The Northern Juniors League, aka the Bridge League of Universities of the North East and Yorkshire Cup, is a chance for us to meet up with the guys from York and Leeds, plus usually at least one team from Harroagte School, and play a bridge competition with the emphasis on participation. Everyone can get involved, so there are some teams of strong players and others of complete beginners.

Everyone is very welcome to play in this; we like to field at least three teams (which is more than the other universities manage), and it's a good way for our newer players to experience some semi-competitive bridge, as well as getting to meet other young bridge players in the region.

Match Dates
Round 1.	Saturday 24th November	Darlington
Round 2.	Saturday 9th Feburary	Harrogate
Round 3.	Saturday 19th April	York

Overall results

Round 2 matrix

BLUNEY reports

Round 1 - A Team report:

The first round of this year's Bluney promised a great deal - with prospective teams from as far afield as Edinburgh and Birmingham, would Durham even be in contention? Well, sadly neither of the two universities mentioned could in practice scrape together four players to form a team, but fingers crossed for future rounds. Durham had an awkward 17 players, but Tom GS kindly volunteered to plug a gap in another team, leaving the Durham A team (me, Tom D, Dom and Robin), the Durham B team (featuring Eve and Rosa with Steve and Phil), the C team (Nick L-J, Neil, Germander and Mark) and our "Alumni" team (Rob M, Laura, Clare and Michael) to face the might of two Leeds teams and the Harrogate schoolboys, plus the team featuring Tom GS and some other people.

We played 6 five boards matches with three boards before food and two after, as well as one final four board match against the team we hadn't yet faced; this last was crammed in once we'd upped the pace a bit after dinner, which goes some way to explaining what looks like a crazy format. The important point was that you had a revenge round to make up for all the bad things you'd done first time about!

Robin and I didn't entirely click in the first session; we seemed to write down -100 quite a lot and perhaps were both pushing a bit much on occasions - I certainly know we both bid one for the road on a couple of boards. Having said that, there were some shapey boards about (thanks to SGBC for the hand records and commentaries!) and there were a couple of hands where we had to settle for taking the best we could, sacrificing once the opposition had reached games that weren't bid at the other table. Nevertheless, we went in at "half" time feeling we could have done better, mostly due to the three boards against the alumni. One of them stars me; Robin diligently fourth suit forces his way to a slam try in clubs, which I pass since I've decided for some reason that I've pushed too hard and he's trying to back out. +190 is not what we need; Dom has revoked for extra comedy value at the other table but since they're defending 3NT it doesn't really cost. 6 is cold, of course. The other key board in that match sees Tom and Dom reach a decent vulnerable slam (it requires a non-club lead or the diamond finesse) but go off while Laura and Clare just stop in game.

So after the first session, the alumni were kicking some backside and the Harrogate boys had also been doing well for themselves; Durham A and B had the best of the rest of the field, but being less than 1 IMP a board up suggested we weren't firing on all cylinders. Perhaps the curse of calling the team Durham A was exacting its toll...

The second half kicked off with the match which, after much mocking at half time from Laura and Clare, I was now most eager to win - against the alumni. We'd switched directions, so were up against Rob and Michael this time, and things got off to a good start when an overly aggressive auction drives Michael to 4x:

Robin has opened a heart as North and Michael overcalls a spade. I'm not mad keen to bid 3 at amber, though perhaps I could; anyway I pass the time with a 2 bid and Rob comes up with a somewhat aggressive 3. Robin sits back to watch the action unfold, is happy to double the 3NT Michael has little choice but to bid, and completes his good work by doubling 4 on principle (yes, when Michael runs there I should double). Against 4x I find my singleton club appealing; when Robin wins and returns a small one it's not too tough to play the Q to set up our defensive cross ruff for the first seven tricks. A traumatised Michael gives up one at the end as well, to go five off. Dom has declined the opportunity to introduce his club suit at the two level or the three level, and they pass out in a quiet heart contract.

