Dealer: S Vul: E/W
NORTH
♠ K
♥ AKJ764
♦ Q82
♣ Q64
WEST EAST
♠ — ♠ AQJ1097632
♥ 105 ♥ 98
♦ KJ9743 ♦ 5
♣ A10987 ♣ J
SOUTH
♠ 854
♥ Q32
♦ A106
♣ K532
Was this hand just a prank by our computer? It contains amazing possibilities. At three tables North opened with 1H and East jumped straightaway to 4S. One optimistic pair went all the way to 6S, which failed by two tricks and earned a bottom score.
Jenny Loy and Mary Johnston played in an uneventful 4S, losing only the Ace of clubs and two hearts. Plus 420 was the par score for E/W. When Warwick Milne and Janny Sipple also played in 4S, North/South unwisely doubled. South led the Ace of diamonds and, after a look at dummy, switched to a heart for two more tricks. After this there are really no good continuations for North/South, but another heart is as good a choice as any. On winning the fourth trick, declarer must now make a choice in playing the spades. There is only one chance now of making the contract and that is to hope that the King of spades is a singleton. Declarer did play the Ace, dropping North’s King, and proceeded to run the spades for nine tricks and then cross to the Ace of clubs for trick number ten and a score of plus 790.
Two other pairs missed a golden, but outrageous, opportunity when East opened 3S. Even with no stopper in spades, South could have bid 3NT (but you wouldn’t want to play with a partner who would take such a chance). If West had held only one spade, the result would have been catastrophic, but without a spade West had no good choice of opening lead. Declarer could run six heart winners, set up a club and win two diamonds for nine tricks, with a possible club as well.
Results, Monday, 19/05/25 (5 & 1/2-table Howell): J. Smith L. Munson (58.8) 1; N. Collins M. Simpson (58.3) 2; W. Milne J. Sipple (57.5) 3; P. Campbell D. Moran (53.7) 4. Friday, 24/05/25 (4-table Howell) D. Moran N. McGinness (61.3) 1 eq; T. Hinde J. Mobbs (61.3) eq; W. Milne J. Sipple (58.9) 3; L. Don L Munson (57.7) 4.
