The next match in the league was against Linlithgow. I would have been happy to avoid this match as it's a 90 minute drive even when the Edinburgh ring-road is clear, but the opportunity to play with Les was tempting and the complete lack of traffic made it a good decision.
Les is widely regarded, perhaps universally so, as the best player left in Scotland by a wide margin. Notwithstanding that our team has a pair that have just won the Gold Cup, it is quite clear who sits on table one. Having spent some time perusing the system he plays with Biff (as it was available on the Camrose site), it is fairly similar to the system I play with Alex so it saved a lot of discussion!
Things did not start well when, on the first board, I held:
East
♠ A x
♥ A x x x x x x
♦ -
♣ 10 x x x
and heard the bidding start (1♠) - Pass - (1NT!) to me. I bid a simple 2♥ when it is clear to bid a level higher and get the whole hand off my chest. The failure to do this meant that I got left with the nasty decision on the next round and went for -500 when nothing was making their way.
We played more solidly over the next few boards and the real action was near the end of the half when I held:
East
♠ 10
♥ A Q
♦ K Q 3
♣ Q 9 x x x x x
At Game All, Les passed and I overcalled 2♣ following North's 1♦ opener. At this point I expected South to make a negative double (to show the majors) but there was an ominous silence. North balanced with a double and the fun started when South passed (showing a penalty double of 2♣) and Les made a SOS redouble.
I did not considered passing despite my seventh club, but briefly considered 3♣! However sense prevailed (as I can always bid that later) and I bid a simple 2♦. After this was doubled Les pulled to hearts and played in 2♥ doubled. A misdefence allowed him to escape for one down and an excellent score.
This hand caused problems at every table, but the most points were lost by our team when a revoke allowed 2♣ redoubled to make (!) instead of going down two - a swing of 1,740 points. Despite this we were leading by 1,000 at the break.
In the second half our only poor score came from a 2/1 auction. Holding
East
♠ A Q J 10 9 8 7
♥ A x
♦ x x
♣ K 9
my major error was the failure to rebid 3♠ over Les' 2♦ response. This meant that we had one of those 2/1 auctions where neither partner is sure about the real strength opposite and so we missed the slam(s) that were available.
Les held:
West
♠ x
♥ x
♦ A K Q 10 x x
♣ A Q 10 x x
Our auction went:
West..East
.1♠....2♦
.2♠....3♣
.3♠....4♦
.4♥....5♦
Pass
I thought for some time over the 5♦ bid but eventually decided that the risk of a heart loser and minor suit loser was too high (Les could easily be 1264). If I had rebid 3♠ then we would have sailed into the spade slam although one player went down in this (after a heart lead, heart ruff, knock out spade king and then have to guess which minor to ruff to get back to hand).
In the end the team won by more than 3,000 points and the 49ers now top the league. Hopefully I'll get another opportunity to play with Les in the future and make fewer errors!
Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Monday, 29 January 2007
Missed chances
I played with Sam, of 2-board KO fame, in the Stirling Pairs yesterday. A good second half could only bring us up to tenth place and we left knowing that we'd had our chances to get a really good score but had fumbled the opportunities turning tops into bottoms.
Naturally we had our share of gifts and finishing with 1♣ redoubled making 3 overtricks was amusing (that's +830, non-vulnerable, if you didn't know). The penultimate board also went well, but the bidding sequence had more interest:
Bd 13; Pairs; Game All; Dealer North
North
♠ Q x x
♥ A K Q x
♦ Q x x
♣ J x x
South
♠ K J x x
♥ 10 x
♦ -
♣ K Q 9 x x x x
North..South
.1NT....2♣
.2♥.....3♣
.3NT...Pass
The 3♣ bid showed four spades, longer clubs and was game forcing. At this point North can bid a delicate 3♦ bid that should show doubt about 3NT and concerns about diamonds, whereas 3NT should show no doubt. However, in a new partnership and playing matchpoints, delicate bids are best avoided and 3NT seemed the practical action. South wouldn't pass at IMPs but, at matchpoints, things are far less clear!
East led the ♥6 and dummy's ♥10 won the trick. Two rounds of clubs put West on lead and, of course, there was a diamond switch. The ♦Q was confidently played and it held the trick, leading to a rapid claim for eleven tricks and a top. At other tables West had bid diamonds (and been raised) so the weakness was far more apparent and 5♣ was the common contract.
