Bridge - The Scotsman 06/03/2012

Scotland has won the Junior Camrose for the second year. Phil Morrison, Frazer Morgan, Alex Wilkinson and Krzyzstof Nguyen scored 156, ahead of England on 142; Ireland 122; Northern Ireland 121.

This was the first major swing in Scotland’s big win in their third match against England. A splinter with a singleton ace is not normally recommended, since partner will mis-value holdings such as KQx, but the Scottish North made an exception because of his extra trump length. 4H showed a raise to 4S with a singleton heart. South took charge with Roman Keycard Blackwood, discovering that partner had one keycard, the queen of trump and the king of clubs. He expected partner’s ace to be in diamonds, and hoped to make 12 tricks on a crossruff, but the ace of hearts was good news – three heart ruffs in dummy established the thirteenth heart as his twelfth trick.

The English North did not splinter; 2NT showed limit raise or better, and South’s 3S showed a hand good enough to accept a game invitation. North cuebid his club control, but when South decided not to cue his singleton diamond the partnership languished in game, each feeling that they might have done more.