Free Weekly Instant Tournament - September 19 - Board 5

Board 5
Our side vulnerable

♠ A Q 7 4  ♥ A Q 10 9 2  ♦ 9 8  ♣ 7 2

You can also follow this board on the Gargoyle Chronicles YouTube channel:

Two passes to me. Good thing I'm in third seat. This would be a problem in first or second seat when partner's one notrump response would be forcing.

I open with one heart. Partner bids two clubs, Drury, showing a limit raise in hearts. I don't have an acceptance, but I do have a full opening bid. If partner's had re-evaluates to an opening bid in support of hearts, I want to be in game. So I bid two diamonds, artificial, to show a full opening. Partner isn't interested. He bids two hearts. I pass. West leads the deuce of spades.

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

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

I have four heart tricks and three spades. I need one more. The heart finesse could be on, or I could have a fourth spade trick, or the diamond ace could be onside.

I could insert the ten of spades. Then I would take four spade tricks if spades were three-three or if West led from jack fourth. But if the ten is covered, I'm awkwardly placed. If I win, play a spade to dummy, and lose a heart finesse, I could suffer a spade ruff. I think it's better to play the spade king to ensure I'm in dummy for the heart finesse. That gives up on jack fourth on my left. But I still have three-three spades or jack doubleton on my right.

I rise with spade king. RHO plays the three. I lead the eight of hearts--seven--deuce--king.

West returns the five of hearts. East plays the three, and I win in my hand with the nine. I cash the ace of spades to see if the jack drops. It doesn't. West plays the nine; East, the five.

I still have a shot at avoiding a spade loser even if they aren't three-three. I can cash another spade. If East ruffs, I haven't lost anything, since I can now ruff my spade loser in dummy. I've simply traded a spade loser for a heart loser. But if East happens to have started with two-two in majors, I gain a trick.

I cash the spade ace--jack--ten--four. So the jack was onside. I would have survived playing the ten at trick one.

I draw the last trump. West pitches the eight of clubs. That's presumably count, so West is 3-2-4-4. If the diamond ace is onside, I'm making an overtrick.

Let's assume it's offside. Is there anything I can do? If East has both club honors, I can exit with a club and endplay him. Is that possible? Ace of diamond and ace-king of clubs give him 11 HCP. But West would have led a diamond from queen-jack rather than a spade from jack third. So if East must have the queen or jack as well, which gives him an opening bid. So West must have a club honor. 

A club exit might work anyway. If I play a club and West hops and plays another club, then East is endplayed. That would be a terrible defense. But it doesn't hurt to try. I see nothing better. I play the deuce of clubs. West plays low; East takes the ace and returns a club to West's king. West shifts to the three of diamonds. There is no way my robot opponent is giving me a chance to take the rest of the tricks. The ace must be offside. My only chance is to duck. 

I play low. East wins with the jack and cashes the diamond ace. Making two.

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

Plus 110 is worth 57%.

I ducked the diamond king only because I was playing against robots, who don't signal. A human West would lead high with no diamond honor, so after a low lead, East would never fly ace with ace-jack. 

Let's give West the diamond ace, assume he is human, and take a look at this problem from his point of view:

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

Declarer leads the deuce of clubs. You duck to partner's ace. Partner returns a club to your king. Should you underlead your ace, hoping declarer has the jack and misguesses? Or should you just cash it? After all, if declarer doesn't have jack doubleton and realizes you're human, he has no guess. So you may be risking overtricks with no chance to gain.

The answer is: You absolutely should lead low. For three reasons: 

1. Cashing the ace is an insult to partner. If partner doesn't have queen--or if he has queen-jack--or if he knows from your club count that declarer has a stiff diamond, then he shouldn't play a club to your king. He should play a diamond to prevent the underlead. So declarer must have jack doubleton. And partner didn't put you on play to see you wimp out.
   
   
2. If you underlead, declarer will probably go wrong. If you have the queen, you must lead low. If you have the ace, you could cash it. So ducking is his percentage play.
   
   
3. It's important to have a reputation for being tough. Tough opponents are hard to play against. You have to worry they are making plays others won't even think of. So, even if declarer gets it right and you drop a trick, you will earn dividends in the long run. And if declarer does get it right, you should thank him for the compliment. He's assuming you would underlead the ace 100% of the time.