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:
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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?
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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.
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