Although we both made some poor calls during the day, most points were lost in defence mainly due to different styles in both signalling and leading during the hand. We had discussed a lot of bidding sequences prior to the event so felt on firm ground there, but perhaps this just highlighted how much more difficult defence can be. I'm sure we'll do better next time!
Naturally we had our share of gifts and finishing with 1♣ redoubled making 3 overtricks was amusing (that's +830, non-vulnerable, if you didn't know). The penultimate board also went well, but the bidding sequence had more interest:
Bd 13; Pairs; Game All; Dealer North
North
♠ Q x x
♥ A K Q x
♦ Q x x
♣ J x x
South
♠ K J x x
♥ 10 x
♦ -
♣ K Q 9 x x x x
North..South
.1NT....2♣
.2♥.....3♣
.3NT...Pass
The 3♣ bid showed four spades, longer clubs and was game forcing. At this point North can bid a delicate 3♦ bid that should show doubt about 3NT and concerns about diamonds, whereas 3NT should show no doubt. However, in a new partnership and playing matchpoints, delicate bids are best avoided and 3NT seemed the practical action. South wouldn't pass at IMPs but, at matchpoints, things are far less clear!
East led the ♥6 and dummy's ♥10 won the trick. Two rounds of clubs put West on lead and, of course, there was a diamond switch. The ♦Q was confidently played and it held the trick, leading to a rapid claim for eleven tricks and a top. At other tables West had bid diamonds (and been raised) so the weakness was far more apparent and 5♣ was the common contract.
Although we both made some poor calls during the day, most points were lost in defence mainly due to different styles in both signalling and leading during the hand. We had discussed a lot of bidding sequences prior to the event so felt on firm ground there, but perhaps this just highlighted how much more difficult defence can be. I'm sure we'll do better next time!
Tuesday, 23 January 2007
EBU National Swiss Teams
A trip down south to play the traditional January fare of the EBU National Swiss Teams. We teamed up again with John and Martin in the hell hole that is described as Kettering, a spiritless and characterless venue that is fine for the bridge but lacks any charm outside of it.
Our first match set the tone for the weekend. Waiting for the start I noticed that J&M had changed their system from a Short Club (non-forcing, natural or balanced) to an Artificial Club that was now forcing and included very strong opening hands. Martin said that this did not come up very much but released pressure from other parts of the system and was proving worthwhile.
Naturally board 1 was a very strong hand and a misunderstanding in their 1♣ system meant a simple slam was missed - 11 IMPs away. Two boards later and J&M played in the wrong game and then misplayed it for another -11 IMPs. J&M then bid the right no-play game, in the sense that the opposition could let it make if they were comatose and were unable to count, and duly made it for +14 IMPs when our opponents bid the no-play game that we could never fail to beat. This translated into a 8-12 VP defeat.
The next two matches were all part-score swings and we finally got above average on 31/60 VPs. This was eighteen points better off than we were at this stage last year!
In the fourth match Alex and I had our first bad board of the weekend:
Bd 25; IMPs; EW Game; Dealer North
West
♠ A J x x x
♥ Q 10 9 8
♦ J x
♣ K x
East
♠ 10 x
♥ x
♦ A Q x x
♣ Q 9 x x x x
West...North..East...South
........1♥.....2♣.....3♥
.3♠.....4♥....Pass...Pass
Dbl....Pass....4♠....Pass
Pass...Dbl....Pass...Pass
5♣.....Dbl....All pass
Alex's overcall is very much our style - wide-ranging - and so I had the first decision: whether to double or bid my spades. I chose the more aggressive option and believe Alex should have passed the following double as it looks (highly) unlikely that all games are making. The resulting -800 meant a 12 IMPs loss and we dropped below average again.
The final match on Saturday afternoon was a strange affair. Alex and I had a solid card with one good result, but a series of strange (bizarre!) results from the other table meant another loss.
The challenge between sessions is to find food, not as easy as it sounds in Kettering where cars seem to be banned from the town centre, perhaps to prevent the locals from some fun. However we did find a reasonable Chinese restaurant and returned for the final three matches of the day.
After putting 46 IMPs past the opposition in the first match we had finally crawled above average again (61/120) but our second bad board of the day cost 17 IMPs and the second game. More interesting results from the other table meant that our solid final match was a large loss and we finished the day with a hugely disappointing 65/160.
