My Bridge Hands

Safety play missed by partner . In Slam.

2012-02-06T20:01:00.000-08:00

The correct safety play to cater to one loser with QTxx on either side is to cash the K first. This time not following textbook cost at matchpoints.

me versus the ROBOTS part II

2012-01-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

This was an interesting hand. In the field, all but three people opened 2NT, and after 3D transfer arrived in a hopeless 4H.
Here, LHO overcalled 1S, and bot partner found an interesting negative double showing values and hearts. I blasted 3NT.
In 3NT, ROBOT W had a chance to beat me, because my own hand on the run of the hearts came down to Kx of spades. Robot W has to keep three spades to the AQJ, he can throw diamond, even the dQ. His partner needs to have DA to push spades through. When he came down to ?x of diamonds and AQ of spades, I endplayed Robot W in spades for my ninth trick, avoiding any nasty D misguesses.

me versus the ROBOTS part I-

2012-01-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

Regular BBO'ers may know that the delightful possibility of entering matchpoint pairs tournament with only robots at each table, is a feature on the website. In some sense this is pure bridge and fair competition since each human opposes consistent bidding and play. Unlike a real MP game, the vicissitudes of random gifts from a roving EW pair or two are not present.

I was annoyed when my bot partner jumped my 3NT to 6NT. The three card ending was interesting.On trick 11, Robot W put his partner under needless pressure with the stupid discard of the ST. Why would he keep two hearts when only the Q was out of sight? Robot E made the final mistake.

A Hideous Hog contract.

2011-10-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

In the QF of the Bermuda Bowl, USA1's Levin Weinstein reached 4Spades X on these meager values, on shape, and as a suppossed advance sac against 4H (which was going down 1). Unbeknownst to them Israel also reached 4S in the other room. It seems superficially that this contract has no chance, but click on the next button. South's subsequent trump leads did not hurt declarer, and in the ending he found himself having to give dummy's DQ and established club the game going tricks. Excellent play, I was listening to some Grandmasters just seeing the score trying to figure out how 4S would possibly make. Israel, to their credit, also landed 10 tricks, albeit undoubled.
In order to defeat the contract North needs to play a trump upon winning he first round of clubs, by playing a heart instead, he is helping declarer time his small trump elopement.
As an aside, the normal contract is 4H going down on the bad trump break, although D is favorable. In the USA2-Sweden QF, neither team bid over 4H, and 4H down one in both rooms was a sedate push.

Joe Grue blocked in 3NT.

2011-10-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Joe Grue in the last round of the Round Robin for USA2 (my favorite player), was at the helm in a close 3NT, on a surprising lead from Jxx of hearts. He thought for a long time, played low, won with the Ten.
Joe kept the clubs blocked and advanced the nine of spades.This was covered by the ten and Jack and King, and when defence played heart and a heart, Joe had only 4 spade tricks, 2 heart tricks and 2 club tricks. Yes, the Diamonds were entangled and defence did not get three, but they made 2D, the HA and H7 and the SK for down one.
It seems impossible against correct defense to get the black suits disentangled.
Interestingly the heart lead is the one to give declarer the most trouble. I saw other tables making it on a D lead, a spade lead.

Missing extra chances in play

2011-10-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

Playing with a new partner, we managed to come 5th out of 100 tables, in part, because unlike others holding my weak hand, I put partner in 6NT. (My 4NT was not Blackwood, it merely invied 6NT. )
However, his play was not the best.
As you can see by playing with the next button, he won the spade continuation, and before testing hearts, committed to the 3-3 break as his only chance. When that came in he made his slam.
The correct way to play the hand is to give yourself a red suit squeeze against RHO as a extra chance. Unblock the black winners. Play three rounds of hearts, testing the suit ending in dummy. If hearts break your 12th trick has come. Proceed as our declarer did, but without the uncertainty.
If hearts are 4-2 (JTxx-xx) with your RHO having the 4 hearts (as is likely on the spade lead), you have a simple show-up squeeze. On the last black winner from dummy, you are down to D:AQ H:x
and your RHO has to discard in front of you with D:Kx H:J
If he holds on to his HJ, you throw your H, and his DK pops up ahead of you, and you have not committed to the H discard.
Poorly played but for a 9.8 IMP pickup at IMP pairs. Who says bridge rewards good declarer play and penalized poor play?

Another interesting point of the hand is a chance to pick up Hxxx - Hx of hearts without caring about the DK. For this line you have to unblock blacks, play HA and HK only, and if a minor honor falls from the LHO, you throw the DQ on the black winners and play for split honors. This loses to xxx-JTx and that would be a hard-luck story to tell.

Justin Lall's blog, Go USA2 in the Bermuda Bowl!

2011-10-18T16:48:00.001-07:00

I am a forty-something unabashedly rooting for the young lions of bridge, who showed during the selections, defeating Nickell and Diamond that they were forces to be reckoned with. In the Round Robin, a brilliant showing against Italy and Poland sees them in 4th place end of Tuesday, the first week.
Justin Lall blogs that the victory margin against the Poles could have been even higher if he had pulled the right card. His analysis is superb. (Both tables went down in 4H, Lall because of the mechanincal error).
I reproduce the following from his blog justinlall.com
"

I got to 4H with:

Axx
AQT9x
Jxx
AQ

J9x
K8xxx
Qx
Jxx

LHO led a spade and RHO won the king. The bidding made it clear RHO didn’t hold AK of diamonds. RHO now shifted to a club. I now know the spade position is KTxx on my right, Qxx on my left. If LHO had QT of spades RHO would return one, if RHO had KQ he would have crossed to his partner in diamonds for a spade through.

If I cannot build a diamond trick, my only play is a squeeze. This type of “frozen” spade suit lends itself well to a squeeze. Accordingly, I won the club, cashed the AQ of hearts, cashed the club ace, played the ten of hearts to my hand, ruffed a club high, and led a heart. Now when I run trumps, LHO must hold Qx of spades, and RHO must hold Tx of spades, so they both come down to 2 diamonds (if LHO keeps a club, he must stiff his D honor and will be endplayed).

Great! Except, when I played the H4 from dummy, I inexplicably forgot to overtake with the 8. Stranded in dummy, I couldn’t play the squeeze card! This might be the most tilting hand of all time. Luckily I have all night to recover! It would be much better if I didn’t even see any play, but to get through the hard part and then forget to overtake the 4…words cannot describe it.

I have to play slower from now on, that is really just not good enough in the Bermuda Bowl."

A really cute 4-card ending to visualize.

Dont worry about it Justin. What is done is done. More such heavenly analysis ahead

Another diamond slam, after my RHO opens.

2011-10-16T19:13:00.001-07:00

Out of 109 tables, 4 pairs arrived in a small slam, I was one of them. I bid myself to the slam after buying a raise and after just two cue bids. I was able to completely cross ruff the hand conceding just the trump ace.
If they lead a diamond, the play becomes interesting. I need to set up the clubs. Under DA unblock a high D. Win any return, CA, C ruff high, D small to D 9, C ruff high, Draw trump, get to dummy with a ruff to enjoy the clubs.

Paying close attention to those pips

2011-10-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

I cannot resist sharing a hand from a old book by Ewart Kempson.
You are doubled in SEVEN DIAMONDS. On the lead of the HT
The full hand is
_________ __North: S:Ax H:xxxx D:Q865 C:xxx
West: S:xxx H:T9xx D: 7 C: Jxxxx ________________ East:S:xx H:KQJx D:JT32 C:KTx
____________South S:KQJxxx H:A D:AK94 C:AQ
Well, there is one side entry to take the club finesse, and to pick up the diamonds. How do you play after winning the H lead perforce?

Small to the Queen will only pick up a stiff DT and DJ Your hope would be small to the Q, catching a stiff minor honor, finish trumps with a single finesse against the Hxx. and you have the SA entry for the C finesse, but today that line fails.
If you do lead a small card, and play a trump up to hand, east splits. Now you need a extra entry to dummy, You might try to ruff a spade hair-raisingly hoping LHO with the short trump has the short spades but not today as E over-ruffs.

The winning line?
D9 at trick two, smothering the 7, and unblocking at the same time to the DQ. Now advance the equals 865, and with the D4 safely in your hand, split or not, you can finish in dummy to take a C finesse. Pretty, isn't it?

One bid for our side, at the SIX level.

2011-10-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

When you get dealt a hand like mine, it is not for going quietly short of slam. LHO preempted 3H, and when it came around to me (if rho had raised to 4, i would make the same bid), I needed only a little help in secondary honors in either suit from partner for a laydown slam. I therefore bid SIX, which was reached by 15 tables out of 29.
Plan A, was to find trumps 2-1 when I can pull trumps, unblock the clubs and reach the K of clubs. However, I had to fall back to Plan B when trumps were 3-0. The only play is to pull trumps and overtake the third round of clubs hoping for clubs three-three. As the cards lay, I could not be defeated.

A master class in play, and bidding.

2011-10-10T20:28:00.001-07:00

When I played these cards, I held the 6-4 in the blacks and i bid 1S-2D-3C-3NT-4S(showing concentration in black suits, 6-4 distribution and a semi-solid spade suit). Partner gave this a look but passed. He might have taken a optimistic view of his fitting club cards, the 98 of spades and the A AQ in the reds covering my three red-suit cards from the bidding.

