Vul:E-W Dlr: West	10932  Q85  Q9872  6
QJ65  J10  A53  J432		AK87  942  64  AK95
	4  AK763  KJ10  Q1087

West	North	East	South
Pass	Pass	1	1
Dbl	2	2	3
All Pass

Last time, we had an amazing, wild slam deal. This time, we’ve gone the opposite direction with a partscore. Personally, I think these deals are much more instructive, if not as exciting to read about.

After two passes, East opens 1. In third-seat it would be okay to open with a decent four-card major, but I wouldn’t do it here. This hand is easy to bid in “normal” fashion. I might open a four-card major with a weakish hand, not vulnerable, where I plan only one bid and the minor is lousy and the major is good—something like: KQJx Axx Jxx xxx. Here, I am happy with a routine 1.

South overcalls 1 (certainly don’t make a takeout double because you have an “opening bid”—this is the wrong shape by far!). West makes a negative double. This says that West has enough points to respond, and exactly four spades. Not three. Not five.

North has enough to raise to 2. Raising an overcall from one to two shows approximately the same strength as raising an opening bid from one to two. Adding for the singleton club, North is worth the raise.

East now bids to the known eight-card spade fit. Voluntarily bidding here on the two level doesn’t show a big hand—it just shows a desire to compete for the partscore.

South isn’t really interested in game (though it is vaguely conceivable). If South had game interest, a bid in a new suit like 3 or 3 would be a try for game, asking partner for help in that suit and whether the raise is towards the top end of the range. Not being worth that, South’s choices are either to pass or to compete to 3. Since South has only one spade and knows the opponents have an eight-card fit, he should bid 3. Don’t let the opponents play on the two level when they are known to have eight trumps.

Now what? West has already told his story, so passes. Same thing for North. And East? The ace-king-ace-king make it tempting to bid again, but I like to rely on the LAW of Total Tricks in these situations. Once the opponents have been pushed to the three level, don’t outbid them on the three level without a good reason. A good reason would be knowledge that our side has a nine-card fit (we don’t), or a belief the opponents have a nine-card fit. I see no reason for East (especially vulnerable) to push on.

The Play

Against 3, what should West lead?  He could lead either black suit (those bid by the partnership), or a trump. I don’t mind trump/passive leads against partials, and I think the J has some appeal. On any lead, should declarer plan to trump clubs in dummy or try to set up diamonds? This is a tough decision. Working on diamonds will likely incur the loss of the three top tricks (A, A, A) and a diamond ruff. I’d be willing to lose those four tricks as +140 on a partscore deal is almost always a great score. So, I’d play on diamonds, let them get a ruff if they have it and then try to draw trump ending in dummy. On the actual layout, it looks like 3 should make—but the play might be slow and complex.

What would happen if East-West went on to 3? That is also a messy, complicated contract. The 4-1 spade break makes it tricky to analyze. Double-dummy (that means looking at all four hands), it can’t make, but in real life it might – there are so many twists and turns the play might take. Since 3 (if doubled and down one) could give North-South 200, East-West are best off settling for -140. This is what we call “par” (the best contract both sides can achieve if everyone judges the auction correctly). For that “par” result, I’d expect North-South to get most of the matchpoints here.

Lesson points:

1) In third seat it is okay to open with a good four-card major.
2) A negative double of a 1 overcall shows exactly four spades.
3) Remember to support with support (even partner’s overcall) if you have enough points.
4) When the opponents are in two of a major and have an eight-card fit, don’t let them play there.
5) Raising from two to three in competition is not inviting game.
6) When the opponents are on the three level, don’t outbid them unless your side has a known nine-card fit (or you strongly believe the opponents have a nine-card fit).
7) “Par” is the best result achievable on a deal if both sides do everything correctly.