By Neil Bonnell, Warwick Bridge Club
Last Monday, the North/South winners, Hilary Richardson and Ros Hart, and the East/West winners, Mary Johnston and Lois James scored well on Board 5 (above). 3NT was bid four times with a different score each time. One other North/South pair who failed by one trick in 6NT found that their ambition was not matched by their play.
Lois, sitting West received the lead of the two of hearts, which perforce was won in hand and left only one stopper in hearts. The key to making overtricks in this contract was to realise that the Ace of spades had to be forced out while West still had a top heart. Who has the missing spade honour cards? North didn’t lead a spade, so it is logical to place South with at least four spades. In that case, declarer can enter dummy with the Ace of clubs and then lead a small spade towards the Queen. If South plays low, declarer wins with the Queen and returns a small spade to the ten. South now has to take the Ace, leaving dummy’s King as a winner. Now declarer has to find the Queen of diamonds. On this layout declarer must play the Jack of diamonds and let it run if not covered. Lois solved these problems and made twelve tricks for a score of 100%.
Hilary and Ros showed what could happen if declarer made the wrong choice. Defending against 3NT by East Hilary led the ten of hearts, a much better choice than a spade. The top of a sequence is rarely a bad lead. Apparently this declarer started on diamonds before spades and finessed towards North, whose Queen won. Once North then removed West’s last heart stopper declarer could make only nine tricks for a poor score East/West and an 80% score North/South.
Results: Monday, 20/06/22 (6 & ½ -table Mitchell): N/S R. Hart H. Richardson (58.3) 1; N. Collins M. Simpson (56.7) 2; T. Hinde P. Campbell (55.8) 3. E/W M. Johnston L. James (59.6) 1; A. Macdonald F. Wells (53.4) 2; D. Moran N. McGinness (52.9) 3. Friday, 25/06/22 (5-table Mitchell) N/S N. Collins M. Simpson (58.3) 1 eq; R. Hart H. Richardson (58.3) 1 eq; S. Head J. Hegarty (52.5) 3. E/W J. Mobbs N. McGinness (62.9) 1; L. Munson T. Hinde (60.8) 2; J. Rose D. Moran (55.8) 3.
