Dealer South
Vulnerability Love All |
John Shaw's team has won the final of the DCBA's Vic Morris Cup. This hand helped them gain 500 valuable aggregate points.
Vic Morris is a well known Derbyshire sadist. He specified that the
competition be pivot teams, which forces all four players to play a
third of the boards in each match with each other team
member. He also made it aggregate scoring. The combination of
inexperienced partnerships playing together, with one board out of
30 maybe swinging the whole match, is fodder for a
nerve-wracking evening.
At least Geoff and Kathy made a better stab at this hand than John and Ron. |
|
| Table 1 |
West
Randy Curzon
|
North
John Griffin |
East
John Shaw
|
South
Ron McEwan |
| - |
- |
- |
1S |
| 2C (a) |
2D |
Pass |
3C (b) |
| Double (c) |
3NT (d) |
Pass |
5D (e) |
| Pass |
Pass (f) |
Pass |
- |
| - |
- |
- |
|
(a) Randy is never one to avoid big penalties!
(b) Nominally asking for a club stop for 3NT, but also used as a general force.
(c) Showing a 'good' suit, presumably making sure partner leads a club if North
bids 3NT.
(d) I've a club stop (may be QJx)
(e) Should bid 4D, setting the suit and showing interest in a slam. But since
Ron and John play together only once in a blue moon, Ron didn't want to risk a
misunderstanding. Also, bidding a Roman Key Card 4NT instead might result in an
unmakable 6D if North had QJx of Clubs, Ace of Hearts and King of Dianonds and
was forced to bid 5H with '2' key cards. So Ron jumped to 5D hoping John would
get the message that he never intended to play in 3NT and that 3C was a slam
interest bid.
(f) Might have bid 6D with his 5 controls, but his ropey diamonds held him back.
Contract 5 Diamonds
Declarer South
Opening Lead K Clubs
Result 13 tricks, +420 to NS |
|
| Table 2 |
West
Don Smedley |
North
Kathy Shaw
|
East
Stephen Lally |
South
Geoff Calladine
|
| - |
- |
- |
1S |
| Pass (a) |
2D) |
Pass |
4NT (b) |
| Pass |
5NT (c) |
Pass |
6D (d) |
| Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
- |
(a) With his vast experience, Don has collected many large penalties when the opponents have bid
against him with such hands, so not for him.!
(b) Roman Blackwood, which Kathy prefers to play.
(c) Showing 2 'Odd' Aces.
(d) Revealing one of the disadvantages of Roman Blackwood compared with Roman Key-Card
Blackwood when 5C from N rather than 5NT would have shown 0 or 3
Key cards. South would then bid 5D assuming North had shown 0,
North would bid 6D showing 3 and now South could confidently bid
7D.
Contract 6 Diamonds
Declarer South
Opening Lead K Clubs
Result 13 tricks + 920 to N
Net gain +500 to John Shaw's team
|
|