Bridge Match 1 - Board 132

Board 132 – Dealer West – All Vul

My hand: ♠ A J T 4 2 ♥ J T 8 ♦ A 8 6 4 ♣ 5

West opens 1 club. East responds 1 heart. I double. West bids 1NT, partner bids 2 spades, and East bids 3 clubs. I bid 3 spades which gets passed out. East leads the 3 of clubs.

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

West	North	East	South
1♣	Pass	1♥	Double1
1NT	2♠	3♣	3♠
Pass	Pass	Pass
14-5 Spades, 4 Diamonds?

Interesting alert of my double. I mean, it's what I have almost every time I double but I'd have phrased it as takeout or not alerted it at all.

At any rate, I have 3 spades, 1 club, and 1 diamond. I can set up another 2 diamonds and a heart and a spade with various plays. I have 1 or 2 spade losers, 2 heart losers, 1 club loser, and maybe a diamond loser. If I'm going to make I need to pick up spades for 1 loser and diamonds for no losers.

The club. 3-5-A-7. West shifts to a heart. 2-9-A-8. East shifts to a diamond. I can't see a reason to hop with the A. 7-4-K-Q. Oh well. West cashes the K of hearts. K-Q-3-T. Then a club. 4-K-8-6 of diamonds.

Time to draw trump. If they split 2-2 it doesn't matter how I play the suit but A and out is safest. If East has 3 then finessing is right no matter how the honours split. If West has 3 then finessing can't hurt or help. I should finesse. 9-Q-A-5. Guess I only have 1 spade loser. Down 1.

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

Professor Jack agrees with me all the way!


At the other table my hand starts with 1 spade but still end up in 3 spades. Declarer finds a way to avoid the diamond loser. Unfortunately for him he gets rid of the diamond loser by just throwing away a club trick. Down 1.

Nick: -100
Jack: -100
IMPs: 0 (-43 total)