Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 12/07/2007
Level: Intermediate
See if you can match my partner, David Berkowitz's detailed analysis on this deal from the first session of the Reisinger teams in San Francisco (2007):
A 3 4 K 10 9 7 3 2 Q 8 5 3
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K J A 9 6 3 8 6 4 K J 6 4
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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Pass |
1* |
1
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2
|
Pass |
2N |
Pass |
3
|
Pass |
Pass |
3
|
Pass |
3
|
Pass |
Pass |
3NT** |
Double |
4
|
Pass |
Pass |
Double |
All Pass |
*Precision (could be short)
**Takeout
The auction is an eye full. Let me try to summarize.
David systemically opened 1 (because 1 would have been strong).
After showing a limit raise, I attempted to bail out in 3 (a fine contract). LHO balanced and then in turn, I balanced to try to reach 4 or 4. David ended in 4X--not a terrible contract.
The K was led to David's A. He played a diamond and LHO won the ace. Another heart tapped dummy and the K revealed the 3-1 break (LHO throwing a spade). Now what?
All you need is to play clubs for one loser. David carefully came to his spade king and led the 4 to LHO's 7, dummy's queen and RHO's ace. RHO cashed his good trump and tapped dummy with another heart. You play a low club from dummy and RHO plays the deuce. The moment of truth has arrived.
David put in the 6!
He played RHO for A109x. His reasoning was as follows: RHO was willing to defend against 3. Accordingly, he probably had only 3-card spade support for his partner. That meant RHO was 3=3=3=4 and LHO was 6=5=1=1. (The opponents had no Michaels bid available over the Precision 1).
Good thinking partner. Alas, the full deal was:
Vul: Dlr: |
A 3 4 K 10 9 7 3 2 Q 8 5 3
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Q 9 8 4 2 K Q J 10 2 A 10 7
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10 7 6 5 8 7 5 Q J 5 A 9 2
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K J A 9 6 3 8 6 4 K J 6 4
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As you see, this brilliant plan failed. The 6 lost to the 10, down 1. All of my students would have brought in this club suit for only one loser. I suppose I had the wrong partner this time. (The other table played our cards in 3NT undoubled down 2, for a tied board).
**Addendum June, 2013
After dummy ruffed the 2nd heart, calmly play clubs twice, toward king and jack.If West shows out on 2nd round, ruff a heart and cash spades to end in hand. Now play the 4th heart and discard a club. Dummy's last club goes on the ruff and discard in next trick.Reported byTommy Skalmer?s,Trondheim, Norway