SOME HANDS FROM THE EASTBOURNE CONGRESS 2000

clive keep 13/07/2000

The inaugural Seniors and Veteran's Congress was held in the Winter gardens at Eastbourne on 7-9 July 2000.  The local Oxfordshire contingent of  Pat Rhodes-Fisher, Peter Baxter, Mike Brown and myself drove to Eastbourne on the Friday morning in order to attempt to qualify for the main championship Pairs final during the preliminary rounds on the Friday afternoon and evening.  Both pairs needed to finish in the top 25% to make it.  We failed.  On then to the Swiss Pairs on the Saturday.  Here both pairs performed creditably, finishing 13th equal (PB+PR-F) and 17th (MB+CWK) out of 140 pairs competing.

Swiss Teams on the Sunday!!  Here we clock up two wins in the morning session (12 and 18 vps respectively).  After a brief lunch we find Martin Hoffman's team waiting for us on Table 18.  On the very first board I pick up the following hand as North-

983
J54
K62
AQ54
And the bidding proceeds-
N                    E                        S                    W
P                    1S                       P                    2H
P                    2S                       P                    3C
dbl                 3H                      P                    4H
all pass
What do you lead?  It looks like a diamond doesn't it?  I thought I would lead the King of diamonds to attempt to create an entry to partner's hand to lead a club.  Dummy goes down with-
AKQJ64
963
J9
107
and declarer wins with the ace, partner playing the 8 (encouraging).  Declarer plays three rounds of spades ditching two diamonds.  A fourth round sees partner ruffing with the heart queen - over-ruffed with the Ace.  Declarer leads the 6C towards dummy - well?  Are you wishing you hadn't doubled 3C now?  I won with the QC and led a diamond - ruffed by Declarer, who led another club towards dummy.  I'm afraid I won with the ace and exited with a club to partner's King(?).  The hand is over now - declarer playing King of hearts and then ruffed a club in dummy - leaving me to make my Jack of trumps.  The full hand was-
983
J54
K62
AQ54
10                                            AKQJ54
AK1082                                   963
A74                                          J9
J986                                         107
752
Q7
Q10853
K32
All I have to do is to duck the first club and let partner lead a trump to leave Declarer without resource - if he wins with the King and leads a club I win and clear trumps.  If Declarer ducks I win again and clear the trumps.  Once I have won the first club the hand is effectively over.  In effect I was playing declarer for the Club King, instead of the King of hearts - not likely.  If he's got both then there is no defence, I think.  I bottled out!  However, Pete Baxter made it against Martin Hoffman and Manny Marks, but that is no excuse!!

I also erred on board 3.  You hold as North-

A1093
Q83
10632
J10
and the bidding goes-        N                E                S                W
                                                                               1H            pass
                                          1S            double*          2C             2D
                                          pass            4S!            pass           pass
                                            ?
Well what do you do?  The double was explained as being the other two suits.  We are green, they are red.  I took the wimpish view and passed I'm afraid. Did you double?  If you did it should be worth 500, as the full hands were-
A1093
Q83
10632
J10
8                                                KQJ7542
K109                                         7
Q98754                                     J
963                                            AK85
6
AJ6542
AK
Q742
My spade holding should probably be worth two tricks, so I guess I should wield the axe!  Manny Marks did after Pete Baxter bid to the same contract (without the double).  We gained on one part score hand where we stopped in 2S (making) while our illustrious opposition ploughed on to an impossible 2N.  Still, that was a 2 imps loss on the set and a 11-9 vp loss.  Oh, what could have been!

There was one fascinating hand in the next match, board 14 - (both not vulnerable)

4
1075
QJ5
J106432
QJ952                                        K83
K642                                          AQJ98
109                                             K62
A7                                               85
A1076
3
A8743
KQ9
The bidding at our table (we were N/S) was - N                E                    S                    W
                                                                                             1H                double            2N*
                                                                        3C                3H                 4C                  4H
                                                                        all pass  (* = good raise to 3H)

Mike as South led the club K, won with the Ace.  What card do you play as North?  I thought about playing the Club Jack, suggesting the 10 and an underlead if required.  I was just about to play it and then thought - what if partner infers this to be suit preference for spades?  So I played an encouraging 6 and hoped partner would get it right.  No, Mike assumed I had diamond K for my bid and cashed the ace - 420 away.  Have you noticed that 5C/D makes for us?  Duly bid at the other table.

We recovered for the next match to win  well.  Two hands of interest - both which our team mates got right, and the opposition at our table did not.  The first was board 16.  You hold as East (red against green)-

J754
K1094
A6
QJ10  and hear the bidding go-
                N                        E                            S                            W
                                                                                                        1H
                1S                       2N*                        3S                          4H
                4S                        ?
Your bid - your 2N was a good raise to 3H.  Our opposition took what money there was (+300) but Pat judged well to bid 5H for + 620.  Our partners also bid well to 6H on hand 17, when our opps stayed in four.  On to the last match then on table 12.

There were very few swings in this match.  The only notable board that gained us 7 imps and therefore victory was the following -

K96
Q108752
-
9652
A10752                                        6
J643                                              AK
A53                                               J1087642
4                                                    K73
QJ43
9
KQ9
AQJ108
We bid up to 4C (+150) as N/S and our team mates bid 3D (+130) as E/W for another victory and 20th place out of 80 teams competing.  Pity about the hour-long delay on the M25 on the way home!!

PS I didn't mention any hands played in the first two matches - here is one to test your playing 'ability' from the second -

The bidding-         N                    E                        S                            W
                                                    P                        1S                           P
                            2H                   P                        2N*                         P
                            3C                   double                3N                          All pass
* forcing to game

Neither side is vulnerable, and the lead is the 2D to the 5 and jack.

void
A97643
75
AJ876

AJ64
J5
AKQ8
Q53

How are you going to play this hand?  And , more importantly, how are you going to make eleven tricks?

I'm sure you are eager to find out - click here!!

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