, perhaps recognising her ♠Axx was likely opposite a void. The defence began with a Spade which she took with her Ace.

At this point a weaker declarer would undoubtedly have ruffed some Spades, as ruffing in dummy is so often the right thing to do. But the mark of a good player is to be more circumspect and play the suits in the right order. Anna saw the potential for dummy's Diamonds and so held off ruffing Spades, instead beginning with two top Hearts, catching South's ♥Q. At this point it would have been tempting to draw the last trump, but again the right play is all about timing and often it's best to live dangrously and start on side suits before drawing trumps.

Anna was in dummy, and now lead a Diamond up. North had to take the ♦K. He found the Club switch and Anna rightly rejected the finesse (there's time to set up the Diamonds for a Club discard, and Spade discard. At that point Anna drew the last trump and lead up a Diamond. South paused for three or four minutes, then ducked the Ace of Diamonds. In fact it doesn't matter, the Diamonds are going to be established and declarer makes 4♥+1 for 80%.

Along with that highlight there werew a few dodgy ones, and going into the last round we were sitting in third. Althouh we had a bad round our rivals must have done even worse, and so we ended up rather fortunately in first, with just 56.2%, one matchpoint ahead of Bogdan in second.

Choosing badly

Anna and I played in the SBU Tuesday pairs last night. We didn't do too well, with a score of about 25% after six boards rising to around 50% near the end then falling to 48% when I doubled 4♠ on the last and it made with an overtrick.

I wouldn't say I made any mistakes, but certainly judged lots wrongly. Here's one where on other day we both would have bid:

I have a 10 point 5431 hand as South. Opening 1♣ is fairly safe as I have a 1♠ rebid. However, on this occasion I passed. West opened a weak NT, and now Anna is close to a 2♠ overcall. She chose to pass, and we defeated 1NT by one trick when 4♠ is on our way. +50 was worth just 9.6%. as nearly everyone else North-South is playing in Spades. Although both Anna and I could have bid, really the credit goes to West for a winning 1NT opening (most tables opened 1♦ after which North has an easy 1♠ overcall).

Although opening light would have worked well here, it has it's risks, as partner can no longer assume you have a sound opening bid.

Here Anna opened 1♦, East overcalled 2♣ and I doubled for the majors. When Anna could only rebid 2♦ I passed. I have only 10 points, no fitting Diamond honours, and most of the time whenn we open 1♦ and rebid 2♦ it will be on a shapely 11 or 12 count. Here of course Anna had a full 15 points, a Club stop, and the Diamonds split 3-3, so 3NT can't fail.

In the play of 2♦ East lead ♣A and another (hoping to give partner a ruff), and when Anna managed to get a third Spade trick, that was 2♦+3. Still, most tables were in 3NT so our +150 was still only worth 19.2%. I would say this event has quite a high standard, and that correlates with quite a lot of pairs playing a strong NT, which made it easy for North-South to bid game here. If the Diamonds don't split 3NT is down though so so I'm calling this one unlucky for us.

Here's a good one (before our final catastrophe).

I open 1♦ and after West overcalls 1NT am poised to rebid 2♦ (I've learned it's important not to be put off by their NT bids and plough on). But they have some sort of transfers mishap (you can see the lack of alerts), and finish in 3♠. I lead the ♦A and it's crunch time. We play reverse attitude, so after a very long pause I can work out that Anna must have the singleton ♦5 (with ♦75 she would have discouraged with the ♦7). I could take my winning ♦K, or give her a ruff. I decide to give her a ruff, which here is the winning choice. Even better I lead a low Diamond and Anna returns a Club, developing our winner in that suit.

On this occsaion, if I lead a high Diamond it gives declarer a useful ♦Q discard. On another day that discard might be no use, and the winning defence would be for me to cash two Diamonds and play a third for Anna to ruff high (with a hypothetical ♠J).

Conceding 3♠= on a careful defence gets us 73%, as most tables are conceding 10 tricks.

Our final board is this disaster:

I open 1♣ and North overcalls 4♠. I double this, and await Anna's move. She plays me for a very specific hand that can beat 4♠ but we can't make a game (perhaps all four Aces), and passes. This does not go well, as North has a very solid overcall and South two useful Aces. On seeing dummy I thought Anna must have some decent Spades to have passed the double, but when declarer's ♠9 holds I realise we're in trouble. Conceding 4♠x+1 is worth 3.9%, just losing to the pair who bid and made 6♠.

