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%.