Bridge Blog 1029: Big

     Two big games – the World Wide Bridge Contest on June 2 and the District 5 Spring STaC (Sectional Tournament at the Clubs) on June 15. Two big hands.

     For me and my partners, Dotty May and Joe Rooney, respectively, they lifted our spirits. Sadly, they didn’t lift our fortunes.

     I had high hopes that this top board at the Airport Bridge Club would give us a World Wide top and significant international standing.

     Board 20, everybody vulnerable. West is dealer. Sitting East, I’m declarer at 4 Hearts.

North (Eva Schmidt)

Spades: J-8-6-2; Hearts: A-8; Diamonds: K-10-5-3; Clubs: 9-5-2.

East (me)

Spades: A-K-10-3; Hearts: J-10-7-5-4; Diamonds: 7; Clubs: K-4-3.

South (Denise Slattery)

Spades: Q-9; Hearts: 9-3; Diamonds: J-8-6-4-2; Clubs: A-J-8-6.

West (Dotty May)

Spades: 7-5-4; Heart: K-Q-6-2; Diamonds: A-Q-9; Clubs: Q-10-7.

     The commentary booklet analysis is short and sweet: 

     “If West starts with a 13-15 1 NT, East will look for a major suit fit using whatever methods are to hand and 4 Hearts will be reached.

     “If West opens 1 Club/1 Diamond, (which Dotty did) East responds with 1 Heart with the same outcome.

     “It’s easy to see how declarer can arrive at 10 tricks, but if South happens to lead the Queen of Spades, declarer has a shot at an overtrick, although after winning the opening lead and playing a Heart for the King and Ace, North’s Spade return will give declarer pause for thought.”

     Denise leads the 8 of Diamonds, which I take with the Ace, then knock out the Ace of Hearts. Eva may have conveniently led the King of Diamonds. I believe I wound up getting a second Club trick by finessing South, collecting four Hearts, two Diamonds, two Clubs and two Spades and one more trick somewhere. A ruff? A Spade?

     At any rate, very few were likely to make the overtrick and I had big hopes for this one. But we weren’t the world wide top. Top score was plus 1,100 match points. Then plus 680 and plus 660. We were among 86 pairs tied for fourth with 650, winning 2,253.9 match points out of a possible 2,346. A great mass of them – 626 – were plus 620, good for 1,523.2.

     We came in second East-West at the club, fifth overall, with 53.87%, not bad considering it was my first game after nearly two weeks on vacation. On a global scale, though, we weren’t as brilliant. Among 2,237 pairs, we were 1,124th with 51.21%, barely over the median.

     In the afternoon game June 15 at the Airport Bridge Club, there was no questioning the supremacy of the plus 1,600 that pickup partner Joe Rooney and I scored against the formidable Martha and John Welte on Board 23. Joe played it at 5 Spades vulnerable, redoubled. Here’s the hand:

South is dealer. All are vulnerable.

South (Joe)

Spades: K-Q-10-8-5-3-2; Hearts: none; Diamonds: K-9-5-4-3; Clubs: 9.

West (Martha)

Spades A-7-6-4; Hearts: A-6-2; Diamonds: 10-2; Clubs: A-J-4-3.

North (me)

Spades: 9; Hearts: K-10-9-7; Diamonds: A-Q-J-7; Clubs: Q-10-6-2.

East (John)

Spades: J; Hearts: Q-J-8-5-4-3; Diamonds: 8-6; Clubs: K-8-7-5.

     Martha had bid Hearts aggressively – that’s why we were at the 5 level – and she held 3 Aces and four cards in our trump suit, so her double was entirely legit. I redoubled simply because we were having such a bad round. As Bob Dylan observed, when you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.

     Martha’s lead, naturally, was the Ace of Hearts. Joe ruffed that Ace, discarded his singleton Club on dummy’s King of Hearts, conceded the Ace of Spades, drew trump and ran the Diamonds.

     The hand record says it should make 5 Spades or 5 Diamonds for us, 3 Hearts for our opponents.

     A week later, I’m still smiling about that one. It didn’t do much for us, though. We had many more bottom boards than tops. 40.49%, next to last overall.