Tollemache Qualifier

They say the draw in the Tollemache qualifier is random but I'm not so sure. It's true that there is a seeding system; last year's top four teams are in separate groups, as are those who finished fifth through eight in the final. Once again we found ourselves with seeds Middlesex and Leicestershire as in 2005. Again Hereford (for the third year running) and East Wales featured and how often do we end up playing ex-Suffolk Mike Ash's Cumbria?

The county did slightly better than last year though not as well as we'd hoped. We didn't enjoy the best of fortunes as this deal shows.

  • Q8532
  • 6
  • AK95
  • 632
  • J10
  • KJ3
  • 10832
  • KQ97
N
W
E
S
  • 74
  • Q1087
  • QJ74
  • J104
  • AK96
  • A9542
  • 6
  • A85

At my table North opened a gadget, a 2♠ bid showing five spades and a four card side suit, his partner bid 4♦ - shortage and spade support - and North looked no further than game. I led the club knave and eleven tricks were quickly wrapped up. North-South smugly complimented themselves on their methods and their judgement and I observed – more to prick their pomposity than anything else – "of course, you make slam if you're in it..". That silenced the table but those worlds had a hollow ring when we scored up…

David Price for Suffolk did indeed reach slam on the same lead. He quickly saw the way to twelve tricks; ruffing out the hearts. The early play proceeded, club ace, heart ace and ruff, diamond ace and king (club discard), spade to ace, heart ruff, diamond ruff, and we had reached this position:

  • Q8
  • ---
  • 9
  • 63
  • J
  • ---
  • 10
  • KQ9
N
W
E
S
  • 7
  • Q
  • Q
  • 104
  • K9
  • 95
  • ---
  • 8

South led another heart and though West discarded, declarer ruffed high and the moment of truth had arrived. He had a clear choice; a spade to king, drawing trumps in a single round or remembering West's ten under the ace, a finesse of the nine. Unfortunately, North guessed wrong. It was something of a story for the weekend; we lost heavily in the slam zone though misfortune and misadventure.

Suffolk at the Tollemache qualifier 2006
P. Gemmell / P. Sutcliffe; J. Moore / D. Price; E. Lockhart / J. Green; J. Gobert / C. Chambers; D. Sutcliffe (NPC).
Beat Cumbria 18-2, Middlesex (Q) 16-4, Leicestershire 14-6, Hereford 13-7
Lost to Wales East 9-11, Nottinghamshire 5-15, Hertfordshire (Q) 3-17; Bedfordshire 2-18

Published Saturday 2.Dec.2006