Match 2 - Board 31

Board 31
Our side vulnerable

♠ J ♥ K 10 3 2 ♦ A K 8 7 4 3 ♣ 9 3

I open one diamond, LHO overcalls one spade, partner bids two clubs, and RHO cue-bids two diamonds, showing a constructive raise.

What should opener's rebids mean on this auction? Passing should show better defense than offense, in other words, either a balanced hand or an unbalanced misfit (such as a 3-4-5-1 pattern). Doubling should show a better hand of the same type and should establish a force. Jack thinks I should pass with this hand because I have a minimum, but that's nonsense. You can't pass with an offensively oriented hand, since this may be your last chance to describe your hand at a relatively low level. The idea that a free bid in a competitive auction shows extra values was debunked back in the 60s. It's hard to imagine passing with any hand that includes six diamonds. I bid two hearts.

If RHO had passed, I would have rebid two diamonds. Two hearts, as a reverse, would establish a game force opposite partner's two-over-one. In this auction, two hearts does not create a game force, because it is cheaper than rebidding diamonds. Accordingly, minimum rebids by responder (two notrump, three clubs, or three diamonds) are all passable. If responder wants to set up a game force, he has a cue-bid available.

I should point out that not everyone would agree with what I've said here. Some, like Jack, would pass over two diamonds, thinking any action should show a better hand. Others would go ahead and bid two hearts but would consider it a tactical overbid and would still play responder's rebids as forcing. Neither approach makes sense to me.

Over two hearts, LHO bids two spades, and partner bids three spades. Obviously partner agrees with me that two hearts does not establish a game force. Otherwise he would just pass rather than consume a full round of bidding without saying anything useful.

RHO passes. Interesting. If RHO isn't doubling the cue-bid, I wonder if my singleton jack of spades is enough for me to bid three notrump. Maybe. But I'm too chicken to try it. I bid four diamonds, and partner raises to five. LHO leads the ace of spades.

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

West	North	East	South
			1 ♦
1 ♠	2 ♣	2 ♦1	2 ♥
2 ♠	3 ♠	Pass	4 ♦
Pass	5 ♦	(All pass)
1Constructive raise

I don't understand the cue-bid. If partner thinks two hearts establishes a game force, then a forcing two notrump bid seems like the right call. And if he thinks two hearts does not establish a game force, then a non-forcing two notrump seems like the right call. What's the point of three spades? To my mind, the auction should have proceeded two notrump--three diamonds--pass.

Of course, the cue-bid might have worked out if I had had the courage to bid three notrump. If LHO has ace-queen of spades and leads a low one, I would make it. At the very least, I have a better chance of making three notrump from my side than I have of making this.

RHO plays the five of spades, and LHO shifts to the six of hearts. RHO plays the ace, and I drop the deuce. RHO continues with the queen of hearts. Really? Why are the opponents so sure I don't have a singleton club? Shouldn't they be cashing the club ace?

Is there any way I can possibly take advantage of the opponents' carelessness? Not that I see. The best I can do is to make the opponents feel stupid by creating the illusion that I have a singleton club.

I ruff the heart in dummy, cash the spade king, pitch a club, and snicker. (An advantage of playing against the computer. I couldn't snicker against humans. That would be coffeehousing.) East ought to be feeling a surge of panic right now. Is he panicked enough to make another mistake if he has the club ace? I lead the club king--seven--nine--ace. Down one.

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

I see I wouldn't have made three notrump. The one pair who played three notump did make it, but I suppose they played it from the North side and either West never bid spades or his partner chose to lead his own suit anyway. One pair actually passed the board out. The rest were down one in five diamonds. Since one of those pairs was doubled, we get five matchpoints.

I think partner bid too much. He, of course, thinks I bid too much. Would we have stayed out of game if I had passed at my second turn as partner wanted me to? I rebid the hand with Jack to find out. If I pass, LHO bids two spades, and partner bids three diamonds. After my pass on the previous round, I can hardly pass that. With six diamonds and a singleton spade, I have a much better hand for play in diamonds than partner expects me to. I bid four diamonds. Partner might suspect we're off three key cards and pass.  But he doesn't. He continues on to five diamonds. I guess once I open, we are destined to get to game. Hats off to the pair who passed this board out!

