Some Hands from the Senior Pairs at Brighton-99

By Clive keep, 29/8/99

The Brighton Congress is the English Bridge Union’s biggest annual event, when, during two weeks in August, a large number of enthusiasts head down to the coast for a fortnight of sun, sand (pebbles?) and bridge. A fairly substantial contingent from South Oxfordshire is included in the migration. There is the open pairs over the weekend of 13-15 August, a seniors competition (new event) mid-week and open teams during the weekend beginning 20th August. These notes refer to happenings during the Seniors Pairs.

Mike Brown and myself, along with Peter Litchfield and Alan Bryden travelled down on the Monday morning to do battle in the Pairs - meeting Peter Baxter and Geoff Nicholas at the Metropole Hotel. The event is such that there is a pairs qualifier during the Monday afternoon, followed by the finals next day, when the top 18 pairs go into the Seniors final proper, the next 18 into the consolation A final and the rest (~50%) into the consolation B final. All results are on the EBU web site. Now for some hands!

On hand one, we had a good score when Mike decided to play for the drop of the spade Q instead of taking the finesse (we were E/W in 4S at love all)-

  Q6 
8543 
J105 
6542		  
AKJ872 
KJ6 
AK73 
none		   93 
Q10 
98642 
AK97
  1054 
A972 
Q 
QJ1083		  
+480 was an excellent score and led to some heated discussion about percentages in the 'Italian' with Peter and Geoff during the evening meal. I had no comment to make, except that one can't argue with success!! What would you do with one entry to dummy (please don't write!!)?

We did not score well on hand 9 against the eventual winners, Keith Stanley and Gerard Faulkner- (E/W vulnerable)
 
  QJ105 
KJ104 
QJ 
1086		  
8 
Q986 
AK10762 
95		   A74 
7532 
98543 
3
  K9632 
A 
None 
AKQJ742		  
The bidding was-
 
N
E
S
W
pass
pass
2C(benji)
pass
2N
pass
3C
pass
3H
pass
3S
pass
4S
pass
5S
pass
6S
pass
pass
pass
The bid of 5S asked for goodish trumps to bid 6. I'm not sure what would have happened if Mike (W) had risked 2D (vulnerable) over 2C, but anyhow an excellent slam was bid and not by very many other pairs. How often is a slam bid to make at pairs with the AK of a side suit and the ace of trumps missing!!

We scored well on hand 13, where we played 3N as E/W instead of 4H on the following hand-

  K73 
943 
Q 
K98632		  
J6542 
J106 
J42 
A10		   AQ 
AKQ82 
AK86 
Q5
  1098 
75 
109753 
J74		  
I opened the East hand with 2D (Benji) and rebid 2N (23-24) over 2H - I didn't fancy partner playing this contract in H with the lead through my tenaces. Anyhow, we were playing 5-card Stayman, but Mike didn't bother to use it and we ended in 3N, making 11 tricks on the lead of the 10 Diamonds: - I played low from dummy at trick one, forcing a second diamond entry to take the spade finesse. If I had had a club lead, I would still have risked the spade finesse in pairs, even with the Clubs wide open, as most pairs would be in 4H.

On hand 33, we came out on the wrong end of 3N, again in a hand that I got wrong in defence. Here was the bidding-
 
N
E
S
W
pass
pass
1H
pass
1N
pass
3N
All pass
You lead 8 spades from-

9832
98
Q74
A732 And dummy goes down with- AK
AKJ63
J63
K84 Declarer wins with the Ace, partner playing the 6 and declarer the 10, and then he plays a club to partner's 10 and his Q - well? (you are playing high cards to encourage in that suit at trick one). I have to admit that I won this and woodenly played back a spade. The next thing I know is that we are -460 and a bottom. The full hand is -
  J107 
Q104 
102 
QJ965		  
Q654 
752 
AK983 
10		   9832 
98 
Q72 
A732
  AK 
AKJ63 
J65 
K84		  
Initially I passed the buck for this one, saying that Mike should have discouraged a spade continuation at trick one - that might be true, but I probably should have ducked the club and maybe  see partner's discard (unless he has 109 stiff in clubs, in which declarer might get it wrong). I know declarer now has 9 tricks, but even holding him to 9 would have been a good score at pairs, with 10 tricks in hearts available.

