An Expert Confession - by Peter Kelly
S
A652
H
KJ10754
D
865
C
-
S
9
H
Q
D
J97432
C
J10642
S
KQJ10873
H
863
D
10
C
AQ
You are South waiting for partner to bid over your 4S. After
considerable thought he produces a "reluctant" pass and West leads a
lowish diamond.
Clearly you should be in a slam, so without much thought you win and play a
trump to the 10 which holds. Then the King taken by West with the Ace, East
discarding a high diamond. West now switches to to the KH which you win, East
dropping the Q. Over to the AC, draw the remaining trumps and claim twelve
tricks before pointing out to partner that he is more mouse than man - except
that the plan quickly evaporates when West ruffs the AC and cashes two heart
tricks to put 4S one down.
Moral - concentrate on the hand rather than planning a verbal assault on partner
- admittedly West, who is marked with 10 cards in the majors will be short in
one of the minors, but it is more likely that the clubs will be 5-0 than the
diamonds 8-1.
This was my most embarrassing hand of the season (and there have been a few)
although going down in game actaually only cost 3 imps against the making slam
at the other table.
Dealer:
South
Vulnerability: East-West
South
West
North
East
Peter
Alex
1S(a)
2H
2NT(b)
Pass
4S(c)
Pass
??(d)
(a)Not playing 4D showing a strong pre-empt
(b)Either strong balanced, or a raise to at least 3S or a club suit
(c)'Assumes' Alex has clubs, so 4S was meant to show a semi-solid suit
(d)see below