On the five matches on Sunday we scored 86/100 and moved up the field to twelfth. Natch we were playing random teams but scored consistently. A couple of errors in the last match (from the other table) cost us sixth place and some prize money.
Overall I thought that Alex and I played well. We had two bad boards but bid all our games and slams, and did not let any games through. I also thought we were in control most of the time. Following their excellent performance in the Lederer, the major adjustments that John and Martin have made to their system are still bedding in and generally they had a poor weekend by their standards, especially against the weaker players, with many points lost in the auction.
We move on to the Winter Foursomes in two weeks time.
Our first match set the tone for the weekend. Waiting for the start I noticed that J&M had changed their system from a Short Club (non-forcing, natural or balanced) to an Artificial Club that was now forcing and included very strong opening hands. Martin said that this did not come up very much but released pressure from other parts of the system and was proving worthwhile.
Naturally board 1 was a very strong hand and a misunderstanding in their 1♣ system meant a simple slam was missed - 11 IMPs away. Two boards later and J&M played in the wrong game and then misplayed it for another -11 IMPs. J&M then bid the right no-play game, in the sense that the opposition could let it make if they were comatose and were unable to count, and duly made it for +14 IMPs when our opponents bid the no-play game that we could never fail to beat. This translated into a 8-12 VP defeat.
The next two matches were all part-score swings and we finally got above average on 31/60 VPs. This was eighteen points better off than we were at this stage last year!
In the fourth match Alex and I had our first bad board of the weekend:
Bd 25; IMPs; EW Game; Dealer North
West
♠ A J x x x
♥ Q 10 9 8
♦ J x
♣ K x
East
♠ 10 x
♥ x
♦ A Q x x
♣ Q 9 x x x x
West...North..East...South
........1♥.....2♣.....3♥
.3♠.....4♥....Pass...Pass
Dbl....Pass....4♠....Pass
Pass...Dbl....Pass...Pass
5♣.....Dbl....All pass
Alex's overcall is very much our style - wide-ranging - and so I had the first decision: whether to double or bid my spades. I chose the more aggressive option and believe Alex should have passed the following double as it looks (highly) unlikely that all games are making. The resulting -800 meant a 12 IMPs loss and we dropped below average again.
The final match on Saturday afternoon was a strange affair. Alex and I had a solid card with one good result, but a series of strange (bizarre!) results from the other table meant another loss.
The challenge between sessions is to find food, not as easy as it sounds in Kettering where cars seem to be banned from the town centre, perhaps to prevent the locals from some fun. However we did find a reasonable Chinese restaurant and returned for the final three matches of the day.
After putting 46 IMPs past the opposition in the first match we had finally crawled above average again (61/120) but our second bad board of the day cost 17 IMPs and the second game. More interesting results from the other table meant that our solid final match was a large loss and we finished the day with a hugely disappointing 65/160.
On the five matches on Sunday we scored 86/100 and moved up the field to twelfth. Natch we were playing random teams but scored consistently. A couple of errors in the last match (from the other table) cost us sixth place and some prize money.
Overall I thought that Alex and I played well. We had two bad boards but bid all our games and slams, and did not let any games through. I also thought we were in control most of the time. Following their excellent performance in the Lederer, the major adjustments that John and Martin have made to their system are still bedding in and generally they had a poor weekend by their standards, especially against the weaker players, with many points lost in the auction.
We move on to the Winter Foursomes in two weeks time.
Wednesday, 10 January 2007
Deputy Dawg
I was a stand-in again at the Berwick Cup for Reg's team in the Scott Cup. I was playing with Reg with Diana and Jean at the other table.
Our bidding was tested on the second board:
Bd 4; IMPs; Dealer West; Game All
West
♠ x
♥ A K J 10
♦ x x
♣ A J 10 9 x x
East
♠ x x x
♥ Q 9 x x x
♦ A K x x
♣ Q
West East
1♣ 1♥
3♠ 4♦
4♥ 4NT
5♦ 6♥
After a diamond lead Reg took all the tricks when the ♣K was doubleton. I think the key to bidding the slam was the spade splinter bid, as this meant that we were really using a 30-point deck. This was worth 13 IMPs.
