Today’s deal from a Board-a-Match teams at the Summer NABC strikes me as bizarre, but many things about modern bridge perplex me.
West opened one spade in third seat as a lead-director; how she knew a spade lead would be required, or even whether the opponents would declare, is unknown. Why East failed to respond with nine points is a mystery. When South balanced with two hearts, North’s four clubs showed a heart fit and club shortness.
Against four hearts, West led a trump (not best). Declarer won with the king and led a spade: king, ace. West won the next spade, cashed the king of clubs and led a third spade. East ruffed with the jack, and South overruffed.
TWO CLUBS
At that point, South could have drawn trumps, pitched his last two clubs on good spades, lost a diamond to the king and claimed, making four. Surely that was best; plus 420 was a heavy favorite to win the board.
But South tried a diamond to dummy’s jack next. East won and led the ace of clubs, forcing dummy to ruff with ten and making a winner of West’s eight of trumps. Down one!
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A J 10 7 4 H A 10 7 D A J 6 5 C 5. You open one spade, and your partner responds two hearts. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner has five or more hearts (he would rarely respond two hearts to one spade with a four-card suit), so you could raise to three or four hearts. But slam is possible if partner has useful cards. Bid three diamonds, planning to support hearts next, showing slam interest and club shortness. If partner has a club holding such as Axx or xxx, he will be encouraged to go on.
East dealer
Neither side vulnerable
NORTH
S A J 10 7 4
H A 10 7
D A J 6 5
C 5
WEST
S K Q 5 2
H 8 3 2
D 10 2
C K 10 8 2
EAST
S 8 6
H J 9
D K 8 7 3
C A J 7 6 4
SOUTH
S 9 3
H K Q 6 5 4
D Q 9 4
C Q 9 3
East South West North
Pass Pass 1 S(!) Pass
Pass(!) 2 H Pass 4 C
Pass 4 H All Pass
Opening lead – H 2
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