The next board appears to be a flat one; we find a nine card heart fit and game values so play in game in hearts and make 11. At the other table, Laura opens her bent 1NT and Clare diagnoses the heart fit but decides to play in 3NT instead. Sadly there's no justice here; Laura gets away with Kx of diamonds on the table as a first round stop, and when the club finesse works too she can cash nine tricks. Annoyingly from our point of view, in doing so she drops a stiff king offside and so makes all thirteen for a matchpoint top in a stupid contract. Oh well, two out...

Various other bits and pieces come together as the afternoon progresses; I think Robin has ceased to expect disciplined action opposite him and is judging well accordingly. We bid a tight vulnerable game that this time does come in (we were due one!), as well as finding a couple more decent sacrifices that actually score well in this half when Dom and Tom have played in their games. Our only real disappointment comes as Durham C bid a rude 6NT (2NT - 4NT - 6NT with responder holding a 4-3-3-3 ten count) while Robin contents himself a simple raise. That swing means the C team actually destroyed us head-to-head, and certainly they weren't following my team orders very well - we could have done with some extra help! The final standings from round 1 were:

So Harrogate take a comfortable, but not outrageous, lead into the second round next term; both Durham A and Durham B are still within distance. Onto the next round - February the 9th, if I'm not mistaken.

Round 2 - A Team report

We came, we saw, we conquered.

That's what the Scots can say, at least, after a BLUNEY that saw Edinburgh mark their debut by narrowly edging out Durham A. In our defence, we did enough to take the overall lead from Harrogate, recording a plus score on the day of 76 IMPs - but, as ever, there was plenty of room for improvement.

In the absence of Dom, Neil was promoted to the A team, while the B team remained unchanged, Eve partnering Rosa and Phil scowling at Steve. The alumni, losing Rob because of some other match, gained Tom GS as a pseudo-alumnus, and we also had a team from Tom D's teaching table; Cath played with Paul while Germander and Mark enjoyed their second outing in the competition.

Before we started play, Bev had arrived and made the executive decision that she couldn't get through the day without some wine. Naturally Eve was happy to be her drinking partner (Rosa's thoughts on the matter are not recorded) and with Phil Godfrey supposedly keeping order the atmosphere was the best of any Bluney I've been to for several years.

Anyway, onto the bridge (that's why you read these reports, right? For the quality of my incisive commentary?). I'll write this from our point of view, although an extensive drinking session afterwards does allow me to introduce a couple of the other actions taken on the boards by people around the room...

First up (on my card, at least) we took on Leeds A, fresh from a second round PB beating at the hands of Edinburgh. We sat down against Amy and Mpho, and Board 1 saw us gain ten after Mpho fails to go on when he holds a weak NT and Amy shows him that she does too; a little odd but the game should actually fail (in fact, we take 2NT one off after some thoughtful defence). Neil and Tom have navigated to 4 which in practice makes quite a lot of the time. We gained another ten for me making 3NT; I think Amy was a bit unlucky here. The board is as follows:

Robin Staymaned it up with the West cards and then upgraded his hand and bid the NT game. South leads a small diamond and after North beats my 7 with her Ace, she returns the 9, worrying about blocking the suit. I think she's overthought this a bit as I'm not quite sure which four cards South can hold where returning the 2 will fail - with the King, Queen and Jack all known to be in East and South's hands surely her nine will fall on the third round of the suit anyway.

Nevertheless, when I let the diamond tun to South's honour, he's kind enough to put a diamond back into my tenace - though it means I have to find a discard from the table. I chose a club; this could make me look very silly but I can't abandon a heart and I'm reluctant to pitch a spade, for some reason. Crossing to dummy with a club and taking the losing heart finesse had me sweating for a bit - if South clears the club suit then I'm off in a game I don't expect to be bid at the other table; luckily he plays a spade instead and I claim in a hurry.

