Toby's Guardian Angel has a busy weekend
day two—Jubilee Swiss Pairs
Not content with beating Oxford the previous day, André and I decided to play in the Jubilee Swiss pairs. By now, my Guardian Angel was on sparkling form.
Things started well when on the first board, André held
A K 3, 
A 9 8 7, 
A J 4 2, 
9,. André had no problems doubling for +500 and a top, when he managed to give me a heart ruff. It was the second round when my Guardian Angel really started to show off:
| South deals |
9 6 5 3
A 5
7 5
Q 9 7 6 2 | |
|
K J T
Q 8 3
J 6
J T 5 4 3 | 
|
4
T 9 7 6 4
Q 9 8 4 3 2
8 |
|
A Q 8 7 2
K J 2
A K T
A K |
West all pass | North Toby | East | South André 3NT |
The 3NT opener showed a balanced 22½–26 count, and I didn't feel I had any business responding to it, so we missed our 9-card spade fit. However, with the unfortunate spade lie, 11 tricks is all you can make in spades. At our table a helpful heart lead allowed André to make the same 11 tricks in no-trumps for a top, but 11 tricks are always possible on a squeeze, as East never gets in to lead a heart through. Victory for the 4 weak two system!
| West deals |
Q 9 6 2
K Q 5
K 7
K Q T 9 | |
|
K J 8 4
J T 9 3
A Q J 2
7 | 
|
T 3
8 7 4 2
9 6 3
8 5 4 3 |
|
A 5 4
A 6
T 8 5 4
A J 6 3 |
West 1 pass all pass | North Toby dbl 2
| East pass pass | South André 2 4
|
, and sensibly asks for more information with 2 (which normally implies interest in the majors). I bid my 4-card major, and André, rather than seeking more information with 3, takes it upon himself to bid 4.
A diamond is led to the ace, and West then switches to her singleton club (continuing diamonds is the best defense). I now play a spade to the ace and lead one back towards the queen, and West rises with the king, preventing my second spade loser. After a heart to the ace, I take the spade finesse and make 11 tricks.
Even without the helpful defense, 4
is always making. On a diamond return at trick two, cross to the A and lead a spade towards the queen. If this is allowed to hold, ruff two diamonds in hand (drawing East's last trump first) and cash winners—West can make only her two trumps. On the other
hand, if West rises with the K she must force in diamonds (or we draw two rounds of trumps and play side-suit winners). When she does, cash the Q and cross to the J (West can't gain by ruffing) to ruff the last diamond. Then cross to the A, cash the A and play club winners. 4 making exactly may score reasonably, as some pairs might only make nine tricks in 3NT. On the other hand, 4+1 was a very good score.
| East deals |
6 3 2
A J T 4 3
K 6 5
A 6 | |
|
Q 7
Q 6 5
Q J T 7 2
K Q 3 | 
|
T 8 5
K 9 8 2
A 9 8 4
8 7 |
|
A K J 9 4
7
3
J T 9 5 4 2 |
West 1NT pass pass | North Toby pass 4 5 ²
| East pass pass pass all pass | South André pass 2 ¹4 ²
|
| ¹ diamonds and hearts ² cue-bids | |||
or 2. Anyway, by a passed hand we play doubling 1NT shows spades and another, while 2 and 2 show that minor and hearts. We hadn't thoroughly discussed exactly how many of each, but I think 1–1 was pushing things a little. I have an obvious 4 bid, and André (thinking his bid showed spades and another with better hearts if the other is hearts) corrects to 4. This can't be natural, and must really be a cue-bid, though it's a bit odd for a passed hand to investigate slam opposite one that can't double 1NT, but I guess if Andre can pass hands like the one he has, perhaps it's not impossible. Anyway, I have an obvious 5 cue-bid, which Andre passes, as that's his best suit.
I got the
5 lead, which I won with the ace, and I ran the J, then
cashed the A. I led a low diamond, and when West won this and played a heart, I tried the spade finesse, thinking the lead was probably low from three to an honour. Alas, when this failed, I went one down. I should probably have exited with the K. Then when LHO won he might have switched to a low heart, which would suggest he held the king, and therefore couldn't have the Q, so I might have guessed spades right.
Anyway, –50 somehow scored 16 matchpoints out of 28, despite having a cold game on!