At the table I am presenting, over 3NT which was a balanced opening, opener's 4C was likely Roman Keycard Blackwood for spades, received a four spade response showing two aces, and five diamonds was a cuebid, the redouble showing a cue in the same suit, an ace, and opener simply jumped to slam.

I made 12 tricks (ie overtricks in game), but this declarer made 13(an overtrick in slam). Every textbook tells you to play S:AKJTxx opposite xx with plenty of entries like this: Do not cash the Ace first. Take a first round finesse, so that you can pick up Qxxx which is much more likely if there is a 4-1 split. Indeed that is how our hero played it. The only one in 60 plus tables to bid the slam and the only one to make thirteen tricks.

Adding up to ten

2011-10-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

I choose to show a table where I was not playing. This hand replayed at 60 tables, when played at FOUR HEARTS went down as often as it made. Many declarers tried a complete cross-ruff and fell a trick short, losing control sooner or later. It is essential to build one spade trick, cash that spade trick and then get four spade ruffs (because defense usually manages not to draw two rounds of trump, not disentangling the heart ace early), to go with four high trumps in hand and the Ace of diamonds. At this table, declarer got it right.
For defence to quickly pull two rounds of trump, opening leader must act double-dummy, eschewing the lead of a club from AK, hardly possible. If he plays a heart, partner can return a club, and now S plays a second round.

3NT with three overtricks made by partner

2011-10-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

One Notrump was 10-12, and I gave partner 3NT.After opening leader cashed a high spade and shifted to a heart, my partner Jeffrey Garbus, crossed to the club Ace, finessed in clubs, found out by cashing the CK that his RHO guarded the clubs, and he ran diamonds, pitching his spade queen, and dummy's spade ten proved to be a threat, and neither opponent could hold hearts. He made 12 tricks on the nicely executed double squeeze.

The Rodwell Files

2011-09-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

I am now nearly finishing "The Rodwell Files". Here is a review I posted on Amazon.

Eric Rodwell, the professorial half of the famous pair "Meckwell" that has dominated bridge for decades, has written a work for an advanced audience, which according to the blurb "is guaranteed to change the way you play bridge."
Nearly 400 pages, chockful of examples from high-level practice where the names of the innocent are not withheld, illustrate the points of technique. You will find here pointers in planning, in suit combinations, advanced suit handling, in abundance over double and compound squeezes. Rodwell uses colorful and memorable terms for the techniques, such as "gouging", "days of thunder", "The Left Jab" (second hand high from Kxx or Qxx when declarer leads to dummy's AJTx), "The 007 Play - License to Kill", my personal favorite "Chinese High Card Promotion" (not to be confused with the well-known Chinese finesse),and the 322-1/6 Super Duck (Dont even ask).
Rodwell's unique style of instruction, his extremely high level of analysis, make this unique book a standout in bridge literature, and one that is sure to be talked about for years to come.

WEAK TWO- TWO NT ASK - 4m jump

2011-08-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

A good use for a unused bid was suggested in "Modern Ideas in Bidding" by Rosenkranz and Truscott (Devyn Press).
You open a weak two in a major. Partner asks with 2NT. No matter whether you use OGUST responses or Feature, consider adding a response of 4 of a lower suit to show a King in that suit and a semi-solid 6-card major.
Rosenkranz gives a example. KQJT84 32 K2 J87 opp A A54 AQJT83 A62. TWO SPADES-TWO NOTRUMP - FOUR DIAMONDS - SEVEN NOTRUMP.

A psych backfires in the Spingold

2011-07-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

Holding the South hand Vul against not, what is your bid? Nick Nickell found the magic psyche, a steal of ONE SPADE, shutting his opponents out of the spade fit. In fact the spade game made with a overtrick at the other table when Meckwell was +450.
Now, after Katz innocently raise to TWO SPADES, Nickell bid FOUR HEARTS.
The bidding tray stayed under the screen agonizingly long, and came back with FOUR SPADES! (Katz had taken FOUR HEARTS as a SPLINTER in support of SPADES, which it was in their partnership). Nickell corrected to FIVE HEARTS. More agony. No escaping with rebids in the modern bidding world. This was interpreted as Exclusion Blackwood (asking for key cards outside of hearts) and the bidding tray came back with SIX CLUBS. Now came SIX HEARTS doubled, and defended softly for -500. The loss being "only" 50 total points or 2 IMP. Instead of a possible double game swing or game swing.

spingold finals: Zia-Hamman bid and make a tough slam.

2011-07-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

Zia,having ruffed the second diamond, makes the key play of finessing the first round of trump for an awesome result. The stakes are high (the spingold final against Zimmerman-Multon for Monaco.) In this set, Meckwell were sitting out, and Katz-Nickell were in the other room against the strong Helness-Helgemo. The Monaco pair made 4S +2 in the other room, so bidding the slam (the drive by HAMMAN ) and making it was a slam bonus pick up of 11 IMPs.

Jump rebid by Zia

2011-07-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

I have always been fan of showing self-sufficient trump suits and about 17 HCP+ by a jump rebid. Witness how Zia and Hamman bid to this grand slam today in the Spingold semi final to win 11 IMP,
Zia S:xxx H:K D:AKQxxx C:Axx. Zia ONE DIAMOND, partner Hamman S:AKx H:AQx D:xx C:KJxxx
TWO CLUBS... ZIA THREE DIAAMONDS (my man!), Hamman (4D sets trump) Zia (4H cue)
Hamman (4NT) Roman Key Card Blackwood Zia (5D = 3 keys) Hamman (5H trump Q?) Zia (5NT) yes with a side king which is higher than the trump suit Hamman (7nt) = 13 tricos in NT a better proposition since if diamonds dont come in clubs might.
The lead by Versace is a small diamond away from the JTx and when all follow to a second D round Hamman claims his grand slam

A enterprising gambling bid finds a suitable dummy

2011-07-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

When I held the hand you see under abhirar in the diagram, I had a weak two on my left and two passes to me. If I were playing leaping Michaels a convention where a jump to 4 in the minor shows exactly a good hand with 55 in the Other Major and 5 in the said minor, I would have trotted that out. But I wasnt. So I chose the unilateral gamble of FOUR HEARTS. The lead was a diamond, and I was able to play trumps up to my KQxxx twice, and manage to restrict my losers to three in spite of the AJTx xx break. I won 7.71 IMP for my courage. I had some company in the 60 table event.

Stayman Doubled and Redoubled.

2011-07-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

My username on BBO is abhirar and I was returning after a long absence. On the first hand of a tournament, playing with a new partner, having just decided on 2/1 with gadgets (whatever that might imply), I held the 54 in majors invitational hand when partner opened a 1NT (15-17). Deciding to trot out Smolen, two clubs stayman with a prepared invitational rebid in case of two diamond response of my 4 card major, I bid TWO CLUBS. When LHO X'd this, partner lost no time redoubling and I sat it to play 2CLUBS XX at IMP. The rewards were rich as I learnt that 2Cxx +3 was 1160.

Early planning and endplay

2011-07-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

Five Clubs was a bit of a audacious bid, but the proof of the pudding etc.. All along I was playing for the actual layout, when I played a heart up, LHO needed to just get in and out and sit back and wait for his/her diamond. When LHO played low, I played HQ winning, and played H to the Ace, last chance for LHO to unblock the HK under the Ace. When I cleared the third round of the suit, LHO was a sitting duck having to give me a ruff sluff or open up the diamonds. I was home.

Ely Culbertson on the 1933 match against England

2010-08-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Entitled "300 Contract Bridge Hands THE FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP for tthe Charles M. Schwab Trophy OFFICIAL RECORD Reviewd and Explained by Ely Culbertson, Captain of the Victorious American Team", the hardcover we published immediately after the end of the match, by Ely's own "The Bridge World Inc.".

Ely, his wife and expert Jo Culbertson, T.Lightner and M.Gottlieb played for the Americans, beating Col. Beasley, Lady Rhodes, Sir Guy Domville, G.Mathieson, G.Morris and P.V.Tabbush.

One interesting fact: In order to scoop the British in publication, Culbertson stayed up for six nights (Jul 17-22, 1933) during the match (until 8 am) analysing the hands, (the games began at 1 pm ended at 11 pm). Thus he had the MS ready for publication in August.

A second interesting fact: Although bidding methods, especially slam conventions were in their infancy (Blackwood was not in vogue), slam bidding was decent. The British were inferior in this department. Occasionally one sees the Americans, then the British overreaching to seven missing an Ace! Something one cannot see today.
Ely was using the 4-5NT convention (his baby), which Mr. Tabbush famously announced after one British debacle that he would adopt. Quite simply, the 4NT was an announcement rather than an interrogation that the bidder possessed a good fit, and two aces and a king of partner's suit (or, rarely, three aces). Five Notrump in response showed possession of the other two aces. After this, a grand slam would be bid if either player felt they had a hand with extra playing power. As you can see, a bit rough and tumble.

A tempo behind on defence.

2010-05-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Declarer in 4Spades, guessed to play off DA first, in other rooms he was going down after playing the overcaller for the DQ. After this, when in with the second round of spades, I correctly attacked clubs, but failed to perservere, perhaps thrown off by partner's discouraging club spot. However, as the sequel showed, we were a tempo behind with the long diamond providing a club parker for declarer. I needed to knock out the CK before partner got in with his trump trick.
An interesting defensive problem.

Finding a 4-4 fit is strictly for the birds.

