Board 100

Board 100
Both sides vulnerable

♠ K J 9 8 ♥ A Q J 9 8 ♦ J 3 ♣ A 8

After two passes, RHO opens one diamond. I bid one heart, and LHO bids two hearts, showing a good diamond raise. Partner bids two spades. If we were playing weak two-bids, this bid would probably be based a five-card spade suit and a partial fit for hearts. Since we aren't playing weak two-bids, I don't have that inference available. Partner might well have a hand that will be opened with two spades at the other table. Either way, I have a raise to four spades. But I don't get the chance. RHO bids five diamonds in front of me. I might make five spades opposite ace-queen fifth of spades and out, so I have to bid it. LHO and partner pass, and RHO bids six diamonds.

Would you pass or double? If this were a forcing auction, I would surely double. Once I've bid two suits, partner would be entitled to expect a singleton diamond if I make a forcing pass. But I don't think this is a forcing auction. Nothing about our bidding indicates that this is our hand. (LHO's pass over five spades, however, was forcing in my opinion. A game-invitational cue-bid followed by an acceptance creates a force.)

That being said, I'm doubling anyway. I don't think they're making this, and they might be going down several. Even if they do make it, doubling won't cost much unless (A) they redouble or (B) partner would have bid on had I passed. Either scenario seems unlikely. On the other hand, it could be quite costly not to double if they are overboard, particularly since I expect to make five spades.

I double, and everyone passes. It doesn't seem that any of our fast tricks can disappear, so I see no reason not to lead a trump. I lead the diamond three.

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

West	North	East	South
	Pass	Pass	1 ♦
1 ♥	2 ♥	2 ♠	5 ♦
5 ♠	Pass	Pass	6 ♦
Double	(All pass)

I don't care for North's cue-bid. The cue-bid should be reserved for relatively balanced hands. With this hand, I would pass, intending to support diamonds aggressively at my next turn.  This should show primary hearts, essentially a "fit-showing jump" in hearts.  (This works only at the one-level.  At the two-level, one might pass with a fair hand and only moderate length in the overcaller's suit.  See The Cooperative Pass.)

I suspect declarer is void in hearts, so, to beat this partner needs either the spade ace or a club trick. It looks as if the trump lead was the right idea.

Dummy plays the six; partner, the seven; and declarer wins in his hand with the ten. He cashes the spade ace--nine--six--four. Partner could have afforded a higher spot with six spades, so I assume he has queen-ten-fifth and declarer has ace-three-deuce. Assuming partner doesn't have an undisclosed six-card club suit, he is 5-1-2-5 and declarer is 3-0-5-5. Declarer can ruff his two spade losers in dummy, but I can lead a second trump when I'm in with the club ace, so he can't ruff any clubs. I'm starting to feel a little better than I did when I first saw dummy.

Declarer ruffs the spade deuce with the queen of diamonds and plays a club--three--nine--ace. I play the jack of diamonds. Dummy wins with the king, and partner follows with the deuce. Declarer ruffs a heart, ruffs the deuce of clubs with dummy's last trump (five from partner).  Instead of ruffing his last spade, he's trying to establish clubs.  Since clubs are five-two, that's not going to work.  Partner surely has the club king, since the queen of spades is the only high card he's shown up with so far.  The fact that declarer is ruffing clubs suggests he also has some spot card that declarer is trying unsuccessfully to neutralize.  So it's starting to look like down at least three.

Declarer plays another heart. Partner pitches the spade seven, and declarer pitches the spade three. I'm in with the nine of hearts. I exit with the heart ace, which declarer ruffs. It's up to declarer and partner to battle it out in the club suit. Partner winds up with two club tricks, so down three it is. Plus 800 for our side.  Not a bad result, especially since I was wrong about our making five spades.

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

Partner's two spade bid is awfully aggressive, especially considering he has a singleton in my suit.  But I can't argue with success.

At the other table, West doubles the one diamond opening. I'm not a fan of offshape take-out doubles, so doubling didn't even cross my mind. But now that I think about it, I do see the merit. If partner hadn't made his questionable two spade bid, my one heart overcall might not have worked out very well.  (Just to be clear, I'm admitting only to seeing the merit of doubling.  I'm not saying I actually approve.)

Over the double, North bids two hearts, an explicit fit-showing jump in hearts (as opposed to the implicit one I suggested at our table), and East bids three spades. Another aggressive bid, but I suppose it's acceptable because of the presumed double fit. On this auction, South takes a dimmer view of his heart void. He bids only four diamonds. West raises to four spades. After two passes, South bids five diamonds. West, also discouraged by the heart bid on his left, goes quietly. He passes, as does everyone else.

West leads the nine of spades, which might allow South to get out for down one. Declarer takes the ace, ruffs a spade, and plays a club. When East plays low, declarer plays the queen. This would be the right play if East had ace third or king third. As the cards lay, however, he can no longer do any better than down two.

If I had to place the blame for this result, I would choose North's cue-bid at our table as the culprit. South never had a clue what his partner's hand looked like. At the other table, South (and, for that matter, West) was able to judge his potential much better after the fit-showing jump. But the idea of passing one heart and later jumping in diamonds to show this hand is, I suspect, a tactic with which Jack is unfamiliar.

Me: +800
Jack: +200

Score on Board 100: +12 IMPs
Total: -59 IMPs