Score on Board 31: -100 (5 MP)
Total: 250 MP (67.2%)

Current rank: 1st

Match 2 - Board 30

Board 30
Neither vulnerable

♠ A J 6 4 3 ♥ A K J 6 ♦ J 9 8 2 ♣ --

RHO opens one club. I bid one spade, hoping I will be able to double some number of clubs at my next turn. I get my wish. LHO bids two clubs, partner passes, and RHO bids three clubs. I double, partner bids three hearts, and RHO bids four clubs. I don't have anything further to say. This is about what partner should expect for this auction. I pass, and partner bids four hearts.

This makes no sense. If he couldn't bid four hearts the first time, how can he bid it now? If this makes, I owe RHO a thank-you for his four club bid, giving partner a chance to reconsider his decision. Everyone passes, and RHO leads the queen of clubs.

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

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

Partner certainly should have bid four hearts a round earlier. An eight-loser hand with a known double fit? Of course, the fact that he should have bid it doesn't mean I'm going to make it. West rates to have six clubs and a singleton heart for his four club bid. His likeliest pattern, then, is 3-1-3-6, in which case I'm going down unless his singleton heart is the queen.

Is there any way I can endplay East if my construction is correct? What if I pitch a diamond on the club ace, play a spade to the ace and ruff a spade, then a heart to the ace and ruff another spade. Now a club ruff to dummy and ruff a fourth spade. I'm down to this position:

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

I play a diamond. East wins with his singleton honor and is endplayed. He leads a club, and I can ruff in my hand, discarding a diamond loser from dummy. All very nice. But to acheive this endplay, I've tapped dummy out. I need two more tricks, and there is no way to take them.

I'm not entirely sure I would adopt such a committal line even if it were going to work. But I'm certainly not going to adopt it if it isn't going to work.

It seems my only chance to make this if everything is breaking badly is to trick West into crashing diamond honors. Too bad he doesn't know I have five diamonds. If he did, and if I played a diamond from my hand, he might hop with ace-king or ace-queen third to give his partner a ruff.

Maybe I should ruff a spade to my hand to clue him in to my spade shortness. What if I ruff the club in dummy, (I can't afford to let him know I have the club ace. That would tip him off that I don't have any red-suit honors.) then play ace and ruff a spade? Now I play a diamond. Since he now knows I have long diamonds, he might hop. Is there any risk in this line? Possibly. What if West is 2-1-3-7 with a singleton queen of hearts. Now I'm cold on a staightforward line. But I go down on my tricky line, since East can lead a third round of spades for his partner to ruff with the queen.

I suppose I can guard against that by drawing one round of trumps before ruffing a spade. I find it hard to believe that trumps are two-two, so I'm willing to take the risk of not drawing a second round. That's the plan I settle on. I ruff the club in dummy and cash the heart ace. If everyone follows low, I intend to ruff a spade to my hand and lead a diamond.

My ruse proves unnecessary. West drops the heart queen under the ace. I draw the remaining trumps and play a diamond. Diamonds are two-two, so I wind up making five. There was never anything to worry about.

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

This result is worth seven matchpoints. The only result other than plus 450 came from the pair who defended five clubs doubled and collected 300. I must apologize to partner. Had he bid four hearts over my double, West would surely have bid five clubs. We could compete to five hearts, but, in practice, we would probably double and score one matchpoint. Sorry I criticized your bid, partner. (But it's a hollow apology. I still think three hearts is insane.)

Score on Board 30: +450 (7 MP)
Total: 245 MP (68.1%)

Current rank: 1st

Match 2 - Board 29

I usually publish my weekly post on Sunday, but I need to publish early this week, since it is going to be a busy weekend. Hartford Opera Theater is premiering my latest opera, Fall Back.  If you're going to be anywhere near Hartford Sunday night, stop by.