Then we had a slam hand (described as "not to be missed" in the commentaries - although you can judge for yourself, given the commentary was from a pairs event):

At our table, Robin opened his better minor, 1, as per system and got to rebid 1NT; I then tried for slam in diamonds and his hand can't be much better. I did have a serious think about pulling to 6NT to protect partner's Kx in a major, but as ever with Robin his hand was exactly what I wanted to see. After a spade lead I drew trumps and played for the Q to come down in three; when that failed to materialise the club finesse was my twelfth trick. I have no idea whether that's the best line. On the other table, Leeds bid to 6NT and went off when declarer cashed eleven tricks and gave up, failing to take either working finesse. +34 over four boards was pretty sweet, if somewhat undeserved!

Next we got thumped by Edinburgh - with all due respect to Danny et al, this was the most disappointing match of the day. From our table it looks like a flattish match - Robin and I have pushed too hard to a 4 with four cashers to lose, admittedly, but the other boards seem normal. Unfortunately, Neil goes off in the rigid 3NT (doubly rigid on the lead) when he sets up nine tricks but ends up in the wrong hand and can't cash, and teammates also fail to take the first four tricks against the aforementioned 4, setting up declarer's side suit and then passively returning a trump, if I recall correctly. The latter is just a situation where it can't hurt to cash at teams, but never mind. Two flattish other boards led to an unhelpful -24 IMPs.

Third match on my card is that match against Durham C. We get a good score when Cath doesn't wade in with an eight card spade suit (to the Jack, admittedly) so we make 4 while Neil has taken a somewhat different view, and is one off in 4; we also pick up some other pieces after a misunderstanding and some good defence. +27.

The final match of the first half was against Harrogate; Liam and Mark had a bit of a misunderstanding and missed a game, and Tom and Neil extract 800 on a board where Liam and Mark reach 4 which should have little play for ten tricks (although at our table Mark can make by taking a better view in trumps). We lose twelve IMPs after a slightly curious auction where I bid 3 after a spade opening on my right, and Robin, with AQ AKJT8 2 QT832, leaps to 4 which promptly goes off when I have KQJ10864 and out, and the suits break poorly around the table.

After some sandwiches and some scoring up, we've pulled in 50 over 16 boards - pretty good, in spite of the kicking from the Scots. With the Alumni and Durham B to face in the second half, would things be tougher?

Well, we got off to a decent start against Clare and Laura:

As the commentary points out, when 1 is passed to West, he does best to double - and will find ten tricks to be available in hearts when the diamonds drop. At our table, there was a small episode of Perrymania; Laura opened the North cards 1NT, and when Robin protectively doubles I decide to leave it in. Clare escapes into 2 but I crack this and Robin defends well, trying a top spade then drawing dummy's trumps and playing a heart. For some reason Clare takes the heart finesse, so I cash a top spade and play another, and also get my trump at the end for 800. Whoops.

The next board is actually a similarly large gain; Laura and Clare sacrifice well but lose out when Tom GS and Michael have let the sacrifice make at their table. It requires thoughtful defence, which Robin found as usual. One small gain for no real reason was followed by perhaps my favourite auction of the day:

1	1
1NT	4NT
5NT	6NT

Laura's 15-17 1NT rebid excites Clare a bit, and she looks down to find an eighteen count with three hearts. Eschewing possibilities like, err, lumping 6NT on the table, or even checkbacking, she invites instead. Laura clearly has no reason to bid on, with a minimum with borderline decent intermediates, but her action is rewarded when Clare eventually decides to raise this to the rigid slam. Good bridge, I feel. The board is flat after a normal auction at the other table, but could have been another 12 in - Laura has no right to keep bidding and deserves to go off in one of 5NT or 6NT.

The other matches are less entertaining; we have three flat boards against the B team, only gaining 12 when Robin's 4 pre-empt intimidates Rosa into passing her 18 count; four off undoubled scores well against four off doubled. We lose some bits against Leeds when they find an untouchable 5 and make it as well as when I have exactly the wrong cards for Robin again and we go off in his 4 overcall.