On the next board I was faced with a problem of evaluation:
Bd 5; IMPs; Dealer North; NS Game
West
♠ -
♥ Q J x x x
♦ x x
♣ 10 9 x x x x
Sitting East, Reg overcalled the 1♦ opener with 1♠. South raised to 2♦ and this was passed back to Reg. He balanced with 2♥!
I decided to raise to game as it was clear that Reg had significant values. The fact he had not doubled meant that he was either very distributional or, more likely, had reasonable diamond values with club shortage.
My analysis was partially correct. Reg had a good hand but with weak hearts. Importantly he held the ace of diamonds, and was able to discard my second diamond on the spade ace. Playing the ace of clubs and another, Reg was able to make the contract losing the top two hearts and a club for another 12 IMPs gain.
Diana and Jean had a good card when we scored up at the end, but two late errors by us were extremely costly so we had to settle for second place just 3 VPs behind the winners.
Our bidding was tested on the second board:
Bd 4; IMPs; Dealer West; Game All
West
♠ x
♥ A K J 10
♦ x x
♣ A J 10 9 x x
East
♠ x x x
♥ Q 9 x x x
♦ A K x x
♣ Q
West East
1♣ 1♥
3♠ 4♦
4♥ 4NT
5♦ 6♥
After a diamond lead Reg took all the tricks when the ♣K was doubleton. I think the key to bidding the slam was the spade splinter bid, as this meant that we were really using a 30-point deck. This was worth 13 IMPs.
On the next board I was faced with a problem of evaluation:
Bd 5; IMPs; Dealer North; NS Game
West
♠ -
♥ Q J x x x
♦ x x
♣ 10 9 x x x x
Sitting East, Reg overcalled the 1♦ opener with 1♠. South raised to 2♦ and this was passed back to Reg. He balanced with 2♥!
I decided to raise to game as it was clear that Reg had significant values. The fact he had not doubled meant that he was either very distributional or, more likely, had reasonable diamond values with club shortage.
My analysis was partially correct. Reg had a good hand but with weak hearts. Importantly he held the ace of diamonds, and was able to discard my second diamond on the spade ace. Playing the ace of clubs and another, Reg was able to make the contract losing the top two hearts and a club for another 12 IMPs gain.
Diana and Jean had a good card when we scored up at the end, but two late errors by us were extremely costly so we had to settle for second place just 3 VPs behind the winners.
Wednesday, 3 January 2007
Starting the year
A bank holiday in Scotland but there were still seven tables at the club for the next round of the Berwick Club pairs. Reg and I managed a respectable 58% but rued a number of missed chances as the Malcolm and Kathy notched up a 72% session to take a lead in the event.
We bid a slam in the first round:
Bd 24; Pairs; Dealer West; Love All
North
♠ x x x
♥ Q x x x
♦ A x x x
♣ A x
South
♠ A K Q J x x x
♥ A K x x
♦ -
♣ J x x
West North East South
Pass Pass .Pass..2♣
.Dbl..2♦...Pass..2♠
Pass..4♣...Pass..4♥
Pass..5♦...Pass..5♥
Pass..6♠...All pass
A good slam that only requires no heart loser. Unfortunately hearts were 5-0 and so we were booked for a poor score, except that East discarded a couple on the run of the clubs and we emerged with a fortunate top.
Most of our poor scores were self-inflicted and we'll need to tighten up our game if we are going to win this event. As Reg said afterwards, it is easy to get lazy at the club and take actions that are unsound - last night we paid for a few of these.
We bid a slam in the first round:
Bd 24; Pairs; Dealer West; Love All
North
♠ x x x
♥ Q x x x
♦ A x x x
♣ A x
South
♠ A K Q J x x x
♥ A K x x
♦ -
♣ J x x
West North East South
Pass Pass .Pass..2♣
.Dbl..2♦...Pass..2♠
Pass..4♣...Pass..4♥
Pass..5♦...Pass..5♥
Pass..6♠...All pass
A good slam that only requires no heart loser. Unfortunately hearts were 5-0 and so we were booked for a poor score, except that East discarded a couple on the run of the clubs and we emerged with a fortunate top.
Most of our poor scores were self-inflicted and we'll need to tighten up our game if we are going to win this event. As Reg said afterwards, it is easy to get lazy at the club and take actions that are unsound - last night we paid for a few of these.
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