Board 29

Both sides vulnerable

♠ K J 4 3 ♥ K 10 8 6 5 2 ♦ -- ♣ K 8 5

Two passes to me. I open one heart, and LHO overcalls one notrump. Partner passes, and RHO bids five diamonds. If he isn't remotely interested in three notrump, there is a good chance he has a heart void. My best guess as to his shape is 4-0-7-2. I'm crediting him with four spades because of his unwillingess to pre-empt at his first turn. Partner probably has enough in high cards to raise to two hearts, since the opponents aren't sniffing at slam, so I suspect he has a doubleton and that there are five hearts on my left.

I pass, LHO passes, and partner doubles. Doubling five of a minor at matchpoints is seldom a good move, since some pairs will play in three notrump. If three notrump makes, the double has little to gain. And if three notrump makes four, a failed double could flip a top to a bottom. So partner must be fairly sure of his ground. He is probably doubling on natural trump tricks, assuming that if diamonds aren't running, three notrump won't be making either.

Unless partner has three tricks himself, I'm going to have to contribute something, and that something is probably a spade trick. One thing I'm not leading is a heart. The risk that declarer is void and a heart lead will allow him to take a finesse he can't otherwise take is too great. A spade lead seems inadvisable as well. Let's say I'm right that declarer is 4-0-7-2, and let's give dummy a 3-5-2-3 pattern, as seems likely. If I give away a spade trick on the opening lead, declarer may be able to pitch one spade on the heart ace and another on the third round of clubs. If I give away a club trick on opening lead, however, that may not be fatal. Suppose declarer has jack doubleton of clubs opposite ace-queen third. A club lead gives him a third club trick, but he still can't dispose of all his spades. As long as the ace and queen of spades are not both behind me, I still have a spade trick. Of course, if dummy has the spade ace, partner must find a spade shift at some point to break up the squeeze. But that should be easy for him to see.

Which club should I lead? The eight seems like the best choice. If declarer thinks I don't have the king, he may hop with the club ace and pitch his club loser on the heart ace. He might even follow with a ruffing finesse in clubs against partner. I don't see how it can hurt to mislead partner. I want a spade shift when he gets in anyway, so misleading him may even prove to be productive. The eight of clubs it is.

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

West	North	East	South
		Pass	Pass
1 ♥	1 NT	Pass	5 ♦
Pass	Pass	Double	(All pass)

Aha! 3-5-2-3. I called it! It looks as if my construction is correct. Declarer plays low from dummy. Partner wins with the jack; declarer follows with the nine. Declarer must have ten-nine doubleton and was hoping I had led from king-jack-eight third or fourth.

Partner switches to the deuce of spades. The deuce? Unless partner is getting into the act with funny spot card leads of his own, it looks as though I'm wrong about declarer's having four spades. Declarer takes the ace, and I encourage with the four. Declarer plays the seven of hearts. Yes, I was indeed wrong about the spade suit. It now appears declarer is 3-1-7-2. That means he may be able to avoid a spade loser. He can play the heart queen, ruff a heart, club to the queen and ace, and pitch his last spade on the heart ace as partner ruffs in with what may be a natural trump trick.

I play the heart eight, declarer plays the jack, and partner follows. Instead of a low heart, declarer plays the heart ace. Partner ruffs with the seven and declarer overruffs with the nine. I play the six to reassure partner about the spade king. It appears my spade trick is now safe. Declarer plays the deuce of diamonds to the queen. I play the heart five. Partner wins with the diamond ace and shifts to the queen of spades. I overtake with the king and cash the jack. Annoyingly, but not surprisingly, partner follows.

Partner really should have led a low spade. On this particular deal, I can't think of any reason I would need to overtake the queen if I don't have the jack. But leading low from doubleton honors when there is no future in any other suit should be a matter of routine. It would inspire confidence to know I could trust partner to do that.

Anyway, we're out of tricks.  Declarer finishes down two.

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

Obviously declarer could have finessed the club queen, either at trick one or at trick five, and held it to down one. Ducking at trick one seems right. He might have made this if I had led from king-jack of clubs. But he should have taken the finesse later. It's true that he would go down three if the finesse lost. But I doubt there is much difference between minus 500 and minus 800. He was apparently mesmerized by the eight of clubs. And it was an expensive mistake. Five diamonds doubled down one was the normal result. We would have received only seven matchpoints for plus 200. Plus 500 is a top. And it seems partner was right to double. Plus 100 would have been worth only three matchpoints.

