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SUITS MISHANDLED

That’s all four of them. Spades should never have got a look-in. Hearts just cannot be trumps, for anyone. Diamonds were largely ignored while clubs proved too tough a suit to defend against accurately.

These are the sad stories of Board 14. The best North-South should be able to manage is +130 unless West offers them +500. No-one came very close to those scores. Let’s have a glance:

 

 

At many tables, West would have started with a pretty typical gambling 3NT (Surely, surely no-one will open the East hand a weak 2, though, of course, it does not have four cards in the other major! A weak hand with both majors, if that is in your armoury, but never a weak 2!).

What should North do after 3NT? Bidding an immediate 4 is logical though does give up any possibility of penalising. Being a passed hand, it does however seem unlikely that East will stand the double of 3NT. Therefore, an immediate 4may be best. It does not preclude partner offering 4 of a major but on this day may cause partner to raise to the diamond game. However, diamonds were played only twice in 8 tables, with both 4 and 5x being defeated.

After 8 lead, North will have to make a successful ruffing guess on the second round of clubs. With 8 clubs, West figures to be shorter in diamonds than East and therefore, ruffing high, playing West for singleton queen is valid if wrong! Assuming declarer guesses correctly, they draw trumps and now knowing where 10 of West’s cards are, plays A and Q leaving East almost end-played. However, careful counting will reveal that a spade exit only gives declarer one discard, meaning there will still be a heart loser…10 tricks only.

There was though trouble elsewhere. After North’s double of 3NT, one East bid 4, pass or correct and South tried 4. This moysian did not go well for declarer with the contract finishing 4 down.

Three tables saw West declare in clubs, each time doubled and each time the defence failed to take their maximum 5 tricks. Twice, 5 was only two down whereas once 4 was not down at all! It seems normal for North to switch to a trump after leading a high diamond. If declarer plays only 6 more rounds of clubs, North, in the five card ending, can keep two diamonds, two hearts and A. The defence take their entitlement as long as they leave hearts alone.

If West plays all their trumps (in the 4 card ending), both defenders must keep  two diamonds each and the defence will again take 5 tricks.

“Heart- Broken”

However, two pairs from the same team both contrived to play this board in hearts! While it is understandable that West would prefer hearts to spades, it is less clear why they would want to put that massive long club suit down as a side-suit in dummy. There was no double but little joy for the declarer who ended 5 down.

Worse was to follow at the other table:

West              North             East                South

                                             Pass                Pass

3NT                4                 Pass                4

All Pass

Whatever the rights and the wrongs of bidding 4 are, it is very inadvisable when your partner thinks it is a transfer to hearts! East was unkind enough not to let their opposition in on the secret until they produced trump after trump….7 down! That’s -250 and -350 or 12 imps away. I am sure there was some discussion in the score-up as to who was the declarer and that both scores were minus!

At least, where there are four players who have had a disaster, there are always four more with a smile on their face!

Richard Solomon

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