With Garozzo

Today I was asked by Valerie Westheimer to play with her in a match with our teammates as Benito Garozzo and Federico Primavera. I gladly accepted, and we started at 4:15PM today, I had made sure I didn't stay up past midnight last night so I had a brain. Anyway... We started playing and I was immeadiately put to the test with two tough hands.

The first one the auction went 1H by me, 1S by Val, 2C by me and 2H by Val. She was put in an awful position with A9xx xx KJTxxxx - and had to bid 2H once she committed herself with 1S. Arguably 1NT may be a better call with her hand, although it will often miss spade fits which may make game, when instead we are in a diamond partial. I liked 1S, but had a challenge in 2H, with my Qxx AKQ9x x Q9xx. I won the trump lead in hand and ruffed a club in dummy. I then led a small spade which RHO won with the king. Now, he made the mistake of returning the Jack of spades, which allowed me to win in hand, draw trump and lead a spade to my 9, making 3S, 5H, 0D, 1C Ruff... for an overtrick. Needless to say, this was a push, since they raised Spades with my hand instead of bidding 2C.

The second board of the 20 boards, I opened 1D on Ax Tx AQT9x Qxxx, LHO bid 2C and Valerie made a Negative Double. I opted for 2D which became the final contract. I received the Ace of Club lead and dummy held KQxx A9xxx 8 8xx. LHO then switched to the Queen of Hearts, which I won in dummy and played 3 rounds of Spades, all following, and pitched my heart. I then ruffed a Heart, and exited a club. LHO won, and returned the Jack of Spades, which RHO ruffed with the 6, and I overruffed and exited another club. Now LHO can hold me to 2 by cashing his last club, but instead led a trump, which I won in hand and exitted my final club and RHO ruffed perforce. Finally RHO had the Kx of Diamonds and I had the AT and finessed the Ten to make 3. Once again we only won 1 IMP, since they played 2C making 2 at the other table, but these small hands where I can salvage a plus score certainly are fun! In the end we wound up winning against Israel by 12, but it was a lot of fun, and I hope to do it again soon! Also, I promise I will start using handviewer shortly, which will make it much easier to visualize the hands, I just need to work out a few kinks with it...