Match 2 - Board 7

Board 7
Both sides vulnerable

♠ K 9 8 7 5 ♥ 8 6 4 3 ♦ 8 4 ♣ 10 9

I pass in first seat, and LHO opens with one notrump (12-14), which is passed around to me.

If both opponents have maximums for their actions, partner will have 13 high-card points. He probably doesn't have much more than that, since he didn't double. The fact that I don't have much in the way of high cards myself doesn't dissuade from balancing, but the fact that I don't have a singleton does. With a balanced hand, it's unlikely we can do better in our own fit than we can defending notrump. I pass, and partner leads the three of diamonds.

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

West	North	East	South
		Pass	1 NT
(All pass)

Declarer plays the nine of diamonds from dummy. If partner has the king of diamonds, he would like to know my diamond count, so that he can continue diamonds if declarer began with a doubleton ace. If partner has the diamond ace, however, he will want an attitude signal, since he will be primarily interested in whether or not I have the diamond king. (I can't afford to play the king from king third in this layout.)

In general, if either of two signals might be useful, attitude takes precedence. Defending notrump, I can give count at trick one only if partner can infer I don't have an honor either from the auction or from my failure to play it. That's not the case here. If I play the eight, trying to give count, partner may well continue diamonds when a spade shift would be more productive. So I play the diamond four.

Declarer overtakes dummy's nine with the ace, presumably from ace-king third. He should have overtaken with the king, leaving open the possibility that he has king-jack third. The ace is a revealing card.

Declarer leads the four of clubs to the deuce and jack. I drop the ten. Declarer plays the seven of hearts, I cover with the eight, and declarer wins with the ace as partner plays the five. Again, the ace is a revealing card. Declarer would hardly play a heart to the ace unless he has the king as well. Had he played a heart to the king, neither I nor partner could be sure where the ace was.

I can now place declarer with 14 high-card points, so partner must have the rest. Declarer has five club tricks, three diamonds, and two hearts for ten tricks. My job now is to persuade declarer that I have the heart queen. I would certainly not pitch a heart if I had queen fourth, so I must clutch all my hearts as long as possible.

Declarer plays the club five--king--ace--nine. He cashes the ace queen of clubs. I drop the five of spades. Partner, like me, can place all the high cards now, so there is no need for attitude signals. This card should show count. Partner pitches the deuce of diamonds. On the next two clubs, I pitch the seven and eight of spades. Partner pitches the three of spades and the six of diamonds. Declarer, on the fifth club, pitches the deuce of spades.

Declarer cashes the queen of diamonds. The reason I never pitched my diamond was I that I wanted to be able to follow to this trick. It doesn't gain anything to pitch the diamond, and, as a general rule, you want to avoid showing out when possible to make it harder for declarer to count the hand. In this particular case, declarer has an accurate count in diamonds anyway from partner's carding. And, frankly, I want him to have a count in diamonds so he knows I have heart length. But, as Aristotle pointed out, virtue is all about instilling good habits

Declarer now falls for the trap. He leads the ten of hearts and passes it, losing to partner's queen. Partner plays the jack of spades. I overtake with the king and return a spade. Partner cashes the ace and queen and concedes a diamond to declarer's ace at the end. We've held declarer to nine tricks.

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

This is worth eight matchpoints. Every other pair who played notrump made twelve tricks. Two were in game, and two were not. We lost only to the two tables where North-South played club partscores.

Score on Board 7: -150 (8 MP)
Total: 59 MP (70.2%)
Current Rank: 1st