Opponents convention card: Bridge World Standard 2001
Opponents playing strength: Intermediate
My hand: ♠ T 2 ♥ 6 2 ♦ A T 9 8 7 3 ♣ K Q 5
I open a weak 2 diamonds. Partner responds 2NT. As I play it that should be asking me if I have a minimum or not, and to show a feature if I don't. With 9 points and a nice feature I think I'm good enough to bid something fun so I bid 3 clubs. Partner bids 4 clubs and I'm very confused. The best I can think of is he's cuebidding but skipped both majors so has nothing to show in those suits? I'm a little worried he thinks I was showing a long club suit and don't know what to do so I try to make the safest bid I can think of. 4 diamonds. Partner then bids 4NT which I decide is going to be Roman Keycard Blackwood 1430 for diamonds. I have one ace, so I bid 5 clubs. Partner then bids 6 diamonds which gets passed out.
After the auction I check out what all the alerted bids meant. 2NT was a relay, 3 clubs showed a feature, 4 clubs showed control in clubs for diamonds, 4NT was ace asking for diamonds, 5 clubs showed 1 or 4. So pretty much exactly as expected, except I'm really hoping he bypassed cuebidding the majors for some reason, since if he doesn't have control in those suits we're really boned in 6 diamonds.
West leads the 2 of clubs.
NORTH ♠ A K 4 ♥ A J 5 3 ♦ Q J 6 ♣ A J 7 | ||
| WEST ♣ 2 | ||
| SOUTH ♠ T 2 ♥ 6 2 ♦ A T 9 8 7 3 ♣ K Q 5 |
| West | North | East | South |
| 2♦1 | |||
| Pass | 2NT2 | Pass | 3♣3 |
| Pass | 4♣4 | Pass | 4♦ |
| Pass | 4NT5 | Pass | 5♣6 |
| Pass | 6♦ | All Pass | |
| 1Weak Two | |||
| 2Relay | |||
| 3Feature | |||
| 4Control in clubs for diamonds | |||
| 5Ace asking for diamonds | |||
| 6One or Four aces | |||
Well, partner sure has the majors covered! I have 3 clubs, 1 heart, 2 spades, and 5 diamonds. I need one more trick from somewhere. The easiest place is picking up the diamond king. It may be the only place, actually. I can't ruff anything on board. If one of our hands had a 4th club we'd be gold, but that's not the case. I could conceivably score the J of hearts if West has both the K and the Q and is terrible, but beyond that I don't see how I avoid the heart loser. Maybe someone actually good at bridge will chime in on how I can force someone to guard both hearts and spades for some sort of squeeze but with only the 4 on board it really feels like they can both guard it if they have to.
Is there a better way to play diamonds than just finessing the king? Playing the ace first only works against a stiff king while finessing works against any K in East's hand (including half of the stiff kings). I really don't see any way around it. So my plan is win this club, finesse a diamond, and hope.
2-A-4-K. Over to diamonds. Q-3 of spades. Well, guess I'm down! I let West win the K and he fires out a heart. Do I engage operation: opponent is terrible? I don't see any other play. 7-J-Q-2. West doesn't ruff the return so I get to draw trump and claim down one.
| NORTH ♠ A K 4 ♥ A J 5 3 ♦ Q J 6 ♣ A J 7 | ||
| WEST ♠ 8 7 ♥ K 9 8 7 ♦ K 5 4 2 ♣ 6 3 2 | EAST ♠ Q J 9 6 5 3 ♥ Q T 4 ♦ ♣ T 9 8 4 | |
| SOUTH ♠ T 2 ♥ 6 2 ♦ A T 9 8 7 3 ♣ K Q 5 |
Half of the tables tried for slam (6 diamonds or 6NT) and all went down one. The other half played 3NT making up 2 or up 1. So we get 3MPs on the hand.
Captain Jack agrees with me all the way!
Ranking after board 15/60: 8/16 with 50.95%.
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