Bridge Match 1 - Board 41

Board 41 – Dealer North – EW Vul

My hand: ♠ Q 9 7 2 ♥ Q T 8 7 ♦ J T 6 4 ♣ 2

Partner passes and East opens 2 diamonds, weak. West must have a pretty good hand. I certainly can't bid anything, so I pass. West bids 3 clubs, forcing, which apparently shows 17+ points and 5+ clubs. East goes to 5. West continues on to 6 clubs which gets passed around to me. Making a vulnerable slam is worth 870 so I could afford to bid, get doubled, and go down 4 and still come out on top. Could I possibly take 8 tricks in hearts or spades? I don't see it unless partner had a preempt that he didn't feel like bidding. I pass. Partner leads the A of clubs.

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

West	North	East	South
	Pass	2♦1	Pass
3♣2	Pass	5♣	Pass
6♣	Pass	Pass	Pass
1Weak Two
2Forcing

A-3-2-9. Partner continues to draw trump. Assuming declarer has both red As we're screwed since he can ruff out my J of diamonds. Unless either of the As are stiff I guess. At any rate, I need to hold my diamonds in case that's true. Declarer can ruff 1 spade so if he has AKxx of spades I need to hold on to all my spades. I guess I should pitch a heart. 5-8-7 of hearts-4.

Declarer shifts to the 2 of diamonds. What does this mean? Could he have A75 and be planning on finessing? Do I care if he does? No, so I play the 6. He ruffs with the T of clubs. So he has to ruff out partner's Axx of diamonds to set them up. With only 2 plausible entries to board that can't happen.

Declarer cashes the K of spades. K-5-6-7. He ruffs a spade to board. 4-3-6 of clubs-2.

And now a diamond back. Q-4-8 of spades-A. Guess he had to play for the ruffing finesse which failed. Partner runs the J of spades out. J-3 of diamonds-9-A.

Declarer draws trump, since it turns out partner still had one. Now what should I pitch? Give declarer 6 trump, 0 diamonds, and 4 or 5 spades. If he is 5-2-0-6 then I need to pitch a heart. If he's 4-3-0-6 then I have to pitch the spade. If he's 5-3-0-5 then I have no winning play. Partner did play high-low in spades so he should have had an even number of them, so partner should have the last spade. I pitch the Q of spades.

It turns out that I'm stupid and it really didn't matter what I did. He can just pitch whichever one on the K of diamonds anyway, which he does. He takes the rest for down 1.

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

Professor Jack disagrees with my first pitch. He wants me to pitch a low spade instead. I don't think playing West for AKxx is unreasonable and pitching a spade gives him a trick on many layouts. I think Captain Jack is on smack here.

He next disagrees with playing a low diamond. Meh.

Finally he disagrees with my first spade play. He wants me to play high-low to show an even number and therefore wants me to play the 9. Funny, I thought playing 7-2 would also be high-low... I guess it's theoretically less clear for a round but maybe the 9 will matter.


The replay is the same. Jack does all those carding things differently and it really doesn't matter. Partner takes his 2 aces for down 1.

Nick: 100
Jack: 100
IMPs: 0 (-14 total)