Glasgow League: Rowan vs Metropole

Anna and I had a good set here, mostly in defence. I bid pretty boldly and stole a few contracts. This was our highlight:

I have a great hand as East and was poised to make a Michael's bid but instead opened 1♥. Surprisingly Anna replied 1♠ and I splintered in Clubs. My aim was now to get Anna to bid Blackwood so I could show my Club void. This all worked out well, albeit with some big pauses in the auction while we both tried to remember the responses. After my 5NT Anna knew I had a void, obviously in Clubs, so she knew her Ace there was worthless and signed off in 6♠.

This made comfortably, as it did on every other table. I've called it our highlight though as we were the only pair to investigate 7♠, and would have been able to bid it if it was there.

Overall Team Rowan lost the match 9-7.

Failing in 7NT

I have two teams in the SBU Bronze League this year - my 'veterans' who have now left school and my 'Juniors' who have just joined the bottom division. Last Wednesday I ended up playing for the veterans while also directing the Juniors - some of whom left at half-time thinking the match was over. I was madly messaging everyone to try and get that match back on track, while in the match I was playing I was faced with this hand:

Aidan had the big East hand and opened 2♣. I think most would say the hand is not good enough, as you have four losers and not enough tricks, but I have seen Aidan open a light 2♣ before so can't blame him for what followed. His counterpart, the East for our opponents Amisfield also chose to open 2♣.

With my strong West hand I was tempted to bid an immediate 7NT, but started with 2♦. Partner predictably bid Hearts, then Hearts again, and after my Blackwood bid showed the expected three keycards. If we had a method of asking for Kings I'd have done it; instead I just bid 7NT.

If partner has the expected solid Hearts, Ace of Spades, and at least one more King (Spades or Diamonds please) then we should be big favourites. As it is, it looks like it depends on a finesse.

Although you wouldn't generally like to be in a grand slam on a finesse, it's actually not too bad if you assume the other team are in 6NT. If the finesse works we gain about a game swing, if it fails we lose about a game swing. Of course the flaw in my reasoning is that if East opens 1♥ (as I would have) it might actually be quite hard to get to slam (makes the 2♣ opener look a bit better), and I'd feel foolish playing 7NT-1 against 4♥ on the other table.

In 7NT North led a Heart, a sensible safe lead. There are 11 top tricks. If the Diamonds come home you have plenty of tricks. Is there also a chance of a squeeze? Not really, as your only threats are the Spades and Diamonds in your hand. If North has the missing Kings (as here) he gets to choose what to discard after you, and if South has them that means the Diamond finesse was working anyway.

I ran a few Hearts then took the losing Diamond finesse. As I'd also cashed the ♠A in preparation for an end-position that didn't happen that meant off two. On this layout I can't do any better and I think I was technically right in assuming that I needed the Diamond finesse. I chose to take it early so I could then decide what to do if it won but the Diamond King didn't drop under the Ace, (if I play all my winning Hearts I have to throw away too many cards from dummy and can't then squeeze South).

However, I now wonder if I should have ran all of the Hearts, which would put a lot of pressure on North. He was already slowing down with his discards. I know that my Clubs aren't a threat but he doesn't, and I wonder if he would have been forced to e.g. bare the Diamond King. Would I have then dropped it with my Ace, or finessed anyway? Who knows - it would have been an interesting test.

As it was that was 14 IMPs out against 6NT= on the other table.

After that I was slightly on the tilt, but in a good way, and made just enough IMPs back on the last two boards. We won the match 53-35 overall.

This earlier deal was a great result for Aidan and I:

I made a rather reckless 3♥ overcall (having length in right-hand opponent's suit is a good thing I thought) and over their natural 3NT Aidan found a bold 4♥, doubled. There is at least one loser in each suit, plus I need to ruff some Spades but also draw trumps, and guess Diamonds right.

On a Spade lead from North I played low and South played the Ace, then tried to cash some Clubs. I ruffed in and now have to be careful. If I try and draw trumps then the defence could duck the King. Then what do I do? If I play another round of trumps they could win and play trumps again, leaving me without a Spade ruff. If I play Spades myself I could get stuck in dummy and forced to lead away from the Diamonds. I attacked the problem head-on and led a Diamond to the Jack and Ace. With Diamonds 3-2 I'm home now (as it happens with trumps 2-2 I'm always safe).

4♥x-1 for -200 was a good score against game making the other way. Our opponents said they were thinking about bidding 4NT. This has exactly nine top tricks, but who knows what might have happened on the run of the Clubs. On the other table North chose to double the 3♥ overcall, leading to 5♣=, so we gained 7 IMPs on this one.

A rare triumph

My new team of youngsters have been having a tough time in Division 5 of the SBU Bronze League, losing all their matches rather heavily. On more or less every game hand they lose about 10 IMPs. However, this was a rare triumph that made me very proud. 

