March 8th, 2014
The second weekend of the Camrose competition is taking place in Manchester on 7th to 9th March 2014. These are some boards:
Match: EBU-England
The match ended England 11.27 – EBU 8.73.
Board 12
After his partner’s pass, Allfrey (ENG) decided to open his hand with a 4 bid, he considered that the slam was improbable and didnt want to give E/W the opportunity to find their heart fit. All pass and declarer made 12 tricks.
At the other table Frances Hinden (EBU) had at her disposal a glove like opening bid: 3NT, in their system shows a Good M (8.5 – 9.5 playing tricks).
Forrester (ENG) with his 4 vulnerable, showed his good hand with a good heart suit. Osborne (EBU) passed and Hinden showed her spades, now West only had to add his two keycards to make a slam try showing his A.
David Gold (ENG) competed with 5 and Frances also made her maths, it was obvious that her partner also have to had the A or the A…and she closed the spade slam. After the A lead Hinden claimed 12 tricks.
Match Wales-England
El match ended with England victory: 17.96 to 2.04
Board 21:
Mike Tedd (WLS) decided to open his hand with 3, Gold (ENG) doubled, South passed and Forrester converted to penalty.
Gold led his K, continued with the Q and a small heart to his partner’s A. Forrester switched to the Q, his partner won the trick with his A, and returned his 9, West ruffed with his 9.
Forrester now changed to the K, and after winning the trick played the 6, the card to secure 4 down. Tedd ruffed with his 8, and Gold won the trick with his jack, if declarer would have ruffed big, Forrester would have been waiting him with 10 7 3 2 for 4 down too.
At the other table Robson (ENG) evaluated his hand in a very different way and opened with a 1 bid, Woodruff (WLS) competed with 1 and Allfrey closed the bidding with a weak 3.
Close led the 3, Woodruff won with his A, and switched to his club. This helped Robson, to make 9 tricks as he could throw two heart losers: one in his A and another when East ruffed his Q with the A. The board was a 15 IMPs win for England.
Board 23
N/S played Weak NT and four major opening bids, so Salisbury (WLS) opened 1 and when his partner answered 2, showed his strong NT with a 2NT rebid. North finally decided to play 6NT. This contract cant be made, they had only 10 tricks, 11 if he can guess the heart layout. At the table declarer was two down.
Robson-Allfrey play NT 15-17 so South opened 1NT. Robson answered 2 0 range enquiry. The 2 response showed a minimum and Robson’s 5NT asked his partner to chose a minor slam.
The slam was cold with any lead. Close (WLS) chose the easiest lead for declarer, a smal heart. Allfrey played dummy’s small heart and when his J won the trick, draw trumps, lose the A and claimed 12 tricks. The board was a 17 IMPs win for England.