Hi all,
It is somewhat confronting when you move an age range in some random online survey. Fresh decade? Affirmative.
Snippets of news for the readers that stuck with me after 6 months of silence. Good things come from & go to Mexico. Purchasing a new kitchen proved to be more of an ordeal than initially considered. Everything should be installed by the end of this month. Two new bridge books in my library: I Love This Game by Sabine Auken and Winning Suit Contract Leads by David Bird. Hopefully some technique, insights and statistics will rub off on me.
Here’s a nice deal from a Pairs tournament. I was playing with René.
This is how we bid it:
When East revealed values with his lead directing double, René considered that good enough news to leap to slam. Now how to play it?
René took stock for a minute or two and combined a boatload of chances in his plan. He took the lead in dummy and immediately ruffed a (West echoing high-low). Next he played two rounds of trumps ending in dummy. Alas, West remains with a trick in trumps. Next he ruffed another in his hand and cashed the 
King. West pitched a when René played a towards dummy. Dummy’s last ruffed (West following) and a 3rd towards dummy. West had nothing to gain by ruffing in the air, so he pitched another . This is the position by now, West having a trick in trumps waiting:
René placed West with a trump. Stripped from everything but he had to play into René’s AQ-combination. Away went the loser.
You take at least 12 when trumps split, or when the suit comes in and if push comes to shove you have a hook as backup plan. René’s addition of the avoidance in the suit and foresight of placing opportunities (after stripping the suit) are marks of genuine expert play. Kudos!