Who'd be Captain of a "junior" Club Team of 8? Well, me, as it turns out. After a couple of week's worth of phone calls, texts, negotiations and tribulations, I managed to get together a team for Phoenix Rising's latest match - a home match against Torphins. One wonders if the team is cursed. Players were either away, ill, or otherwise engaged, with the result that we required two substitutes. One came from Phoenix I in the first Division; one from Ellon from the 2nd Division. Whilst this is perfectly workable (and, despite suggestions to the contrary from our opponents, legal), one always wishes that 8 players from the pool are always available. This is especially critical should we gain promotion from Division 3 as the current "alliance" between Phoenix Rising and Ellon will cease to exist.
For the uninitiated, there are clear rules on substitutions in the North District leagues. A substitute from another team must be a member of the club they are substituting for, not have played a match for a team in the same Division and not have played more than 2 matches for a team in a higher division. I have been meticulous in ensuring that any substitute for Phoenix Rising has met this criteria. If Phoenix Rising earn promotion to Division 2, and Ellon stay in Division 2 (both of which look likely at the moment), Ellon and Phoenix Rising will not be able to share players as they have done this season. (I have played once for Ellon already and will do so at least once more by the end of the season)
Then there was the issue of catering. As it turned out, I was not the only one that decided to bring in some home-made sandwiches and we probably had enough food to feed all three matches that were being played at Aberdeen Bridge Club that night. The sixteen players from our match did TRY to eat it all, but unsurprisingly failed.
Once all that was organised, there were 24 boards of bridge to be played. With my Dad and I playing at Table 1 in the last round, we limped to a (bad) score of +240 on the first 6 boards. However, this turned out to be the worst offering from any pair on the team. Our new player, partnering our Phoenix I substitute, contributed +1060. (They were sitting the same direction as us, so this was an indictment of our form). Our least experienced player, partnering someone who is regularly referred to as our "random club member", sitting the other way, somehow scored +1460. Overall, we were +3050 on the first set, which was phenomenal.
On the second set, we played at Table 2 and the boards did not get any easier. Here was the worst auction:
Dad RHO Me LHO
1D P 4H 4S
5H 5S P P
P
(Board 11; Love All)
In our system 4 Hearts is not strictly pre-emptive, although it does mean a long heart suit expecting to make Game. Contrary to a pre-empt, it can have values. What I had was rubbish spades, 7 hearts to the Ace-Jack and quick tricks in the minors. (I can't remember the exact hand). Unfortunately, in our system, I cannot bid 1, 2 or 3 hearts as they are all limit bids (3 Hearts is 12+ so partner shouldn't pass, but he has been known to) Partner decided 5 Hearts was as far as we were going. Fair enough, but why is 5 Spades going undoubled? Partner's reasoning was that he had a void in spades. Plenty people would've taken out the 6H or the X card without needing to look at their hand in that situation. 6 Hearts, as it happens, makes, so +100 for 5S-2 was not good.
We did claw something back on Board 7 when partner, already with 8 tricks in the bag in 3NT, played the losing ten of spades off table and my RHO, holding queen and jack, ducked. -10 was not as bad as it could've been but not good either. Our team-mates sitting our way had -870 (Slam was found but misplayed), and at Half time we were up 2100.
I do not recall a set like the third set. Six games bid and made - only one of them by the opposition. I felt our score was therefore bang-on par, with the only worry in my mind when I was presented this play situation in 4 Hearts:
A x x
J x x
A K J 10 x x
A
K x x
K Q 9 8 x x
---
Q x x x
(My Hand)
I had opened this 1 Heart, my partner had gone to 4 Clubs (Gerber); I said 4 Diamonds and he signed off in 4 Hearts. (We don't count void as an ace) The queen of spades was led. My worry was that the ace of trumps was my only loser. Since I was in 4 I took the safest line and made 11 but would I make 12 in 6 Hearts? Missing the ace of trumps it is difficult for anyone to bid and we're probably best out of it. Trumps broke 3-1. The question is open. Who wants to be in 6 Hearts here? +2070 was what we scored on the set, the next score I marked down was -2260 from Table 2. This was looking bad until 009domino and lessurl turned in -750 from Table 4. The score at Table 1 was +2440 - bring on Round 4.
Round 4 was a bit of a struggle. Partner raised my weak (to be passed) raise in spades and went for 300. Then this hand cropped up:
8 7
K
K Q 8 7 x x x
K x x
RHO opened 1 Spade. I discounted my KH and pre-empted 3 Daimonds. LHO said 3 Spades, and after some thought partner said 4 Diamonds. RHO said 4 Spades, passed out. (If I can find a double with my hand, is it ethical to do so?) I led the King of Diamonds, and dummy was:
A Q x x
x x x
x x
Q J x x
RHO won with the ace and took a round of spades, ending in dummy. She played a small heart from the table, which I won with the King, and then I found what I thought was the killer defence of a low diamond to partner's Jack. Partner laid down the ace of hearts, ruffed by RHO and over-ruffed by me. As it happened, partner had the Ace of clubs as well, so my neat defence was not so killer as a club would've done as well; the contract is always -2. What a shame we had not found a double. The line I took was right if partner does not have AC. So, that was an opportunity missed.
This was what saved it:
A x
K J x
x x
A K Q J 10 4
RHO opens 1 Heart. As my partner is somewhat wobbly on the meaning of doubles, and 1NT shows 16-18, I overcalled 1NT. LHO overcalls 2 Spades, and partner bids 3 Diamonds. I bid 3NT, which RHO doubles. I resist the temptation to Redouble and play in 3NTX. A heart is led, and dummy is:
x
A x
K 10 9 x x x
8 7 x x
Brilliant. The contract is solid anyway and I've just been gifted overtricks. The Jack wins and I play a small diamond. The Jack appears on my left so I cover and the ace wins. RHO returns... a heart! I win in dummy and play the ten of diamonds. Nobody covers, so I cash out my clubs, then my heart, then the ace of spades (hoping for a pseudo squeeze). 750 made for +500 overall.
We didn't have it all our own way, however. There was a -870 and a -300 to come. However, 009domino and lessurl came in with another fantastic score; +1610, sitting the opposite way from us. The big board? On the hand where I made 3NTx+2 above, 009domino opened 4 Hearts, got doubled, and made it. Try as I might, I cannot see how that is possible, with 1 spade loser and 3 heart losers. But I'm not complaining.
So that was a 19-1 win against the team that were top. It was Torphins' first defeat of the season, having won their first two matches 19-1 and 20-0. Phoenix Rising now sit proudly at the top, 14 points clear of Torphins. Despite what some would have us believe, we are not automatically entitled to first place. There are two big matches to come; 48 boards of bridge to be played. Well done to my team (who I have carefully avoided naming outright in case they don't want to take any credit).
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