Professor Jack (Jack's post-mortem commentator) wishes to inform me of a possible "misunderstanding" in the card play. I ask him to explain. "Leading the club eight is not right," he says. "From king-eight-five the systemic lead is the five." OK, Jack. Sorry.

It occurs to me that if declarer had held jack-nine of clubs instead of ten-nine, a club is the only lead (other than a bizarre king of hearts) to let him make it. That's a little too close for comfort. I can't imagine either major is really the percentage lead. But I have a feeling the field doesn't know that. It's scary to think how close we came to having a disaster.

Score on board 29: +500 (12 MP)
Total: 238 MP (68.4%)

Current rank: 1st

Match 2 - Board 28

Board 28
Our side vulnerable

♠ K 3 ♥ A J 9 8 6 4 2 ♦ 9 5 2 ♣ K

One diamond--two clubs--pass to me. I bid two hearts. This bid isn't forcing, but so what? If partner has heart support, he'll raise. If he has a solid opening bid, he'll try to bid something. If he has neither, two hearts is probably high enough.

At least I hope it's high enough, because two hearts ends the auction. West leads the king of diamonds.

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

West	North	East	South
1 ♦	2 ♣	Pass	2 ♥
(All pass)

East plays the four of diamonds. I'm not sure what the opponents' lead conventions are, so I'm not sure whether West can have the diamond ace or not. Perhaps West has ace-king-queen and East is discouraging, or perhaps East is encouraging with honor-four-three. I "discourage" with the deuce, hoping to induce a spade shift. West shifts--but to the four of clubs. This shift doesn't make much sense unless it's a singleton. I play the club jack, East plays the queen, and I win with the king. I guess it's not a singleton. Why would East cover with queen fifth?

I'm tempted to play a diamond. Perhaps I can ruff the third round of diamonds in dummy and pitch a spade on the club ace. If so, then I'll make three if I have to lose a heart and four if I don't. Might I go down on that line? Suppose East wins the diamond and plays a spade. West takes the queen and ace and plays a third diamond. If I ruff with the king, I could lose two trump tricks. So I ruff low. East overruffs and leads a club. That would be awkward.

I've stayed nice and low. I'd hate to give up my edge by going minus, so I decide to play it safe. I play the heart ace--five--ten, then the four of hearts (As always, hanging on to those deuces on principle)--seven--king--five of spades. I can now pitch a diamond on the club ace and try a finesse against the queen of spades.

Actually, I can't. West ruffs the club ace. His club shift was a singleton after all. He can now play two rounds of diamonds, tossing me in my hand and holding me to eight tricks. But, for some reason, he cashes the spade ace. Making three.

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

It turns out the overtrick is immaterial. We are the only North-South pair to go plus on this board. One pair went down two in four hearts; two went down one in three hearts; the rest defended three spades making four.

The opponents have a double fit, yet they didn't locate either one. What went wrong? For one thing, I believe West should double two hearts. This double should show shortness in clubs, not shortness in hearts. In fact, it should promise three or four hearts so that responder can pass with an appropriate hand.  Using double to show something like a 4-1-5-3 pattern makes little sense. Opener should avoid re-entering the auction with club length when responder couldn't act over two clubs.

Also, although I don't expect a lot of people to agree with me, I think East must take some blame for his pass over two clubs. He knows the opponents have at least eight hearts, he knows from his club length that his partner rates to have long diamonds, and he knows this may well be his last chance to support the suit. I think he should bid two diamonds. The three-card competitive raise of a minor is routine in the style I'm used to playing: weak notrumps with four-card majors.  It is almost unheard of in Eastern Science Fiction, but don't think it's a bad idea in that system either. Of course, if you bid two diamonds on awkward hands with three- or four-card support, you must avoid it when you have good support.  I don't see that as a hardship. With five trumps, you can usually muster up a raise to three or a cue-bid.

If East does bid two diamonds, West will compete with three diamonds over two hearts. It's not clear what will happen after that, but East-West should at least wind up with a plus score.

Score on Board 28: +140 (12 MP)
Total: 226 MP (67.3%)

Current rank: 1st