Free Weekly Instant Tournament - May 30 - Board 5

Board 5
Our side vulnerable

♠ A 8 4  ♥ Q J 10 7 2  ♦ J 8  ♣ A J 8

Partner passes, and East opens with one spade. Does this hand merit a two-level vulnerable overcall? There are several negative factors: I have only a five-card suit. I'm balanced. And I have the worst holding (three cards) in the opponent's suit. The only positive is my 13 HCP. But those high cards are just as useful on defense as on offense.

If I bid two hearts and the auction proceeds pass--pass--double--all pass, I won't be happy. But that's almost always true. If I worry too much about being doubled, I won't overcall frequently enough. A better question to ask is, would I be happy if I bid two hearts and it's passed out? The answer is "no." If RHO doesn't want to balance, the hand is probably a misfit. There is an excellent chance I will go minus 200. And, even if I hold it to down one, it's likely I would have gone plus on defense.

Still, it's close. I would bid non-vulnerable, since minus 200 is no longer a consideration. And I would bid vulnerable if you made the seven of hearts the nine. That card means I rate to take three tricks more in hearts than I would on defense.

I pass, LHO bids one notrump, RHO rebids two spades, and everyone passes. I lead the queen of hearts.

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

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

It appears I made the right opening lead. If we drive dummy's heart entry, perhaps declarer will be unable to make use of the diamond suit.

Declarer plays low from dummy, partner plays the five, and declarer wins with the king. He leads a low spade. I play low, and partner captures dummy's ten with the king. I'm expecting a heart return to knock out dummy's ace. But partner shifts to the ten of clubs. Declarer plays the king and I win with the ace. Here is the position, with me on lead:

	NORTH Robot ♠ 7 ♥ A 8 ♦ K 9 7 5 2 ♣ 5 3
WEST Phillip ♠ A 8 ♥ J 10 7 2 ♦ J 8 ♣ J 8

Why didn't partner knock out dummy's heart ace? Maybe he knows diamonds aren't a threat. He must have something like A10xx or Q10xx. 

Could it be right to persist in clubs? Let's give declarer some hand like

♠ Q J x x x x  ♥ K x  ♦ Q x  ♣ K Q x

Say I return the jack of clubs and play a third club if declarer ducks it. When I win the spade ace, I can play a diamond to partner and get a fourth club, promoting my eight of spades if partner has the nine. That makes three spade tricks, two clubs, and the diamond ace for down one.

I don't see any reason that can't be the layout. Shifting back to hearts would just be insulting partner. He knows what his diamonds are. If he didn't think knocking out the heart ace was necessary, he's probably right.

I play the jack of clubs. Partner plays the nine; declarer, the four. The nine? I hold the eight, so if partner knows he can afford the nine, he must have led from Q109. That gives declarer

♠ Q J x x x x  ♥ K x  ♦ Q x  ♣ K x x

or perhaps

♠ Q J x x x x  ♥ K x  ♦ A x  ♣ K x x .

In the former case, we have six tricks without a trump promotion. In the latter case, we need to score my spade eight for the setting trick.

It is strange that partner didn't overtake. If he could afford the nine, he could afford the queen. How did he know I had another club to lead? Maybe I have something wrong. Still, I see no reason not to continue clubs.

I lead the eight of clubs. Partner plays the seven, and declarer ruffs with the five. So declarer is 6-3-2-2. We have a heart trick instead of a club trick.

Declarer plays the six of diamonds to the king, and partner takes the ace. We still have a heart trick coming, so declarer is down one. Can we beat this two if partner has the nine of spades? If he does, this is the current position:

	NORTH Robot ♠ 7 ♥ A 8 ♦ 9 7 5 2 ♣ --
WEST Phillip ♠ A 8 ♥ J 10 7 2 ♦ J ♣ --		EAST Robot ♠ 9 ♥ x ♦ 10 x x ♣ Q x
	SOUTH Robot ♠ Q J x x ♥ x x ♦ Q ♣ --

If partner plays a heart, I get a heart trick but no trump promotion. If partner plays a club, declarer pitches a heart from his hand. I score my spade eight but no heart trick. It appears down one is the best we can do.

Partner shifts to the four of hearts, so I get a heart trick. Down one.

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

Plus 50 is worth 21%.

Overcalling two hearts would have worked out better. You play it there and make it. Funny that being passed out in two hearts was an auction I feared. In fact, if I had bid two hearts, heard it go all pass, and were told I could take my bid back, I would jump at the chance.

I still think pass is the percentage call. At least it would be at IMPs. I did go plus after all, which your primary concern in partscore battles at IMPs. At matchpoints, where you must aim for the highest plus score, who knows what's right? Partscore battles at matchpoints are hard. Sometimes the winning action seems pretty random to me.