Zenith Daylong - Oct 14, 2021 - Board 14

Board 14
Neither vulnerable

♠ A J 10 6 4 3  ♥ J 8  ♦ K Q 7 4  ♣ 10

RHO passes. I open one spade in second seat, and partner bids two clubs. It's more economical to bid two spades, then three diamonds over partner's likely two notrump than to bid two diamonds, then three spades. So I bid two spades. Partner messes up my plan by bidding three hearts. If I'd known he was going bid hearts, I would have bid two diamonds.

Now I have to choose between three notrump and three spades. My two-spade bid did not promise six spades in the robots' methods, so if I bid three notrump, partner is unlikely to correct to four spades. Furthermore, if I bid three spades, he is unlikely to bid three notrump unless he has a diamond stopper. So it's pretty much up to me to guess which strain is better. Three notrump is probably the right spot if partner has a singleton spade and might be right even opposite a doubleton, so I bid it. Everyone passes. West leads the deuce of diamonds.

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

West	North	East	South
Robot	Robot	Robot	Phillip
		Pass	1 ♠
Pass	2 ♣	Pass	2 ♠
Pass	3 ♥	Pass	3 NT
(All pass)

I have eight cashing tricks once I knock out the diamond ace. I need one more. I might have lots more in the spade suit, but I have communication problems. My best play in spades is (A) to get to dummy twice to take two finesses. But since the only entry to my hand is the heart jack, I can't easily use hearts as one of my dummy entries. If I can reach dummy only once, my best play is (B) to take one finesse against East, then try to drop the other honor. This works if East has honor doubleton, both honors third, or three small. The problem with that line is it means I have to lead a club to the ace, spurning the finesse. But if spades don't come home, I need that club finesse for my ninth trick. Perhaps I'm better off (C) starting spades from my hand, playing West for a doubleton honor, and retaining the option of taking a club finesse later. If I believe West will hop with honor doubleton (and if I'm right in that belief), then (C) allows me to pick up honor doubleton offside or king-queen third onside, making it almost as good as (B). If I believe West will duck with honor doubleton, I have to give up on king-queen third onside, making it a quite inferior line.

I can postpone that decision for now. If I can reach dummy with the diamond jack, I'll take two spade finesses. If not, I'll worry then about how to play spades. What's the best way reach dummy with the diamond jack? If West has the diamond ace, playing the jack at trick one will work quite well. If East has the diamond ace, playing low might work. East can keep me off dummy by playing a spot, but he doesn't know I have both diamond honors. He may decide to play the ace and return a diamond. Since I don't have much to go on, I'll go with the fact that the robots seem to dislike leading from honors against notrump. I play low. Good guess. East wins with the ace and I drop the four. Now six of diamonds--seven--three--jack.

Next problem. Should I lead the spade nine or low? Low is better if East has a singleton honor. Or is it? Suppose I lead low and East plays an honor. If I had two side entries to my hand, I could win and lead low to the nine, then return to my hand and drive the remaining honor. But with only one entry, I can't do that. I'll have to smother the nine and hope spades are three-two. Since I'm going to have to smother the nine anyway, I might as well lead it. I play the nine of spades--king--ace--seven. The jack of spade drives West's queen and East follows, so I have the rest. Making five.

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

Plus 460 is worth 92%. Some declarers took fewer tricks in three notrump, but most reached four spades, making five, after a two diamond rebid by opener. Four spades does look like the better spot. I seem to have gotten lucky on this one.

I don't especially care for partner's three heart bid. Two notrump looks better to me. For one thing, if we belong in notrump, it may play better from the North side. It is often right to declare notrump from the side with a queen doubleton or jack doubleton. For another, two notrump leaves more room. Partner will bid a four-card heart suit over two notrump, so if you have a heart fit, you can still find it. And if he bids three diamonds, as he would here, you have left room show your doubleton spade. The three heart bid needlessly cramps the auction.