At the Guildford Swiss teams this hand showed how even the most unlikely contracts can come in when it's your lucky day.
My partner obviously does not believe in the adage about never putting a 7 card suit down as dummy, and when she chose to support spades rather than rebid 2 diamonds I showed a bit too much faith in the losing trick count and bid game.
It looked a hopeless contract when dummy went down, but the cards lay so favourably that after West led the obvious diamond there was no defence. Click on 'Next' to follow the play and click GIB after each trick to get a double dummy analysis. To defeat the contract West must start with 2 rounds of spades - not easy.
Later on I also held a 7-3-3-0 distribution and an even more ridiculous auction ensued.
When I picked up my hand it looked like a balanced 13 count, and it was only on the second round of the auction that I realised that my hearts were in fact diamonds. I doubt that even Keith Bartlett, the world's greatest aficianado of off-beat 1NT openings, has ever tried it on a 7-3-3-0 shape. Although it is a good way of making sure that you do not put a 7-card suit down as dummy...
West started with a low spade to my jack and, hoping to put off for as long as possible the moment when my hand would be revealed, I led a low diamond. West went in the the King and was no doubt surprised to see his partner follow with the queen. West cashed his spades and when they broke 4-3 I was finally forced to own up. In fact I was so relieved to come out unscathed that I forgot to win the last trick with the seven of diamonds and claim a free beer.
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