Month: February 2008

Hi all

I’m not really into individual events, they’re more like a lottery instead of a real tournament. And that I tend to score badly in individual tournaments doesn’t help either. But the Dombo Individual is something I keep checked in my agenda every year. (Mostly) nice partners and opponents all the way and all day. The bridge is from another dimension I think, but the atmosphere is excellent.

Keeping things easy:

1. No weak 2’s in our arsenal and it’s too far from an opening bid
2. I have way too much for just 4

I was happy my partner raised himself to slam, it seemed I got my message across.
 

My partner ruffed the lead, drew a round of trumps and then put his attention to the suit. When West inserted a high the play was over. Claim +1430.

Later at the bar I had a small discussion how to tackle the suit. If, and I stress ”if", you play for the to be 4-1, the best play is to lead a small one to the 9 in dummy. If East has won the trick with a bare honour, you are still well placed to finesse against West’s remaining honours. Plus, you can tackle the current layout where West holds all three honours. There must be some math guy out there who can work out the odds…

Hi all

I’m slightly biased when telling stories. I like to talk about success and grand coups and big plusses, to keep a little balance here’s a disaster from our last teams match.

I’m in first hand no one vulnerable. I push my weak NT openings whenever I see fit, but this hand is just too lousy. LHO passes too and Hoek opens 1.

1. I intend to rebid an invitational 3
2. Minors
3. Small stretch, but I expect Hoek to hold very short and I like my fit a lot

East expresses his doubt with a double that must have been picked up by some seismology institutes. West kicks off with the King.

Here are a few thoughts and assumptions during this game.
– Trumps are 1-4 (I cannot handle 0-5)
– Lefty is holding something like a 1-2-5-5
– Because West started with the King I put a small mark East is holding the Ace of
– Locate the Jack of

Here’s my plan. I ruffed the lead in dummy and next I played a trump to hand to extract West single trump (disrupt communication between my opps). I ruffed another and crossed to the Queen of and finessed against the Jack of . The Jack was onside, but East ruffed and I lost control of the hand for -500 when they tapped me with endless streams of . If the had split a little bit more friendly I could have developed a and enter a crossruff for 10.

I still kick myself for not anticipating a 6-1 split.

As the hand lies I should have finessed against the Jack of immediately. You have to tread carefully but there are several routes to 10 tricks now.

Martin & Hendrik tried 5 at the other table with the EW cards, but a 4-0 trump split and 4-2 split was too much to overcome.