Peter and Geoff had a good defence to the contract of 4H on the following hand (board 28), against Peter and Alan- ( details supplied by Alan Bryden)

N/S Vulnerable

Dealer West

  KQJ5 
KQ87 
K10 
A96		  
942 
A52 
J8762 
53		   A873 
J6 
943 
KJ107
  106 
10943 
AQ5 
Q942		  
North, playing five card majors, opened one club and South responded one heart. When North showed a good hand with heart support, South bid four hearts, the final contract. West led the five of clubs, taken by East’s king. (It does not help declarer if he takes this trick with the ace. When he returns to hand with a diamond and leads a small trump, West can rise with the ace of trumps and lead his last club to West’s king, thus obtaining a club ruff.) East returned the ten of clubs, taken by North’s ace. Fearing a club ruff, declarer played off the diamond king, then the ace and queen of diamonds, discarding the nine of clubs. He then led a small heart to the queen, which held the trick. Not having x-ray vision to tell him that the jack of hearts was doubleton and could now be eliminated by leading out the second top heart, declarer now tried to return to hand by leading a small spade, in order to lead a second low trump towards dummy. However, East went up with the ace of spades and led a club, covered by South. West now ruffed with the ACE of hearts and led back a diamond, promoting East’s jack of trumps as the setting trick.

Congratulations to Peter and Geoff for a good defence and commiserations to Alan Bryden and Peter Litchfield for playing five card majors. If North had opened one heart instead of one club, thus letting South bid the heart suit first, then East would have made the opening lead and could not have led clubs without conceding a second club trick to South. No disrespect to Alan and Peter’s bidding system. It was just an unfortunate lie of the cards.

And now on to the second day!!

There were some 'swingy' hands - a couple against Peter and Geoff- (Isn't it amazing how often you meet your 'local' opposition in these events!!)

Hand 10, both vulnerable
 
  K872 
QJ43 
None 
AQJ97		  
109 
K82 
AKJ8765 
5		   6543 
7 
9432 
10643
  AQJ 
A10965 
Q10 
K82		  

N(Mike)
E(Geoff)
S(Clive)
W(Peter)
 
pass
1H
3D
3S
pass
4S
pass
4N*
5D
5S*
pass
6H
pass
6S
7D!
pass
pass
double
All pass
* 4N was RKBW in spades and the response of 5S after the interference showed 2 or 5 Key cards and the Q of spades.

It is obviously better if I pass 6H as this is cold as the cards are, but I thought that playing in spades would be safer and I that Mike was offering a choice of contracts. Peter was unlucky as 6S goes down on a diamond lead, as the spades are 4-2. 7D doubled went for 1100.

The next was an exercise in defensive signalling-

Hand 12, N/S vulnerable

  A873 
AJ2 
Q8 
9872		  
QJ10 
9873 
K54 
K64		   K42 
106 
AJ732 
1053
  965 
KQ54 
1096 
AQJ		  
The bidding
N
E
S
W
   
1N*
pass
2C
pass
2H
pass
2N
All pass
    
* I know it's 11, but I liked my 10s and 9s

Peter led the QS and I ducked. After another spade I won with the Ace, Geoff throwing the K. I now play a club to the 3, Q and King. Its decision time!! Peter exited with a heart, so I had 8 tricks, as the clubs were 3-3. Peter/Geoff were actually showing suit preference on the first suit played by declarer (so the club 3 showed preference for diamonds), so I guess Peter should have got it right - but you know what it is like playing (remembering!) these weird arrangements in a scratch partnership!!

Next, I enjoyed defending this hand, eventually(?)(for once!!)

Hand 26, both Vulnerable

  A1073 
AK7 
72 
A1072		  
QJ62 
J 
9865 
Q643		   K 
Q96532 
QJ10 
982
  9854 
1084 
AK43 
KJ		  
The bidding-
N
E
S
W
 
2H (weak)
Double (TO)
pass
pass
pass
    
* A bit thin, but you know what it's like holding 4 spades!

Mike judged well to pass holding 4 spades, as this contract went 5 light for a score of +1400. 4S went off most of the time, due to the bad break.

Finally, a slam hand! - Hand 27, neither side vulnerable
  A62 
AQ1098 
43 
KQJ		  
84 
KJ32 
Q8 
108763		   QJ10 
76 
10765 
9543
  K9753 
54 
AKJ92 
A		  
Bidding-

N
E
S
W
   
1S
pass
2H
pass
3D
pass
3S
pass
4S
pass
4N (RKBW)
pass
5D (3 or 0 key cds)
Pass
5H (QS?)
pass
5S (no QS)
pass
6S
All pass
    
I wasn't proud of my reverse into diamonds, but there we are. I won the club lead and cashed the ace of trumps, followed by AK diamonds. When the Q fell there were no more problems, simply cashing the king of trumps, ruffing a diamond in dummy and throwing a heart and a diamond on the two good clubs - just losing to the boss trump. Not many were in this one, and of those that were, no one else had made it. A good one to finish!!

On to the teams at the weekend!!

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