Thursday Bridge Club: Too difficult

22nd September – Board 25: East/West Game. Dealer East.

Some hands are just too difficult even with the benefit of hindsight and I have to confess that I would have ended up almost certainly with a minus score on a hand where game was almost cold in another denomination. As it was my partner saved me from that particular fate.

West	North	East	South
		1D	No
1H	No	2C	No
2NT	No	3D	End

Our sequence was the one given above and as can be seen 5D is more or less laydown, requiring as it does just something nice to happen in trumps. That 3D bid might seem a bit on the weak side and I have to confess I would probably have tried 3NT, but see what that would get us. North would have no reason not to lead a heart and the contract would flounder almost before it got going. Even a club lead and a heart switch would prove too much to cope with and it is only really a spade lead out of the realistic choices that would give any hope at all. So if anyone reached 5D don’t be shy. Tell me how you did it!

8 comments:

Anonymous26 September 2011 at 14:16
I know that East-West are vulnerable, but with 10 points as West, after East has gone to the 3 level, I would have called 3 spades.East would have gone 4 diamonds, rather than 3 NT. Not sure if I would have had the chutzpah to go to 5 diamonds though.
With 10 points as responder I am looking to reach game. Is that still kosher?
Peter
Dave26 September 2011 at 14:31
The bid of 2NT in theory still shows 11 or 12 points so in that respect West has already said what he has. East who had shown five diamonds and four clubs with his first two bids is now showing a sixth diamond but with a minimum hand and certainly not a spade suit. I agree that one should always try and reach game whenever possible but to be fair that was the point of the 2NT bid. It's those diamond intermediates in the East hand that makes the minor suit game so good - make them something like the 8 6 5 4 3 and game is hopeless. As I said at the beginning of the article, some hands are just too difficult.
Robin27 September 2011 at 17:00
In 3NT If West wins the first heart lead and then plays a diamond, overtaking with the Ace and playing a second diamond making sure to put the Jack on it won't the trick be won by North. Then another heart trick is possible (if no club switch), totalling 10 tricks in all.
If a club is lead first then won't a switch to a heart by South be ok as long as he leads a low heart?
Dave27 September 2011 at 20:36
When South plays the queen of hearts at trick 1 it denies the jack so when winning the second diamond North would never lead a heart away from the ace. He would put his partner in with a club as you say and now South should play back the nine of hearts. South knows from the Rule of Eleven that West only has one other card higher than the seven remember.
On an initial club lead South must win and play back either the queen or the nine of hearts - if he plays a low heart West can do the same although he probably wouldn't - but I agree that this is much harder. But certainly not impossible as the long diamonds in dummy seem to demand urgent action. As you were North against me when this hand arose I just know you would have found the winning defence.
Robin28 September 2011 at 19:06
Master Kinobi,

Recall the hand in question much I do not, but led a club at first trick I feel I did, thinking it best to lead to second suit of dummy I did. Could Master remind me of the rest of the play? Went to very few of the memory training exercise classes I did (was watching Laia instead), so in my intestinal passages feel I do the venerable opposition made the contract indeed. Did the partner of me lead back a heart?

Loook.
Dave28 September 2011 at 20:11
Heaven preserve us! The contract was 3D not 3NT and your partner led a low spade. My partner finessed the ten and played a trump to the six which drew the queen. Another spade was led and declarer won with the ace and cashed the ace of diamonds, drawing trumps in the process. He then led the jack of clubs which was ducked. South won the continuation of the king and declarer claimed the rest for plus two or +150.
Jabba the Hut
Robin28 September 2011 at 20:37
Master,

I refer you to the venerable Han Solo,

Jabba, you're a wonderful human being. - Han Solo
Robin28 September 2011 at 20:41
STOP RESS: LATEST REACTION FROM C3PO:

If I told you half the things I'd heard about this Jabba the Hutt, you'd probably short circuit!

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