2006

Hi all

Another game from last friday. Because of the fine, strong honors in South (no soft Queens or Jacks) I sold it as a 22-23 NT. Dennis put me in 3NT. I got the lead of a small (4th) and this is what I saw:

I ducked both the lead and the continuation. When they pressed on in (wrong!, if the defense now shifts to a I will suffer the loss of five tricks) I won and played a to the Queen, East winning. Now a came back and here I could pluck the fruits of my early ducks. I took it and again a towards dummy, West rising. A fourth round of the pointy black suit followed, leaving me with an awkward discard in dummy:

Do I discard a and play for the Ten to drop, or discard a and hope something good happens in ? A discard leaves more options open: 3-3 or the Jack doubleton or a squeeze against East. The Jack dropped doubleton (sorry, no squeeze), resulting in nine tricks.

I’m satisfied with my play. But I guess this game is more about defense, take two tricks and then shift to to develop the setting trick there, with as entry. I have to improve my defensive skills, because I’m not sure if I’m able to imagine such defense at the table.

Hi all

I have been silent for a couple of days. Last teams match was a disaster, and I have been, well… not myself lately. But let’s not get into that now. Here’s a game where I covered my ground. Maybe it’s plain simple, but I’m still proud of my nine tricks.

All vulnerable René opened 1 , showing either 11-13 balanced, or 10-15 unbalanced with at least a four card suit , or 12-15 any 4441. My RHO overcalled 1 and I jumped to 3NT. West decided to lead the Ten and this is what I found in dummy:

The lead ran to my Queen and I started on the , East took the second round and returned another won in dummy. Now I ducked a to West and he returned a , but it was too little too late. I took the trick with the King and cashed the Ace of , East discarding a . Now I played the 4 from dummy and East split his honors. I ducked, completing the placing. Now East, stripped from all his exits, had to play either a in my fork or a away from his King: nine tricks. I estimated East having the King, while he had shown a crummy suit and nothing but the Ace.

At the other table the defense started with a but the defense didn’t keep eye on the ball and declarer got home too. Here’s the complete layout:

Hi all

Closing the Strasbourg series. Another beauty.

The bidding was “yada yada” 6NT. The South hand is minimal, but has good honors in the long suits and a good rebid available. North will then solo carry on to slam.

West started with a small via East’s Queen for Kees’ King. Kind of a strange lead for South had bid . Kees now counted his tricks, ten solid and offer a good source for extra tricks. So from top, the fourth round won by East. A came back, taken with the Ace. Kees crossed to the Ace and cashed the 13th , leading to this position, with eleven solid tricks now:

Kees played a to his King and saw West’s Queen coming down. Next he played the Jack of and it’s all curtains for East-West. West had to keep the suit guarded and East had to protect against South’s small . So they both had to let go of their guard. Kees didn’t need a finesse, he knew the Queen would fall under Ace-King. A fine double squeeze.

Hi all

Today I was sitting in the train with half a dozen sweaty, blue and purple veined French cheeses. When the people in my coach started complaining to eachother about the air conditioning and the funny, funky smell around, I couldn’t suppress a blush. But I’m at home right now, “destroying” evidence.

So three days, starting today, a story about 6NT. Brought to you by Kees and me, they are all very pretty I promise you.

The bidding wasn’t very interesting, I opened 1 , Kees invited for a NT slam after showing his suit, accepted by me. The lady sitting West started with a for East’s King. A came back, and now, two tricks too late, I took stock to formulate a plan.

The King has to be onside to even have a chance for twelve tricks. And something good has to happen in as well. So the winning plan for twelve tricks is there: squeeze West out of her Majors. I crossed to hand with the Ace of and played the Queen, covered, for the Ace in dummy. Now three more rounds of (me discarding a ) and the Ace of .

Now when I crossed to my hand with the Queen of West was squeezed. Either the would break or the would come in. We’re finally home with twelve tricks.