Matchpoint hands from Cape Cod regional

Try your hand from some matchpoint problems from a recent regional.

Wed eve, board 26.

1NT-3NT auction.

West ♠ AK3 ♥ JT87 ♦ JT2 ♣ J65

East ♠ T87 ♥ AK3 ♦ Q643 ♣ AK2

The ♥2 lead was won by dummy’s ♥J.  The ♦J was led and held.  The ♦T was captured by North’s ace.  North returned a heart, won perforce in my hand.  I played a spade to dummy in order to lead a third round of diamonds.  Oops, North showed out, pitching a spade, and South won this diamond and the next as I shed a heart from dummy and North pitched a club.  A heart was played next by South and North pitched a spade as I won with my remaining high heart honor.  At this point I had won five of the first eight tricks (three hearts, one spade, and one diamond) and had lost three diamonds.  I had three top tricks remaining in the black suits but needed one more winner.  I played the other top spade and then a third spade.  North won but then he had to lead from ♣Q and when I let that ride to dummy’s jack, I could claim nine tricks.

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ Q9652 ♥ 54 ♦ A8 ♣ Q943
West ♠ AK3 ♥ JT87 ♦ JT2 ♣ J65		East ♠ T87 ♥ AK3 ♦ Q643 ♣ AK2
	South ♠ J4 ♥ Q962 ♦ K975 ♣ T87

No, I don’t know if I would have gone right had North come down to the doubleton ♣Q and three spades for his last five cards.  Probably I should drop the ♣Q then because South’s play of the ♠J on second round of that suit should clue me in to North’s distribution.

Wed eve., board 29.

After an auction to your own to 3NT, of 1♦-2♣-3♣-3♥-3NT, how do you play as East upon lead of ♠2?

West ♠ K96 ♥ AKT7 ♦ 2 ♣ QJT32

East ♠ J743 ♥ 9 ♦ AKT6 ♣ A987

The defense has not found the best lead; a diamond lead would have been more challenging and even a heart presents more difficulty.  Can you take advantage?

To try to take advantage of the tempo presented by the lead, I rose with the ♠K at Trick 1.  When North followed suit with ♠T, the hand seemed pretty easy to diagnose.  I took the club finesse successfully and ended in hand when North was dealt ♣Kx.  Next I led a spade to South’s five and dummy’s six, essentially finessing against South’s ♠8.  As expected, North won the ♠Q from his dealt holding of QT tight.  North then returned a diamond but it was too late.  I won the ♦K and forced out the ♠A, winning eleven tricks (five clubs, two spades, and two sets of red AK’s) for a top board.

Th afternoon, board 1.

For the first sixteen boards of this session, I was dummy on eight and defender on eight.  I finally get a chance to declare on this, the seventeenth board.  Alas, I claim twelve tricks at Trick 1 and have yet to declare a card that matters.  Nice 4♦ call by partner, Wayne Burt of Pembroke, NH, eh?

Dealer: North Vul: none	North ♠ A5 ♥ AJ765 ♦ Q ♣ AQ952
	South ♠ 8742 ♥ KQ983 ♦ — ♣ KJ73

West	North	East	South
—	1♥	3♦	4♦
5♦	6♥	All pass

Th afternoon, board 2.

As North, what do you lead against opponents’ auction of 3♣-3NT?

Dealer: East Vul: NS	North ♠ A962 ♥ K52 ♦ Q9643 ♣ J
West ♠ Q54 ♥ A64 ♦ AJ87 ♣ A62		East ♠ J87 ♥ J73 ♦ ♣ KQT9543
	South ♠ KT3 ♥ QT98 ♦ KT52 ♣ 87

I led a spade and when partner made the not unreasonable continuation of a spade, we had given away a tenth trick.

Th afternoon, board 3.

As North, what action do you take after partner opens 2♥ and West passes, fav vul?

North ♠ 76 ♥ K87 ♦ KT82 ♣ 9863

The conditions are ripe for creating a smokescreen: I bid 2NT (Ogust in this partnership).  Partner responded 3♠, good hand, good suit and so I bid 4♥.  With points of opponents nearly equally divided, neither made a call and -150 was a great score, with eleven tricks available to EW in a spade contract.

