Dealer: N Vul: Nil
NORTH
♠ —
♥ J108752
♦ AK865
♣ K10
WEST EAST
♠ J97643 ♠ AKQ102
♥ Q9 ♥ K
♦ 4 ♦ 75
♣ QJ84 ♣ A9653
SOUTH
♠ 85
♥ A643
♦ QJ1092
♣ 72
The Collins team (Noela Collins, Mavis Simpson, Pat Kelly, John Nankervis) set a record when they won the first round of the Club Teams Championship by a margin of 133 IMPs. The only other team to record a positive result was the Hinde team (Tony Hinde, Len Don, Warwick Milne, Janny Sipple).
On the featured board the Collins team scored what is known as a double swing i.e. a game made both at the home and away tables. At the away table, Pat and John won twelve tricks for a score of 480 after South won the first trick with the Queen of diamonds, but failed to follow up by cashing the Ace of hearts. At the home table aggressive bidding by Noela and Mavis saw them win the auction in 4H by North. Ten tricks are always safe, with the only probable losers being two clubs and the Ace of hearts, but East’s lead of the Ace of clubs promoted North’s King of clubs. 4H made with an overtrick. The Collins team scored a total of 930 matchpoints on this board.
At the table where 5S was the contract, North/South overlooked the value of their diamonds. On the understandable lead of the Ace of clubs, declarer’s losers are reduced to two. On the lead of the King of hearts, declarer should make the unusual play of calling for a low card in dummy (South). East now must switch to another suit, hand control back to declarer.
Results, Monday, 20/10/25 (5-table Teams Championship Rd. 1) Collins 133 IMPs 1; Hinde 3 IMPs 2. Friday, 24/10/25 No play.
