Peggy Bayer Match 7 & 8

Everything to play for today as we launch into battle against Wales and Ireland. The day also promises at least one trip into Troon - ideally to get a belt as my best bridge shorts are a bit loose. 

I watched the first hand live.

This is the Scotland U26 pair, getting to a one down 3C. A sensible result, not repeated elsewhere. On the other table the Scotland U26 pair got to the remarkable contract of 5H-6, which was non-vulnerable and undoubled so didn't cost too much, apart from some embarrassment.

In both the Peggy Bayer matches I watched North opened 1NT. At one table the Welsh South tried a speculative Stayman, and left his partner in 2NT. Our East (Isla) correctly led a Diamond, and cashed the setting trick plus a couple more for 2NT-2.

On the other table Ireland made a conventional 2C and they found the good Diamond fit. This was played very nicely, endplaying Artem as North three times to make 2D+2.

This time I'm nearly certain that the SBU team has beaten Ireland, with a tremendous 16-4 win! On top of that, the Scotland team beat Wales 17-3. 

Intense scoring up

In the second match of the day our two teams faced off. The older Scotland team were supposed to win, but the SBU pulled out some magic and beat their more experienced rivals. 

This was a good hand for the young(er) upstarts. 4S has three top losers and a slow Heart loser, but you can throw a Heart on the King of Clubs if you avoid a Heart lead. When Eunice was the West declarer for Scotland she got a tricky low Club lead from North. I hate it when people underlead Aces, but here it works surprisingly well, as it makes declarer guess about Clubs. Eunice made the percentage play of a low Club (hoping South had the Ace) and now went one down. Bad luck, well played!

Overall the SBU team won by 46-37 IMPs.

This morning I took Iris into town, along with Artem & Shiva, to celebrate them making our first slam (6S=) by going to Greggs. 

This afternoon I went back to Troon with Eunice and Isla. We saw lots of seagulls, some jackdaws and a pied wagtail.

Here is the cross-table, though I think it's out of date and don't trust it: