Playing the main event this year with Laura we managed four solid sets over the two days of qualifying: 49.9, 56.2, 53.8 and 54.5. That positioned us 28th out of 224 starters and just sneaking into the 14 table final on day three.
The final was always going to be tough and we didn't improve though we came close almost every round. It wasn't all bad though, there were lots of successes and this was one against a couple of ex-Kiwi Australians:
They had a free run of the auction and this is how they used it:
| South | North | |
| Could be short | 1♣ | 1♦ | Shows hearts |
| 12-14, 2 hearts | 1NT | 2♣ | Weak ♦ or invite |
| Forced | 2♦ | 2♥ | Invite 6♥ |
| Partial accept 4♠ | 2♠ | 4♠ | Game! |
I was on lead holding:
| ♠ | 7 2 |
|---|
| ♥ | J 8 5 3 |
|---|
| ♦ | J 2 |
|---|
| ♣ | A K J 8 2 |
|---|
On the auction the major shapes are crystal clear, partner has a singleton heart. Given my side entry a heart ruff looks like the best source of tricks. Declarer won the lead with the ten in dummy, played a spade to hand and lost the spade finesse to Laura's Queen leaving me looking at this:
| | ♠ | A 4 |
|---|
| ♥ | K Q 9 7 2 |
|---|
| ♦ | 9 5 4 |
|---|
| ♣ | - |
|---|
|
| ♠ | |
|---|
| ♥ | J 8 5 |
|---|
| ♦ | J 2 |
|---|
| ♣ | A K J 8 2 |
|---|
|  | |
| |
Disappointed that my plan for an entry had failed I didn't really believe we would set this contract when partner produced the
♦6 and declarer the Ten.
I was in! I wasn't sure why but that's hardly important. I gave partner her ruff and she cashed the top two diamonds securing a two trick set and our best board of the whole final.
The complete deal:
| | ♠ | A T 4 3 |
|---|
| ♥ | K Q T 9 7 2 |
|---|
| ♦ | 9 5 4 |
|---|
| ♣ | - |
|---|
|
| ♠ | 7 2 |
|---|
| ♥ | J 8 5 3 |
|---|
| ♦ | J 2 |
|---|
| ♣ | A K J 8 2 |
|---|
| | | ♠ | Q 6 5 |
|---|
| ♥ | 6 |
|---|
| ♦ | A K 6 3 |
|---|
| ♣ | T 7 5 4 3 |
|---|
|
| | ♠ | K J 9 8 |
|---|
| ♥ | A 4 |
|---|
| ♦ | Q T 8 7 |
|---|
| ♣ | Q 9 6 |
|---|
|
Nice play by your partner (more so had the scoring been IMPs). I still remember misdeclaring a hand at a Nationals when my LHO made a huge underlead and I neglected to call for an intermediate honor from dummy that would in practice have held the trick. With undeserved fortune for me, my RHO won the trick cheaply but still failed to find the killing return. Whole episode was embarrassing, but memorable.
ReplyDeleteGood diagnosis by you, too, even though the contract is not easy to play with a mundane club lead, either.
Btw, the "I'm not a robot" preconditions for publishing are very hard to read (even though my vision corrected is pretty good). Are there fonts available for you to choose that are easier to decipher? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback, I've disabled the robot for now. If the spam level is low enough I'll leave it off for good.
DeleteVintage L Stephen, her business is shipping and business is good!
ReplyDelete