2010-05-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

When I eschewed a One heart bid on my ratty 4 card suit, we failed to find out 4-4 heart fit. Declaring in 3NT, I studied the HJ lead carefully. I concluded it was fromm AJTx or KJTx and that my RHO held a stiff honor. So I ducked. No stiff honor appeared, but it turned out that the HJ was stiff and could not be overtaken safely. Thus, the operation was unscuccessful but the patient survived. For a top board no less.

A cute unblock, as OTs pour in for a top

2010-05-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

When LHO bid spades in front of partner's AKQT, pd guided the auction to 3NT rather than defend doubled. Defense never found their three club tricks, and the proper farsighted unblock enabled diamonds to come home when two diamonds were discarded by defence.

A tough bid by partner, 90%

2010-05-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

RHO was in the hot seat after the take out double of his weak two bid was passed for penalty, he tried to scramble and partner surprised me by taking me out of my penalty double. Right he was as he scored better than the 500 we would have got.

Winning the battle but losing the war

2010-05-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

It was Matchpoints. The field tends to play in 3NT even when not technically the best contract. Which would have made 10 tricks. My inspired bidding to the 11 trick minor contract which was unbeatable got only 35%.

A Moysian fit

2010-05-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

Bidding opposite a preempt

2009-08-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Holding the West cards, at MPs, I felt the hand was marginal to insist upon a game. After much thought, I temporized with 2NT asking for a feature, 3Spades was the response, and I gave partner 4 Spades on the doubleton. Although the SAQ were offside, partner with some assistance from the defence who never switched to a club, brought home the contract.

A passed hand invitation, and a lot of tricks in 3NT

2009-08-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

As a passed hand, do you rebid 1H or 1S or invite in Notrump? I chose to bid 2NT (11-12) and partner gave me three. A diamond was led, and I proceeded to rack up a lot of tricks (10) for a MP score of 90.5%

The club King is always single!

2009-08-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

What would you bid in response to partner's three clubs (RHO having X'd) holding the cards in the west seat? I bid three notrump expecting some running clubs and some luck in the heart stopper department, or a non-heart lead. I got the latter, but the club suit left something to be desired.

Well, you know what they say about the club king always being single (not to mention that beggars cannot be choosers). I banged out the club Ace and took my ten tricks for 86%

Opponent walks into a crossruff

2009-08-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

Neither my THREE CLUBS rebid nor partner's free THREE SPADES bid were classical things of beauty but it is the result that counts. We were quick to double FOUR DIAMONDS, and partner leads a spade. Declarer is known to be competent, but slips here. With no quick road to hand, declarer tries a club. Perhaps I should have ducked my AK! allowing partner to ruff (partner's failure to lead my suit can only mean one thing, and then we get four quick tricks in a cross ruff, with the DJ promotion to come) but I naturally won the first two clubs and put a third through.
Declarer should have seen that I will ruff spades from the bidding, should have ruffed high and played three rounds of trump, losing the promoted trump to partner's J. THen he goes only one down, as partner is endplayed. Instead declarer played automatically playing a loser spade on the third club, we then crossruffed for two down and a high matchpoint score.

Not shy to bid game. A neat Overtrick at pairs.

2009-08-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

My overcall was not exactly strong, and when partner jumped right to game without as much as an invite, and in competition, I awaited dummy with some concern.
The lead (Rusinow) was a gift into my AQ, and a heart loser disappeared, I took the club finesse and arrived at 11 tricks losing a trump to the QJx and a heart. 85% board.

Five clubs doubled in competition making six

2009-08-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

I had made a "weak/intermediate" jump overcall of three clubs in competition, and when partner was there with Four and then with Five over Four Hearts by the opponents, I was filled with trepidation. The hand however played like a pianola, with my taking a marked finesse against Qxx marked by the double, and the established side suit in dummy picked up the trumps in a coup. When the spade KQ proved to be tight, I even made a doubled overtrick, taking twelve tricks in all for a 100% score.

A remarkable Moysian fit play by partner.

2009-08-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

The elopement toward te n tricks by jeffreyg, and the especially accurate high ruffs towards the end made for an unusual hand. 100% at Matchpoints.

A slam reached by very few

2009-07-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

The slam with 50% odds (better with the jump preempt raise, since the DK is likely in the slot) was reached only 5 times in a 116 table cross-IMP event. +1370 was worth +13.06 IMPs.

I bid briskly and boldly after partner bid clubs and cue-bid and supported diamonds, since my stiff spade, and minimum high cards were all excellent offensive controls.

Dentist coup considered, abandoned, defense slips

2009-07-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

A club was led to RHO's Ace, I held off the second, won the third. Next, I attacked spades, jclar (LHO) ducked two rounds of spades. Before leading a third, I had to place LHO with 4234, in that case, I can reach dummy for the heart finesse by "extracting" LHO of all safe exits (by playing D AKQ to remove all of west's diamonds), LHO is welcome to cash a club making three clubs and a spade for the defense, but has to play a major suit for entry to take the heart finesse.

After figuring this out, I cashed two diamonds, and "chickened out" from cashing the third, lest I should be setting up an extra undertrick instead of assuring the contract. Both defenders were following up the line in diamonds! Thus LHO could have beaten the contract with a D exit when in with the third round of spades. But she didnt, I took the H finesse and had nine tricks for 5 IMPS.

Successive chances in a slam

2009-07-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

1NT was 10-12, the opponent's 2Clubs was one suited (Capelletti), 4Diamods was transfer to hearts, and a RKCB sequence followed.

When trumps proved 2-2, my first plan was to hope for a 3-3 club split to pitch two diamonds from AKxx if clubs could be set up. When clubs failed, I just cashed the D AK, and was fortunate to have the queen drop doubleton.

A repeater squeeze to make 6NT

2009-06-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

When my LHO led the King of hearts against 6NT, I won the Ace and returned the Jack. LHO took this trick and retured a heart. As I won this, pitching a spade from dummy, my RHO was squeezed in three suits. Hoping that his partner held the spade Jack he came down to the doubleton queen. Now I cashed two top spades, and after a few rounds of the minors, revealing that RHO has 4 in each of them, crossed to my hand to enjoy the spade Jack, and he was squeezed yet again in clubs and diamonds, and he conceded.

Let us look at a possible defense. If LHO wins the HJ, we have seen that the repeater operates.
What if LHO ducks the HJ? Now I have on top two hearts, three clubs, three diamonds, and two spades only but, since RHO's hearts have been extracted, I play four rounds of clubs throwing in RHO. He has to concede a eleventh trick in Diamond or spade, but there seems to be no twelfth.

Can anybody find this duck of the HJ? Well, there was a Bridge World hand like that in Swiss Match Challenge where at trick two a refusal was indicated for the same reason.

A jettison, a beercard threat, a show-up squeeze

2009-06-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

I opened a 10-12 Notrump as North and became declarer when partner put me in SIX NOTRUMP. The lead was the TEN OF DIAMONDS. This was covered Knave, Queen, and I won in hand. I marked time by cashing four rounds of hearts with no clear clues. After the spade finesse was proven, I unblocked in spades, and played a small club toward dummy's Jx.
Either my LHO (E) would need to have a doubleton honor, or RHO would need to have both, and I was confident I could guess the ending. The Jack lost to RHO's Queen. LHO actually played out of tempo, so I still didn't know the position with confidence. However, in the four card ending, the high heart was in my hand. Since I did not want to commit to the club finesse so early, I cashed the high spade, JETTISONING my Knave of hearts. I then cashed the 5 of hearts, with the BEER CARD the SEVEN OF DIAMONDS as the threat in the show up squeeze. In the two card ending, my RHO had to keep the EIGHT OF DIAMONDS and come down to the stiff KING OF CLUBS. It was rewarding to see the King of clubs popup in the show up squeeze on trick twelve.
A 100% board.
I did not realize the full potential of AT9. A mere double finesse guarantees the contract as long as both club honors are offside, making 75% of the time, and representing a better chance. Thanks to Ian Weinstock for pointing this out.

3NT play or defend on diamond lead?

2009-06-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

My partner opened 1NT 10-12, and choosing to blast to game and hide my heart suit I bid 3NT which could have backfired. When defence started hearts nine easy tricks were there.

There are all kinds of avoidance possibilities in the club suit if diamonds are led. For example if declarer ducks two rounds and wins the third, he advances the Club jack into the safe hand, it is covered. Jack, Queen, King, small. The next hope is that LHO has the club ten. Duck small, ten, eight, small. The H finesse is needed. 4 clubs, three hearts, and DA and DS, with the established diamonds shut out.

However, if diamonds are led and continued, what happens if declarer ducks two rounds but defense shifts to spades? Awkward isnt it? I thought this was a very interesting hand.

Anyway with the bidding going ONE CLUB, ONE HEART, and then NOTRUMP, NOTRUMP, at most tables a diamond was led, declarers won the SECOND round, rightly fearing a spade shift, and had to lose five tricks, we earned 75%.

Jeffreyg's tight defense

2009-06-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Partner's opening NOTRUMP was 10-12, I considered a Texas transfer to Four Spades. Instead went quiet on round one. When the ante was upped, I had no hesitation entering the fray over FOUR HEARTS. LHO removed RHO's penalty double and that was that. However, partner had to defend accurately throughout, and watch how he sets up clubs for the defense with tempo for one down and 6 odd IMPs for us. And, yes, 4S is down.

Playing on an assumption.

