Challenge Match - Jazlene vs. Phillip - Board 10

I've picked up small swings on the previous two boards, so I'm down only two imps going into

Board 10
Both sides vulnerable

♠ Q 9 8 5 3 2  ♥ A 9  ♦ A 9  ♣ Q 8 2

RHO passes. I open with one spade and partner bids two hearts. I bid two spades. This is the catch-all rebid in the robots methods. It doesn't promise six.

Partner bids three clubs. Hearts, spades, and notrump are all possible strains. Three hearts is the right bid, since it keeps all those strains in play. Strangely, the tooltip says the bid shows three hearts. That makes no sense. With three hearts, I would have raised on the previous round.

Even if my robot partner actually believes it shows three hearts, three hearts still may be the best bid. Without the spade jack, I don't want to emphasize spades. If partner has five good hearts, a five-two heart fit may be better than a six-two spade fit. The weak spades also make notrump unappealing, as do my aces and my single diamond stopper. Besides, on many deals where three notrump is right, partner would have bid notrump himself on the previous round. If I bid three hearts and partner's hearts are weak, maybe he will take into account that I failed to raise hearts immediately, so I must have some doubt that hearts is the right strain. Perhaps he will continue exploring with three spades or three notrump if appropriate.

It can be frustrating trying to have an intelligent auction with a robot. But sometimes they surprise you. I have no idea what the right strain is, so I'm not prepared to make a unilateral decision. I'll bid what I would bid opposite a human and hope partner does something sensible.

I bid three hearts. Partner bids four hearts, and everyone passes. RHO leads the jack of spades.

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

West	North	East	South
Robot	Phillip	Robot	Robot
Pass	1 ♠	Pass	2 ♥
Pass	2 ♠	Pass	3 ♣
Pass	3 ♥	Pass	4 ♥
(All pass)

I seem to have survived the auction. This looks like a fine contract. I can afford to lose two hearts and the club ace.

I play low from dummy, East plays the seven, and I take my ace. Now deuce of hearts--eight--ace--three. And a low heart--king--four--ten. East shifts to the four of spades.

I'm pretty sure the opening lead was from shortness and East has the spade king. If so, I'm cold if I pitch a club. But I'm not that sure. I'm more likely to be wrong about the lead than I am to have a club loser, so I ruff small. West overruffs and shifts to a club. I claim ten tricks.

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

Jazlene chose to bid three notrump over three clubs and went down two, so I pick up 13 imps, putting me back in the lead. 

Three notrump makes for a more challenging play problem than four hearts did. I'm envious. Let's give it a try. But first, let's turn the table around. I find it confusing to have South dummy.

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

West leads the deuce of diamonds, and East covers dummy's jack with the king. Since we have to knock out the club ace, we need diamonds to be blocked. The deuce was presumably fourth best, so we need West to have Q1082. Even so, we have only seven tricks. The only legitimate line I see is for both kings to be singleton. 

Let's see how the play will go if that's the case. Suppose we win the diamond ace and start on clubs. The opponents win the third round and cash their three diamond tricks. But then they can exit with the king of hearts to our ace, reaching this position, where we need the rest of the tricks:

	NORTH ♠ A ♥ Q 7 ♦ -- ♣ K J
	SOUTH ♠ Q 9 8 5 ♥ 9 ♦ -- ♣ --

Even if the king of spades does drop singleton, we have no way to get back to our hand to cash the queen. To make our contract, we must think ahead and cash the spade ace before playing clubs. It would be embarrassing to be lucky enough to find the only layout where we can make this contract and still go down.

Potential embarrassment notwithstanding, I don't think cashing the spade ace is the right play. In addition to its being wildly unlikely to work, we go down at least one trick more than necessary if the king doesn't drop. This is not an easy hand to bid opposite a robot, so there is no guarantee the other table is going plus. Extra undertricks could be costly.

We do have another chance to make the contract that doesn't risk losing oodles of tricks: Play for one stiff king and careless defense. Win the diamond and drive the club ace. If the opponents win, cash three diamonds and exit with a black card. Then we cash the spade ace and run clubs, coming down to this position:

	NORTH ♠ -- ♥ Q 7 6 ♦ -- ♣ K
	SOUTH ♠ Q 7 ♥ A 9 ♦  ♣ --

If West had the singleton king of spades, then the queen is good. Furthermore, East has the only spade stopper. If he has the heart king as well, he is squeezed on the last club.

If the king of spades didn't fall under the ace, we still have the chance that the heart king is singleton. If whichever hand has the long hearts also has the spade king, then the last club squeezes him.

Of course, this line requires misdefense. The opponents can stop the squeeze either by not cashing diamonds or by cashing them and leading a heart to kill our communication.

Now go to JazPlaysBridge for Jazlene's perspective on Board 10.