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ 76 ♥ K87 ♦ KT82 ♣ 9863
West ♠ AT543 ♥ JT ♦ Q63 ♣ AJ2		East ♠ QJ98 ♥ 32 ♦ AJ95 ♣ KQ4
	South ♠ K2 ♥ AQ9654 ♦ 74 ♣ T75

Th eve, board 4.

What is your signaling plan as West after partner – old Golden Arm – leads the ♣K (you lead A from AK and length) against 1♠-4♠ auction?

West ♠ 94 ♥ KQJ2 ♦ A93 ♣ T973
	South ♠ QJ762 ♥ 7 ♦ T762 ♣ J85

Attitude will soon be known by all, as soon as declarer wins the ace on this trick.  Ergo, your first signal should be count signal.  When declarer later leads a club toward dummy’s jack, you should signal suit preference for diamonds.  The heart suit can wait because a pitch of a heart on the ♣J can hardly cost, but a pitch of a diamond might.

Th, eve, board 5.

Against fourth chair 1♦– (conservative) 1NT, what is your lead as South?

South ♠ QJ62 ♥ KJ953 ♦ 6 ♣ JT5

My opponent led a spade.  I don’t know if there is anything to his decision, but it worked well for him.  A heart would have given me an extra trick, but the spade just gave me discarding problems.

Dealer: North Vul: NS	North ♠ AK97 ♥ 86 ♦ Q952 ♣ 742
West ♠ T8 ♥ Q72 ♦ AT874 ♣ AQ6		East ♠ 543 ♥ AT4 ♦ KJ3 ♣ K983
	South ♠ QJ62 ♥ KJ953 ♦ 6 ♣ JT5

Th eve, board 12.

What is your call as East after partner opens 1♣ and North doubles, at fav vul?

East ♠ 65 ♥ K2 ♦ J98654 ♣ K87

I bid 2♣.

Dealer: West Vul: NS	North ♠ AQJ984 ♥ A83 ♦ AT73 ♣
West ♠ 2 ♥ Q97 ♦ KQ ♣ AT96532		East ♠ 65 ♥ K2 ♦ J98654 ♣ K87
	South ♠ KT73 ♥ JT654 ♦ 2 ♣ QJ4

South could no longer cue bid 2♣ (for which one possible meaning is invitational values with both majors) and wasn’t sure what double would mean in his partnership.  Ergo, he bid 2♥.  Now my partner, Wayne Burt, made a nice pressure call to raise to 5♣, presenting North with a problem.  North decided to double and -300 was a nice result in exchange for the slam their direction.

Th eve, board 14.

As East, you lead the ♦K against 3♠.  How do you continue?

	East ♠ 54 ♥ T98 ♦ AKT2 ♣ AQ76
South ♠ KT86 ♥ 732 ♦ Q74 ♣ K95

West	North	East	South
—	—	1♦	P
1♥	1♠!	Dbl (support)	2♠
P	P	3♣!	3♠!
All pass

At the table, I played ♣A, then small club.  Partner, bless him, held the ♣J and the defense had set up a third round club winner before the ♦Q could be established for a pitch.

Dealer: East Vul: none	North ♠ AQJ7 ♥ AJ4 ♦ J83 ♣ T32
West ♠ 932 ♥ KQ65 ♦ 965 ♣ J84		East ♠ 54 ♥ T98 ♦ AKT2 ♣ AQ76
	South ♠ KT86 ♥ 732 ♦ Q74 ♣ K95

No big deal on this hand because declarer’s distribution was flat.  Maybe next time declarer will be 5=3=2=3.

Th eve, board 15.

West	North	East	South
—	—	—	P
P	1♠	P	2♦ (4-card Drury)
P	2♠(subminimum)	P	4♠!

Yes, that was the actual auction of the opponents.  Can you make use of the information given by North and volunteered by South’s auction choice?  What is your lead?

East ♠ J4 ♥ KQ743 ♦ Q63 ♣ KQ6

Better choose the ♥K and not the ♣K.  I erred by choosing clubs and that made a two trick difference, converting +100 into -650.

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ AQ653 ♥ T2 ♦ 84 ♣ A842
West ♠ 82 ♥ J965 ♦ KJT7 ♣ 975		East ♠ J4 ♥ KQ743 ♦ Q63 ♣ KQ5
	South ♠ KT97 ♥ A8 ♦ A952 ♣ JT3