Sunday, January 09, 2011

Bridge Match 1 - Board 101

Board 101 – Dealer North – No Vul

My hand: A J 6 K 8 K T 9 4 3 2 K T

I open 1 diamond in 3rd seat. Partner responds 1 spade. I retreat to 2 diamonds which gets passed out. West leads the 2 of clubs.


NORTH
K 8 7 5
Q 6 4
A J
7 6 5 4
EAST
2



SOUTH
A J 6
K 8
K T 9 4 3 2
K T


West North East South
Pass Pass 1
Pass 1 Pass2
Pass Pass Pass

I have 5 diamonds and 2 spades. The lead has given me a club trick. I can set up a heart trick for sure and have spade and diamond finesses for more tricks. If everything is on I could make 5 diamonds, which could be unfortunate. At any rate, the club. 2-4-A-T. J-K-3-5.

I might as well draw trump. 2-5-A-6. J-Q-K-8. T-7-6 of clubs-3 of hearts. East has played 7 points so far, West has played none. So I don't like my odds of the spade finesse working. Maybe they're 3-3 and I can set up the long spade. For that to work I need to duck a spade. Sure. 6-3-5-9. East returns a heart. J-8-A-4. 5-6-7-K. I have a heart set up and an entry to it, but nothing to pitch since I ducked the spade. Oh well. I'm up, making 4.


NORTH
K 8 7 5
Q 6 4
A J
7 6 5 4

WEST
Q T 3
A 5 2
8 7 5
Q 8 3 2

EAST
9 4 2
J T 9 7 3
Q 6
A J 9

SOUTH
A J 6
K 8
K T 9 4 3 2
K T


Professor Jack disagrees with ducking a spade. In retrospect it really was giving up since I had 6 tricks with 8 cards to go and no way to avoid the A of heart loser. He wants me to run trump, possibly to set up a squeeze or endplay of some sort.


On the replay the bidding is the same. The play starts the same but when declarer gets in he finesses diamonds right away. Low to the J, losing to the Q. He also finesses the spades, losing to that Q as well. He has his long spade set up, but he pitched it away earlier when he drew trump. So he still loses the A of hearts. Making 3.

Nick: 130
Jack: 110
IMPs: +1 (+4 total)

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