Feeling sharp

Anna and I played the SBU Tuesday pairs again this week. Unusually, we both felt fairly sharp. In 24 boards we had just four bad results

• Board 2 - I decided to balance and pushed the opponents into a making game
• Board 4 - Opponents bid to a making 7NT
• Board 14 - Poor defence from Anna lets 3NT make, poor defence from me gives the overtrick
• Board 18 - An aggressive 4♥ goes four off

The first of these is pictured below:

Even though I didn't like the vulnerablity I still thought it was right to protect with a double. East had paused for a long time before passing 2♥. I thought that meant he would be sure to push to 3♥; I didn't anticipate West bidding on then East bidding game. With Hearts 3-2 and the Diamond Ace onside 10 tricks can't be prevented. Conceding 4♥ was worth exactly 0%, as on 26 tables we were the only ones to concede game (the other two times it was bid it went down, once on a sneaky low Diamond lead).

If I pass out 2♥ and we concede 2♥+2 we still only get 25%, so in a sense I was right to try and disturb the opponents from their comfortable fit. The good North-South scores were when East took only nine tricks in Hearts, or opened a strong NT and played there.

My next featured hand was a good one, as the opponents went down in 6♠:

I thought I might have a trump trick, so lead the ♣A. This turned out to be crucial, as if I don't do it declarer can make easily by playing the top two trumps then Hearts, discarding both Clubs in hand and accepting the loss of one trump. Once I've taken the ♣A she needs to get trumps right. With nine trumps she played the ♠A then lead to dummy. I made sure to play my ♠6 instantly and she duly played the ♠A. 6♠-1 was worth 84%.

Overall we finished on 56.08% for 9th out of 52 pairs.

SBU Winter Congress Mixed Pairs (Bronze)

I've played bridge three times this week, which must be a record. The SBU pairs on Tuesday with John, Team Rowan with Anna on Thursday and last night the SBU Winter Congress Bronze Pairs. Thinking ourselves to be among the better bronze players, we fancied we had a good shot at winning this. Anna was very interested in the first prize of two bottles of champagne.

It turned out not to be. Although we started well, a couple of bad decisions, a couple of mistakes, and some good play from our opponents denied us the good fortune you need to do really well in a pairs event. For example, once Anna chose to open 1NT; holding ♠KQJxx and we ended up in a non-making 3NT instead of a good 4♠; on another day our 3NT contract would be the winner. We finished 10th on 55.8%.

The event was played on Real Bridge, a new website where you can see everyone's face and hear them. It took a bit of getting used to, but actually I think I quite like it. It all worked smoothely, and certainly feels a lot more like actual bridge.

Anna played well as declarer, and her bold bidding got us a few rewards. We were all quite surprised on the first hand when she made a takeout double with 7 points (three Queens and a Jack) but it worked out well. On this one she is declarer in a tricky 1NT contract:

Danny South W N E S 1NT - - -

Anna opened the South hand 1NT. I thought for quite a while about bidding Stayman, then decided to pass. My Stayman bid would only really backfire if Anna had five Clubs, which is indeed the case, so I'm glad I passed (we would have ended up in an awful 2♦).

The prospects in 1NT are good, as you have six top tricks and either the ♠K or ♥Q could be the 7th. After a Diamond lead the defence took the first four tricks, then it was crunch time for West. The lead of either major will allow declarer the 7th trick. But he lead a Club. Anna unblocked the Clubs and lead a Heart up, but East took her ♥K and now the Hearts are blocked. For this reason it's probably better to lead a Spade up to the King, as if that is onside you do actually get a 7th trick. But from my seat in dummy I was also thinking "lead a Heart!", so we were both wrong.

There was no way for Anna to untangle her tricks so 1NT-1 was the result, for a 20% board. Most other tables got the same Diamond lead, but made 1NT. I suspect this is because after West took the fourth Diamond he switched to either Spades or Hearts (perhaps following a signal from partner). 1NT= would have scored 65%.

Team Rowan vs Team Jacobin

Last night Anna and I played our second league match for Team Rowan. It was total points, so that means bidding games (and slams) where possible. We applied this principle, but it didn't pay off. Every time we stretched to bid game, trumps split badly and we couldn't make it. Twice we investigated slam, and ended up going down at the five level. It doesn't matter if trumps split badly when you're in the same game everyone will be in (the result will be the same at the other table), but it's bad luck if you bid an ambitious game and things fall badly.

By contrast our opponents lead rather a charmed life. Once one of them made a transfer into Hearts with just ♥94. Luckily their partner had ♥AKQJ4. Once the responder held ♠AKJ3 ♥AQ5 ♦43 ♣8765, and decided to make a non-forcing bid, which miraculously lead to them avoiding a bad game (opener had a ten count).

And what would you lead opposite 4♥ with ♠AJ62 ♥J3 ♦875 ♣AJT2 ? They found the ♣A lead, then when partner discouraged still continued with a Club to the King, the only way to beat the contract.

We were not without luck ourselves. The hand below was a stroke of good fortune:

After Anna competes with a double I stick my oar in with a risky 3♠ bid. At this point Anna should really bid game straight away (all she needs is for me to have the ♠K and ten tricks are likely). But she passes, then the opponents compete and end up pushing us into a making game.

