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Mixed Team Trial.

The Mixed Team Trial was in the end won fairly comfortably by Julie Atkinson – Pat Carter and Jenny Millington – Barry Jones. They had perhaps the toughest quarter final assignment in overcoming Tuffnell (Graeme Tuffnell- Jan Alabaster, Jane Lennon – Tim Schumacher) by just 3 imps over 56 boards. In the semi-final, they took on the top seeds Simpson (Jo and Sam Simpson, Liz and Blair Fisher) and thanks largely to a huge 57-1 score in the second set, won 145-68 over 56 boards.

Then to the final, a third 56 boards against this time, Ian Berrington – Fuxia Wen and Pam Livingston – Malcolm Mayer. It started well for Carter when a slam failed on a finesse on the first board. The trend continued with 4 big swings in against 2 out in the first set, 46-27.

It was the same story in the second set which Carter won 47-39. They looked well placed to increase that lead in the third set until some overbidding cost 14 imps and -1100 in a freely bid game reducing the set score to 36-35. The lead was still a decent 28 imps with 12 boards to play. It reduced to just 10 imps 5 boards later. Along then came Board 20.

What would you bid as South after this sequence:

 

Playing a natural system, it seems natural to bid 3NT as you have a good hand but not in support of spades. Indeed, if you did bid 3NT, your partner may well continue with an invitational 4NT. What then? How much extra beyond your initial 2 bid do you have? Enough for slam?

For Carter, Barry and Jenny had the initial sequence to 3 though there was a subtle difference from that of many partnerships as their system is 2 over 1 Game Force. 2 thus creates the game force and 3 is now a rather special bid, not just saying that North has a strong hand (indeed they may not be that strong) but saying they have a very good suit. The interpretation of “very good” is up to each pairing. Some may play as absolutely solid: others no worse than a one loser suit opposite a void. 3 sets trumps and demands cue-bidding. Hence, Barry and Jenny were able to cue-bid their way to slam as follows:

 

Barry had far greater trump support than he might have done, the singleton 2! They cue first and second round controls together, hence Jenny’s 4 bid. Jenny waited with 4 and Barry had more to offer with a second heart cue-bid.

The 6 slam is not a certainty, certainly not on a club lead from East. What should declarer discard on the 3^rd round of hearts? If West holds the A, then you can discard a club in comfort though were it to be with East, then you need the club finesse to work. Because of this, 6NT by South is a better contract in that you can test diamonds yourself after a neutral major lead or have 12 tricks for certain after a club lead, wherever the king was. 
Celebrating Success

 
Patrick, Julie, Barry and Jenny. Well, someone had to keep their scorecard 
in their hand! 

However, Jenny was not put to the test as she received a diamond lead against 6 and could safely draw trumps after A took the first trick with the suit continued. She could discard a club on the third round of hearts, 6 making. Meanwhile, at the other table, South turned down their partner’s invitational raise to 4NT.

That gave Carter 12 much needed imps and with no major swings to come, they ended up victorious by 156-122 imps.

The selectors, in conjunction with the winning team, chose Liz and Blair Fisher as the third pair. Peter Newell will captain the team.

Thus, three international teams have now been chosen. The outstanding one is the Seniors.

Richard Solomon

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