Blewbury beat Abbey Smith A

108 to 47 IMPs

17.48 to 2.52 VPs

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Cross-IMPs

BLEWBURY = Finn Clark & Stuart Forsyth +2.21
BLEWBURY = Hilary Strang & Shirley Moore +1.99
BLEWBURY = Malcolm Cochrane & Michael Allen +0.18
BLEWBURY = Dermot Padden & Nigel Carter -0.04
ABBEY SMITH A = Robert Last & Richard Devas -0.07
ABBEY SMITH A = Abbey Smith & Robin Prestwich -0.46
ABBEY SMITH A = Peter Kiff & Sarah Gregory -1.71
ABBEY SMITH A = Stephen Viney & Paul Miller -2.10

Congratulations to everyone again!  All four Blewbury pairs scored better than all four Abbey Smith pairs.  (Abbey herself is a good player, for what it's worth.)

We were actually on -7 IMPs shortly after the halfway point (board 15)...  but then the scoreline in the remaining nine boards was 68 to zero.  That's the equivalent of a game swing on EVERY SINGLE HAND.

Hand 1 = flat.  (Our opponents stumbled into 4♥ on a 4-3 fit, but unfortunately it's unbeatable.)

Hand 2 = E-W have 4♥ available.  If South opens a 12-14, West should probably bid something (either hearts or a penalty double).  At one table, though, East opened an offbeat 3♣ and West raised to 5♣.  I actually quite like the 5♣ bid, but if you're confident that a 3♥ response would be forcing (as technically it is) then it can't hurt to say that en route and see what happens.

Hand 3 = South opens 1♦, West doubles and what should North reply?  You hold KQJ107 support for partner's diamonds, an outside ace and lots of tens and nines.  You like your hand a lot.  Redouble is tempting, promising 10+ points and an interest in doubling the opponents for penalties if they get too frisky...  but the problem is that your diamonds are too good!  If North-South have a great fit in diamonds, East-West must have a fit of their own somewhere.  Probably best to bid 2NT (conventionally showing 10+ points and a trump fit with partner) to try to shut them out of the auction in case they have a major suit fit.

Hand 4 = flat.

Hand 5 = a double slam swing.  Blewbury bid and made a vulnerable 6♥ at both tables, for +17 IMPs.  (Stuart and I disagree on whether North should open 1♥ or 1♦.)

Hand 6 = interesting that no one passed it out!  I held an 11-count with 5 spades and the auction started "pass pass pass".  I shrugged my shoulders and said 1♠ because we weren't vulnerable and because I had the boss suit.  East doubled (having passed as dealer), telling me he was probably 4441.  Stuart now jumped to 3♥ despite also being a passed hand, which for us is a fit-jump showing trump support and a side-suit (hearts).  I gave this a long look, since the auction suggested that the hearts were well placed, but I'd nearly thrown the hand in with my eleven-count and Stuart was a passed hand.  I subsided in 3♠ and then of course made an overtrick.  (It helped that East's double had told me how to tackle trumps.)

Hand 7 = various part-scores.

Hand 8 = two tables bid and made 4♥, while two played in 3♥+1 or 3♥+2.  As it happens, the hands fit very nicely.  West doesn't have many points, but they're almost all in East's long suits.  At one table, the opponents could have passed out 2♥...  but they protected with a reopening double, only for Hilary and Shirley to come alive and find the game.

Hand 9 = another slam swing, with Mike and Malcolm being the only pair to find 6♠.  (More than half of Blewbury's IMPs were won on slam hands.)  South can make it hard, though, by interfering with his 1651 two-count (at favourable vulnerability).  Let's say East opens 1♠ and South bids a Michaels 2♠.  West has 16 points.  "Double" is tempting, but nebulous...  on reflection, I'd choose a straightforward 3♣, which must be game-forcing since you're bidding a new suit at that level.  East might now start getting excited.

Hand 10 = various part-scores.

