Dealer: E Vul: Both
NORTH
♠ AQ4
♥ J6
♦ 10
♣ KJ97543
WEST EAST
♠ J105 ♠ K98632
♥ 10983 ♥ K754
♦ QJ75 ♦ A4
♣ Q6 ♣ 8
SOUTH
♠ 7
♥ AQ2
♦ K98632
♣ A102
“Bid what you think you can make” is one of those bridge sayings that is sometimes right. It was certainly good advice on Board 26 in the Australia-Wide Pairs. Jenny Smith and Nea McGinness were one of very few who bid 6C on today’s featured hand. After a minor stumble in the bidding there was little room left for further exchange of information. With eight potential tricks in hand, Jenny (North) could see that given South’s strong bidding, twelve tricks could possibly be won. Therefore, following the maxim of bidding what you think you can make, Jenny raised the bidding to 6C, which became the contract.
East had a difficult choice of lead and settled on the six of spades – a helpful choice allowing declarer (North) to win with the Queen. As it happens, the only lead which doesn’t help declarer is a trump. As a reward for her good judgement, the distribution favoured Jenny. Spade losers had virtually disappeared, which left only one diamond and one heart as possible losers. The winning line is to draw the defenders’ trumps immediately, finishing in hand. Obligingly the trumps split 2-1. Now the ten of diamonds can be played, giving East no choice but to rise with the Ace. Back on lead, declarer can enter dummy through the Ace of hearts, cash the King of diamonds and discard the remaining heart from hand. Finally, the Ace of spades can be cashed and the four trumped by dummy’s last club. The score of 1370 was worth 99% as only a handful of the 1500 competing pairs matched the success of Jenny and Nea. Overall, they were placed in the top ten percent of the field.
Results, Monday, 01/09/25 (5 & 1/2-table Howell. Pairs Championship Rd.1) T. Hinde L. Don (64.8) 1; N. Collins M. Simpson (60.8) 2; J. Nankervis P. Kelly (58.3) 3. J. Rose V. Rose (56.9) 4. Friday, 05/09/25 (5-table Mitchell) N/S N. Bonnell V. Prentice (57.9) 1; T. Hinde L. Don (54.2) 2. E.W P. Kelly D. Moran (55.0) 1; M. Simpson N. McGinness (54.6) 2. Handicap N/S
S. Head J. Loy 1; E.W C. Hall D. Dawes 1.
