Two special moves made this Four Spade declaration by me stand out. Out of 15 tables 14 went down. Only I made it.
The first was a careful small play on the second round of hearts from East, from my hand Kx. This proved vital when W ruffed.
The second was visualizing my complete elopment with one trump outstanding. The fact that West would have to win a club exit and not have a trump to return was quite an amazing spot (or hope).
From the get go, this three notrump will make if you read all cards right. My special trick was ducking the club King, holding the CAQ. I thought this would add to my endgame pressure chances. I had made my play more complex than needed but the last clubs kept west out, and put pressure unbeknownst to me on E who held the long spade and the master diamond. You see, he had to shed hearts otherwise, if he shed the spade, I needed to play a H to the Ace and exit with a diamond, (reading E for stiff J) and enforcing the return into my K9 tenace.
When the first round of trump went Jack, King, Ace, three. On the next round I crossed to the King of spades (my second spade entry for playing trumps off the table) and finessed against the ten. You see, West had bid clubs, and I could afford one trump loser not two. Other tables must have laid down the Queen of hearts losing to the ten eight
I guess there were two actions on this board that might be deemed non-standard. The first was the shape for the double. I risked a double because at Instant IMP, the South hand is the highest in HCP. Next, over LHO's raise to Two Spades, Partner jump bid FOUR CLUBS. What should I do now? I reasoned that my xxxx of spades must face a void or a singleton, and my hand was rich in controls for a club contract. I shot out FIVE CLUBS. I saw that the contract depended on a Heart finesse, which the kind opponents took for me. Or else I would have done so myself, making the contract on any lead.
In a Instant IMP tournament on BridgeBaseOnline, After partner responded One Spade to my One Diamond, RHO got frisky with FOUR CLUBS. My rushes of blood to the brain were operative and I deemed my AQx worthy of a raise to six. When I saw that declarer had merely JT98xx of trump, I needed the finesse. All was well when I could discard two losing diamonds on top HAQ after unblock of the HK. Making six for a reward of 13.3 crossIMP
E might have, given his diamond void, desperately tried to underlead his eight-bagger, AKxxxxxx. Partner, in with the Club Quack will give him his ruff for one down. Lucky for me, they were not upto this defence
This was a pushy four spade bid on the last (12th) board of a 15-player event on BBO
Once I misguessed by playing the HT on opening lead, I was headed for a one-trick set. When the robot E came to my resscue by covering the SJ. Since my T 9 were high, I could play on a high elopement. I handled the rest well for a sizeable IMP pickup on the vul game
When I, perhaps, inadvisedly indicated Spade support, partner took me for three carder and went off into Blackwood land. It was not the most numerous card-contract at the six level, this seven card fit, but I played on normal lines. I could afford a late trump loser, as it turned out
When I inquired RKCB, the reply was unexpected. The jump to SIX HEARTS showed a spade void and an odd number of keycards. I played it safe in six while I was itching to gamble seven.
When my somewhat deficient heart suit bid got raised via a three spade splinter bid after a one spade overcall, a wild idea occurred to me. I cue-bid FOUR DIAMONDS, and drove relentlessly off the cliff into slam. A prayer was answered when trumps broke 2-2 with A onside.
A balancing action by me -not without risk- launched us into the Moysian. Plan play on the HA, HQ continuation where the ruff with the deuce holds, West luckily having two of East's suit. In replays at fifteeen tables the contract was going down two and three. I guessed everything right
After a loaded pass, Three Spades was one of those hang partner high bids. Here, it worked out
Other table played a meek 3C.
A friend and former bridge partner commented, when I sent him this deal, I wonder, on that auction what the odds are that East would have HKx, HQx, HKQx (or, of course, HKQ, as he actually had). I'd guess the odds are pretty high. Nicely bid!
Three noteworthy features. 1. the robots 0play this intermediate strength invitational 1S-3H which makes no sense. 2. This time my jump was not addiction - a symptom where I think chance-taking superior to investigation that is systematic 3. Finally, the OT emerged because the 8 was singleton and the 4 3 of trump had to underruff and present the trump 5 with a trick
I could have gotten fancy with Exclusion keycard blackwood, I suppose, asking for keycards outside of clubs, but in some cases - as here- CA K can come in handy. I launched into RKCB and partner showed two of the five keycards (4 aces and trump K) without the Queen of trump (Of course, since I held it). I took a shot at seven which was almost a claim
An ominous lead of T of spades goes to SJ which holds. Obviously a singlton.
I lose the trump finesse, win the D return (covered J, Q and A, and draw trump in two more rounds. (Note: GIB or double dummy engines suggest taking fewer than three rounds trump and playing West for the club King and a doubleton trump, when you can make 12 tricks, but this is not for the feint of heart. After you take three trumps and "test" the spades, the following paragraphs are accurate.)
Setting up Spades has insufficient entries. Clubs are fraught unless there is an endplay.
I find the only exit that works. My losing diamond. When West leads a third round of the suit, I avoid ruffing in either hand, taking a ruff sluff and encouraging another diamond play which will not help defense.
He is forced to play a club and I stick in the queen, and have obtained 10 tricks when I am able to ruff my last spade loser with dummy's trump having pitched the penultimate spade loser on the CQ.
EDIT: Final note as this goes to print. I would be down if the C finesse failed. Instead, I can even make 11 tricks. After drawing trump, there is a beautiful loser on loser line to set up the spades. Overtook the SK with the SA and play the S9, pitching dummy's losing diamond.
