Our newly promoted Team Rowan have lost their last three matches 16-0, including this one. On our table Anna and I were up against Derek Sanders and Gints Freimanis, who I have played alongside a little in the SOL league. They gave us a sound beating, getting to and making a lot of games.
Anna and I played OK. We made two mistakes failing to get a game, plus I expect our defence wasn't as challenging as it could have been.
However, at the start of the match I'd say we were briefly ahead. Near the start they drove to slam with a flat 10 count opposite a 2NT opener (6♥-1), then we had a go at our own slam:
My first bid of Jacoby 2NT showed a game forcing raise in Spades. Anna could have shown a second suit or a singleton, but instead went for 3NT which for us shows six losers. When I bid 4♣ I was pleased to see her cuebid Diamonds, then I signed off lacking a Heart control. Anna had one so bid on, getting us to the decent spot of 6♠.
At least it's decent until East led a Heart. At that point there appears to be two inescapable losers. There is one legitimate line of play - to play Diamonds from the top hoping that one defender has ♦Jxx and also has the ♠A singleton. When they ruff your fourth Diamond away goes your last Heart. Anna instead went for sneaking a trump through before playing Diamonds, but it didn't work. Three of the four tables played 6♠-1, the other 4♠+1. The leads were a Club or a Spade, after which declarer must have thought they were going to make 12 tricks until they found the bad Diamond split.
Next I found myself in a tricky 4♠.
The auction is confusing but we ended in a decent spot. West led a Heart and you can see dummy and declarer have mirror distribution. This suggests an endplay.
After East took his two Hearts he switched to a Club. I won with the Ace (saving the ♣J), drew trumps, got the Diamonds right, and finally conceded a trump to West. He had the choice of leading Clubs round to my ♣KJ or giving me a ruff and discard. Either way it's 4♠=.
Except that's not what happened. After taking the first Heart East found an immediate Club switch. Now I'm scuppered. When West gets back in he can safely play another Heart across to East who plays the killing second Club. One off. It was great defence from both of them.
On the other tables it was 4♠-2 twice (declarer getting the Diamonds wrong) and once 5♣-4 from the Wanderers North-South. So in fact this board was a rare profitable one for Team Rowan.
Not making that game (but knowing how to) was the high point for me. After that we slipped somewhat, culminating in a 6000+ point defeat overall.
Although the defeat was comprehensive there was some luck involved, both for us and against, as these two hands demonstrate:
Gints and Derek play a relatively simple system, and 2♦ was natural (and not game forcing). Anna therefore felt she could weigh in with 2♥. It's one of those occasions where bidding 3♥ might actually have been safer (as I won't play her for having so much defence). When the opponents got to 3NT, I fancied a double. I know that they've chosen to bid 3NT, but I figure with my Spades and Clubs sitting over declarer (and presumably partner has smoe Diamonds over West) it's not going to play well at all.
Plus, on the last hand they doubled me in 4♥ when things were sitting badly and I went two off, giving me more confidence it was the right thing to do.
However, here the Diamonds are running and declarer has 10 tricks in 3NT (the Spades are blocked but after taking all his winners declarer can play a Club from dummy and ends up with a tenth trick).
West passed the double of 3NT but East removed to 4♣. I felt obliged to double that, and also 4♦ when that came round.
This needs us to find at least one ruff to beat it, and we did. Anna led a Club to my Queen, and I returned a Heart and got a ruff. I still have my ♣A for one down, a great relief as I thought they were about to make 4♦x. As Anna pointed out afterwards I can give her a Club ruff, and maybe should have, but thought it might be declarer with a singleton Club so didn't want to risk trying to cash my ♣A getting it ruffed and letting the contract make.
On the other table West opened a very strong 3♦ and played there. The defence did get both ruffs for one off, so our gain was not what I hoped (but better than them making 3NTx+1).
On this last board I felt hard done by as it was the one board that the opposition didn't bid game on, despite having the values for it:
Anna's cheeky 1♠ opening left them in only 2♥, but the 5-0 trump break means 9 tricks are the limit. At the other table Colin and Sheena did well to find 4♥ but lost out as it went one off.