Against team Pattison (the "all stars"), Robin and I have a torrid set. The first board is this:

Ken opens the South cards a precision 2 (11-15 and six clubs) and we haven't had a conversation about what follows. Robin doubles and North bids 2 - asking Ken to bid a four card major if he has one. As East, I'm not really sure what a double is here - card showing? Major suit oriented? A bit of both? I conclude that 2 may be the least of all evils - I'd be happier with a fifth heart, but at least it's a suit I'm happy to have led if the opposition wind up in 5X or something. Ken competes with 3, and after asking a lot of questions about the auction Robin passes, expecting either a bad heart break or the spade honours offside (or both). When it comes back to me I feel the prolonged questioning means I'm not going to get away with another bid, so we pass it out and it goes one off.

Four hearts isn't the greatest game ever; if the trumps break badly then you need to play the hand carefully and hope things are behaving (admittedly pretty likely given the opening), but Robin was annoyed with himself afterwards and we should really be in it.

As compensation, we go on to overbid and reach a game which as the cards lie simply has no play - we both push a bit hard, counting losers rather than winners I think (we have a combined 19 count but only 13 losers, but things just fit poorly). The opposition find a good game that Tom and Neil aren't in, before the following hand comes up:

At my table, Robin opens a spade and I bid 1NT; he rebids 2 and I give preference to 2. Now he prods with 3 and I have a bit of a think. The last time we had this auction, he had a 5=5=2=1 5L fifteen-count and was lucky to make 3 on a misdefence opposite my minimum. The A is clearly a useful card but, concerned about the K being worthless, unhappy with my holding in his second suit, and aware that my hand may well play like a dog unless the quality of his trump suit is extraordinary, I pass. I think I can raise here and Robin must lose the post-mortem if I'm wrong - I do have a near maximum with doubleton support and a useful Ace.

However, on the actual hand I think Robin loses the post-mortem anyway since opposite a response and presumably a doubleton spade, his 3L hand is massive and I think just bidding 4 is the normal action - if I have six quacky points in the red suits and the clubs break badly then it could be wrong, but there are lots of hands where I simply won't raise to game - and either red suit Ace in my hand is enough to make it a good shot. That's certainly the view Phil took in the same auction, and when the clubs are 3-3 eleven tricks roll in.

The final word on this hand, however, belongs firmly to Michael E. His work on this board was so remarkable that it has been commemorated in a poor bridge of the week - along with a couple of his other recent misdemeanours. Sit back and enjoy Michael's Matchpoints Manoeuvres.

The Edinburgh team also wrote a report which can be found here.

Round 3

It was the final leg of the Bluney, and the stakes were high - Durham A had the overall lead despite not having yet won a leg, but it was tight at the top and if Edinburgh could repeat their storming performance from the second round, we might be watching our backs all the way. As usual, Yorkshire had put some money behind the bar (well, Phil Godfrey had decided they were going to, anyway) so the team was additionally handicapped by my drinking problem, to not mention the prospect of Mr Dessain "on the goblin". Still, Robin was driving, so at least one of the team might be able to hold it together beyond the second match...

With the event being held just before term started, we were a bit down on undergraduate representation. The A team was unchanged, but the B team had lost Steve and gained Rob, and the partnerships had been switched as well so Phil and Eve played together while Rosa partnered Rob. Durham Alumni retained the same lineup as in the previous round, with Michael and Tom GS East-West, and Laura and Clare North-South. We also had Steve Skett, who had been happy to make my life easier and join the mixed Darlington team, opposite Senor Godfrey.

Anyway, on to the bridge.

