Hands from Day 4 - CNTC 2009 Round Robin

I played almost all the matches yesterday, so there really was not time to write up any hands. This morning I was looking over the hand records, and found a few that should be memorialized.

Equal red, in second chair, I picked up J2 KJ109873 6 J95. Apparently, while waiting for us to come out to compare, there was debate going on amongst our teammates as to whether Ross would open this hand 3 hearts or not. Two hearts is not an option for us – it is written in stone that we always have exactly a six card suit for that bid.

Well, I guess I surprised a couple of people and did open 3 hearts. Ten seconds later I was playing at the six level !

North

AQ103
Q
AK853
AK8

South

J2
KJ109873
6
J95

The lead was a spade, and went up with the Ace; cashed two high diamonds, pitching a spade; ruffed a diamond with the 7 (an unwittingly mean play). Both followed to 3 rounds of diamonds, so I was now cold. I realized I owed Keith a high five, so I led the congratulatory king of hearts from my hand – pinning dummy’s own queen in the process.

All you caring partners out there would have ruffed the third diamond with the Jack of hearts – a true congratulatory Jack ! + 1430; win 13 imps.

Next I picked up Q A54 AK109764 43. They were red, we were white. LHO opened 1 heart; and Keith said double for takeout. RHO said pass. What a hand I held, but I knew I should give Keith lots of wiggle room for his favorable vulnerability double.

First I said 2 hearts, showing strength. LHO passed, and Keith replied 3 clubs. Now I bid 3 diamonds forcing, and Keith bid 3 hearts. That was not reason to get excited – since he was forced, and likely was temporizing with his bid, and seeing if I could bid 3NT. I could have bid 3NT but I still had more to say. I cue bid 4 hearts.

Keith now bid 5 diamonds, and I was disappointed to hear that. His failure to cue bid meant slam was not assured, so I bid a quick, but reluctant pass.

North

K53
82
Q52
AK872

South

Q
A54
AK109764
43

I see Keith needed just a pip more to cue bid – either the Ace of spades (rather than the king) or a singleton heart would have been enough. As it is, six diamonds has chances.

The lead was the Jack of diamonds: I played low from dummy and RHO followed with the 8, meaning LHO began with J3. Just to stay sharp I asked myself how I would play slam if in it.

Actually with that lead it would be pretty easy. I would hope clubs were no worse than 4-2; and play 3 rounds of clubs ruffing high in hand; trump over to the queen for another club ruff; then the carefully preserved 4 of diamonds to dummy’s 5 to enjoy the last club. It would work.

Being in game only, I ignored that line in the interests of safety and chalked up +400. If I had been in slam on another lead – say a heart, the only winning play that I can see is to establish the clubs by ruffing high both times in hand and then taking a first round finesse against the doubleton Jack of diamonds – since LHO had QJ of clubs alone. I don’t know if anyone in the field was in slam, or made it for that matter. Our opponents played in 3NT, making 4.

Shortly after this hand I picked up another wild hand. 10 QJ7632 Void AQ10876

Keith opened a weak NT and my RHO said 2 spades natural. We were red versus white. I bid 3 forcing hearts; LHO said 3 Spades, and Keith said 4 hearts. I could pass and take my sure plus – but slam is definitely possible if the cards mesh. So I pressed on with five clubs.

LHO, bless him, said double (never a wise move when you are going to be on lead). Keith cue bid 5 diamonds (which would have had me excited had LHO not slowed me down)

RHO doubled 5 diamonds, but I did not care – I knew 5 hearts was the right contract now so that is what I bid. The play was pretty simple.

North

J762
AK4
A1086
43

South

10
QJ7632
Void
AQ10876

LHO cashed the Ace of spades and shifted to a diamond. I played a club to my Ace; played a heart to dummy’s Ace (both followed) and led another club towards my hand. RHO followed with the 9, which I covered with the ten. LHO won the Jack and played the club king, but I ruffed high and claimed.

For sure I should have played Ace and another club at trick 3 – in case clubs were 4-1, but all worked out for the best. Our opponents also stayed out of slam.

This hand was a huge swing hand in several matches – Dave Colbert and Danny Miles bid 6 hearts on this hand – with the club king offside they lost 13 imps versus gaining 13 imps had the slam come home.

Unbelievably, a fourth slam decision came up for us in this same match. I held K7 A543 K108753 6.

I was in second chair, red versus white. I did not come two thousand miles to pass, so I opened the bidding 1 diamond. Keith responded 1 heart, and my RHO preempted 2 spades. Although I was still blessed with the same ten count I began the hand with, I of course had to bid 3 hearts now.

That seemed to cheer Keith up for his next bid was 4NT – Key Card Blackwood. I replied 5 diamonds, showing one Key Card, and now Keith bid 5 spades. This doesn’t come up too often, but I knew he was asking me for the trump queen. It also meant I could relax about my meagre hand since we must have all the Aces or he would have simply bid 6 hearts.

I responded 5NT, and Keith settled down with 6 Hearts; all passed.

