Sunday, August 25, 2013

Bridge Match 2 - Board 15

Board 15 – Dealer South – NS Vul

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
21
Pass2NT2 Pass 33
Pass44 Pass 4
Pass4NT5 Pass 56
Pass6 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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