2009-06-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Even though the opening lead, the ruff-sluff, and the trump guess removal were quite strange, and helped me a lot, there remained a lot of work to be done to bring home the ambitious contract of FOUR HEARTS. In the seven card ending, I did not risk trump Q and another, because my RHO might have the J6x remaining which would set up two trump tricks. So I played a small trump to my 9. When a spade came back from my RHO I was quite sure that the position of the spade King was unfavorable, I needed diamonds 2-4 to make my contract in that case. So up went the Ace of Spades, and on went the diamonds all 4 rounds of them, as I pitched spades from dummy.
RHO followed helplessly holding the outstanding little trump. I then ruffed a spade and was home.

Little slam with big overtrick at matchpoints.

2009-06-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten that it was matchpoints, and watched as dummy, wondering why partner was embarking on a line that entailed some risk. Partner brought home the overtrick taking all thirteen tricks for a 98% board.

Crossruffing home a slam.

2009-06-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

After partner (having bid TWO DIAMONDS waiting) raised my FOUR DIAMONDS to FIVE DIAMONDS, I simply bid SIX DIAMONDS. After the Spade break was revealed with the unkind ruff of the Spade King, Partner played extremely nicely to ruff clubs in hand while drawing one trump, and ending in a kind of elopement or crossruff for twelve tricks.

Reaching a 21-point game

2009-06-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

The ball got rolling when in spite of a singleton diamond, partner made a takeout double of ONE CLUB. My bid of TWO CLUBS was "pick your favorite Major partner". However partner chose to hedge with THREE CLUBS. Not willing to take any more chances, I took the bull by the horns and bid a somewhat unilateral FOUR SPADES.

There was not much to the play. When my LHO ducked his club Ace, I had the chance of making an Overtrick with the aid of the heart finesse, which I spurned in the five card ending.

Bidding and making game was good for 8.5 IMPs.

Partner misses a squeeze but makes the overtrick.

2009-06-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

At speedball, when dummy, I relax sometimes, and fail to pay attention to the play, but oftentimes, I am trying to analyze the play of the hand.

In this case, I was quick to spot a diamond-club simple squeeze possibility. Just finish the trumps, keeping three diamonds in closed hand and two diamonds and the Jack of clubs in dummy.

My partner opted for the straightforward line (probably better line if the two spade bidder even had three diamonds) of advancing the Club Jack at an early stage, when it was covered, the ruffing finesse was proven and the Club Ten gave trick number 11 for a good MP score.

Aggressive bidding pays dividends. Partner shines in FIVE HEARTS X

2009-06-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

I raised partner to FOUR HEARTS with King doubleton and the Ace of clubs, and in competition, partner judged to bid FIVE with all the playing tricks!

When the defense tried to cash two spades, (should it not be clear that declarer must have a singleton spade?), partner janal39 played well to bring in a bushelful of IMPs.

When Fourth Best is Not the Best.

2009-06-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

Having made a VUL overcall at the THREE level, I was faced with a lead problem against 3NT.
Since RHO rated to have a doubleton, and LHO had shown a stop, I hit upon the lead of the HQ. (The HA followed by a heart amounts to much the same thing. Neither option stikes gold if dummy has Kxx and declarer has Jxx when the tempo is against me.)

Declarer, spurning the club finesse ended up short of tricks.

A freak distribution

2009-06-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

My opening NOTRUMP was 10-12 HCP, partner raised the ante to FOUR HEARTS, but LHO with thirteen minor suit cards could not be held back. The defence was brutal, resulting in a 1100 penalty. Declarer must have missed a diamond spot (the nine) , trying desperately to run the SQ to pitch the D8 going down an additional trick.

The odd thing about this hand was, looking at the traveler, played 96 times, there were only six plus scores to those pusillanimous souls who subsided in either two hearts our way, or three of a minor their way. There were -500, -800 aplenty in five and six of a minor doubled. FOUR HEARTS was running into a brutal split of its own. Also doubled and going off at other tables.

When misguessing was better than guessing right!

2009-06-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

Please click on next to follow the play in the bridge movie.
MATCHPOINTS. After my misguess in hearts, losing two of them, four winners were ripe and ready in dummy. Not seeing the urgency of cashing the club trick, my LHO instead was still on the track of stopping ruffs in dummy. Spade KING collected the outstanding trumps, and the overtrick was had because the misguess lulled the opponents into a false sense of security. To his credit my LHO was the first to apologize to his partner on the defence. 96.49%

I like the paradoxical situations in bridge where the one who makes the most tricks is not exactly the one who has placed the most defensive honor cards.

Breaking Garrozzo's rule

2009-06-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

My partner shangool got into the normal contract of FOUR SPADES. However, opening leader, perhaps put off by my opening bid of ONE CLUB, paid no heed to Garrozzo's rule : "Always lead your singleton in a trump contract." With a routine down one at all other tables, this unfortunate non-singleton lead resulted in a pick up of 8.69 IMP for us.

A gutsy 3NT, making for 10 IMPs

2009-06-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

When my RHO bid Hearts, my LHO got off to the unfortunate lead of the HEART QUEEN from the doubleton. I proceeded to guess the spade honors, and went on to make 3NT for a good IMP score.

A fraught THREE NOTRUMP, making.

2009-06-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

I made an offshape TWO NOTRUMP bid, held off the first two hearts and brought in the club suit. Some other declarers were helped by a diamond lead.

A minor-suit slam.

2009-06-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

I chose to jump to FIVE CLUBS, and partner with beautiful controls judged to bid slam, I held the diamond void. In the play, LHO of partner accidentally dropped his King of trumps with a misclick. But reaching SIX, albeit in the minor was a good IMP score.

Defence of 1NT X

2009-06-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

A lucky slam

2009-06-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

After my shaded limit raise, my partner boldly jumped to slam and it needed only trumps 2-2 with King onside, and pulling in the spades, all of which tippiellis guessed to perfection. A sizeable IMP gain on the lucky hand.

To view the play of the cards, click on the third button, it works like an embedded bridge movie.

Book review: Setting Trick: Practical Problems in Bridge Defense by Ian McCance

2009-05-27T10:10:00.001-07:00

2008, publisher Masterpoint Press

First a word about bridge books. There are too few good books on defense. This book should be on every serious bridge addict's shelf, together with Kelsey and Pottage.

Take the particularly thorny problem of bridge defense. If you are like me, you are a poor holder of cards and even the average card holder is twice as many times on defense as he or she is declarer. So sharpening your defensive skills should earn twice the reward. Moreover, the defender is at a great disadvantage in two respects. First, he does not know the combined assets of his army unlike declarer who can plan the play like a general in a theater of war. Second, he has to guess whether to go all out to break the contract or to prevent overtricks especially at matchpoint duplicate.

It is a concession to the difficulty above, that in this book you are told from the outset that you have to break the contract by a trick. This does not make the hands any easier.

We have read "Killing defense" by Kelsey, "Big Match" by Julian Pottage, and "Masterpieces of defense" by Pottage, but this book out-Pottages Pottage.

The choices to be made are the sort of choices one encounters every day.

Most examples are original, this one however is standard. In a trump contract ending where you have been stripped, you are on lead with J 4 2 in a plain suit, Dummy to your right has Q 9 7.
Your exit? You need two more tricks and partner has the Ace , and declarer knows it. Yes, it has to be the J.
You are catering to the layout
.........A 10 6 5

K 8 3................. Q 9 7

..........J 4 2

Declarer on a small lead captures the ten with the queen and finesses the J on the way back to lose only one trick. If we lead the Jack we give declarer a guess as to where the Ten is.

Another problem:

Dlr: E Vul: Nil		J3 KQ542 109875 2
	98765 A93 Q6 1087

"The bidding with South opening and becoming declarer is ONE CLUB - ONE HEART - TWO NOTRUMP (18-19) -THREE NOTRUMP.

Your SPADE NINE lead is covered by the JACK, KING, and ACE. Declarer produces the DIAMOND TWO. How will you defend?

The full solution:

Dlr: E Vul: Nil		J3 KQ542 109875 2
	98765 A93 Q6 1087		K2 1076 KJ4 QJ643
		AQ104 J8 A32 AK95

"So, declarer has two or three tricks in spades, one in hearts and is likely to be well-upholstered in clubs. When he plays the DIAMOND DEUCE, it looks as if his remaining tricks have to come from diamonds, and here you know what's what because the auction has told you declarer has only two hearts.
It is likely that decalrer has Axx in DIAMONDS, and you have to remove the entry in hearts before diamonds are established. Take control - play the Diamond Queen and swithc to the HEART THREE. "

In yet another problem, you are led up the proverbial garden path, by being given a count of declarer's winners in a notrump game. They add up to nine. You are alert however, and you note that one of declerer's closed hand winners is stranded. What is your game plan you are asked?
Why do I need an active game plan?
Declarer might have played inaccurately or stranded a winner earlier in the play, but I still have to discard carefully to avoid becoming a stepping stone, lest he should recover in the later play.
I have to discard a King, hoping partner has the Queen, to avoid being used as a stepping stone. Neat stuff.

Book review. "Moments of Truth at the Bridge Table" - R.Jayaram

2009-05-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Batsford, 2003

This is one of three books by the author, an Indian bridge writer. The hands he has chosen are from the actual praxis of Indian experts in major tournaments. The analysis is the author's own, except where attributed to other experts.

