Oxfordshire vs Notts, February 2009, Boards 1-16

We were somewhat light of players for this away match against Notts, but the county had a reasonable day. The C team were back to their usual ways, winning 20-0 for the 5th time out of 7 this season and securing the league title with a match to spare. All pairs contributed well to the victory with Murray and Currie having a particularly good card. The A team also had a solid 18-2 victory placing them 3rd in the league, but a little adrift from the leaders. Proctor and Robinson lead the way with a massive card while the other 3 pairs had a relatively quiet day.

Unfortunately the B team slipped to their first defeat of the season, losing 14-6. The leaves us level on VPs at the top of the league with Derbyshire whom we play in the final match of the season. This will no doubt be an interesting head to head show down as the Oxfordshire team strive to retain the title from last year. Thanks especially to Gillian Lonsdale for stepping in at the very last minute and producing a good card playing with John Slater. The other three pairs were perhaps a little off-form against a fairly average Notts side.

Any on to a board-by-board look at how things went.

Board 1 N/ None	- A Q J 7 5 4 3 2 Q 8 6 T 6
A K T 9 T J T 5 Q J 8 7 4		J 8 6 4 3 2 K 6 A K 9 5 3
	Q 7 5 9 8 9 7 4 3 2 A K 2

A tricky bidding decision on the first board of the day. Both 4 and 4 make, though it is not clear if either East or West should bid after a 4 opening by North. Many say that a 4 opening is a transfer to 4 ! If your style is penalty orientated doubles then I would stretch with the East cards, while if it is takeout orientated then I’d be happy to pass and reopen with the West cards.

In the B team both Clacey and D. Lintott found a 4 overcall but unfortunately the Lintotts pushed on to 5 which went 1 off. Of the 4 tables in the A team match, only our opponents managed to compete and I managed to find the winning action for this board of 5 sitting South to limit the damage. The C team also saw a swing out when one Notts pairs managed to complete.

Board 2 E/ NS	T 8 3 2 T 8 4 2 K 2 J 4 3
J 9 5 K 7 6 Q T 8 7 6 9 7		Q A Q 9 3 9 5 4 3 A K Q T
	A K 7 6 4 J 5 A J 8 6 5 2

4441 hands are notoriously difficult to bid and this hand caused some problems for EW pairs. Several pairs played in 4 which is a poor spot - you need trumps 3-3 and a reasonable diamond position. I've heard several tables start with the auction 1 1 2.

Clacey bid 3 over 2 and played there but drifted one off. John Williams made a 3 game try over 2 which propelled them into the non-making game. [A takeout double seems more natural over 2.]

At our table the auction went
1 1 2 P,
4 P P 4,
X AP.
Nathan presumed I had a heart void given the auction and his holding of 4 low so decided we might have a cheap save, though I’m not convinced the vulnerability is right for this. This should be 800 but I managed to get out for 500 when the J scored an unexpected trick.

Well done to Proctor and Robinson, the Lintotts, Brown and Keep and Gidman and Whitehouse for judging well and playing in the making diamond partscore.

Board 3 S/ EW	8 7 4 3 Q 4 3 A 7 3 A 7 6
Q J T 9 8 5 J T 9 8 4 2 9		9 6 2 K T 7 Q 5 K 8 4 3 2
	A K 5 A J 6 2 K 6 Q J T 5

A dull 3NT. NEXT

Board 4 W/ All	9 8 6 3 K 6 4 J 8 7 K Q 5
K J A 3 A K T 4 A J 8 6 4		5 4 2 J T 9 8 7 5 Q 9 T 3
	A Q T 7 Q 2 6 5 3 2 9 7 2

After a strong balanced opening by West most played in 4, though several settled for 3. This was a swing in for the A team when one Notts pair didn’t bid game. In the B team Moss took a sub-optimal line to go off but the other mini-match balanced this out when another Notts pair missed game. Unfortunately for the C team both Oxfordshire pairs played in 3

Board 5 N/ NS	A 2 A K T 9 8 J T 4 3 J 7
K 4 6 4 3 2 Q 5 K T 9 5 2		Q T 7 6 - A K 8 6 2 Q 6 4 3
	J 9 8 5 3 Q J 7 5 9 7 A 8

5 makes with careful play here and a few ventured there but were unsuccessful. Robert Proctor describes how this hand should be played:
“The first step is to reason that the contract is only likely to be possible if clubs are 2-2 and hence to play a club at trick two after the opening heart is ruffed. If oppo return a club, diamond or spade the contract is cold provided the second round of clubs is played and the diamonds are no worse than 4-2. If a heart is returned, this must be ruffed and the diamonds set up while there is still an entry to dummy in clubs. Hence it was necessary to play a club to the king irrespective of who held the ace of clubs. This line therefore depends upon an opponent with a doubleton diamond not having the CJ. This turns out to be the case and so the contract makes. I don't think there is a line which is solid against all 2-2 club breaks as it is not possible to draw trumps before the diamonds are set up.”

