2022 Peggy Bayer Home Internationals #1

This year I am the non-playing captain (NPC) of the Scotland U21 team. Over the weekend we'll play multiple matches against England, Ireland and Northern Ireland (no Wales this year). We have three pairs, and since it's all virtual this year my main job is selecting the pairs and submitting our lineups. The team are all very well organised and punctual and so from that point of view it's been very successful.

As for the bridge, we started with a 20-0 win against Northern Ireland, followed by a 0-20 reversal against England. In the crunch match against Ireland I watched some of it with my partner from the SOL league, John Faben, and his six-month old baby. This was the board that caused most discussion:

Straight away it looks like trouble, with two strong but misfitting hands. On the other table the Irish North-South bid to 3NT, which looks like a good result. With tricks all over the place even baby Xander could make this one and the Irish declarer duly wrapped up 3NT+2.

On our table North started with 1♣ then bid Spades and Spades again after the fourth-suit-forcing 2♦ bid, which I think does nicely shows this sort of 6-5 hand. After that South has a problem. He went for 4NT, which is presumably Blackwood, in Spades? (It wasn't alerted and I haven't asked him).

North showed one keycard and South signed off in 5♥, and who knows what's happening now. Anyway they got to 6♥ which is a playable spot.

With the trumps and Clubs behaving nicely it can make, but could also be very awkward too.

Not wanting to lead away from any honours, West started with a trump. East did well to withhold the Queen, letting the ♥T in dummy win. Declarer is now home by drawing trumps and giving up a Spade. He did well to start immediately with a Spade from dummy (East might just play low with the Ace). When West won and returned a Diamond it was all over. Declarer drew trumps and claimed 12 tricks.

A rather fortuitous 13 IMP gain.

It wasn't enough to stop us losing to Ireland, 58-24 for a paltry 2.69 Victory Points. I always think the Victory Point scales are much to extreme in these Junior events, where you expect a lot of swings.

After this we beat Northern Ireland again and lost to England again. In that final match we lost 66-7, for a morale boosting 0.07 VPs.

These are the standings after Day One:

Tomorrow we will try to take a little more off England, and crucially beat Ireland so we can come second overall.