An Old Picture, I was nice then and a defensive miscue or two

Fred and Margaret with Ray and Linda at their wedding, October 1972.

Fred sent me a picture from our wedding perhaps to remind us that it isn’t so many years to our 40th wedding anniversary.  Margaret (who is quite beautiful) is wearing a very psychedlic dress and Ray’s hair style is well, interesting.

Today I am not so nice.  I was watching and then very very briefly playing in a random bridge game today on BBO.  One of the players was insistent that he not played with a “BBO expert”, then he took a play for an inside overtrick – that is, he could have claimed but finesses anyway.  I called him out on it because I thought he had been rude to his previous partner.  Not so nice.

Tonight I ended up playing some hands with Sylvia against Isabelle and Jeff.  They were generally good.  Me I made some mistakes.  Generally Jeff and Isabelle found all the good spots, they clobbered the field.  Well done.  But I am going to feature a deal where the Smiths didn’t quite find the defense and then one where Isabelle made a hand on a squeeze after I defended badly.

Here is the first one:

Isabelle’s hand

65

97532

AJ93

A5

You have the best colors.  Jeff passes and I bid 1.  You decide to make a heart overcall and after that your side is silent.  You hearts aren’t robust but you do have some values and at these colors you want to compete.  Sylvia bids 1 and I bid 3.  Sylvia bids 3 and I bid 3NT.

What do you lead?  Isabelle picked the 3, after Jeff didn’t raise hearts it does make sense to lead a diamond. This is what Jeff sees.

		Dummy
		AK10843
		K84
		65
	Jeff	64
	QJ972
	J
	108742
	J3

At trick one Jeff had to find the play of the 8.  He played the 10 and the hand was now cold!  Would you have found that play?

The whole hand was

	Isabelle
	65
	97532
	AJ93
Linda	A5	Sylvia
–		AK10843
AQ106		K84
KQ		65
KQ109872	Jeff	64
	QJ972
	J
	108742
	J3

Bridge can be endlessly fascinating.   Perhaps Jeff can work out that if Isabelle is leading fourth highest I have only two diamonds.  The only time that playing the 10 helps is if I have A9.  Of course then Isabelle would have the KQJ3… hmmm.  But then again  maybe she has lead from a three card suit and I have say KQ9 and he doesn’t want to give me a cheap trick.  After all he has spades wired and Isabelle overcalled hearts.  All I know is that the good guys made game.

Now we move on to the hand I misdefended.  It was the last board (actually I thought it was after the last board.  For some reason, despite Isabelle saying two more boards I thought the previous board was the last one.  I had already overbid to 3NT on that one.)  So having made my excuses here goes.

Isabelle’s hand

A432

Q84

AK5

J52

Isabelle opened 1NT 14-16.  Sylvia doubled which showed a five card minor and a four card major.  Jeff bid 2 Stayman and I bid 2 which was pass or correct that is  I wanted to play in Sylvia’s minor.  Isabelle bid 2 and that ended the auction.  Sylvia lead the K and this was dummy.

865

A102

QJ762

107

Isabelle won the third spade as I showed out playing the 4 (encouraging).  She played the A anad Sylvia ruffed it.  Now Sylvia played the K and I overtook with the A.

I just assumed Sylvia had theJ.   Once Sylvia had ruffed the first diamond we were booked for defeating the contract one.  When I overtook the club we still could have scored one down that if I had returned the a high diamond.

But I was still in snooze land.  I returned a club.  Sylvia won and played a heart.  Now Isabelle got to shine.  She won the heart played off all her winners and squeezed me in diamonds and hearts.  Well done Isabelle.  Yawn Linda.  At least I can enjoy a nice simple squeeze even at my expense.  It does show you should never give up on a hand.  Nobody knows that better than Isabelle.