North

A103
K10982
AJ
A32

South

K7
A543
K108753
6

Keith won the spade lead and played the King of hearts from hand; dropping the Queen in West’s hand. He eschewed the theory of Restricted Choice (did not need it as you will see), and played a heart to the Ace, with his RHO showing out. So one trump loser.

Next Keith played the Ace of diamonds and his LHO ruffed with the heart Jack.(Diamonds had broken 5-0) But that’s all she wrote. Even though West had Q9xxx of diamonds, my spots were sufficient for Keith to power hook the diamonds twice through West and chalk up + 1430 for another healthy gain when our opponents did not bid this slam.

These hands were all from match 18, which we won by 16 imps. Keith and I sat out the next match; but it looks like the hands from that set were as wild as the ones we had just played. Maybe a breather was just the thing.

After lunch, we sat down for match 20 – currently in 7th place. We won this match by nine imps – mostly from getting the part scores right – they can add up - it's not always about wild distributional hands and slam decisions. On one hand, equal red, I picked up Q KQ9532 A2 AJ53. RHO passed, and I opened 1 heart. LHO and Keith passed, and my RHO said double.

I said pass (who knew – maybe my leftie was planning to pass the double so this is no time to bid on)

LHO said 1NT, Keith and RHO passed back to me. This is a nothing problem – but you have to get them right. I saw no point in bidding further. (A) Keith is a very aggressive bidder and had passed with two opportunities to speak. (B) there are signs of potential danger – RHO may have shortness in hearts and LHO did bid NT. RHO rates to have clubs, and I rate to buy trouble if I compete for the part score. (C) If the heart layout is somehow favorable for us, well that should be just fine for defending 1NT at +100 for every downtrick.

Keith led the Jack of hearts and dummy tracked with KJ43 6 J1084 K984 – about what you would expect. We finished the hand +200 – as Keith was kind enough to have the ten of hearts also, as well as a stray queen of diamonds – he took two tricks on the hand. We won 7 imps on that board.

The highlight reel hand of match 21 versus Steve Brown's team was when West held J103 Void AQJ1085 A1082. At our table, East opened the bidding 4 clubs not vul – showing a strong 4 heart preempt. Keith overcalled 4 vulnerable spades and West had to make a bid. What would you do?

After a bit of agony, my opponent said double. As it happens, had he doubled smoothly, his partner could and would have bid 5 hearts – as he had Void AKQJ9752 32 976; but he ethically passed, as he felt he was barred from bidding further. So everyone passed, and West led the Jack of spades.

North

9742
86
K9764
Q3

AKQ865
1043
Void
KJ54

There is no way to beat 4 spades as East and West are cut off from each other completely throughout the hand. Declarer wins the lead; draws three rounds of trumps, and knocks out the club ace.

Best West can do is return a club. Declarer cashes his remaining club winner(s), and plays his final club – refusing to ruff it in dummy. He simply pitches a diamond or a heart, and West is left on play to either send the Ace of diamonds to a watery grave or underlead it and give dummy’s king the game going trick.

+790 was a push in our match ! I heard of one West player who guessed to bid 5 hearts (with his void !) over 4 spades. All passed and there was only one way to beat this contract that I can see. North has to duck the king of diamonds on the first play of the suit; then East ducks a club to rectify the count.

Best defense now is to continue clubs breaking up communications between declarer and dummy. The defenders can now hang on to their winners, and declarer will go down 1. If they don’t play back a club; declarer catches South in an easy black suit squeeze (it’s actually a double squeeze since North must guard the king of diamonds; and South must guard the Spade Ace, and neither can protect the clubs anymore.)

I heard this enterprising guy who bid 5 hearts made +450, which meshed well with his teammates +790 and a win of 16 imps on the board.

Personally, I think pass is the right call with West’s hand – but that is easier said than done.

After we settled down from that hand, Keith opened 4 diamonds in first chair, white versus red; catching me with a fistful of high cards :- AK106 AQ107 KJ5 J6. No reason to get too excited though – look at the vulnerability and look who bid 4 diamonds! I simply bid a hopeful 5 diamonds, and all passed.

North

Void
42
A1098642
Q1094

South

AK106
AQ107
KJ5
J6

The opening lead was the 8 of hearts. Keith correctly rose with the Ace; cashed two spades, and then studied the hand for a few minutes. Clearly the only problem was how to play trumps. Note I said Keith studied the hand. That’s how experts play. Many players would simply bang down the trump Ace or King, and get onto the next hand – maybe 90% of the time they make without breathing hard.

However, Keith understood the only way he would go down is if trumps broke 3-0 and if he misguessed which diamond honour to play first. He really did not have much to go on – and he finally played the Jack of diamonds from dummy; overtaking with the Ace when David Kent smoothly played low. Steve Brown pitched however, and Keith annoyed with himself, quickly claimed down 1.

I still feel he had nothing really to go on, and he would agree – but we hate to get these plays wrong – even guesses. At the other table, the Bowman brothers also bid up to 5 diamonds and did play the diamonds in the right order – so we lost ten imps on that board.

There were still two matches left to play – and at least 13 teams had a legitimate hope of making the playoffs – so tight was the field.

If anyone would like to contact me directly I can be reached at rosstaylor999@hotmail.com