Reach for the Christmas Star

It's been a good while since I played with Gene Benedict, my good friend from Toledo. But this Sunday, 12/19, smack-dab in the middle of the World Cup Finals (perhaps the single greatest soccer game ever played), GB sent me an invite to the 12-board ACBL Matchpoint Pairs. Board #1 sent me to the MOON - and beyond!

Gene's 2♠ free-bid was true "shock & awe"! It stunned me into slack-jawed submission.

I finally invented a random 4♣ "void-jumper Q-bid" to stall, because our opponents were getting time-froggy. Soon after, the madding crowd was again shouting "BID, DAMMIT!" - So, am I a man, or am I a mouse? Suddenly, I "SHOT the MOON"! "7 SPADES" I blurted!! (No double, some trouble).

Click "NEXT" to see the lead

Gene ruffed the ♣2 OL perforce. (1/13th of the way home). But I couldn't see a sure-fire line for 13 tricks. Not my job! I was on pins & needles as GB pondered.

Finally, he ruffed a low  off dummy, hoping to crash some  honors. He ruffed a second ♣, A - no luck. So ♠K,  to K, Q, 3rd ♣ ruffed with the ♠A. Gene had reached Nirvana! One outstanding trump still lurked, but now he had to cash A and pray!

It LIVETH!! Now  ruff with ♠J, ♠Q. So, 9 trump tricks + 1 in + 3 in = 13 tricks for +1510 for 100%!

Click "NEXT" to see the play

Only 17 brave pairs of 78 reached slam (2 actually went down). We were the only GRAND SLAMMERS! Star-crossed, we shot our way to 72% for 1st overall of 156!!

And now, I could marvel at the brightest of Christmas stars - Messi & Mbappe! 🙂 MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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