Free Weekly Instant Tournament - August 30 - Board 8

Board 8
Neither side vulnerable

♠ A K 6 5 3  ♥ J  ♦ A K Q 9  ♣ 7 6 2

RHO opens with one diamond. I overcall with one spade, hoping to make a take-out double of hearts on the next round. LHO makes a negative double, and RHO bids two clubs.

This auction didn't go as planned. Partner's best suit is apparently opposite my singleton, and I have excellent defense. So it looks right to stay out of the auction.

I pass, and LHO corrects to two diamonds. Good. I have even better defense against this contract.

Partner bids two spades. Presumably he has three-card support and not enough for a raise on the previous round. RHO and I pass. LHO, however, hasn't had enough. He bids three diamonds. Partner hasn't had enough either. He bids three spades. So he has four spades and not enough to raise on the first round? With that hand, he should have bid three spades over the double. If he's willing to bid to the three level, getting there as quickly as possible puts more pressure on the opponents. This auction should not exist.

Partner obviously has a stiff diamond. With that, plus four-card spade support, he can hardly have anything else, given his first-round pass. The opponents presumably don't have an eight-card heart fit, so partner's likeliest shape is 4-5-1-3. That means we are off three club tricks and a heart. If West leads a diamond, I may be able to dispose of some of dummy's club losers. But a diamond lead is unexpected on this auction. It's normal to lead opener's second suit, where you are more likely to develop tricks.

It feels strange to take one bid and subside with such a good hand. But three spades rates to be the limit. I pass. West leads the three of diamonds.

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

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

4-5-1-3 as expected. We have four losers off the top. But after this lead, I may be able to dispose of at least one of them.

As I said, a diamond lead is unexpected on this auction. North isn't competing to the three level with a flat hand. He rates to have diamond shortness, so one diamond trick is all the defense is getting, and there is no hurry to cash it. There is a serious danger, however, that I will be able to pitch dummy's losers on diamond tricks in my hand. It's true, my diamonds don't have to be as good as they are. But even if I have as little as the king of diamonds, a diamond lead will set up a pitch. So a club, partner's second suit, rates to be a better choice.

One reason West might choose not to lead a club is that he holds the club ace. Now a diamond lead, hoping to reach partner with the ace for a club play, makes some sense. But on this particular auction, a heart lead is a better choice. 

If dummy weren't broke, you might worry that declarer could take pitches on dummy's hearts. But dummy is broke, so it is unlikely to provide any discards. The most likely way for defense tricks to disappear is for declarer to pitch dummy's losers on his diamonds. If partner has the diamond ace, declarer must lead the suit himself to take his pitches, so there is no need for you to lead the suit. But if partner has the heart ace instead, a heart lead for a club through may be necessary.

Back to the deal. East plays the diamond ten, and I win and cash two more diamonds, pitching clubs from dummy, and ruff the fourth round. Diamonds were four-four as one would expect. East began with jack-ten fourth.

It's unlikely I'll manage to ruff two clubs in dummy, but I can ruff one to bring me up to ten tricks. I play a club from dummy. East wins with the queen; West drops the jack. East now, predictably, switches to a trump.

Here is the current position, with South to play after East's trump shift.

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

Is there any way I can ruff both clubs? I need East to have a stiff trump so he can't play another one. Since West has four hearts for his negative double, that would make East 1-3-4-5. Some would open one diamond with that shape, although I don't think the robots would. Even if he has that shape, however, he can duck the heart when I lead one off dummy and let his partner gain the lead for a second trump play.

I don't have much hope this is going to work, but I ride the trick around to dummy's queen and play a heart. East hops with the king and plays a second trump. I get only one ruff. Making four.

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

Plus 170 is worth 64%. A couple of players did reach four spades (one made it; one went down), but on auctions starting with a double. I don't understand doubling one diamond with a 5-1-4-3 pattern. When you can bid a five-card major at the one level, that is probably the right start. At some point your hand may be good enough that you have no choice but to double for fear of missing a game. But this hand isn't even close to that point.

West did have the club ace as I suspected. With ace-jack-ten, I can hardly blame him for not leading the suit. But I believe a thoughtful West would choose a heart over a diamond on this auction, so I don't mind "missing" this game.