Posted 2012-February-08, 06:51
Feb. 6, our first real (= outside the club) tournament. The format is the ever-popular matchpoints, and all the good players are playing the IMP teams next door, so the pressure is on to prove ourselves as better-than-average intermediates.
I pick up
♠7
♥AJ543
♦T52
♣A863
LHO deals and partner opens 1♠. With silent opposition, our auction continues:
1♠-1NT (forcing)
2♦-2♥ (I have no idea what this bid means, I think it should mean roughly my hand, i.e. 5+ hearts not strong enough for 2/1 but still has game prospects opposite a non-minimum opener. We haven't discussed it though, strangely enough)
4♥ (he also has no clue what it means, but this way I have to play)
LHO leads a club, and I see:
♠AK943
♥Q62
♦AK4
♣JT
What a marvelous hand, played probably from the opposite side than most people. Being in a serious tournament, I ask about their lead style, get the cryptic "this club carries no meaning for me", and play from dummy. LHO plays the Q and I win the ace. Clearly I have my contract - I just need to pitch a diamond on a spade and ruff them clubs. If the 9 falls, I won't even have to ruff twice. If the finesse works, that even one less loser. Hurrah for undiscussed bidding!
However, it seems that if RHO is a good player, I might not get my finesse even if it's on, since I need dummy's hearts for ruffing. Hmm, I wonder how I can get an extra trick without losing out on the finesse opportunity? Hang on, if the opposing spades are 3-3, I may get two pitches for clubs and the finesse is my 13th trick!
Armed with this plan, I continue the play: spade to the ace, test the heart finesse with a heart to the J (since the opponents will never continue trumps, of course, and there's no risk of three club losers). The finesse loses, and a diamond comes back. Hah! I cash the ♠K pitching a diamond, ruff a spade, noting both follow, finish drawing trumps ending in dummy and run my spades. Unfortunately, the 13th spade holds the trick, two club tricks follow, and I get a deserved -1 despite the poor defense opposite.
My only excuse was "sorry partner, I can't count". Strangely, that wasn't a bottom - some other declarers tried either this or more brilliant plans, with one result showing 150 the other way.
There's plenty more from that day, but I have to leave soon to generate more stories. BTW, despite the terrible blunders from that day (and I made plenty), we somehow finished the first round with a 54% score and the second with a 60, placing eight and about 1% away from my first international master point (assuming that means anything outside Israel). I can only imagine what stories other pairs can tell.