Board 70

Board 70
Opponents vulnerable

♠ A Q J 9 6 ♥ A 9 ♦ 9 4 ♣ A K 9 4

RHO passes. I open one spade, LHO bids three diamonds, and partner bids three notrump. Partner could be stretching, so this hand isn't quite worth driving to slam, although it's obviously worth a move. I could bid four clubs, but four notrump seems like a better way to invite. For one thing, I'm not so sure I want to play in a suit. If partner has king third of diamonds, I may be exposed to a diamond ruff. Partner will be more concerned about that possibility if I bid four notrump, suggesting a balanced hand, than he would be if I bid four clubs.

I bid four notrump, and partner bids five diamonds. It sounds is if partner thinks four notrump was Blackwood and is showing one ace. I'll have to remember that for future reference. I could bid six clubs now. Given I didn't bid four clubs on the previous round, I hope partner will take this as merely a suggestion and will correct to notrump, or perhaps to spades, without a club fit. Six clubs could easily be superior to six notrump if partner is missing the spade king. He might have, for example,

♠ x x ♥ K Q x ♦ A x x ♣ Q x x x x

Come to think of it, opposite that hand, seven clubs is better than six notrump. Maybe I should be trying to get to a grand. Perhaps I should bid five notrump, confirming we have all the aces. Partner won't necessarily know what he needs, but at least he would be free to bid it if he has substantial extras. If I don't bid five notrump, we have no chance to get to seven.

The problem with five notrump is that it commits us to playing slam in notrump if partner can't bid a grand. If partner thought four notrump was Blackwood rather than invitational, he might have a minimum, and six notrump could be a poor contract. I bid six clubs, and partner passes. West leads the king of diamonds.

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

West	North	East	South
		Pass	1 ♠
3 ♦	3 NT	Pass	4 NT
Pass	5 ♦	Pass	6 ♣
(All pass)

Wow! Partner doesn't even have his three notrump bid, and we still belong in a grand. I play the diamond ace, and East follows with the eight. I play a club--queen--ace--five. I can now draw the last trump and cash spades. If they don't break, I can finish the top spades, then run clubs for a double squeeze. As it happens, I don't need the squeeze. Spades break. Making seven.

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

That's some hand East passed with in first seat. I hope my teammate isn't so timid. A heart pre-empt may keep them out of slam.

No such luck. My teammate passes also. What's with Jack?  Is he afraid to pre-empt because of the side four-card spade suit?  If he feels that way, he should just open one heart.  That has to be better than passing.

South opens one spade, and the auction is the same up to five diamonds, except that I suppose my counterpart intended four notrump as Blackwood and wasn't surprised by his partner's interpretation.  Over five diamonds, South bids five notrump.  He bids six notrump when his partner shows a king.

West leads the king of diamonds. Declarer wins and plays four rounds of clubs. This is a clear error. He must cash spades before his club entry to dummy is gone. Otherwise, the double squeeze won't work. Spades break, so the error doesn't cost. Making seven.

If I understand how Jack's play algorithm works, he made this mistake because he considers only double-dummy solutions.  On a double-dummy basis, it is never necessary to cash spades early; you can simply finesse in spades if East has ten fifth.  I suspect Jack would play this hand correctly if you change the nine of spades to the eight.

Me: +940
Jack: +1020

Score on Board 70: -2 IMPs
Total: -140

I'm taking the rest of the year off. The next post will be January 4. Hopefully we'll stop having such freakish deals. I seem to be better at picking up IMPs on the dull hands. Since I receive no government funding for this blog, I'm free to wish you a Merry Christmas.