There was a swing in for the A team when Webley and Wilkes collected 300 off of 5X with Williams and Wilson making 3+2.

Board 6 E/ EW	A J 9 4 5 2 9 8 6 5 3 2 K Q 5
K Q T 7 5 6 4 3 7 4 Q 6 2		8 6 2 A Q J 8 Q T A J 9 8
	3 K T 9 7 A K J T 7 5 4 3

8 of the 12 tables played in 2+ most going one off. A few players sitting South competed [I made a takeout double over 2S transfer completion] and located their diamond fit. Flower and Stead defended 3-3 for a positive swing in the C team.

Board 7 S/ All	A Q 7 5 K Q J 6 A J Q J 4
J T A T K Q 6 5 3 A K 3 2		8 6 4 9 8 7 4 3 2 9 7 2 9
	K 9 3 2 5 T 8 4 T 8 7 6 5

A lot of NS pairs over-bid this hand getting to 4. After 1D X P 1S 2C despite holding a 20 count North needs to avoid putting game on the table here opposite what could be a yarbourough. The hand has soft values in CQJ, the DJ may well be wasted, and there may be no entry to partners hand to take the required finesse. Well done to Piper and Angus, and Webley and Wilkes for avoiding this trap and bringing in 3 . Malcolm describes how they picked up 1100 out of 5X
"West opened 1C Precision, X by Jo showing the major followed by a pass (or was it 1H?). I jumped to 2S putting up a barrage (or so I thought), 3D from West, and 4S by Jo, and opponents went recklessly on to 5D"

Board 8 W/ None	K 9 4 2 A 7 6 A 4 3 A T 9
A 8 6 K 4 2 T 7 5 Q 6 3 2		Q 5 Q 5 Q J 9 8 2 K J 7 4
	J T 7 3 J T 9 8 3 K 6 8 5

9 tricks is the limit in (or ) for NS. A few pushed on to game which requires you to play both majors for one loser. Murray and Currie managed to roll in 4 after the defence failed to establish their club trick and it disappeared on the hearts.

Board 9 N/ EW	T 9 7 5 A K T 9 8 8 5 2 Q J 2
- 6 4 2 Q T 4 3 9 8 7 6 4 3		J 4 Q J 8 7 5 9 6 A K T 5
	A K Q 8 6 3 2 9 3 A K J 7 -

The first of 3 slam hands for NS, though only one Oxfordshire pair and one Notts pair managed to find it. I suspect many were put off by the 1 opening by East, myself included. At Murray and Currie’s table Jo opened a keen 1NT sitting North there was no way Malcolm was going to miss this one. The auction should probably start
P 1 X 2, 2
after which South should go slam hunting and find North with the necessary heart control.

Board 10 E/ All	T 4 2 A Q J 5 Q 8 6 A J 9 6 2
K Q 6 K 9 K T 8 3 2 Q 5 4		J 9 8 T 7 6 4 A J 9 6 T 8
	A 7 5 3 8 3 2 7 5 4 K 7 3

A partscore hand here. If West opens 1NT and NS choose to defend they can beat it by 3 on accurate defence. North may have a mechanism to get their 4M&5m into the auction in which case they are likely to play in 2,. 2, requires careful play as you can easily get forced, but with the , Q onside you should make.

The A team gained a small swing when Proctor and Robinson defeated 2, by South., but the c team lost a swing when Gidman and Whitehouse were left to play in 1NT.

Board 11 S/ None	K J 3 Q 9 8 6 5 4 Q 8 5 3
97 6 2 A J K J 9 7 6 7 4		A Q T 8 5 K T 4 3 2 T 3 K
	4 7 5 A Q 8 2 A J T 9 6 2

This was a good hand for the county with all 3 teams gaining. 4 makes if you can find it.