The more experienced neevie14 was substituting in and found herself declarer in 3NT on the hand below (we have more trouble with the play than the bidding). 
  

East led a Heart and declarer had a think. It looks obvious to develop the Clubs, coming to 2 Spades, 5 Clubs and 2 Hearts. And you do have just enough time to develop the Clubs before your Heart stoppers are gone. But what if the defence duck the Clubs? If on the opening lead you make the instinctive second hand low play of a low Heart from dummy, winning the Ace in hand, you could be forever stranded from those Clubs. What did neevie do?

I'm delighted to say she rose with the ♥K, knocked out the ♣A, and collected nine tricks. Bravo - a great hand for advance planning.

On the other table 3NT was played by South, and the defence was not as challenging resulting in 3NT+2 and a loss of 2 IMPs. But we'll take that.

SBU Bronze League Week 3

This was the debut of my S2 players in the SBU Bronze League. They did well, with plenty of good stuff. The lunch-time before we'd done a lesson on ruffing in dummy, and I was pleased to say they took it on board and did lots of ruffing in the match. In fact, maybe too much ruffing, as there were a couple of times they could have drawn trumps but didn't. They played the first 8 boards, then in the second half myself and the more experienced S3 took over. We did slightly worse, but did well on this deal:

I opened 1♥ and Isla correctly replied 2NT showing 10-12 balanced. I raised to 3NT, and West led the King of Diamonds.

At this point I encourage the pupils to count sure tricks. You have 2 Spades (Ace and King), 0 Hearts, 1 Diamond (the Ace you just won), 3 Clubs. That only makes six.

Where are the other three coming from? You can get two more from Diamonds (the Ace-King are already gone, knock out the Queen and you have the next two). You can get one more from Hearts. What can go wrong? In theory, nothing. You have no weak suits so have plenty of time to establish your three extra tricks.

Our young declarer got me worried by cashing a couple of Spades and a couple of Clubs. Those are not the suits to build extra tricks. However, right at the last minute, she switched to Hearts then finally played Diamonds to secure nine tricks. Well played!

This was a great relief. We bid and made a game. This was a rare flat board but we lost the match overall.

SBU Bronze League 12 - Week 1

This season I've bitten off more than I can chew and am looking after two teams in the SBU Bronze League. Last night they were both in action. My team of players who left school last year can look after themselves and recorded a fine win in Division 2. I was playing in the new team of younger Juniors who have entered the league in the lowest Division 5. Based on last night, where we played fairly well but lost 18-2, I think we are going to struggle.

I partnered the most inexperienced player, who goes by the username iscucumber. She ended up being declarer 7 out of 16 boards, including three in a row. She lost the plot on the last one (2♥-3, making on the other table), but did very well apart from that.

This board was my favourite:

We play a very simple system, which worked well for us here. After partner opened 1NT I could reply 2♣, natural.

East led a Heart. I immediately set about trumps, taking five tricks there plus four Hearts for 2♣+1. This looked like a great result, until I realised that actually with Hearts and Clubs splitting we could make 4♥. On the other table our team-mates successfully got to 2♠ by West, but some strange things happened and it went one off, for a flat board.

Rowan vs Hamilton

In our first league match of the season it became apparent that the children now go to bed a little later, and the 7pm start time was pushing it. We had to have a break after four boards so Alex could get a bedtime story. Then, as I was in the middle of a tricky 6♦ contract, I heard a little voice say from downstairs "Have you even taken any tricks yet?". It was Zoe, watching Anna's screen.

As it happens, I took all 13 tricks:

In the auction Anna's 1NT rebid showed 15-17, and my 2♣ was Checkback Stayman, asking for extra length in the majors. I was hoping for a Heart fit, but when Anna bid a negative 2♦ I knew that with short majors she was likely to have at least something in Diamonds, so felt fairly confident bidding the slam. In fact we could easily have hand a grand slam on if she has the perfect cards.

In 6♦ I got a Heart lead. Prospects are good. I drew trumps in two rounds and now the contract is secure. I think the best line for an overtrick is to test if the Club Queen drops, then if not try the Spade finesse. That led to 6♦+1.

On the other table they stopped in 5♦+2, after some good pre-emmpting in Spades from our team-mates Colin and Sheena Hamilton.

In the other match Jill and Barbara had no problem getting to 6♦+1, and on the fourth table the contract was the rather shakier 6♥=.

Now here is a pair of hands the indicate quite a gulf in the bidding style of my partner and I:

I have responded to Anna's takeout double with a free bid of 2♥, despite only having four Hearts and a bad hand. Maybe I should have said nothing. Later Anna bid 3♥ and I had to play it. Against ruthless defence from John Wilson and Kenneth Crooks the defence took the first eight tricks fro 3♥-4 (only good thing is one other table played 3♥-5).

It's unlucky to go four down, but we have certainly overcompeted with 3♥.

Compare with this deal from our recent Scottish Cup defeat:

This time I've made a takeout double, but Anna has still passed, with a much better hand than the one I bid 2♥ on in the deal above.

