Bridge Match 1 - Board 130

Board 130 – Dealer East – NS Vul

My hand: ♥ K J ♦ A T 9 7 3 ♣ T 9 7 5 4 3

East opens 1 heart. This looks like a terrible unusual NT to me! West jumps to 4 hearts (looks familiar) but East continues with 4NT. West shows 1 ace and East goes to 6 hearts which gets passed out. I think we will set this with my A of diamonds and K of hearts.

I'm on lead. The only way it can be wrong to cash my A is if they're void, and it sets up a pitch, and partner has a trick they can pitch away. Seems unlikely.

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

West	North	East	South
		1♥	2NT1
4♥	Pass	4NT2	Pass
5♦3	Pass	6♥	All Pass
1Unusual
2Ace Asking for Hearts
3One Ace

A-J-2-8 of hearts. Ok, two of the bad conditions are true. How is number 3? Declarer cashes the A of clubs. A-3-6-2. Then he shifts to a spade. When can ruffing win? Well, it wins when partner has Qx of hearts. It wins when I can give partner a club ruff too I guess, which again requires the Q or maybe the 9. It loses when declarer has a spade loser which I ruff instead of letting him lose it. But with 2 free pitches sitting on board that can't be possible. I guess I should ruff.

2-J of hearts-3-6. I return the T of clubs. T-5 of hearts-Q-8. Declarer plays a heart and finesses into me. T-2-4-K. I guess that's another win for the ruff, eh? I return another club. 4-6 of hearts-K-J. Declarer is now up. Down 1.

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

Professor Jack disagrees with my club signal. Pretty sure declarer makes if I actually signal proper count here, so I'm happy he disagrees. He next disagrees with ruffing. Another happy occurrence for me I guess!


On the replay the auction is different. My hand bids 2 clubs instead of 2NT. This builds a cue-bidding auction that culminates in 6 hearts. My hand leads a club and not the A of diamonds. Declarer wins and draws two rounds of trump, ending in my seat's hand. My seat finally tries to cash the A of diamonds, setting up two tricks for declarer. Declarer using the two pitches to clear out his spades, and then he ruffs a spade to set up 3 more tricks on which to pitch his clubs. Making 6. Bang!

Nick: 50
Jack: -980
IMPs: +14 (-30 total)