Bridge Match 1 - Board 57

Board 57 – Dealer North – EW Vul

My hand: ♠ A Q 6 4 ♥ K T 4 3 2 ♦ T 3 ♣ 7 2

Partner opens 1 club and East doubles. I bid 1 heart. West overcalls 2 diamonds which gets passed to me. I don't think my hand is quite good enough to head to 2 spades so my options are 2 hearts or double. I don't know what partner will take double as but I think it should show about this hand. Maybe 4-5-1-3 instead, actually. I double anyway. West pulls to 2 hearts which again gets passed to me. This time double should be for penalty I think, which I want to go for. It gets passed out.

Partner leads the A of hearts!

	NORTH ♥ A
		EAST ♠ J 8 7 5 ♥ Q J 8 ♦ A Q J 5 ♣ T 6
	SOUTH ♠ A Q 6 4 ♥ K T 4 3 2 ♦ T 3 ♣ 7 2

West	North	East	South
	1♣	Double	1♥
2♦	Pass	Pass	Double1
2♥	Pass	Pass	Double2
Pass	Pass	Pass
1Penalty
2Penalty

So declarer has at best 9765 of hearts. That seems like an awfully sketchy suit to me and means we get to take 4 trump tricks. I have the A of spades so any more tricks partner can take are money in the bank. At any rate, A-8-4-5.

Partner shifts to the 3 of clubs. 3-6-7-9. Declarer plays on diamonds. 2-4-J-T. Q-3-6-8. A-2 of hearts-7-9.

I'm in and return a club for partner. 2-A-4-T. Declarer throws out another club. 5-8-J of hearts-4 of spades.

Declarer draws trump. Q-K-6-J of clubs. I'm in. Declarer has two hearts left, and 1 diamond. if he has Kx of spades then I can set him by throwing him in with a heart after drawing a round of trump. If he has 2 small spades left then we can set him two by cashing 3 spades. Actually, if I start with a low spade anyway and declarer has Kx then I still set him. Or with A and low, which is safe since partner has at least 3 spades...

Maybe I should look at it from declarer's perspective. He has 5 tricks in and 1 more for sure in trump. If he has the K of spades he gets it unless I endplay him out of it, but that gives him his diamond which he can only get if he draws my trump. He can't do that unless I let him. Maybe he has two high clubs? Then he makes no matter what I do.

So, I think A of spades is the way to go. A-2-3-5. 6-7 of hearts-9-7. Now that he ruffed in my hand is up. Down 2, doubled.

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

Professor Jack disagrees with my first double since apparently it's for penalty. He also disagrees with my second double since it's also for penalty. (That one I knew!)


The auction on the replay is substantially different. Instead of doubling 2 diamonds for penalty my seat bids 2 hearts, which West then doubles for penalty. Wouldn't that have been something, both tables down in 2 hearts doubled from different directions? It doesn't happen since North pulls to 2 spades. East gets in with 3 diamonds and South jumps to 4 spades. The defense takes two diamonds, two clubs, and a spade for down 2. I'm back to positive IMPs!

Nick: 500
Jack: -100
IMPs: +12 (+6 total)