Crockfords Semi-Final
28th April 2005
at Spondon (Derby)
Graham Jepson vs David Jones
Graham Jepson & David Musson, Frank Littlewood & David Robinson
The match started badly for the Sheffielders, when they failed to bid a grand slam, which their
opponents found, in the first stanza of 8 boards. They found themselves trailing by 17 imps.
In the 2nd stanza, this hand came up:-
 | Q J x
|
 | A K J x
|
 | K x x
|
 | x x x
|
Partner opens 1D, you bid 1H and parner rebids 2D.
Well, what would you bid? 3D isn't forcing, bidding another suit implies 5 hearts.
Not unreasonably, Dave Robinson bid 3NT . . . . .
and the defence took the first 5 tricks in clubs. This was partner's hand:-
| A K x
|
| 10 x x
|
| A Q x x x x
|
| x
|
No-one is to blame, but isn't it galling that 6D depends only on the finesse of the HQ,
(which works,) and a reasonable break in trumps (also true.)
So after 16 boards they were 30 imps behind
Stanza 3 went a little better: they lost only 1 imp.
In the 4th set, it was their opponents' turn to run into trouble:-
| North
|
| A K x x
|
| Q J x
|
| Q 10 x x
|
| x x
|
| South
|
| Q x x x
|
| A K x x x
|
| K x x
|
| A Q
|
North opened 1NT, and once they found their spade fit, NS were soon in 6S.
But Frank, sitting East, held:-
| East
|
| J x x x
|
| void
|
| x x x
|
| K x x x x x
|
So he doubled (Lightner,) ruffed the heart lead, and partner's DA made the setting trick.
Note that 6NT is a good contract, with the CK right.
Another failed slam, plus a few smaller swings, and Graham's team had made 24 imps on the set;
they were back in the match, with everything to play for.
The last 8 boards were pretty much all their way and they won the match comfortably.
We wish them well in the final round robin on May 7-8th.
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