Hand 11 = flattish.  Everyone made game.

Hand 12 = a game swing when Hilary and Shirley made 4♠.  (Mike and Malcolm bid the same contract and went one off, but on best defence it's unmakeable.  North-South start with the ♣ AKQ.  Declarer's best play is to discard a diamond from dummy on the third round, planning later to discard another on the ♥A and lose no diamond tricks...  but an inspired South might ruff his partner's club trick and give partner a diamond ruff.  The clues are all there.  Declarer opened 1♦, dummy has four and so does South.)

Hand 13 = flat.  Two tables bid the lucky but successful 6♥ (it depends on the trump finesse) and two stopped more safely in 4♥.

Hand 14 = A game swing to Abbey Smith, with 3NT from Abbey herself and her partner.  Stuart and I put this down as an auction to discuss, then completely forgot to discuss it!  Playing five-card majors and a 15-17 1NT, Stuart opened 1♦ and I replied 1NT on my 3334 9-count, denying diamonds, hearts and spades.  Stuart's question was "should he be allowed to raise to 2NT on his 14-count?"  I think the answer to this is "no", partly because there will be a lot of strong hands where an invitational 2NT is the best bid and partly because if 3NT is on, my reply might have been 2NT rather than 1NT.

Hand 15 = North-South can make either 5♣ or 5♦, but one Abbey Smith pair stole the hand in 4♥-1.  If I'd held that North hand, I'd have probably competed over that to 5♦.  (Partner's supported diamonds and you have a monster that could easily be making 5♦ on as little as Kxxx support in partner's hand and nothing else.)

Hand 16 = 20 IMPs to Blewbury on the wildest board of the evening.  At one table, North made 6♦x.  At another, West made 5♠x.  There was also a 7♦-1.  (Congratulations to Shirley and Hilary there for exerting the maximum pressure in the auction.  Shirley opened 1♠, North blasted 5♦ and Hilary jumped to 6♠.  When North took insurance at favourable vulnerability in 7♦, South must have been kicking herself for not doubling 6♠ with the two black aces.)

Hand 17 = East-West played 3NT or 2NT+2 at every table...  except ours, where we were allowed to bid (and make!) 2♥ as North-South.  (Stuart bid a Landy-like overcall to show the majors and we had a good fit.)

Hand 18 = a small gain for Blewbury.  Two tables went off in 4♠, while two went plus in a part-score.  (Stuart found a nice defensive play here, giving me no option except to return the card he wanted.  If you play it out, the key bit is cashing the ♥AK before playing that club.)

Hand 19 = possibly the most interesting board of the evening.  We made a game swing from 4♠, which is harder to make than 4♥ but easier to bid.  South opens 1♣, West overcalls 1♦ and a negative double from North must now show both majors.  Hurrah, we've found our spade fit and can blast game...  but the off-puttingly soft 6-2 heart fit is a no-brainer in the play.  You just lose three trumps.

Hand 20 = a game swing when Dermot and Nigel defeated 4♥.  All the other tables were in 3NT.  (E-W have a heart fit but 4333 mirror distribution and a 4-1 heart break.  With 21 points opposite 6, the nine-trick game was safer.)

Hand 21 = flat in 3NT plus lots.

Hand 22 = 12 IMPs from nowhere on an ordinary-looking part-score deal.  Surreal.  Stuart and I made 2♣+2 as North-South and thought no more about it...  but Mike and Malcolm and Hilary and Shirley both made overtricks in 2♠ by East, while Nigel and Dermot took 200 in defence from East's 2♠-2.  (Playing through the hand just now, I think East's declarer play was bonkers.  Why's he messing around with club ruffs?  He should set up his diamonds!)

Hand 23 = 10 IMPs from a game swing.  Congratulations for Shirley and Hilary on 4♠.

Hand 24 = flat.  Two tables bid the good-but-unlucky 6NT (doomed by a bad spade break) and two stopped in game.