Match 1 - vs the All-Stars

Not much went on here at my table: the opposition (Ken and partner) missed a cold 6 that's tough to bid; Robin made a routine game; Ken made a cold 3NT and I made a partscore overtrick on the beer - quite difficult when the diamond position is:

Leading up to my (South's) hand twice was enough to fox RHO, who hopped up with the Queen the first time and then crashed Ken's King at her second go. Not content with the success of this manoeuvre, she then played the ten to my Jack, allowing me to cross to dummy and score the beer. I tried to blow a trick en route, but it was impossible. Curses.

At Dom's table, not much was different, except Ken's cold 3NT was no longer an option when Phil Godfrey aggressively wandered in with 4 over the top. Dessain tried 5, and this is completely totally and utterly off unless Phil cashes his two Aces and gives up. Luckily for Durham, he did just that and flattened the board. The only gain, then, turned out to be the partscore board, and we recorded a small win.

Match 2 - vs Durham Alumni

We played the boards out of order here, so if anyone is confused then that'll be because the report has them in the order 15-16-13-14. For dramatic reasons.

The first board seemed to have gone quite well for us:

Tom's diamond lead ran to my Jack, and for some reason I could only count eight tricks here. So I played a spade to the Jack and cashed out when it held. Clearly the contract is cold, but in my mind it had gone rather well - and of course I was more than a little surprised when Tom showed out on the second round of spades!

However, we fell from grace on the second board:

Pass, pass, 2 to me. I try 4 and see Robin go into the tank. I'm pretty sure we haven't agreed we're playing leaping Michaels here so I'm hopeful it's a strong jump overcall. These hopes are crushed as Robin emerges with 6. It's not really clear what I should do here - since I have no idea at all what his hand might be. I decide to pass, and go off in fifties when Tom GS doesn't double. Apparently he was concerned, given previous efforts he's made, that this might convert a plus score to a big minus. Quite where we're going to play that he can't happily double is not obvious to me, but hey. The contract rolls six off (!) for -300. At the other table, Dom has a Lucas in first seat and Clare hoofs five diamonds, one off. Phew.

We were given an opportunity to atone for our mishap on the very next board:

First in at Game All, Robin took the eminently reasonable decision not to open 3 on the North cards, and the auction proceeded as follows:

My overcall was a bit rubbish, really, so I had no burning desire to try 5 at my second go. Cracking 4 led to +500 on the obvious defence, which scored well against the result at the other table - Laura opened 3 (obviously) and played there.

The last board of the set was a good one for the Law:

At our table, Michael opened 1NT, Tom transferred and Robin doubled to show hearts. I somewhat conservatively ventured 3 which Robin raised to game. I think one of Tom and Michael should try 4, which is what Dom and Tom reached. The spade game is one off on a diamond ruff, duly found for +50 N/S, but I made ten in hearts (after dicking about a bit to try to work out how to play the club suit) so that went well. +24 overall, a good solid score and one of only two defeats (I think) that the alumni suffered. Following team orders well, then!

Match 3 - vs Edinburgh

I opened a rubbish ten count in this set, and Robin drove to game which is unlucky to fail (needs an Ace on the right side). It's a terrible, terrible opening, and I can only apologise:

Otherwise, Danny and Anna missed a game (Anna overcalls and Danny cues our suit; perhaps Anna can show a little more interest), I made 1 on the nose, and then we had board 4:

Our (protracted) auction is as follows:

It's clear to me as South that Anna's just forgotten they're playing an unusual NT here, and when 4 comes round I'm not sure what to do. I can't actually believe they're going to make the contract, but if she has a strong NT with some diamonds in it then I may be gambling a lot to try to turn 100 into 200, and I may let them run somewhere better. After a sizeable tank I feel I have to double, and lo, it's pulled to 4. Fortunately, Robin is more than happy to whack this and we pick up 500 - as ever, this scores well against a partscore.

Match 4 - vs Harrogate

Robin knocked over a beer in this match. I don't really recall what else happened, but we seemed to lose by about three for overtricks and undertricks during four 3NT contracts. Dull, dull, dull.

