Silver Points

I played a lot this week because it was STaC week, and I wanted some more silver points. I only managed about three altogether, and no session was big enough to register on the city-wide scoring, so overall I have to say it was a disappointing result. Still, I had a couple of three-session days at the Manhattan, playing 66 boards total each day (24, 18 and 24), so that was nice. I haven’t played that much in one day since Gold Cup days back in England, and they were about thirty five years ago! Actually it wasn’t bad, although I was definitely tired by the end of the day. Maybe I would have achieved better results by spreading the sessions over more days, but there are downsides to that too – I get more grief at home the more days I’m out. I really have to start working out. Mens sana in corpore sano, and all that, and better stamina too.

I didn’t notice too many hands I would want to blog about either.

E-W game, dlr S (rotated)

              ♠ 10 3
              ♥ A 8 6 4
              ♦ A K 5
              ♣ 5 4 3 2
♠ K J                        ♠ Q 9 8 7 5 4 2
♥ 10 5           [ ]         ♥ 9 7
♦ J 10                       ♦ Q 8 7 3
♣ A J 10 9 8 7 6             ♣ -
              ♠ A 6
              ♥ K Q J 3 2
              ♦ 9 6 4 2
              ♣ K Q

1♥    2♣    3♣    pass
4♥    All pass

This seemed straightforward enough at first. The auction was simple enough, with the unassuming cue-bid as a limit+ raise. The ♣A opening lead didn’t promise any difficulties, and the first view of dummy seemed to show an appropriate number of losers and winners. That picture changed when East discarded at trick one, because the defence was too obvious: ♣A, ♣ ruff, ♠ switch. And suddenly I have four losers, because even if the diamonds break 3-3, they have a spade to cash when they win the third diamond.

Fortunately, there is just one reasonable line of play, and it works. Win the ♠A and draw trumps in two rounds – you need them 2-2. Eliminate the clubs by ruffing, and cash both top diamonds. Finally, exit with the spade loser, and hope that West is winning the trick. He had indeed failed to drop the ♠K under the ♠A, and found himself forced to give a ruff and discard. Dummy’s third diamond went away as I ruffed in hand with my last trump, for the tenth winner.

Very simple, but I wanted to mention it because it’s a long time since I’ve had a throw-in that didn’t involve any sort of tenace.

This one gets a mention because the Losing Trick Count got us to the game, and not many people bid it.

Game all, dlr N

             ♠ Q J 5 3 2
             ♥ K 9 6 4
             ♦ 5 2
             ♣ 10 7
♠ A K 9                     ♠ 8
♥ 2            [ ]          ♥ Q J 8 7 5 3
♦ J 10 6 4                  ♦ Q 7
♣ K 9 8 5 2                 ♣ Q J 6 4
             ♠ 10 7 6 4
             ♥ A 10
             ♦ A K 9 8 3
             ♣ A 3

1♦   Pass   1♠   Pass
3♠   Pass   4♠   All pass

South’s raise to 3♠ is perhaps a bit aggressive. But there are only 6 losers, and the controls are impressive. My raise to four spades looked outrageous when I counted points – 6 isn’t very many. But there are only 8 losers, and there should be a 9-card trump fit. So 4♠ has to be the bid, if partner can bid 3♠.

I jumped up with the ♥A on the opening lead, and returned the ♥10 towards the ♥K. If West ruffs, I can later discard dummy’s club loser on the ♥K. Instead he discarded, so I won, crossed with a diamond and led a spade towards the ♠QJ. There was no way for the defence to make more than three tricks after that. West tried the effect of drawing three rounds of trumps, but I used my two spades in hand to ruff diamonds, establishing the ♦3 as the tenth trick.

I don’t know how to generate a sensible bidding sequence on this beast.

N-S Game, dlr E

                 ♠ 9 2
                 ♥ Q 10 6 5 2
                 ♦ K J 10 3 2
                 ♣ 9
♠ -                            ♠ A 10 8 7 6 5 3
♥ A 8 3            [ ]         ♥ K J 9 7
♦ 9 8                          ♦ Q 5
♣ A K J 10 5 4 3 2             ♣ -
                 ♠ K Q J 4
                 ♥ 4
                 ♦ A 7 6 4
                 ♣ Q 8 7 6

1♠   Pass 2♣   Pass
2♥   Pass 4NT  Pass
5♥   Pass 6♣   All pass

Not a good auction, demonstrating that Blackwood and voids don’t go together well. But it’s hard to come up with any positive result. The best efforts seem to manage to stop at 5♣, and only go one down.

It seems ridiculous to do other than open 1♠ with East’s hand, and that is enough to keep South out of the auction. So then what do you do with that West hand? You have 8, likely 9, tricks in your own hand, and partner has opened. Can you envisage that there is no game available? Nothing makes.