Hands from the past - Giant killing in the Gold Cup

Late one night I arrived home from a business trip to Edinburgh, only to be told by my wife 'You might be going back - Bartlett's been on the phone, and you have got to play some Jocko team in the Gold Cup'. The 'Jocko team' turned out to be the top Scottish team and number five seeds, Steel, Matheson, Cuthbertson and McIntosh. I went away on holiday while Keith sorted out the arrangements to play the match at a half way venue in Manchester Bridge Club.

After the first set of eight boards, I wished we hadn't bothered. The opponents had made a close slam on the second board, and Miles and I had eight minus scores on our card. We were relieved to be only 11 imp down. The second set continued in the same vein, we were 22 imp down and the match seemed to be following a predictable course.

Then came two boards which altered the whole complexion of the match.

♠ A J 3
♥ A 4
♦ A Q 8 4 3
♣ 8 6 5


♠ 5
♥ Q J 8 7 5 3
♦ J
♣ A J 10 7 2

Miles and I bid

1♥ - 2♦
2♥ - 3♣
4♣ - 4♥


The crucial bid was Miles' three clubs, which steered us into the best contract. Four hearts made eleven tricks when the hearts and clubs both behaved. In the other room the Scots had to contend with a Gary Pick weak jump overcall of two spades on Q 10 x x x , and ended in 3NT. This had to go one down on a spade lead for a swing of 13 imp. On the very next board Miles and I overbid to six hearts on these hands.

♠ K Q J 3
♥ 7 5 4
♦ 6
♣ A Q J 7 2


♠ A 5
♥ A Q J 8 6 3
♦ K 7 4
♣ 8 4


West led a spade, and as dummy went down an angry local burst into the room, complaining that we were using the boards which he had painstakingly prepared for a teaching class. Disturbed by this interruption (that's my excuse), I mistakenly won in dummy and led a diamond to the king and ace. West now returned a club, leaving me in a dilemma- should I go up with the ace and hope that East had singleton or doubleton king of trumps, or finesse the club which would allow me to pick up king to three trumps with East? After much thought I followed the first line, but the cards lay so well that both lines would have worked.

The contract in the other room was a sensible four hearts, so we had another 13 imp. Can you seen how I should have played? With a few small gains on the other boards we won the set 35-0, the match had turned round and we eventually held on to win by 14.

What about that six hearts? The correct line is to win the spade lead in hand and play a diamond (the king is best as it may avoid a potential spade ruff). If West wins and returns a club you win with dummy's ace, finesse a heart, ruff a diamond, draw trumps and claim. This line wins as long as the trump finesse works and the trumps break 2-2 or 3-1.