Oddly, while the hands are themselves interesting, the analyses range from the ridiculous to the sublime. On the very first hand, where a 3-2 split is proven and the queen is outstanding after one round, when righty (who has three to left's two) follows with a small one one round two, the author avers that the probablity of the queen being with lefty has changed from 2/5 to 1/3. Every serious student of the game knows that the a priori odds are not changed with RHO following with a small one to the second round.

The bridge proof-reading, as opposed to the language-proofreading, is terrible. On one hand the defender is given the six and the four spots of spades, and the text says the declarer plays on trick two the four of spades. As it happens, this does not change the outcome of the hand or the analysis in a material way, but is distracting.

A final complaint. There must be tons of Indian bridge material. For writers like Jayaram and Paranjape to rehash the same hands from tourneys that we have read about seems like there is only a little material to go around, which is blatantly untrue.

Need for an "Alarm Clock" discard.

2009-05-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

Dlr: E Vul: Nil		5 A1092 J108 Q8764
	J3 Q763 A76 AJ105		A1042 85 KQ92 K93
		KQ9876 KJ4 543 2

An alarm clock discard is the discard of an illogical honor card in a suit held by declarer that asks partner who is on lead in the middle game to wake up and cash tricks in a side suit. It is essentially a command to look elsewhere for tricks. Here is an example.

My RHO became declarer in THREE NOTRUMP after the following auction.

RHO ONE DIAMOND, TWO SPADES by yours truly, DOUBLE (negative) by LHO, TWO NOTRUMP by RHO , THREE NOTRUMP by LHO.

I led the King of Spades, which declarer won, He played a club to the Ace (wish trick, deuce, trey, four). When he played a club up, he finessed the nine. I pitched a diamond, Declarer cashes three rounds of diamonds. They break. He plays a SPADE, I win, and now I have to cash out for one down. I am staring at Q763 on my left, and I have KJx. Unbeknownst to me partner has AT9x.
We can cash 4 hearts. How do I know to do this? Simple. Partner should pitch the CLUB QUEEN, and alarm clock signal. This cannot mean interest in clubs, since declarer is marked with the club K (he started with K9x). Now I should switch with confidence to HK, then HJ and a third heart to take 4 fast heart tricks.

A trap that I sprung.

2009-05-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Dlr: W Vul: N/S		KQ10864 764 6 A73
	A975 A2 AJ1052 K5		J3 QJ98 KQ3 Q642
		2 K1053 9874 J1098

The bidding went, with my LHO West ending up in 3NOTRUMP, ONE DIAMOND by W, ONE SPADE by pd (N), DOUBLE (negative) by E, pass, ONE NOTRUMP (W), TWO NOTRUMP (E), THREE NOTRUMP (W), all passing.

Partner led a high spade. West won immediately. One can see that with the heart finesse on he has no problems whatever. However, he elected to play HA and another Heart up. Perhaps he wished to keep the diamond entries fluid and hoped to build a club, anticipating our inability to run the spades. I ducked the HQ smoothly.

If I had won the trick, I have no spades to play. We can get one club, one heart and two spades, that is all. So I had, by ducking, seized on the slender straw that declarer's unusual line of play had presented to us.

Now declarer had no way to make the contract. He played a club up to his King, and partner came in and cashed two spades.This set up a spade winner with declarer. A further heart from partner through the H:J9 to my H:KT would have set the unsinkable contract, but partner fell from grace, exiting with a club when declarer had built up his game with overtrick (two spades, two hearts, one club, 5 diamonds)

With 7-0-1-5, try to play in the 7-card suit OR I fail to count out the opponent's hand

2009-05-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

Dlr: S Vul: Nil		KQT9743 void 2 AJT83
	J82 2 AJT9873 97		6 A9876543 54 Q2
		A5 KQJT KQ6 K654

I opened the SOUTH hand ONE CLUB, LHO bid THREE DIAMONDS, partner THREE SPADES, RHO FOUR HEARTS, I DOUBLE, Pass, Pass, RHO removes himself to FIVE DIAMONDS, I DOUBLE , Pass, Partner Jeffrey Removes my DOUBLE to SIX CLUBS !

A heart was led, and I played a loser on loser, throwing the singleton diamond from dummy, as Righty won with his ACE. RHO plays a spade which I take with the ACE. I cash the CLUB KING, small cards appearing. Next I play another trump, NINE from lefty, should I go for the drop or the finesse?

I got it wrong, putting in the Jack.
Let us count. Why did W lead a heart? From the bidding (a seemingly insane FOUR HEARTS), and the lead, it should be clear that LHO has one and RHO has eight hearts.
From the bid of THREE DIAMONDS, we should place LHO with seven diamonds.
Now, the spade SIX return, and the appearance of the DEUCE, should strongly suggest the suit is breaking LHO- RHO , 3-1, or J82 - 6. So LHO is 3-1-6-2 and RHO 1-8-2-2.

Partner, asked why he chose clubs over spades, said that I need have no spades at all for my ONE CLUB opener. True, but I rate to have a couple, and even if I am missing one of the pointed suit Aces, I rate to have the other. So, SIX SPADES, is laydown if the lead is the HA, whereas, if diamonds are led, the slam is no worse than the club slam, needing you to find the CQ.

jeffreyg finds an endplay in 3NT, our opp fails to unblock.

2009-05-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Dlr: N Vul: Nil		843 KJT Q75 A987
	QJ96 Q2 J9632 JT		2 9643 K1084 KQ63
		AKT75 A875 A 542

Partner deals and opens the dreaded (both by us and the opponents) mini-NT (10-12 HCP). Now, standard treatments would allow me to show a game going 5-4 hand in the majors, but I have always marched to my own beat and try Stayman instead, When partner denies a 4-card major, I settle for THREE NOTRUMP.

The soft underbelly of DIAMONDS is attacked (D4 led). Note that this hand is played by NORTH. Next Jeffrey plays a H to the J succesfully. Next comes a spade to the A, next a H to the Q perforce and the HK. Now comes the HT, dummy playing small, a diamond pitched by W. The spade break comes to light, as E pitches a heart on the spade to the King. The HA is cashed, another D pitch from W. Clubs pitched from S and by E. In the six card ending, a Club is led from the dummy, W playing the JACK, to declarer's ACE. Now with the endplay looming, E MUST pitch CK from CKQx hoping that his partner can win the next club and put a diamond through.
Instead he discards down to this position.

Dlr: N Vul: Nil		4 none Q7 98
	QJ none J9 T		none none K108 KQ
		T75 none none 54

Now declarer, jeffrey, plays nicely, by exiting with a club, TWO clubs, CK, CQ are cashed but declarer must get a DIAMOND. Making 3NT. Note that FOUR SPADES would have no chance on the actual break.

Slam in 5-4 fit trumps breaking 4-0 better than the 7-2 fit with 2-2 break

2009-05-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Dlr: N Vul: N/S		void K7432 10 AQ76542
	QJ9752 void QJ842 K8		A103 A965 K963 103
		K864 QJ108 A75 J9

Partner (jeffreyg) (N) opened his distributional hand ONE CLUB, Righty DOUBLEd, I bid ONE HEART, LHO FOUR SPADES, and I was already licking my chops, and I am surprised to hear partner bid in front of me FIVE HEARTS, PASS, PASS, FIVE SPADES. Incredible I think, and indeed I am slightly annoyed to hear a more incredible SIX HEARTS from partner. It is DOUBLED on my right, and we all pass, as I hold my peace and await dummy.

Interesting.

The SPADE Q is led and ruffed in dummy. T2: H to the TEN as Lefty shows out! pitching a spade. T3. I persist with trump, HJ driving out the A, as Lefty pitches another Spade. RHO returns the SPADE ACE, I trump in dummy, Cash the HK, (diamond pitch on my left). I cross to hand via the DIAMOND ACE, Draw the last trump with my last trump, pitching a club (West a spade). I now have remaining S:K8 D:75 C:J9 and dummy C:AQ7654. The next play is for all the marbles. CJ advanced, COVERED, CA, C3. Now on the CQ, the TEN falls from the right and the EIGHT from the left. All the clubs are now good.

Two things to note. Partner's judgement was aggresive but accurate. On the other hand, he had not given sufficient thought to playing in clubs, which slam as it happens would have been defeated by HA and H ruff.

Thus, it is better to have trumps split 4-0 than 2-2. Plus 1660 is worth 98.5%

A trump throw-in

2009-05-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

Dlr: E Vul: All		K4 Q107 Q8752 KQJ
	Q1072 J53 AKJ3 73		5 K9642 1096 10985
		AJ9863 A8 4 A642

Against a solid pair (udca carding) that I usually self-destruct against ( a jinx? my bete noir?), I held the South cards, and with opponents silent, the bidding went ONE SPADE - TWO DIAMONDS - TWO SPADES - FOUR SPADES. The lead was the Ace of diamonds. RHO played the nine. LHO shifted to the three of clubs. I win in dummy, E contributing the Ten. Spade King, 5,6,2 and on the next spade, the 4-1 break comes to light as E discards the 5 of clubs. I put in the Jack losing to the trump Queen. W persists with the club 7, dummy winning, E playing the 9.

West has shown up with the DAK and the SQ and he has passed. I need him to hold the HJ and his partner the HK. I proceed to ruff a diamond in hand, and I play the trump Ace, and exit with a trump, pitching the heart 7. West is on lead in this position.

Dlr: E Vul: All		none Q10 Q8 K
	none J53 KJ none		none K96 6 8
		9 A8 none A6

West has no safe exit. He tried a small heart and when the ten forced the King, I could claim.
An elegant partial elimination (clubs) and endplay (iin trump).

