Misho-inquiry versus Kraft-mittmouse

Beverly kindly invited me play against her and Dianna in a practice session tonight. As you can imagine the first thing I had to do was find a partner. Fortunately, MishovnBg was online. So we were ready for them when they showed up (well, we where waiting might be better wording).

A couple of interesting hands.

Board 3. Dlr South, vul EW

	♠ A J 4 ♥ T 6 5 2 ♦ J 7 4 ♣ A 9 7		WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH -- Pass Pass Pass 1 ♦ pass 1NT Dbl 3NT Pass Pass Pass
♠ Q T 2 ♥ 9 8 4 ♦ KQT98 ♣ 8 5		♠ K 7 ♥ A J 7 ♦ A 6 5 3 ♣ K Q42
Lead SJ	♠ 9 8 6 5 3 ♥ K Q 3 ♦ 2 ♣ J T 6 3

At matchpoints you might have a problem on playing this hand. After the spade JACK lead, you see 5D, 2S, 1H and at least one club. For the speculative SPADE JACK (do we thing north can have only or 2 spades?) we have to believe that HK from KQ would be preferential. So one or more of those cards is woth south. North passed originally so we will watch her points. WE can dela with 4-0 diamonds by starting DK. On diamond to the ace, first surprise, Diana had 3 diamonds! Bev throws 2 spade on three rounds of D's. I guess we can assume I hold spade A ( they lead rusinow, so just enough for me to have Ax of spades and KQxxx of diamonds and pass. )

I decide that Dianna has the club ACE for this defense, and Bev has to have at least one heart honor and so would keep spades for exit. So i play a club up to KQ and when that wins, i establish my second spade trick. Diana wins and leads a heart, I duck, and Bev plays an honest Queen and exits a spade. I still ahve a diamond entry to my hand. I f this was matchpoints I would consider leading a club now and on the actual hand make an overtrick. But I am quite happy with my 9 tricks (2S, 1C, 5D, 1H) so I simply cashed out. This was a great result because partner took an aggressive view with 17 hcp (most talbes open 1NT and play it there). Our NT range is 14-16. With his hand I would raise to 2NT which I would pump to 3NT based on diamonds.

Board 1. Dlr North, vul Neither

	♠ T 9 6 4 ♥ J T 9 ♦ Q J 3 ♣ K 3 2		WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH -- Pass 1 ♦ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT pass Pass Pass
♠ A 8 ♥ 7 3 2 ♦ K 6 4 ♣ T 8 765		♠ K 7 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ A 8 653 ♣ A Q J
Lead HT	♠ Q J 5 3 2 ♥ K Q 8 5 ♦ T 9 ♣ 9 4

They lead "rusinow" so the HT promised the Jack. It was unclear if it was from JTx or KJTx type holding. Once agains at matchpoints I have a shot at an overtick possibly, and once again I gave up the chance for obvious reasons. I held up on the first heart. North conintued with the 9 looking like someone holding JT9 which was confirmed when Bev played low. I would rather north have the long heart. On third round of hearts (the jack) South dropped the King which I assume was suit preference for spades. At this point it seems north will have no more than 4 spades and 3 hearts (well you might go sequence lead with five bad spades and no entry),

On a low diamond from dummy I considered ducking, but if the club hook is off, they might score 3H+1C+1D. I took the club hook, and when that won, I again had a choice. I could play club Ace and club, or cross to teh spade honor and hook a club again. This would require diamonds to be 3-2 with north having 3 -- then I could make 4.

An advantage of club ACE is odd. If south show out. on the club jack, north has to duck, now I would abandon clubs and try to set up diamonds (give north 3-3-3-4 or 4-3-2-4 for instance), Which ever opponent wins the thrid round of diamonds can cash a winner, but I have spade entry to long diamond.

Another intresting hand was this one: SAxx H-KQTxxx D-x C-xxx, I opened 1H (not a weak two) a ZAR 26 pointed hand. LHO overcalled 2D partner bid 2S, I raised to 3S and we bid game that almost no one bid. Partner held S-QJTxxx H-x D-JTx C-AK7.

A Squeeze in a short tourney

Had some interesting hands in an online tournament last night. There were two challenging declarer play hands that require squeezes to make (one after misdefense). Sadly, I wasn't playing either of them. :( There was also some interesting defensive positions.

Here is one of the hands (we were in 4Hx -2 at our table, so this is more from the standpoint of those who reached 5C's).

NS vul

	♠ J T 7 ♥ T ♦ A K 6 3 ♣ A K 9 8 5		WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 1 ♥ Dbl 3♥ 4 ♣ Pass 5 ♣ Pass Pass Pass
♠ Q95 ♥ AKQ63 ♦ JT82 ♣ 6		♠ 8632 ♥ J8542 ♦ Q9 ♣ Q3
Lead ♥ A	♠ A K 2 ♥ 9 7 ♦ 7 5 4 ♣ J T 7 4 2

West starts with two rounds of hearts, second ruffed in dummy. There ae a couple of chices here. Straight up spade finessee (that choice would not be available without spade ten) and playing for 3-3 diamonds first, then straight up finessee, or some sort of diamond-spade squeeze.

So you start by pulling a few trumps, then duck a diamond. They will continue probably a diamond, and you note the fall of the 9Q from EAST, and that south had only one club. If you are like me, after EAST shows up with the diamond Queen, and the club queen, you are pretty sure the spade Queen must be with WEST for his opening bid, so you forget about the spade finessee. Your best chance is that West has four diamonds (or diamonds are 3-3). Simply win their diamond return cash your top spades, and run clubs. If the spade queen does not fall on the last trump, discard the spade from dummy and play your diamonds from the top. This squeeze in not only automatic, card reading makes it clearly the right holding to play for.