25th January 2017

Dealer East
S
Q
   
Game All
H
A72
   
    D AQ
   
    C AKJ9875
   
S
9
    S
KJ10764
H
5
    H
1098
D
J108742
    D
K963
C
Q10632
    C
-
    S
A8532
   
    H
KQJ643
   
    D
5
   
    C
4
   


This deal is from the third round of the Gold Cup where Raymond Semp's team beat the seeded Senior team.

In the open room Ed Jones passed the East hand, Toby Nonnenmacher opened with one heart, Nevena Senior made a weak jump overcall and Raymond Semp bid his clubs, Ed Jones raised the pre-empt to the five level, leaving Raymond no room to find out safely whether a grand slam was a good bet, so he settled for six hearts.  Ed Jones now made a Lightner double for a club lead, hoping that there would be another defensive trick.  There wasn't so North South scored 1660.

South
West
North
East



Pass
1H 3D
4C 5D
Pass
Pass
6H Double
Pass
Pass
Pass



In the closed room Jeff Smith elected to open with a weak two, John Holland overcalled three hearts and Brian Senior employed Roman Key Card Blackwood to bid the excellent grand slam.  When Jeff Smith gave this a Lightner double Brian retreated to seven notrump but on the lie of the cards was unable to make that.  Alan Nelson would have led a diamond against seven hearts with six diamonds and five clubs.  Although that doesn't take it off immediately, it removes a vital entry for setting up the clubs; declarer would have to ruff two spades in dummy (one with the ace) in order to make the contract.  This is a plausible line of play if South believes that the clubs are five-nil.


South
West
North
East



2S
3H Pass
4NT Pass
5S Pass
7H Double
Pass
Pass
7NT
Pass
Pass
Pass



This board was worth 18 IMPs to Raymond's team, which helped hugely in their win by only 8 IMPs.

Thanks to Raymond Semp for reporting this deal.