This effort in a IMP pairs won us +6.7 IMPs on the board.

"Somehow we landed in Six Notrump" by David Bird

2009-04-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

Just got this book in the mail. The first half of this book draws from 6NT contracts in fact (Meckstroth's 6NT Tim Bourke's 6NT Ely Culbertson's 6NT etc.) , the second from fiction, the famous Bird characters, the monks of St.Titus, the missionaries, the Witchdoctor and the Parrot, and also the Rabbi.
Incidentally, having bid my share of 6NT without two cashing tricks (two aces typically), it is enlightening to see how often the world's best do the same. Sometimes the defender with the two tricks is not on lead and is gnashing his teeth as you bring home twelve tricks on a favorable lead.
There are several squeezes without the count, but by far my favorite hand in the book is the following losing card trick. Brother Paulo is at the helm after 2C-2D-4NT-6NT, the lead Dq.

Dlr: Vul:		J52 10865 65 AJ52
	6 J932 QJ10984 83		1098743 74 void 109764
		AKQ AKQ AK732 KQ

Over to David Bird.
"Eyebrows were raised around the table as East showed out on the diamond lead, discarding a spade. Paulo won with the DA and marked time by cashing two rounds of spades. Further information came to light when West showed out on the second spade, discarding a diamond. When the three top hearts were played, the jack refused to fall and East discarded another spade on the third round. Paulo sat back in his chair. He had an easy eleven tricks by overtaking on the second round of clubs. How could he make a twelfth trick?
Brother Paulo soon found the answer. West held the guard in both red suits so he would be squeezed if a blacksuit winner could be played from dummy. He cashed the CK and overtook the CQ with dummy's Ace. These cards remained.

Dlr: Vul:		J 10 6 J5
	none J J1098 none		109 none none 1097
		Q none K732 none

'Club five, please,' said Brother Paulo.
East won the trick and the Italian flipped the SQ onto the table. The novice in the West seat discarded a diamond and his partner then had to play one or other black suit giving the loead to dummy. West threw another diamond on the club return. When Brother Paulo cashed dummy's remaining winner, the SJ, West had no card to spare. If he discarded the HJ , dummy's HT would be good. He chose instead to throw yet another diamond and Paulo claimed the last two tricks with the DK and the D7 in his hand. "
....." 'It is strange but a 6-0 diamond break was more helpful than a 4-2 break' he said."

A sensational team defense

2009-04-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

Dlr: S Vul: Nil		A103 10943 AK54 106
	KQJ954 KQ85 8 83		87 J2 QJ3 AKQ754
		62 A76 109762 J92

In an otherwise lackluster session, partner VilasG (North) and I (South) produced this sensational defense. LHO became declarer at FOUR SPADES (1S-2C-2S-4S, we were silent).
Partner led the DK, I gave count, partner switched to the 6 of clubs! Declarer won Ace and played a spade to the Jack which partner ducked, partner won the next spade with the Ace, and played a second round of clubs. Declarer ruffed a diamond to hand, drew the last trump, and advanced the HK. It was my turn to be in the spotlight, I ducked this to stop the HJ from becoming an entry. Partner correctly throws away the DA in the ending, and partner's Heart comes into its own, as we make two hearts, spade Ace, and Diamond King for our four tricks.

An incredible ending in 3NT

2009-04-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

Dlr: N Vul: Nil		KQJ10 Q9 7 KJ8632
	85 1072 KQ632 Q105		A742 K86 985 A74
		863 AJ543 AJ104 9

My partner opened ONE CLUB in first seat, i bid ONE HEART, partner rebid ONE SPADE, I bid TWO DIAMONDS (fourth suit forcing, not to game) my LHO doubled this, partner bid THREE CLUBS, and I bid the 22 point THREE NOTRUMP, all passing.

My LHO gets off to the lead of the S8, RHO wins and plays the D9, DJ, DQ, D7.

T3 is a small heart, I try the nine, King, Ace.

T4 I play a heart to the Queen in dummy. It seems that hearts might be 3-3.

T5,6,7 Three more rounds of spades, as I pitch a diamond from hand, RHO follows throughout, and LHO pitches two small diamonds.

A very interesting 6 card ending has been reached. I have lost two tricks and need to make four of the last six, lead in dummy. If hearts break, as I suspect they do, I have the neccessary tricks in my hand but need a stepping stone.

Dlr: Vul:		none none none KJ8632
	none 8 K6 Q105		none 10 85 A74
		none J54 A10 9

If I play a small club toward my 9, the following can happen.
A) West wins and plays a club, I have to put in the Jack, A1) East wins Ace and gives dummy all the four clubs A2) East wins Ace while I pitch the Ten of diamonds and gives me four red tricks.
A3) East ducks the CA, as I pitch the diamond, but wins trick ten perforce as I pitch a heart and has only red cards and my last three red cards are winners. OR
B) East flies in on the 9 , and B1) plays a club when I make with overtrick, or B2) plays a Diamond, when I win with the Ace, and try the hearts which give me three tricks when they break.

Searching for a source of tricks in 3NT

2009-04-13T20:56:00.001-07:00

Dlr: S Vul: All		A63 AQ6 9732 A82
	QJ87 KJ108 QJ4 75		1054 942 A105 Q1093
		K92 753 K86 KJ64

As dealer, All VUL, I open a 10-12 (mini-) NoTrump and with opponents passing, get raised to THREE NOTRUMP by partner.

LHO leads the Eight of hearts. Not reading this, I duck. RHO contributing the deuce. LHO persists with the JACK of hearts, I try the Queen which wins. I play Ace of clubs and club to the Jack, both opps playing up the line, Jack holding. King of clubs discloses the break, lefty pitching the four of diamonds. Now I need to build some tricks. I lead a small diamond from my hand, LHO playing one of his quacks, allowed to win by partner. LHO plays a third round of hearts, all following. Now when I play a diamond up to my king, RHO flies Ace (it does not matter), I have the entries to make DK and the long diamond in dummy, so my two built diamonds go with my three clubs, two hearts and two spades for nine tricks and 92.24%.

A grand slam bid with jeffreyg

2009-04-13T18:38:00.001-07:00

Dlr: E Vul: All		A105 KJ92 AQ632 5
	864 83 10875 K1064		Q32 Q KJ94 Q9873
		KJ87 A107654 void AJ2

With opponents silent (my RHO the dealer, all VUL) the bidding went 1H-4C(splinter)-4D(cue)-4S(sA)-4NT(RKCB)-5D(0 or 3 KC)-7H (figuring with a ten card fit I did not care about HQ).

A club was led, I drew trump in two rounds ending in dummy (RHO pitching a diamond!, although with diamonds 4-4 nothing he did mattered) I ruffed a diamond, ruffed a club, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a club, and the Ace of diamonds dropped the King and I got rid of my spade guess. +2210 or 97.55%

A big penalty we collected

2009-04-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

Dlr: S Vul: N/S		KQ10875 AQ 105 865
	J62 KJ732 KQ J43		void 1098 AJ863 A10942
		A943 654 9742 KQ

I sat South, and after two passes, partner opened TWO SPADES VUL, RHO bid TWO NOTRUMP alerted as minors, I raised to a mere THREE SPADES , and after two passes RHO, perhaps tempted by the "favorable" vulnerability bids FOUR DIAMONDS. I am tempted to whack this, but I pass, and LHO bids FIVE DIAMONDS which I DOUBLE when it comes around.

Now join me to see what befalls poor declarer in the East seat.
I get off to a trump lead won in dummy with the Q. A club is finessed next, and I win the nine with the King. I begin forcing declarer with Ace of spades, he ruffs. He next crosses to the Diamond King, and judges to finesse in clubs, alas I win with my now stiff CQ. I play a heart through the KJxxx, Partner cashes two hearts. Partner now continues the force and declarer is getting tapped out as he ruffs with the DJ. The position is now:

Dlr: S Vul: N/S		Q1075 none none 6
	J KJ7 none J		none 10 A A42
		94 6 97 none

RHO tried for a even trump break (too optimistic) and cashed DA, and was now completely out of control. even now he could have at least taken one heart trick for -1100, but tried to cash CA instead, and the roof fell in as I ruffed and led a spade for partner to take all the remaining tricks.
For -1400 (6 down)

Declarer from the start could have done a lot better by taking a better view in clubs.

Rushing in where angels fear to tread

2009-03-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

See how you would develop the bidding on this hand. FOURTH SEAT, ALL VUL, S:Q 8 2 H: J 8 6 3 D: A K 9 C: A J 9.
Lefty ONE HEART, Partner ONE SPADE, Righty TWO CLUBS. Your bid?
I prefer a cue TWO HEARTS to TWO SPADES, Lefty passes, partner bids TWO SPADES (a minimum? ) RHO bids THREE CLUBS.
Your bid? We may be on for FOUR SPADES. How much is the penalty likely to be? I like my Diamond controls both on defense and offense. The lack of a fourth spade says defend, I chose DOUBLE. all passing. The full hand.

Dlr: W Vul: All		KJ10654 A109 J4 87
	A7 KQ542 Q7632 3		93 7 1085 KQ106542
		Q82 J863 AK9 AJ9

By attacking spades and taking our diamond ruff, we got DAK, D ruff, one spade, one heart, and two clubs for down three doubled, or 800. Since we have game, this was worth 5 odd IMPS.

An interesting bidding decision, and a unusually brutal punishment for a sevenbagger opposite a opener.

