[ArtK78]

I played in a Sectional Swiss Teams yesterday as a sort of an add on to a 3 man team. The extent of my playing experience with my partner (a good player) was 7 boards played in the last round of the qualifying for the National Swiss Teams in Philadelphia about 10 years ago (after my team had comfortably qualified after the previous round).

We put together a fairly straight-forward convention card and played the best team in the field in the first round. Due entirely to what happened at the other table, we lost the match 15-5 in VPs. So, our second round match rated to be against a lesser team, and it certainly was.

Having said that, I came across this hand, which meets the criteria of "Interesting Bridge Hands." It is not particularly instructive, just interesting:

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2♦ was waiting but positive (2♥ would have been negative).

LHO led the ♠A. After some thought, he switched to a low heart. I thought this was an odd switch, but didn't give it a whole lot of thought. I pitched a spade from dummy. RHO ruffed! Down 1.

Double-dummy, the hand can be made. RHO had 10xx of clubs. The ♦Q was doubleton in LHO's hand, and the spades were 4-4 (J in RHO's hand). So, if I ruff the heart switch high, pull trump in three rounds, cash the ♦A, play A of hearts, Q of hearts (pitching spades on the good hearts) I can make a spade, two hearts, three diamonds and six clubs for 12 tricks.

My disappointment at this result was somewhat mollified when I found that we won 13 IMPs on the hand. At the other table, my hand bid up to 6♥ after a crowded auction in which clubs were not mentioned. The opps played point count responses to their 2♣ opening, and the response was 2♠. My hand bid hearts, RKCB and slam in hearts, which was doubled and beaten 800 nonvul.

Not particularly instructive, but interesting.

[Hanoi5]

I don't think the line you could make the contract with is normal. Although the heart switch was kinda strange.

[Fluffy]

I would raise clubs directly without bidding 3♥, AQJxxxx is a good trump suit but the auction can be messy if partner raise to 4♥ with some form of singleton. Now would west find the heat switch?

[ArtK78]

Fluffy, on 2012-April-16, 08:54, said:

I would raise clubs directly without bidding 3♥, AQJxxxx is a good trump suit but the auction can be messy if partner raise to 4♥ with some form of singleton. Now would west find the heat switch?

Quite frankly, I don't think he would have to. Suppose he shifts to any other suit. I suspect that I would cross to my hand and ruff a heart low early in the play, only to be overruffed.