David's Well-Laid Plan

Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 12/07/2007
Level: Intermediate

See if you can match my partner, David Berkowitz's detailed analysis on this deal from the first session of the Reisinger teams in San Francisco (2007):

?A 3
?4
?K 10 9 7 3 2
?Q 8 5 3
 
?K J
?A 9 6 3
?8 6 4
?K J 6 4
WestNorthEastSouth
       
    Pass 1?*
1? 2? Pass 2N
Pass 3? Pass Pass
3? Pass 3? Pass
Pass 3NT** Double 4?
Pass Pass Double All Pass

 

*Precision (could be short)

**Takeout

The auction is an eye full. Let me try to summarize.

David systemically opened 1? (because 1? would have been strong).

After showing a limit raise, I attempted to bail out in 3? (a fine contract). LHO balanced and then in turn, I balanced to try to reach 4? or 4?. David ended in 4?X--not a terrible contract.

The ?K was led to David's ?A. He played a diamond and LHO won the ace. Another heart tapped dummy and the ?K revealed the 3-1 break (LHO throwing a spade). Now what?

All you need is to play clubs for one loser. David carefully came to his spade king and led the ?4 to LHO's 7, dummy's queen and RHO's ace. RHO cashed his good trump and tapped dummy with another heart. You play a low club from dummy and RHO plays the deuce. The moment of truth has arrived.

David put in the ?6!

He played RHO for ?A109x. His reasoning was as follows: RHO was willing to defend against 3?. Accordingly, he probably had only 3-card spade support for his partner. That meant RHO was 3=3=3=4 and LHO was 6=5=1=1. (The opponents had no Michaels bid available over the Precision 1?).

Good thinking partner. Alas, the full deal was:

Vul: 
Dlr: 
?A 3
?4
?K 10 9 7 3 2
?Q 8 5 3
 
?Q 9 8 4 2
?K Q J 10 2
?A
?10 7
  ?10 7 6 5
?8 7 5
?Q J 5
?A 9 2
  ?K J
?A 9 6 3
?8 6 4
?K J 6 4
 

As you see, this brilliant plan failed. The ?6 lost to the ?10, down 1. All of my students would have brought in this club suit for only one loser. I suppose I had the wrong partner this time. (The other table played our cards in 3NT undoubled down 2, for a tied board).

 

 **Addendum June, 2013

After dummy ruffed the 2nd heart, calmly play clubs twice, toward king and jack.If West shows out on 2nd round, ruff a heart and cash spades to end in hand. Now play the 4th heart and discard a club. Dummy's last club goes on the ruff and discard in next trick.Reported byTommy Skalmer?s,Trondheim, Norway