Free Super Sunday Daylong - May 29 - Board 8

Board 8
Neither vulnerable

♠ A Q 8 6  ♥ 3  ♦ K 9  ♣ A 10 7 5 4 3

Three passes to me. I open with one club, and partner bids two clubs, showing at least a limit raise in clubs. King fifth of clubs, the spade king, and the diamond ace is a laydown slam, so I have to make a slam try. Fortunately, I have an easy way to do that: a splinter bid of three hearts.

Over three hearts, partner bids five clubs. According to the tool tip, this shows a better hand than four clubs. But if he had the prime cards he needs for slam, I assume he would have found a more aggressive call. I'm not crazy about playing five of a minor at matchpoints. But it doesn't appear that three notrump is making. If it isn't, there is nothing wrong with playing five clubs. I pass, and West leads the diamond four.

	NORTH Robot ♠ J 4 2 ♥ K ♦ A 6 5 3 ♣ K J 9 6 2
	SOUTH Phillip ♠ A Q 8 6 ♥ 3 ♦ K 9 ♣ A 10 7 5 4 3

West	North	East	South
Robot	Robot	Robot	Phillip
Pass	Pass	Pass	1 ♣
Pass	2 ♣	Pass	3 ♥
Pass	5 ♣	(All pass)

Three notrump might make after all as long as we play it from the right side, although I don't know which side that is.

I cover the diamond four with the five. East plays the deuce. I wasn't expecting that. What could East have to play low? Perhaps he has the jack and is afraid I have queen-ten-nine.

I win with the nine and cash the club ace--queen--deuce--eight. I cash the diamond king--seven--three-eight and play a club to dummy. West pitches the heart eight; East, the heart five. When I pitch a heart on the diamond ace, East follows with the jack. I was apparently right about why he played low at trick one. I play the fourth diamond and East pitches the seven of spades. 

East has a complete count on my hand, so there is no way he is pitching down to king doubleton of spades. Leading low to the queen hoping to drop the king is pointless. My only chances are to find West with a stiff king, a stiff ten or nine, or ten-nine doubleton. I suspect he would have led a stiff ten or nine, and East's spade seven pitch isn't consistent with a five-card suit anyway, so I'm going to play West for ten-nine doubleton. I play a club to dummy and lead the spade jack. West has ten-five doubleton, so I make only six.

	NORTH Robot ♠ J 4 2 ♥ K ♦ A 6 5 3 ♣ K J 9 6 2
WEST Robot ♠ 10 5 ♥ Q 10 8 7 4 2 ♦ Q 10 7 4 ♣ Q		EAST Robot ♠ K 9 7 3 ♥ A J 9 6 5 ♦ J 8 2 ♣ 8
	SOUTH Phillip ♠ A Q 8 6 ♥ 3 ♦ K 9 ♣ A 10 7 5 4 3

Plus 420 is worth 65%. 

One point worth noting. I was considering two ways to handle the spades suit: play low to the queen or lead the jack. Once East pitched a spade, I rejected the first option. That may have been a hasty decision. While it's true East would not pitch a spade from king third, there is no reason he couldn't pitch a spade from king doubleton. If pitching a spade is going to talk me out of leading low, it would be a good play.

Stiffing an offside king is a common ploy. Stiffing an onside king is a ploy that is often overlooked. That's precisely why it has a good chance of working. It is something declarer does not expect, so there is a variety of scenarios where it may talk declarer out of a winning line.