Round 5
Board 9. EW vul. Dealer N
T943
A973
865
A9
K752 86
4 QJ6
AQT73 KJ4
532 Q8764
AQJ
KT852
92
KJT
After South opened 1H, North upgraded his 2A, and 4 piece trump to a reverse
Drury. Now South felt obligated to bid game with lots of tenances and the fact
that Fred refrained from making any noise with his perfect shape and good suit
also helped.
Against South's 4H, Fred led a C to the Q and K. 2 rounds of trump ended in
dummy and revealed the 1-3 split. A S was led to Q and K. After long
hesitation Fred decided this is not a cash out situation yet and returned a
passive S to South's A. Declarer played a C to the A and played a shrewd S up
but I ruffed and cashed DK and another. No accident and +50 meant 43/51.
Board 10. Both vul. Dealer E.
KQ7
T54
KT
K9743
AT9 8652
AK9 QJ6
AJ9653 872
J Q65
J43
8732
Q4
AT82
Fred opened a 3rd seat 1D, to which I responded 1S, and Fred chose to rebid 3D
and played there.
Against 3D, North led the SK to Fred's A. When North next got in with a trump,
the defense cashed out and that was +110 and a moderate 23/51.
The few pairs who beat us were probably those who bid NT from west and got a
lucky C lead. That would mean +120, which would convincingly beat 110.