Overall we lost the league match 13-3.

Scottish Cup Round 1

Last Saturday Anna and I made a return to the Scottish Cup. We last played in this event in 2015, and lost a nailbiting first round match by just two IMPs (see here). This year we teamed up with my former pupils Kevin and Michael, who have plenty of time on their hands before starting University in about October.

Our opponents were a strong team headed by Finlay Marshall and Patrick Home. It was to be a step up for all of us, not least in the number of boards, 32 in a row, starting at 730 pm. This represents a particular challenge for Anna and I, as one child goes to bed about 715 and the other about 830. At one point while dummy I went through to read Zoe as story and she said "you look very red-faced", but overall I think I handled the pressure well.

However, the match started poorly with a nervous 3H+2, before our opponents judged well to stop low and made 1NT (they were Norman Lazonby and Alastair White - who I have since learned are not as experienced as Finlay and Patrick, but are Scottish Senior Chess players and certainly played a good game against us). Our team-mates went off in 2NT, before things settled down.

Most of my declarer hands were very simple, and I played them swiftly. But this one was a challenge:

Anna's 2♠ bid showed a good Diamond raise. When it got back to me over 3♠ I thought I actually had rather a good hand, with good trumps, good Clubs, and nothing wasted in Spades, so ventured a natural 4♣. Looking back, maybe I should have passed, giving Anna the opportunity to bid 3NT. Over my 4♣ we had a rather uncertain auction but thankfully stopped in 5♦, which at least had some play.

I got a Spade lead to the Jack and Ace then a Spade return. It's tempting to let this run round and make dummy's Queen a winner, but actually that would be my second loser with at least one more to come. I worked out my only chance of making it was if the Club finesse worked, and the Heart finesse worked, and Hearts were 3-3 allowing me to discard the third Club from dummy. So overall not a great contract. I played for this line but got the timing wrong (drew trumps instead of taking the Club finesse when I had the chance), and ended in the wrong hand at the end. I was releived with the Club King was offside, as 5♦ was unmakeable, but I should have played it better.

On the other table East doubled instead of overcalling 1♠ and North-South got to 3NT. On the Spade lead this isn't guaranteed, but declarer guessed correctly to take the Heart finesse and made overtricks.

The team conceded a few game tight game contracts, which I put down to good declarer play by our opponents, and lost the first half 19-61.

In the second half this hand featured my second major blunder:

Patrick Home decided to open his hand at the one level, then insisted on Hearts up to 4♥. Anna led a Club, which declarer won in hand then played Spades. The defence started well, as I took the Ace of Spades (ducking gives the contract) then returned a Diamond (before declarer gets to discard it on the Spades). Then the crunch came as declarer led the ♥J from dummy. I paused, then fatally covered. This means the defence gets only one trump trick and the contract makes.

There are some layouts where covering gains a trick, but not many. And, crucially, we needed two trump tricks to beat the contract (which I knew), and ducking gives us the best chance of this. I was convinced that declarer had the ♥AK from the bidding, and didn't envisage this hand at all. For my money, if you're going to bid like that you might as well open 4♥, but perhaps I need to update my thinking. On the other table Michael opened 3♥ and played there, for a game swing away.

In the second half Kevin and Michael generated a few gains. Once they made 4♠ with four top losers (gaining one on the lead), then came this deal:

They've both bid to the max to get to a decent 4♠. Assuming one trump loser you have eight top tricks: 5 Spades, 1 Heart, 1 Diamond, 1 Club. You can ruff a Club for the 9th, and the Diamond finesse looks the obvious bet for the 10th. In fact, establishing the long Diamonds could generate plenty of tricks.

Michael got a ♣K lead. I might have ducked this, (hoping for a trump switch), but he took the Ace and returned a Club. East won and tried a trump now. West did well to withhold the King. Michael took a Diamond finesse and West now couldn't continue trumps without giving a trick. He tried a Club, and Michael was now able to set up the Diamonds (Ace and ruff high in hand) and still had an entry. In the end he lost just one Club, one Diamond, and one trump. Well played for 4♠=.

On our table North opened 1♠ (this pair like to open light - Finlay has explained that both this and Board #10 had two Aces so too many controls for them to open a Weak Two), and I overcalled 2♣. Anna and I navigated to 3♥ which I played rather casually for two off, but still a 10 IMP gain (Finlay says his pass and Patrick's 3♦ were both close decisions, else they might have got to 4♠ too)

On the final board we caught them in 4♥ and doubled for +500, a nice 14 IMP finish. This was the full board:

(Finlay took the blame for this one, though actually 4♥ isn't a terrible contract it just fails on this trump split)

However, overall still a 38-54 loss in the half, leading to 57-115 overall, a fairly sound beating.

Anna and I both had slumps in the second half, and as a team we lacked a bit of precision in play and defence, but still a satisfying match and a good evening's entertainment.