Undeserved Reward

28^th March – Board 22: East/West Vul. Dealer East.

It’s strange how bridge hands seem so much easier to deal with after the event, which was certainly the case on the featured hand although the right play – not found at the table – would have led to an inferior result.

	North: S none H A 8 5 D Q 9 7 5 4 C K Q J 6 4
West: S K Q 6 2 H 10 6 3 D A J 8 6 C 9 2		East: S 10 9 7 4 H Q J 4 D K 3 2 C 10 8 3
	South: S A J 8 5 3 H K 9 7 2 D 10 C A 7 5

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

The bidding was straightforward to the no-trump game and West led the six of diamonds which I ducked to East who returned a low spade. Now I should have seen that with the diamond suit frozen my only real chance was to hope that hearts divided 3-3 when I could make one spade, three hearts and five clubs. All this was predicated on the fact that I would not lose two spades quickly, which really needed East to hold both the king and the queen in which case I should have played the knave. Indeed if that had held I would have had nine tricks irrespective of the heart division. Instead I played the eight which turned out to be the winning line. West won and played a heart, which I ducked, but I now had nine tricks. If East had returned the ten of spades then West could have won over the knave and returned the suit and now I would have been a trick short. Curiously I see that 4H cannot be beaten.