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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

Jan’s Day: “Catch-Up” Bridge

There is a skill of trying to recover lost ground when you feel you are behind in a match. One’s natural urge may be to do something unusual to create a swing. The trouble can be is that you will end up twice as far behind as you were before the board was played! Even worse, you may not have been behind at all.

How come? You must remember in a Teams match, there is one other pair on your side who can sometimes bring home some unusual results…

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North Deals
E-W Vul
6
5 4
K Q J 9 7 3
10 7 5 4
A K Q 10
A K J 10 8
8
K J 9
 
N
W   E
S
 
8 7
Q 9 7 6 3 2
6
Q 8 6 2
 
J 9 5 4 3 2
A 10 5 4 2
A 3

 

Yes, it’s a Teams’ match and there’s a fair few imps about to be traded on this board. Have a stab at what the two contracts were. In today’s scoring, imps traded were 18. Perhaps even Jan would like to have a guess? A guess? Not really as she was present at one of the tables. 18 imps in..or out? Find out below.

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Jan Cormack

Steady does it, for you do have friends

“One of the most interesting things about playing Teams Bridge is comparing the results with your teammates at the end of a set and analysing where and why points were gained and lost.

Sometimes, amazing results occur on hands where one would least expect them to. This is why if you think things are going badly at your table during a match, it is very important not to make extreme decisions in an endeavour to “catch up” but you should continue to play steadily.

Who knows what miraculous feats our teammates are achieving at their table? Today’s deal from a national Teams event produced a much needed pick-up for our team.           

North Deals
E-W Vul
6
5 4
K Q J 9 7 3
10 7 5 4
A K Q 10
A K J 10 8
8
K J 9
 
N
W   E
S
 
8 7
Q 9 7 6 3 2
6
Q 8 6 2
 
J 9 5 4 3 2
A 10 5 4 2
A 3
West North East South
  3  Pass 5 
Dbl Pass 5  6 
6  All pass    

 

Sitting North, my partner opened a pre-emptive 3Diamond-small and I raised swiftly to game. West’ s double produced 5Heart-small from East. We seemed to have no defence to this contract and so I bid 6Diamond-small, confident this would be a profitable sacrifice. To my surprise, West bid 6Heart-small to end the auction.

Both minor aces were cashed for down 1, +100 to the “good guys”. When time came for the score-up, our teammates (Jocelyn Kinsella and Stella Secker) produced a very unexpected result.

West              North             East                South

                        2NT                Pass              3Diamond-small

X                    Pass                3Heart-small                3Spade-small

X                    Pass                Pass              5Club-small

X                    All Pass

North’s 2NT opening was a pre-empt in one of the minor suits. Perhaps if North had redoubled the double of 3Diamond-small, South would have worked out that their partner did have long diamonds rather than long clubs. When 5Club-small came back to North, confusion set in and he decided to pass.

Against 5Club-small x, West made the excellent lead of a small trump and South managed Club-smallA, a diamond, a heart ruff and one further trump for down 7, +1300 (in the old scoring system: +1700 today) to the “good guys”. Match saved.

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Following Suit?

     
North Deals
Both Vul
 
N
W   E
S
 
K J 6
J 6
A Q 10 6 3
J 5 4
 
9 8 4
Q 8 7 5 4 2
9 8 3 2
West North East South
    dummy you
  1  1  2 
2  3  4  All pass

 

Your partner’s 1Club-small promised at least a 4-card suit and your 2Heart-small showed at least a 6-card suit and less than 6 hcp.

Do you regret anything about the bidding?

Your partner leads the Heart-smallA (declarer plays Heart-small10) and continues with Club-smallK. Which two cards do you play to tricks 1 and 2?

Richard Solomon

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