Demon Double of 3NT

2009-03-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Dlr: E Vul: All		J98 AJ72 62 Q1096
	10762 Q9 A75 AK75		AQ4 K64 Q9843 42
		K53 10853 KJ10 J83

After TWO PASSes W (my Lefty) opens proeceedings with ONE DIAMOND. Partner, an action player introduces a DOUBLE. Righty brushes this aside with THREE NOTRUMP. I think this is based on minor length and I think partner must hold club honors for his DOUBLE, and I have diamonds well under control, Partner is implying the majors and we should have tempo and quantity. So I make a penalty DOUBLE, all passing.

I lead H3, declarer plays the Q (nine would have forced partner to put in the J) parter wins The Ace, and returns the deuce showing a four card suit. I chuck the 8 under the nine as declar wins just in case it is a five card suit, T3, Diamond to T and A, partner playing the 2. T4. Diamond back to myJ. T.5 T6 hearts ending in partner's hand (he overtakes to cash) two clubs pitched from dummy and a spade from declarer's hand. Partner switches to 8 of spades Q , King,
and having already taken FIVE tricks, I am on lead in this position.

Dlr: E Vul: All		J9 none none QT96
	T76 none 7 AK		A none Q94 42
		53 none K J83

Well, two things should be clear now. A. Partner's double was comic. B.The score we are going to get is excellent, be it 200, 500 or 800. Therefore, one need not cash the DK now, since declarer and dummy are marked with diamonds, and declarer with the Ace of spades, setting up a spade is the right thing to do.

I pondered in the speedball tournament, and gave up on the spade play, as the position was not clear enough in my mind. A mistake! I cashed the DK for 500, simply worried I might not get my DK, and now declarer took his diamond tricks and clubs and SA for down 2 doubled.

These are the situations where you have a declarer on the ropes and you have to deliver the knockout by careful calculation. Only 9.44 IMPs won on this hand instead of 12.44 IMPs.

What to say about partner's action? At duplicate, needing swings, one can do all sorts of things, some of which of course have the potential to backfire, say E redoubles and then I hold a Yarborough and they double all runouts for 1100?

Matchpoint Tricks by Axelsen, B. and Dam, V.

2009-03-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

A book that I just got in the mail. A mixed bag of hands in terms of difficulty. One very cute trick from one of the hands: The following is a side suit in which East has preempted at the three level. In the closed hand is the singleton Ace of the side suit. The layout is:
......... North
......... QT9
West........................... East
xx .......................... KJxxxxx
......... South
......... A
With plenty of entries to dummy, You advance the Queen of the sidesuit, East covers, you win perforce, Now a ruffing finesse situation sets up a winner for a discard in yet another suit.

Won't you defend this hand with me, partner? (II)

2009-03-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

East	South	West	North

Pass	Pass	1♠	Double
3♠	Double	Pass	4♣
Pass	4♦	Pass	4♥	All Pass

After two PASSes Lefty opens ONE SPADE, Partner DOUBLES, RHO bids THREE SPADES, and I make a DOUBLE. I am a passed hand.

Partner decides to pull the double (actually to FOUR CLUBS, I bid FOUR DIAMONDS, he bids FOUR HEARTS, a funny route, but after much agony, we take +650, a decent result for +6 IMPs.)

The truth is that in this modern world of responsive doubles, and no penalty doubles ever, EW were going for -4 and -5 undoubled all over the place for -200 and -250.

A double and -5 for -1200 ANYBODY??? That would have been worth a juicy 12+ IMPs.

Won't you defend this hand with me partner? (I)

2009-03-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

It chagrins me, how, otherwise good players will not take an easy penalty of three spades or four clubs of the opponents, instead, rebidding their shown values, and putting themselves in a tough or hopeless contract.

Case example ONE. From Cross-IMP 12 board tourney.

Dlr: W Vul: Nil		102 AK10872 K3 QJ2
	AQJ4 96 Q1074 A94		973 J5 A86 87653
		K865 Q43 J952 K10

The partscore competition was fierce. LHO ONE DIAMOND, partner ONE HEART, Righty PASS, moi TWO DIAMONDS (I meant to bid TWO HEARTS but misclicked, the cue bid was ok if it represented a trump more than I had, values about there.) Lefty TWO SPADES. Partner THREE HEARTS. Righty FOUR DIAMONDS. I now DOUBLE. Lefty passes. Should partner pass or bid FOUR HEARTS? He chose to bid on. I feel sorry about the cue bid, but should my double be a deterrent here? I think so. +500 for -3 is easy.

Instead we went -50.

first round ONE CLUB, second round SIX CLUBS

2009-03-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

Dlr: Vul:		JT87 A4 Q983 KJ9
	Q63 QJ987 T62 Q5		K42 K6532 J754 8
		A93 T AK AT76432

ALL VUL, as Dealer, I open ONE CLUB, Lefty ONE HEART (!), partner DOUBLEs (negative),
Righty raises to TWO HEARTS, and I try SIX CLUBS. all PASS.
This all goes off well for a 94% board.

An eccentric 2NT leads to slam, (or lessons I learnt from Moss, Greco, Hampson)

2009-03-25T17:07:00.001-07:00

Dlr: Vul:		972 K52 Q96 AKQ9
	void JT983 J75 JT732		643 Q76 AT842 64
		AKQJT85 A4 K3 85

Not Vul versus VUL, in first seat, I opened the South hand TWO NOTRUMP (ostensibly (20-21))!! Partner raised to SIX NOTRUMP, and Righty feeling offended, doubled this cold contract. After the heart lead, and an excruciating number of spades, my lefty had already pitched his club guard away for the overtrick. It remained to total up the score +1330. 100%. ACtually the prosaic 6S = was worth 50% and 6NT making six undoubled would have been worth 80%

Bidding problem

2009-03-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

S:7 H:85 D:109854 C:AKQJ5
ALL VUL, I am South (always in this blog), West dealer. ONE SPADE. Partner DOUBLEs.
RHO THREE SPADES. No alert but clearly preemptive. Your bid?

The problem with this hand is that when it is right to raise you, partner will not know to do this with a maximum and various shapes, since you know that he wont be looking at any club honor. So you have got to bid FIVE CLUBS.

I made the mistake of bidding only FOUR CLUBS, and the opponents stole beautifully when it was PASSED OUT. I made six on a trump lead. The full hand:

Dlr: Vul:		KQ5 A74 AKQ7 1073
	AJ432 KQ1063 62 2		10986 J92 J3 9864
		7 85 109854 AKQJ5

Three notrump.

2009-03-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

Dlr: S Vul: All		AJ1043 AK742 6 KQ
	KQ7 Q8 J32 107654		952 JT96 K10984 A
		86 53 AQ75 J9832

After two passes, partner (ruido) opened 1H, preparing to reverse, I bid a forcing ONE NOTRUMP (planning to raise clubs), he bid TWO SPADES, he bid TWO NOTRUMP and I bid THREE anyway.

The lead, for the defence was unfortunate. Playing attitude leads, and not appreciating the value of the Club ten, West got off to CT, CK, CA, C3.
RHO shifts to DT, I decide to play the D7, D2, D6. When RHO continues D9, I put in the DQ, DJ(!), and I choose to throw the blocking club Q.
I play CJ,C4, pitch H4, RHO shows out (s5). C9 is master and is cashed, a heart from dummy, spade 2 from righty. I cash C8 , dummy pitches a spade, and RHO throws S9, and a plan is taking shape. Without cashing the DA and willing to be cut off from it for now, I advance the S8, S7, small! and RHO is out (H6).

So I have the lead in hand. I know west has a master club, two spades SKQ, and I think I can extract his hearts and diamonds. I cash DA now, pitching a heart from dummy (now down to S:AJT, H:AK) and when I cash HA, H:K, LHO follows to all red cards and I know the ending, and playoff SA, for my ninth trick. Lefty takes a spade and a master club.

The field mostly played in the 5-2 spade fit(!) and was off 1. 3NT was off a couple here and there, and some defenders allowed the overtrick.
For my efforts, I was +9.1 IMP on a cross-IMP pairs basis.

Book reviews

2009-03-17T08:03:00.001-07:00

I shall be reviewing two books, neither new, "Journalist Leads" by Jeff Rubens and Lawrence Rosner, and another, "That Elusive Trick in bridge", by Terence Reese and David Bird in these pages.

What scores better for EW? Five clubs or Four hearts?

2009-03-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Dlr: S Vul: Nil		AQ7 6542 8652 54
	J6 J AQJ7 KJT973		85 AKT98 K943 A8
		KT9432 Q73 T Q62

After South opened TWO SPADES, some E-Ws got to FIVE CLUBS as at our table,
there was no problem to the play, club queen sitting nicely.
I wondered if FOUR HEARTS might not be the better matchpoint score for East West, and was
in fact, a little smug. But we got only 33% for -400. Do you see what happened?
When south leads his singleton diamond, only a few declarers cleared trumps with HA, HK and another.
Most finessed, and now south put in partner with the Spade Ace and they got a D ruff to go with their three tricks.

Slam in competition after a 1NT opening

2009-03-17T07:35:00.001-07:00

Dlr: E Vul: All		AQ95 Q962 6 KQJ4
	108732 103 J97 A53		4 J75 KQ108543 62
		KJ6 AK84 A2 10987

All vul, after E passed (!), I opened ONE NOTRUMP(15-17), partner TWO CLUBS, RHO now bid THREE DIAMONDS. I love to defend, but here it seemed right to bid in front of partner THREE HEARTS. To my surprise, partner RKCBs with FOUR NOTRUMP. FIVE DIAMONDS (1430) SIX HEARTS. 94.93% at matchpoints. well driven, partner.

