Bridge Match 2 - Board 43

Board 43 - Dealer South - None Vul

Opponents convention card: Jack
Opponents playing strength: Intermediate

My hand: ♠ K 5 2 ♥ T 5 ♦ T 8 4 ♣ J T 9 8 4

What a terrible hand. I pass in first seat. West opens 1 club (which could be short) and East responds 1 heart (Walsh). Partner and I pass a bunch and they end up in 4 hearts.

I lead the T of clubs.

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

West	North	East	South
			Pass
1♣1	Pass	1♥2	Pass
3♥	Pass	3NT	Pass
4♥	Pass	Pass	Pass
1Could be short
2Walsh

T-K-A-6. Partner switches to a spade. 6-4-K-7. What is partner's plan here? I don't see much hope in any suit so I might as well return his switch. 5-9-3-8. Guess declarer has spades wrapped up. He then ruffs a club. 7-Q-4 of hearts-4. Then trump gets drawn. 6-5-K-A. Partner is in and throws out a diamond in the hopes something good happens. 3-5-8-K.

Declarer draws more trump. 3-2-9-T. That was unexpected. Ten doubleton for the setting trick? On it! Maybe we can even get one more trick if partner can ruff a spade... 2-T-J of hearts-Q.

We get nothing else, but that's quite alright. Down two!

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

That extra undertrick was worth 5 MPs as we get a solo top board instead of tying with the 5 pairs that put 4 hearts down one. Some EW pairs stopped in 1NT or 3H and scored positive.


Captain Jack disagrees with returning a spade when I won the K. He wants me to fire back a useless club. Maybe he's right in general, I don't know, but returning the spade got us a top board.

Ranking after board 43/60: 1/16 with 56.98%