Jeff Lehman

Misjudging the Field

At Monday morning’s matchpoint club game Board 15, I held an exceptionally nice hand opposite partner’s second hand, favorable vulnerability opening 3 call.

E
East 
AQ943
AK
A743
A3

What do you think could be the best contracts?  What bid do you make to try to investigate those contracts?

Well, if partner has seven clubs made solid by your ace, 6 or a greedy 6NT look playable.  You would have eleven tricks on top with chances in at least the spade suit for a twelfth trick.

3NT holds little appeal to me.  If you have seven solid club tricks, then why not go for the gusto and try 6?  Partners have been known, yes – even in second seat –, to have preempted on suits that are not so good as KQ(J)-seventh.  Even QJT-seventh would not be a misbid.  If clubs are not solid, notrump looks pretty scary.  Where are your tricks if you have only one or two club tricks?

I decided to forego a notrump contract and focus on spade or club contracts instead.  Accordingly, I responded 3.  Partner raised to 4 and that was the last bid in the auction.  LHO led 2.

W
West
J105
Q4
Q
KJ108642
2
E
East
AQ943
AK
A743
A3

 

 

 

 

I was pleased to have avoided a diamond lead.  On the heart lead, if the black suits behaved, I could have twelve tricks, losing only to the K and pitching all three diamond losers on long clubs.  Or … I could play safely, as I would at IMPs, by taking a diamond ruff early and winning ten tricks by virtue of four spades, two hearts, A, diamond ruff, and two clubs. 

I chose the line for twelve tricks.  I won the heart lead with my king and began with A and a small spade toward dummy’s JT.  The T won the trick but RHO failed to follow suit.  Well, so much for having a third round spade entry to dummy.  Still, if clubs behave for no losers, I can still make twelve tricks.

Or … should I, having seen the 4-1 spade split, change plans and ruff a diamond with dummy’s remaining spade honor?  Further thought led to a conclusion that ruffing a diamond at this stage is not so safe, either.  When I eventually lose the spade king to my LHO, a switch to good diamonds of my RHO could result in the loss of not only two diamond tricks but also the promoting of a second trump trick in the form of the 8 of my LHO.

So … I went back to my plan to hope that clubs run and win twelve tricks that way.  Preserving my A, I played a third spade from dummy, overtaking with my Q as LHO won the spade king.  She switched to a diamond.  I won the A, drew the 8 with my 9 and played the A.  Disaster, as my LHO failed to follow suit!  No matter what happened now, I was destined to lose three minor suit tricks to add to the K.  Twelve tricks?  I did not even make ten tricks!

I think the most significant error I made in this hand is misjudging the field.  Out of 16 pairs, we were the only pair to play in 4!  3NT was by far the most popular contract.  If clubs run, the pairs in 3NT will make eleven or twelve tricks.  Perhaps, then, I should assume that clubs do not break, so that there might be no entry to the slow club suit winners and declarer is struggling for even nine tricks (on a diamond lead) or for only nine tricks (only two clubs, but also four spades and three top red suit tricks) on a heart lead.  Had I judged the opposing contracts better, I would have adopted my IMPs line and made ten tricks in 4 (for about an 80% board).


2 Comments

vinnyJuly 8th, 2015 at 10:11 am

we got to 6 clubs over my nt opener. Barry bid 2 sp and I accepted a 3nt game try in clubs with 3 to an honor and he bid 6 clubs

PhasmidJuly 14th, 2015 at 1:38 pm

You didn’t misjudge (IMHO). “Everyone” would be in 4S on these cards. So, you played to take the most tricks. Your actual execution may be faulty (I haven’t done a detailed analysis) but your matchpoint strategy was appropriate. What are people doing in 3NT? Just weird.

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