After they take the first three tricks, South plays another Diamond. I'm now trapped in dummy. I did consider playing for trumps 3-0 (and Diamonds 4-1) and ruffing Diamonds back to hand to take a trump finesse, but decided that playing for a singleton ♠K needed less. When that worked, we made the game. South can make it harder for me by returning a trump at trick four, after which I would have a decision to make.

Our fortunate +620 here was a great score. On the other table in our match East-West also got to and made 4♠, after West bid Spades directly. In the other match our North-South pair did very well to make 4♥, and our East-West pair beat 5♥ by one trick. So overall for Team Rowan +620, -620, +620 and +100, making for a good board.

The next board is my folly (there's always one):

I have a big 21 point hand, but don't want to open 2NT with a weak singleton and didn't think it was strong enough for 2♣. I thought if I open 1♣ someone is bound to respond/overcall (it's more risky opening this sort of hand 1♠). To my relief Anna responded 1♥. I could have bid 2♠ showing a strong 5-4 hand, but kept things simple with 1♠. When Anna now bid 2♠ I thought I'd hit the jackpot.

All I need is for Anna to have the ♠K, and with my controls and Club suit slam is very likely. If she has the ♠K and ♦A I'm bidding seven. There's not much point cuebidding, as she can't have anything, so I just asked for Aces. Sadly, she had none, North doubled and I was in a doomed contract.

The double has told me all of the trumps are onside, so in theory I can get by losing just one trump and the ♦A. But the problem is, I keep having to ruff Diamonds, so North ends up with another trump trick. I realised this too late, and gave away an extra trick trying to draw trumps, rather than gracefully accepting the loss of three tricks and one off. At total points, the -500 for two off doubled vulnerable was not good.

On the other table in our match the opposition West also went off two in 5♠, but undoubled for a loss of only 200 points. In the other match Team Rowan went one off in 5♠ (well played) and defended 5♣, which also went off. So every contract failed, but I failed the most so the team lost points here.

Funnily enough if I open 2♣ that probably keeps the bidding lower.

My last featured board is another sad loss

Anna opened 1♥ and then rebid 2♣, promising five Hearts. I then overbid a bit with a jump to 4♥. Although Anna is weak in points her 5-5 shape mean game has a chance.

Here's my logic to bidding the game, vulnerable, at total points. If it makes we get +620, compared to +170, so a gain of 450. If it fails we get -100, compared to +140, so a loss of 240. The potential gain therefore far outweighs the loss, and in fact game only needs a 38% chance to be worth bidding.

Things looks promising on the ♦A lead. If trumps split and we can avoid a Club loser it's home. Anna goes for the Club finesse, which fails and it's off one. This finesse is not a good idea, as even if it works you still need to ruff lots of Clubs. So I think it's best to lead the ♣J (in case you get a cover) then take a ruffing finesse. That would certainly have worked here anyway.

One off cost us -100, and another -170 when the other table made 3♥+1. In the other match we conceded another 140 for 3♥=, and on the last table the board was passed out, for an overall loss on the board.

Overall our match was a heavy loss, but the other table a big gain so Team Rowan won the match by 10-6.

Finding the Queen

John Di Mambro and I played in the SBU pairs last night. It felt like there were a lot of low level contracts, most of which I was playing, most of which I could have got one more trick.

After they bid 1♦-2♦ John steps in with a double. This is matchpoints so you have to compete, and even if he passes I would still have bid 2♠. As it is, opposite his double I'm pretty confident of making 2♠. When trumps are 3-1 I'm down to eight tricks, nine if I can guess the Heart Queen. Who has it? I really thought about this, then got it wrong.

I know that North has about 12 points (they played a strong NT), and South about 6. From the play in the Diamond suit South has the King, meaning he must have one more honour somewhere. Could it be the clubs;K? After I take my ♣A I lead a Club up from dummy to find out. South ducked this, so I decided they couldn't have the King. Hence I presumed they had the ♥Q, and finessed the wrong way. 2♠= scored 22%, making 2♠+1 would still only have been 39%, as most East-Wests were scoring 200+ from defending when North opened a weak NT.

Could I have guessed better? Later in the play South threw a Heart, which is not likely from someone who has ♥Qxx. Maybe that's the clue I should have been looking for.

By contrast, here's one I played well:

My redouble shows 9+ without good support, and the 2NT is natural and aggressive. John had no problem raising to 3NT with his good suit. I'm expecting to need the Diamonds to make it, but then realise I've four top losers already. So if I play on Diamonds, and they don't split, I'll have five losers. If I can get six tricks outside of Diamonds I can make the contract safely. This turns out to be the case, as my Hearts and Spades get established, and I then play on Clubs instead.

Making 3NT is worth 67%, but this is mostly for bidding it. It would have been a better score (comparatively) if the Diamonds didn't split.

Overall we scored 51% to finish just above half way.