Match 5 - vs Leeds

A "Qx is a stop" auction propelled Leeds into a rigid 3NT for a flat board, and they also made an obvious 4. Robin defends well to take off another game they play in. Then we have a comedy board:

I get all conservative here; I'm not sure that overcalling is, quote Maloney, "obviously right", but it's not implausible, and I should try 3 at my second go as well. I justify my bidding during the play, and go two off.

Match 6 - vs Durham B

Another grudge match here, with much pride at stake. Sadly, little justice is done from an A team point of view - Eve decides to psyche a club instead of opening her five card spade suit, so ends in a rigid 4, whereas I open a spade and can only hump Robin's 1NT to 3NT, which is just off. Then I have another conservative moment and catch Robin with exactly the right cards for me:

East deals and opens a heart at red and I overcall; West passes and Robin makes the courtesy raise to 2. Any positive noise from me here (like 3) will likely see Robin put game on the table, but I take a very pessimistic view of three low hearts (West hasn't supported and will be on lead with his singleton/doubleton) and the stiff K and eventually pass. Eve hoofs 4 with my hand and then plays it off, oops.

Our other loss in this set involves Rob declaring 4x and managing to go just two off against out cold 3NT - typically, everything is right for declarer. We can make a slam our way but it's tough when the auction is already at 4 by my second go!

Overall, then, a loss to the B team. Shocking.

Match 7 - vs Darlington

Everything went well here. Both Robin and I made no-play 3NT contracts, and Tom and Dom do well to finally bid a slam, finding 6NT rather than playing in their 4-4 diamond fit and going off on a 5-0 break. We pick up about thirty.

Here's Robin's 3NT:

It's difficult not to be in this one, really. East gives a trick by leading the J, but Robin still seems to have little prospect of eight more on this layout. Looking for entries, he cashes the A and then the J - and here things become a little confused, as West chooses to play the ten on the second round. Robin leads to the eight in dummy (which also holds) and then plays a club to his hand.

Declarer has gathered five tricks already, and with the two clubs on the table and two Aces in his hand, he's just home now and duly cashes out!

For comparison, here's my effort:

Again, at teams this is one we're always likely to be in. LHO starts with a small club, and the Queen holds - which is good news. I play a diamond to the Jack, which also holds - annoyingly, actually, since I'm now totally screwed in this contract. Having seen LHO's hold up play on the previous board, I finesse the diamonds and then stop to ponder the position when RHO discards a club.

At this stage it's not obvious there's much for me to do apart from blindly hope. The club discard has given me some optimism that RHO might have contrived to block the suit, so if the is onside as well I could make this. I cash the A and RHO pitches another club - good. LHO's small club goes to the ten and I win after a small think, before playing a heart to the Q.

Clearly this is not working as the cards are, but RHO thinks and then tables the Jack of hearts. With a slightly embarrassed expression I win and cross to dummy, and to top things off both defenders bare their spade honours so I make eleven tricks.

For completeness, here's Tom and Dom's slam:

6 is pretty good but fails, while 6NT needs the Jack of Clubs to drop or one of the spade honours onside, or I suppose there's some chances for a black suit squeeze (if the J and 7 are interchanged, or lots of other layouts too) so well done to them for bidding it. Our oppo stopped in n diamonds, where n is less than five.

Results

As you can probably tell by now, we had quite a good day and recorded our first win, pulling in 80-odd IMPs over the 32 boards. This was enough to preserve our overall lead and win the cup, so well done Tom, Robin and Dominic (with a guest appearance from Neil) for carrying me. Hopefully it augers well for the PB finals - it's probably about the same standard, right?

Obviously a big thank you to all the hosts is due - to Ken for convincing various people to be "odd bods" and Phil Godfrey for directing, playing, scoring and generally making sure the event actually happened successfully. After last year's non-event, it was good to see three full rounds taking place, as well as Edinburgh getting involved - roll on next year, when we'll defend our title. Well, I won't, in all probability, but Durham will.