Board 105

Board 105
Opponents vulnerable

♠ K 10 9 8 ♥ 5 ♦ A 9 8 4 3 ♣ Q 5 2

Partner opens one club, and RHO overcalls with one heart. I double, LHO bids three hearts, and partner bids four spades.

How close are we to making a slam? Partner has only two bids to show spades over three hearts--three spades and four spades--so he might be stretching.  But I would still expect him to have about five losers. I can cover three of them for certain, and the singleton heart probably covers another. If partner has as little as

♠ A Q x x ♥ x x ♦ x ♣ A K x x x x

slam is cold on normal breaks.

What about the fact that we are playing weak notrumps?  Does that place a burden on the four spade bid?  Might partner bid four spades with a good strong notrump, for example, with

♠ A x x x ♥ A x x ♦ Q x ♣ A K x x ?

Personally, I would not. I don't think the negative double promises four spades.  So I think opener's jump to four spades shows a willingness to have responder correct to five clubs. With four spades and a good balanced hand, I would double, intending to bid four spades on the next round. This gives partner the option of defending three hearts doubled, which might well be right if both our hands are balanced.  That being said, I doubt Jack agrees with me.  I suspect he would bid four spades with either of these two hands.

Bidding over four spades is more attractive if you know partner has long clubs. But it's a bit pushy even then. I think I'm a jack or two shy of being worth a move. In the six-four example, make either one of partner's black aces the heart ace instead, and you see the importance of those jacks. Even the jack of diamonds offers a modicum of safety, since it means you have a shot at no diamond losers opposite queen doubleton. This hand is good enough to make me nervous about passing, but it's just too thin to risk a move in a jammed auction. I pass. RHO leads the ten of hearts.

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

West	North	East	South
			1 ♣
1 ♥	Double	3 ♥	4 ♠
(All pass)

Partner had full values for his call, so it looks as if we missed a decent slam. That's why people pre-empt. That and the fact that it's fun.

The percentage play in spades is to lead low to the eight, then cash the king if it loses to an honor. That play loses two tricks only when there is a singleton queen or jack on my right. I win with the heart ace, East playing the eight, then play a low spade--five--eight--jack. East taps dummy with the queen of hearts, and I cash the spade king--deuce--six--six of hearts. I float the ten of spades, then play a club. When East doesn't ruff it, I claim. Making six.

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

East would have done better to switch to his singleton club rather than tap dummy.  I don't have the entries to draw trump and ruff a heart in dummy by myself, so a club shift would have held me to five.  The right contract for our side is actually six clubs, not six spades.  I suppose we might have found that had I moved over four spades.  But it would require knowing what our bids mean.  If we start interpreting club bids as cue-bids, it's not going to be easy.

At the other table, the auction is identical, but West leads the diamond king instead of a heart. Since it is now declarer's hand that is subject to a tap, the correct play in spades is the opposite of the way I played it. You should now lead the eight of spades and pass it, intending to cash the ace next if it loses. This loses two tricks only to a singleton queen or jack on your left.

At least that's the right play in isolation. Jack judges, not unreasonably, that West is more likely to have a singleton spade than East. So he cashes the spade king. This play loses to a singleton deuce, four, or five in the East hand. It's not as good as floating the eight a priori, since it loses to three cases instead of two. But it is better if you deem a singleton by East unlikely.

After cashing the spade king, declarer leads the spade eight, presumably intending to pass it. East covers with the jack. Declarer wins with the ace and plays a third spade. I expect East to win and play a fourth spade, holding declarer to five. Instead, East wins and plays a club. This should hold declarer to five, too, since declarer doesn't have the entries to take a ruff and draw trumps. Declarer takes the club queen, plays a heart to the ace, ruffs a heart, and plays a low club from dummy. East pitches. Declarer wins, cashes the seven of spades, and claims.

We would have picked up an imp had East ruffed, but I can't complain. If declarer had

♠ A 7 x x ♥ A x x ♦ x ♣ A K x x x,

ruffing would allow declarer to make his contract. Once East refuses to ruff, declarer must go down. Of course, declarer has misplayed if that is his hand. But sometimes declarers do that. I'm happy to have my teammate invest the imp.

Me: +480
Jack: +480

Score on Board 104: 0 IMPs
Total: -43 IMPs