Bridge Match 2 - Board 60

Board 60 - Dealer West - NS Vul

Opponents convention card: Dutch Acol
Opponents playing strength: Intermediate

My hand: ♠ T 8 ♥ Q J T 6 2 ♦ Q 7 ♣ Q 9 5 3

West opens 1 club, partner overcalls 1 spade, and East bids 1 no trump. I don't have spade support but I suspect this hand is a misfit and we have enough points to make things tricky for them. But not enough to feel like I can bid 2 hearts or double, so I pass. So does everyone else, and we play 1 no trump.

I lead the Q of hearts.

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

West	North	East	South
1♣	1♠	1NT	Pass
Pass	Pass

Q-5-4-A. Declarer fires back a club. T-3-K-9 of hearts. So partner has a club void and doesn't believe me that hearts is a good suit. Declarer plays another club. 4-9 of spades-8-9.

Decision time. Do I have another entry? If so I should force out the K of hearts to set up 3 tricks. Declarer has J2 of clubs left. So if he gets in his own hand he can finesse clubs by leading the J and I need to rely on Qx of diamonds to get in. But how is he getting to his own hand? Presumably a high diamond. So he would have 2 hearts, a spade, a diamond, and 4 clubs. He has all that on a spade switch too, unless partner has specifically the A of diamonds and 7 spades. I'd hope he'd have bid again with that setup. So I think I need to assume declarer doesn't have a diamond entry so I will get in with my Q. I return a heart. 2-K-7-3.

He plays a diamond to his A. But then he fires out the 2 of clubs! Clubs are blocked as long as I hop. But I guess since he still has the A of spades that also doesn't matter. He takes his 8 tricks and gives up a diamond. My hand is up. Except partner hops with the K to smother my Q. On the plus side partner is up too. Making 2.

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

6 different results happened this board. 2 tables played 4 clubs down 1. 1 table made 4 clubs. My side went down 1 in 3 hearts once, down 1 in 4 hearts doubled twice, and down 3 in 2 diamonds. So we actually get 8 MPs on the board! And since they sure have 8 top tricks (9 if they play clubs right) there wasn't really a way for us to stop them. Good board!


Jack disagrees with my play on the first club. He wants me to signal an even number by playing the 9. Throwing away the key 9 (when partner has, say, stiff J) is pretty stupid. I can believe I should have played the 5, but the 9 is reckless. He also wants me to play the 5 on the third club. Which fails when partner somehow has 9 clubs and never gains. So, I disagree again, Jack.

Ranking after board 60/60: 1/16 with 63.33%