More downs than ups

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 13

More downs than ups

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

The Countrywide winners’ Tournament is not going well for my partner and me. Sixteen pairs, all of whom have had some success in recent competitions are playing a round-robin, two matches an evening, 15 boards a match. After four rounds we, as defending champions, are languishing around the middle of the field some distance behind the leaders. Eight matches are in progress at any one time, with the same hands played at each table. So far we have found the standard depressingly mixed, our oponents playing like world masters against us, but not against the others. Take this hand dealt by South with both sides vulnerable:

At our table the bidding was: S. W. N. E. 1* IV 14 3V 44 No 64 All Pass Though we tried to make it difficult, South refused to be pushed around. Over East’s jump to three hearts, she ventured four clubs, and North with four aces had no hesitation in bidding the small slam. West led his singleton spade but the play provided no problems. After winning the first trick with the queen, the declarer drew trumps in three rounds, cashed the king of spades, crossed to dummy’s ace of diamonds and discarded one of her diamonds on the ace of hearts and another on the ace of spades. She still had to lose a diamond trick, but claimed the balance with her established clubs. The slam was duly bid at two other tables, but one declarer found a way to go down hard, though, this is to believe. Elsewhere the final contract was an unimaginative three no-trumps making with three overtricks. On the complicated scoring system in use, we lost heavily on the board. A little later this hand appeared dealt by South with only East-West vulnerable:

The auction was: S. W. N. E. No 1V Double 2V 3* No 4* All Pass At least we were right to call four spades for EastWest could make four hearts losing only one trick in spades, one in clubs and one in diamonds. Against four spades West had no trouble finding the correct opening lead. Out came the seven of clubs in no time and the contract never had a chance. Recognising the lead as an obvious singleton South saw that if he won in hand to play a trump West would take her ace of spades immediately, put her partner on lead with a heart to the ace ruff the club return and defeat the contract with the ace of diamonds. The declarer therefore tried a different plan winning the first trick with the queen of clubs, he led a heart from dummy, but all to' no avail. East stepped in with the ace, gave her partner a club ruff and the defenders still had to make tricks with the aces of spades and diamonds. As a result of this good defence we were the only North-South pair to incur a minus score on our cards. Elsewhere other partnerships were making four spade contracts both doubled and undoubled, or collecting penalties after doubling their opponents in five or six hearts. Clearly we are going to need some luck soon to climb back up the table.