Bridge Match 1 - Board 9

Board 9 – Dealer North – EW Vul

My hand: ♠ Q 4 ♥ A 9 2 ♦ A Q J 7 4 3 ♣ 9 2

Partner opens 3 clubs (weak) and lefty passes. I pass, and so does West. East leads the 4 of hearts.

	North ♠ K 3 2 ♥ Q ♦ 8 5 ♣ K J T 7 6 5 4
		EAST ♥ 4
	SOUTH ♠ Q 4 ♥ A 9 2 ♦ A Q J 7 4 3 ♣ 9 2

West	North	East	South
	3♣	Pass	Pass
Pass

I have 5 clubs, 1 heart, 1 diamond, and 1 spade. I can get my 9th trick by setting up a diamond but I have entry issues and it might get ruffed if I don't draw trump first. I can try to ruff a spade on board, but they can counter that by drawing 2 rounds of trump. I can float the lead to my stiff Q and score it whenever East underled his K. I can pick up the Q of trumps. None of these are sure things, but I like my chances by attacking spades right away. I get my ruff unless they draw 2 rounds of trump which may pick up the club Q for me. If it doesn't I can still fall back on the diamond finesse...

4-A-7-Q. I lead the Q of spades off of board. Q-5-2-6. 4-A-3-9. Well, that was easy. I now have a 9th trick by taking a second spade. That wasn't even one of my first choices... I wonder why West didn't cover my Q?

West returns the K of hearts which I ruff. K-4 of clubs-6-2. I decide to draw trump from hand, leading out the 5. 5-8-9-Q. West returns a diamond, leading up to AQJ on board. East plays the K and I win the A. I draw the rest of the trump as they split 2-2. I get the rest, making 4. Everything was onside, so I could have made 5.

	NORTH ♠ K 3 2 ♥ Q ♦ 8 5 ♣ K J T 7 6 5 4
WEST ♠ A T 8 7 5 ♥ K J T 7 ♦ 9 6 ♣ Q 3		EAST ♠ J 9 6 ♥ 8 6 5 4 3 ♦ K T 2 ♣ A 8
	SOUTH ♠ Q 4 ♥ A 9 2 ♦ A Q J 7 4 3 ♣ 9 2

Professor Jack disagrees with my choice to draw trump when I ruffed the heart. He says this costs an overtrick, which it does the way the hand was set up but I'm not sure what he wants me to do. He says to cash the K of spades (fine) but then what does he want from me? Finesse the diamond to hand and then finesse clubs? This works, but only when East has the diamond K and West has the club Q. And we're quibbling about overtricks when my main goal at imps is to make the contract.


On the replay the auction goes the same. The play differs at trick one when Jack decides to finesse the opening heart lead and loses to the K. West then decides to help out by cashing the A of spades, setting up the KQ for declarer. He then leads another spade to dummy's Q. Declarer takes the club finesse and picks up Qx. Also making 4.

Nick: 130
Jack: 130
IMPs: +0 (-2 total)