In the A team, the Notts EW pair went off in 4, Webley and Wilkes stole the contract in 3 (which they made) and Williams and Wilson bid and made 4. In the B team Slater and Lonsdale competed to 4-1, one Notts EW played in 3 and the Lintotts bid and made 4. In the C team Flower and Stead competed to 5-1, Gidman and Whitehouse picked up 300 off of 5X.

Board 12 W/ Ns	K J 5 4 K 5 A Q 5 K 8 5 2
A T 8 3 2 Q T 4 T 8 3 T 9		6 J 9 8 3 2 7 6 4 7 6 4 3
	Q 9 7 A 7 6 K J 9 2 A Q J

The second slam of the day for NS. At our table West opened 2 (yuk!) and Piper overcalled 2NT. This came to me sitting South and despite knowing we had the values for slam the lack of shape persuaded me select a more cautious quantitative 4NT, which was passed. We were somewhat surprised to gain imps on the board when Proctor and Robinson defended 5-1. Well done to Webley and Wilkes, Slater and Lonsdale, Flower and Stead, and Murray and Currie bidding 6NT.

Board 13 N/ All	T 6 3 T 7 2 7 6 Q 8 5 4 2
A 5 K Q J 4 9 8 A K T 6 3		K J 8 9 6 5 3 K Q J 5 3 J
	Q 9 7 4 2 A 8 A T 4 2 9 7

A rather dull 3NT/4 by EW. A bidding misunderstanding by the Lintotts left them in the wrong contract at the 5 level (clubs) but this was balanced out when Slater and Lonsdale beat 5 in the other B team mini-match. The C team gained a swing when Murray and Currie’s opponents under-bid, settling for 2.

Board 14 E/ None	6 5 A Q T 9 3 2 K T 8 4 8
A K 7 3 6 7 6 5 3 K Q 5 2		Q J T 9 4 K 8 7 5 J 2 T 9
	8 2 J 4 A Q 9 A J 7 6 4 3

A thin 4 for NS, but EW have a profitable sacrifice in 4. Well done to Piper and Angus, and Flower and Stead for finding 4 while Murray and Currie had to settle for 300 out of 4X. In the B team Clacey and Moss stole the contract in 3 and rolled that in, but both Oxforshire pairs missed game and the Lintotts unfortunately doubled 4.

Board 15 S/ NS	K 4 Q 9 4 Q J T 4 A K Q 4
3 K J 6 3 A 5 T 9 7 6 5 2		A Q T 9 5 2 T 8 7 5 7 6 3 -
	J 8 7 6 A 2 K 9 8 2 J 8 3

This hand generated some interest. At our table the auction went
1 2 P P,
X P 2NT* P, * Lebensohl style
3* P 3NT AP
3NT denied a stop, but implied half a one as the lead was going through North. After a club lead, I knocked out the DA and West switched to a small heart. Despite the K being onside you should let this run to the A and aim to endplay East to cater for them holding K and A.
Proctor describes the shenanigans at his table:
“The hand that will, I am sorry to say, encourage me to psyche again one day. Lets look at it from North's perspective, holding Kx, Qxx, QJTx, AKQx at red in third seat. His system dictates that he opens 1C which is overcalled 1H and partner makes a negative double. He is starting to wonder about NTs when RHO comes in with an UCB 2C. Now what? Double looks sensible to show the extra values, but he chose 2H. Doesn't this imply better spades? Anyway his partner was there with 2S and now he would like to bid 3H to invite 3NT, when RHO bids 3H. Now surely partner is very weak and he should give in gracefully or perhaps double again, inviting 3NT a second time? However he was convinced that his partner must be very short in hearts and have at least four-card support for one of his minors so he tried 4D which was raised to 5. I particularly enjoyed the look on declarer's face when I led the ace of spades and partner ruffed the second round!”

In the B team Slater and Lonsdale sold out to 2, but Clacey and Moss defeated 3 so the overall result was imps in.

Board 16 W/ EW	Q J T 6 4 A A J 8 A J 8 4
K 3 K Q 9 5 4 9 6 2 K Q 7		8 5 2 T 7 3 K Q 7 3 T 9 6
	A 9 7 J 8 6 2 T 5 4 5 3 2

Another partscore hand, though NS might find themselves overbidding if South decides to support North’s 1S overcall. Moss and Clacey will be disappointed to let 3NT through.