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(Jo making a Limoncello Spritzer).

Who remembers the programme called “not the 9 o’clock news”? by Jo and Sam Simpson.

Well, Saturday 22nd August was the day that we were supposed to start playing the World Bridge Champs in Salsomaggiore, Italy, as part of the NZ Mixed team...our favourite game in our favourite country. We were so looking forward to it.  But Covid erased this opportunity for us. So we came up with an idea to help dispel the gloom we were feeling.

With teammates Patrick Carter and Julie Atkinson in Auckland lockdown, and Barry Jones and Jenny Millington unavailable due to Barry selling the Waikato dry of farms, we called on reserve pair Liz and Blair Fisher, Aussie open rep Michael Courtney with Rose Don, and local pair Murray Wood and Rachelle Pelkman, to participate in “Not the World Bridge Championships”

Thanks to Norm at the Tauranga club, we were able to borrow 36 boards complete with hand records, and we played 3x12 board matches, swapping team mates each round.  The winning pair by a good margin was Michael and Rose, winning some gnocchi and other ingredients to whip up an Italian feast sometime. 

The Italian theme continued, with pizza for afternoon tea, lasagne for dinner, Limoncello spritzers to start the party🍹 and a choice of homemade gelato...limoncello with mascarpone, or fig, honey and mascarpone. Liz also invented a new spider drink, Prosecco with limoncello gelato! For those still standing later on, a taste test between Sam's homemade limoncello, and one bought in Italy - Sam’s was the clear favourite 👍

It was a great night although there were a few sore heads next morning 🤪

 
It's OK..Rose is just posing and is nowhere near getting a peek at Sam's hand! Michael (right) has, of course,
no time for posing!

And now a couple of hands from one of the winners, Michael...

Treating a Jack Like a Knave. (and bidding like a fool). by Michael Courtney

 

 

2NT was balanced,12+ and forcing to game (you probably guessed that last point from the 19 hcp in South's hand!). 4 was a minimum hand with 6 spades. 5 showed 2 key cards in spades but no Q. Your bid?

6 is the reflex call now, but I was worried about the lead coming through my   AQ  at trick one. For example,if partner has AKJxxx J10x x J10x, on a club 6 will need the club finesse, and the K and the Q found. Two out of three finesses (strangely that is 50%). 6NT on the other hand played by the tenaces will need either the heart finesse or to find the Q.

These were the actual hands:

 

On the real hand, of course, 6 was a far more promising contract, for partner’s diamond loser could be ruffed in dummy.

6NT requires either both finesses or one finesse and four diamond tricks once the Q does not fall.  J was led to king and ace.  A; diamond to the jack and ace; spade ducked after West showed out. East returned a heart. So, I had to decide immediately between the heart finesse and diamonds behaving.  I rose ace because I remembered this diamond position:

Now holding AKx opposite Q9xx in a suit and needing four tricks, the right play is to cash the ace and king.  If RHO follows with one of the minor honours on the second round it is two-to-one on to finesse on the third round.  However, when an expert plays an honour on the first round, then low on the second he is very likely to hold J10x.  There are many positions where it is compulsory to drop the 10 or 9 on the first round from 109x as a defender.  The honour from J10x appears much more rarely in the table of "Compulsory-False-Cards".

Remember, not this, but the corollary. Sitting over 9xx with Jx or 10x, make sure you follow with the honour on the first round if declarer is known to hold two honours and a small card.

Later that match:

 

3 was strong preference. 5 showed 0 or 3 key cards (spades trumps). 5 asked for Q and kings (and maybe Q) with 6 confirming Q and showing Q or K. (opener’s second suit).

And here we are again.  It’s clear that partner is 6-5 and has the A and the AK.  There is some danger of suffering a club ruff at trick one.  I thought if partner has the K or the bare K, 7NT has 13 sure tricks.  If partner has no J, but the 10, 7NT will fail only if East has Jxxx or Jxxxx  (which lead will defeat 7). 7NT is still a lively chance as I can finesse the nine on the second round of clubs.  Even if East does have  Jxxx, 7 will still fail unless West has two or less spades.

So I bid 7NT and went -1.

 

 

If it was quite clear that 6 showed the Q, I should pass 7 as partner would already have bid (and claimed) 7NT.  It was not so clear, however, as normally in our methods 6 would show the Q and either the K OR both red kings.  On this bidding, however, where partner appears to have (10)11 black cards, those red kings are essentially worthless while the Q is a useful card.”

So, imps out for Michael at the “Not the World Bridge Championships”. Hopefully, he, Jo and Sam and the others will have a chance to gain lots of imps in at a real World Championships soon..and just for Jo and Sam, in Italy.

Thanks to them and to Michael for the article.

Any ideas?

 

Partner’s 1NT is 12-14 and West’s double shows hearts and a second suit, 10+hcp. Apart from trying to claim a misdeal (surely you can claim only having 12 cards!), any ideas what to do now? You are playing Teams and neither side is vulnerable. Your system of defence if you choose to move.   

Any replies along the lines of "convert to strong no-trump" will be firmly rejected!

Richard Solomon

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