A good slam reached.

2009-03-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Dlr: Vul:		QJ87 KJ754 10 753
	T932 --- QJ6532 T86		K654 A83 97 QJ92
		A Q10962 AK84 AK4

How good were you for your previously announced values in light of partner's invitation? This question illustrates judgement, especially when you have to make it at slam level.
In the diagrammed position, after two passes, none VUL, East opens ONE CLUB, and I bid an agricultural THREE NOTRUMP. Partner VilasG found the interesting bid of FOUR CLUBS, and I advanced to FOUR HEARTS. When Partner raised to FIVE HEARTS, I asked myself how much less I could have held in top controls and shape for the same former bidding. I bid to slam.

With the SK ruffed out, there was not much to the play, although trumps were 3-0.

An elegant throw-in

2009-03-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

Dlr: N Vul: All		K103 K863 AJ32 K9
	A874 T92 K 76432		965 AJ5 10984 A108
		QJ2 Q74 Q765 QJ5

Partner dealt and opened ONE DIAMOND, and, with opposition silent, I bid ONE NOTRUMP all passing. I proceeded to rack up nine tricks. Sadly, it was IMPs.

The lead of the FOUR of SPADES was won in hand by the QUEEN, and when I led a low diamond, the KING popped up to be topped by the ACE. I then advanced the CLUB KING, which was won by RHO's ACE, and he returned a spade won by his partner's ACE who then cleared the suit, I win the third round in dummy. I play a heart to the Queen, all following small. A diamond to the Jack proves the suspected split as Lefty pitches a low club, and a diamond to the Queen also fetches a club pitch. I cash the CQ and CJ, and the following three cards are left.

Moi. H:xx D:x dummy H:Kx Dx and since LHO is hanging on to a spade and two clubs, RHO has two hearts (AJ) and a master diamond.

I play the losing diamond from both hands, RHO wins and cashes HA and gives dummy the ninth trick.

Plan the play (Matchpoints) in FOUR SPADES, club lead.

2009-02-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

Dlr: S Vul: All		107 KQJ64 K3 AQ107
	63 1053 AQ1092 J75		943 A87 J87 K863
		AKQJ82 92 654 92

I opened THREE SPADES (I know, I have only six), partner raised me to FOUR SPADES.
Lead was the five of clubs. Plan play single dummy.

I played low, East contributing the King. East returned a club, and it went, nine, seven, ten. I now took TWO rounds of trump only, ending in dummy. I proceeded to cash CA, and CQ taking heart pitches. When it proved that the long trump was with the long clubs, this passed off with noone ruffing in. The lead was in dummy, and I advanced the HK, ruffed out the HA, and drew the last trump. It now seemed promising that the DA would be onside, and indeed when I played up a diamond, West took his Ace, and I was +650 for some almost 80%.

A real life Guard squeeze opportunity for the opps.

2009-02-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

Consider the following hand at Matchpoints in 4H,

THe object is to prevent two overtricks.

Or you may pretend declarer is in 6H at rubber.

The full hands:

I was EAST.

S:Q765

H:9x

D:ATxxxx

C:X

**************S:JT98

**************H:xx

**************D:Jxx

**************C:AK98

S:AK

H:AKQJTxx

D:Qx

C:QJ

West , my online partner Jeffrey gets off to the best lead of a trump.

Now do you play or defend?

There is a nice guard squeeze.

Declarer should win and play a club.
East (moi) wins and stops ruff by playing a second round of trump.

Now on the run of the trumps, East's last six cards have to be four spades, one club, ergo guard squeezed in diamonds.

Right?

Pretty hand I thought.

Open Light for once. Partner puts you in slam.

2009-02-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

Dlr: S Vul:		AQ75 9 K42 AKQ64

		T2 AQJ3 A9653 T3

I opened ONE DIAMOND. Partner, ONE SPADE, moi ONE NOTRUMP, partner THREE CLUBS, moi THREE NOTRUMP, partner FOUR NOTRUMP which with this partner is not quantitative. FIVE HEARTS (better go down than breach Blackwood discipline. There are a lot of tombstones of partners who passed FOUR NOTRUMP Blackwood bids.) SIX NOTRUMP.

I await dummy with trepidation, C8 is led. Won in dummy.
After a brief survey, I take a hair raising finesse of HEART Queen. Which holds.
I cash Two more top clubs. They break. Better! We are up to Ten top tricks. I play D2 off the table. DT from righty (who is a King on BBO Online and a gentleman to boot). I duck this, win the heart return with the Ace, and test the diamonds (J87 on my left, QT on my right). Whew.

What was that? 12.6 ish percent? 3-2 diamonds , 3-3 clubs and H finesse?

Unintentional dentist's coup.

2009-02-23T14:56:00.000-08:00

Dlr: N Vul: N/S		1096 A4 J1084 AK54
	73 972 AQ752 972		J85 K853 93 QJT8
		AKQ42 QJ106 K6 63

Normal contracts were 4 Spades and 3NT from both sides, but I was surprised to get a 100% score in 3NT. I was South. I had done nothing special but see how the play develops.

The bidding had gone ONE DIAMOND - ONE SPADE - TWO CLUBS - THREE NOTRUMP.

T1: D 5, 8 ( I might have played the J) 9, won by K
T2: I played a diamond, West won and shifted to a heart.
T3: East won when I played small from dummy.
I now had +660. Everywhere else either spades were cashed first causing defense no particular trouble with discards, the order of developing H and D also making it easy for defense to cash their three winners (+630), or the hand was declared by north, when you dont get the friendly diamond lead (+630).

So, it seems that when I had just gone about developing additional diamond trick, I had unintentionally cut one defender off from another, given that West did not cash out. At the early stage, West could not know that a matchpoint cashout situation was in the offing.

Bid,Bid,Bid. It is a bidder's game. SIX DIAMONDS X

2009-02-22T07:31:00.000-08:00

Dlr: S Vul: Nil		753 8762 865 Q109
	AKQJ1094 J4 9 A63		862 KQ10953 1072 7
		void A AKQJ43 KJ8542

This looks like a ghoulash hand, but was dealt on a MP ACBL BridgeBaseOnline tourney.
Sitting in first seat, I opened FIVE DIAMONDS, LHO surprised by this bid an immediate FIVE SPADES. This came around, and I offered partner a choice at the SIX level by introducing my second suit. SIX CLUBS. In retrospect, this would have been the best spot, but when this zany bidding was doubled, partner showed preference to SIX DIAMONDS. This was doubled too. When they did not find the defense of Ace of clubs and club ruff, and instead laid down the wrong ace, I ruffed, drew trump and claimed.

Razor Thin FOUR SPADES doubled

2009-02-22T07:11:00.000-08:00

Dlr: E Vul: All		63 109842 K42 J104
	A4 J53 653 AQ976		Q9 AKQ7 J108 K853
		KJ108752 6 AQ97 2

RHO opens 1NT, and both VUL, needing one or two good cards with partner, and having a shape that screams to play in my long suit, I make the adventurous bid of FOUR SPADES.
This is doubled on my left.
As the play goes, there is not much. Entry being the DK, one finesse of the SJ fetches the SA from LHO, and when diamonds broke, that's all she wrote.

RANDOM SAMPLING OF MY BRIDGE BOOKS

2009-02-21T21:19:00.001-08:00

FOUR HEARTS DOUBLED

2009-02-21T20:38:00.000-08:00

Dlr: W Vul: N/S		9732 --- Q98765 765
	J854		96


		A8 AKQ10732 A2 J5

At matchpointed pairs, I am in fourth seat VUL. RHO opens ahead of me ONE CLUB. I leap to FOUR HEARTS. LHO gives this a fairly long look and doubles. All pass.
LHO is pretty highly rated.

Dummy seems to hold nothing for me, they lead off with three clubs, my ruffing the third.

At trick four I smoothly advance the HT, when there is a hic to the left, I know my ploy has succeeded,
RHO follows small, and next the Ace fetches X and 9 from righty.
K and Q draw the remainiing trump and I am still one short but likely ahead of the field.

I see no harm in finishing trump.
Now when i play Ace and another spade, luckily RHO who has failed to unblock from S:Kx (LHO failed to play SQ from QJTx to cue partner) is on lead at trick twelve holding the DKJ,
I have no trouble running his DJ to dummy for an unalloyed 100%.

Partner says VNP.

A five club contract.

2009-02-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

Dlr: W Vul: N/S		732 QJ7 A754 KQ2
	A10 A96532 J93 85		QJ865 K84 106 J97
		K94 10 KQ82 A10643

I sat south, and West opened proceedings with TWO HEARTS. Partner made an offshape double, and East bumped to THREE HEARTS. I now bid FIVE CLUBS in agricultural fashion.

West Cashed the HA, and obligingly, shifted to SA and a spade. I drew trump in three rounds, played yet another trump, and played DK, DQ, and ublocked D8 to DA, and led the HQ from the table. East played low smoothly, and I took a discard of a spade (if covered, the ruffing finesse would establish HJ, and a small preserved diamond to the seven is the entry at trick twelve.). I was home when this held.

Five Clubs bid and made was good for a 80 something board at MPs.