A Critical Decision
South, your scribe, opened 1H, just out of screen shot, and Andy Clery overcalled a conservative (for him) 2NT. Stefanie Rohan, bid 4H, weaker than bidding 3C to show a good heart raise. Liz Clery was not going to be shut out of the auction and sacrificed in 5D. Now, I don't think pass is forcing by South at this stage, as partner may just be bidding with shape, and so I doubled, and Stefanie judged well to pull to 5H, as 5Dx is only one off, for a near top. However, Andy, expecting a bit more than a 11-loser 1-count from his sister, went on to 6D. Now North's pass is clearly forcing, as partner had doubled 5D only some moments ago, and South, visualising something like Qxxxx Qxxxx none xxx opposite decided that he was not getting rich from 6D and went for 6H. Andy doubled, ensuring the board would be a top or bottom!
After the AD lead, I ruffed in dummy and crossed to a high trump and cashed the ace of spades, felling the jack on my left. I now had to decide whether West was 1-1-6-5 when I can ruff a diamond, finesse the nine of spades, cash the king, ruff another diamond and play two more high spades, discarding clubs on both while East ruffs, or if I should cash a second heart, finesse the spade, cash the spade and then ruff a diamond to throw two clubs on the winning spades. In the end, I cast my mind back to the 5D bid, and thought this had to be 5-card support on such a bad hand. But the motto is "never trust a woman". And no sour grapes, just congrats to the Clerys for a fine set, and a deserved win.
Comments, in particular how you did on this board, are most welcome. Email Andy Conway or me, the administrators, if you need help or permission to post. I think you have our email addresses or can find them easily.
This was an early board in the second session of the new Woodberry Online Pairs, brilliantly conceived and executed by Fred Pitel.
After the AD lead, I ruffed in dummy and crossed to a high trump and cashed the ace of spades, felling the jack on my left. I now had to decide whether West was 1-1-6-5 when I can ruff a diamond, finesse the nine of spades, cash the king, ruff another diamond and play two more high spades, discarding clubs on both while East ruffs, or if I should cash a second heart, finesse the spade, cash the spade and then ruff a diamond to throw two clubs on the winning spades. In the end, I cast my mind back to the 5D bid, and thought this had to be 5-card support on such a bad hand. But the motto is "never trust a woman". And no sour grapes, just congrats to the Clerys for a fine set, and a deserved win.
Comments, in particular how you did on this board, are most welcome. Email Andy Conway or me, the administrators, if you need help or permission to post. I think you have our email addresses or can find them easily.
I overcalled 1H with 2D. Just before play began I'd had a conversation with partner (Kevin) about 4NT overcall being minors, so when 4H came back to me I misapplied it here. Partner showed his zero Aces(/keycards?), which I took as preference for Clubs, and was X'd by north - but fortunately south decided to try 5H. The hopeful AD lead was ruffed, but play proceeded via a cross-ruff rather than setting up Spades, and there were only 10 tricks. A lucky good board.
ReplyDeletePaul is too modest to mention that he was the only declarer who made 11 tricks in hearts. Six tables played in heart contracts at various levels, and those in 4H or 5H missed an opportunity for a good score. The key is to delay drawing a third round of trumps until you have established a fourth spade winner in dummy. Sadly the bidding went too high for good declarer play to reap its reward.
ReplyDeleteAt our table, I doubled Anne Catchpole's 6D contract. We cashed our two Aces and later made KC as Anne was unable to reach dummy to take a finesse.
ReplyDeleteI quite like Ed's 2D overcall, and his 4NT on the next round should not have been taken as Blackwood. So "misinterpreted" would be more accurate than "misapplied". But all's well that ends well as the bard said.
ReplyDelete