Friday, August 20, 2010

Bridge Match 1 - Board 3

Board 3 – Dealer South – EW Vul

My hand: 9 8 6 4 3 J 9 5 3 A 4 J 7

I pass, West opens 1NT and partner bids 2C. A sneaky glance at my convention card says we play natural defense of no trump. Looks like I should edit the card after this hand, but for now I guess he has a club overcall? East bids 3H, which is apparently 8-10 with 6+ hearts. I pass again. West accepts and bids 4H, and everyone passes.

I'm on lead and have no good reason to lead anything else so I lead partners suit. J of clubs away!


West
K J 7 2
A K 2
K T
K 9 8 6


SOUTH
9 8 6 4 3
J 9 5 3
A 4
J 7



West North East South
Pass
1 NT 2 3 Pass
4 Pass Pass Pass


I led the J of clubs and it went 6-4-5. I guess partner must have AQ over dummy's K? I continue clubs and it goes 8-T-4 of hearts.

East leads the 6 of hearts. Partner should be void, so East has QT8764. I have one trump trick unless I get finessed out of my J. If I cover with the 9 he'll win the A, discover the split, and be able to repeat the finesse if he has a hand entry. If I duck I'm good if he still hops but I lose my trick if he finesses on the first round. If I took this long at a table he'd be able to find that play but I don't think he will now so I duck. He plays the K off board and partner follows with the 7. That's unexpected since they promised me his bid showed 6 hearts... Good!

Dummy leads the 2 of hearts and partner shows out this time, pitching the 3 of diamonds. Declarer wins the Q and stops drawing trump. He shifts to the 5 of spades, presumably needing to lead spades from his hand to finesse. I duck. He plays the J off board and partner wins the A. Guess declarer has the Q after all.

Partner leads the 6 of diamonds, declarer plays the 7 and I win my A. This gives us 3 tricks in and I have a trump trick still, so they're down. I can't see a compelling reason to lead a spade, so I return my last diamond. K-8-2.

Declarer draws another round of trump with partner pitching the 2 of clubs. Declarer plays the 2 of spades and partner pitches the 3 of clubs. Declarer wins the Q, cashes the T in his hand, his high diamond, and puts me in with my J of trump to lead into dummy's high spade. Down 1.



NORTH
A
7
J 9 8 6 3
A Q T 4 3 2


WEST
K J 7 2
A K 2
K T
K 9 8 6


EAST
Q T 5
Q T 8 6 4
Q 7 5 2
5


SOUTH
9 8 6 4 3
J 9 5 3
A 4
J 7


Professor Jack tells me hopping with the A of diamonds was a mistake. I'm not sure why. (At least this time on the replay he followed his own advice and ducked.)


On the replay they have the same auction. The play goes a little differently but ultimately it works out exactly the same with their NS taking the same 4 tricks we did, for also down 1.

Nick: +100
Jack: +100
IMPs: +0 (1 total)

No comments: