In the second session we made a few mistakes but the opponents were still distributing largesse at regular intervals so that I felt we had a chance going into the last round. A poor bid from me led to a below-average first board and then came this little number, where I was declarer in 1NT at love all
♠ J 7 5 2
♥ 6 4
♦4
♣ J 9 8 7 4 3
♠ Q 3
♥ A 8 3
♦ K Q J 10 7
♣ A Q 10
I opened 1♦ and west's overcall of 1♥ was passed back to me. I bid 1NT to end the auction.
If you are wondering why North did not remove 1NT to 2♣, it was the last hand of a long day and her mind was already focussed on for more important matters, such as whether the large glass that would shortly be in her hand should be filled with Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.
I ducked the opening lead and won the third round, West having started with ♥KQJ10xx. When I played on diamonds East took his ace on the third round, while I threw a spade and two clubs from dummy. I was expecting a spade switch which would allow the opponents to cash out for two down, but East played a club, and what had seemed like an auto-pilot hand now required some thought.
If East has the king of clubs, I can play the ten, overtake with dummy’s jack, repeat the club finesse and take eight tricks, but a losing finesse will lead to three down and a near bottom. Or I can go up with the ace of clubs and settle for one off.
Time stood still while I dithered and dummy’s need for a glass of wine grew ever more desperate. Eventually I decided to play the ace, on the grounds that the opponents could make at eight or nine tricks in hearts, so that one off would not be too bad a score. I try to avoid hyperbole, so let’s just say that I was rather pleased when West followed with the king and the contract rolled in with two lucky overtricks.
Making nine tricks on the last hand scored 59 match points out of 68… and we won by 4 (2365 to 2361). It was only when looking back later that I realised that a singleton king was the most likely explanation of the opponents’ caution in passing out 1NT. Another one for the Rabbi’s Rule - the king of clubs is always bare.
A few weeks later, another hand from this event found its way into Zia's column in the Grauniad
The last event of the old year, aptly named the "year end festival" by the English Bridge Union, provided an excellent example of a worthwhile resolution that you all might make for the new year. However hopeless your position may seem at the bridge table, never give up. Love all, dealer North.
South's jump to game was a normal enough move on his cards, but when he was doubled by West and the dummy was displayed, he could barely suppress a groan. Four hearts doubled seemed booked for two down, and it was clear that East-West could not make a game, so minus 300 was bound to be an awful result.
West began with the two top diamonds and, confused by East's signal in the suit, continued with a third round. That at least gave South the chance to dispose of his losing spade on dummy's queen
of diamonds, but prospects still looked bleak . Declarer called for dummy's low spade (it would not help to lead the king and ruff away East's ace, since that would not resolve the problem of trump losers), and East followed with the nine. South ruff ed, led the queen of hearts to the king and ace, watched East show out, and almost resigned himself to his fate – surely West was bound to make two of his three remaining trumps.
South ruffed a spade – not caring whether East played the ace, for this did not matter – cashed three rounds of clubs ending in dummy, ruffed another spade and led a fourth round of clubs. West, down to 10 8 6 of hearts , had to ruff this trick and lead into South's remaining hearts, which were J 9.
"Sorry", said West. "I thought you might be ruffing the third round of diamonds, and in any case I was certain I had two trump tricks, so my defence did not matter." "No, " said East, " I should have sacrificed in four spades." And I promise you – for I was there – that the words "but only if you were going to defend like that" never passed his lips.
When we played this hand the final contract was also 4♥ doubled after North had opened 1♣ and Ann overcalled 1♠. I cashed my top diamonds and led a spade to Ann’s Ace. A club would now lead to two down, but Ann made the natural looking return of diamond and South erred by discarding a club and coming to hand with a club. (He need to start on the trump reduction either by ruffing the diamond or ruffing a spade to hand).
Declarer then led the Queen of trumps which I ducked. When the four-nil break came to light he tried for a trump reduction and end play by ruffing two spades, but in the end game he held ♥ J 9 7, I had K 10 8 and dummy had A 5. I had to come to two tricks. If I had covered the Queen of hearts, in the end game declarer would have J 9 7 and I would have been end-played with 10 8 6. Plus 300 was worth 62 out of 68. One down would still have got us 42, but we needed those extra 20 points.
